Azithromycin Traveller's Diarrhoea 250mg Capsules

Traveller's Diarrhoea Doctor Service

Travellers’ diarrhoea is a condition which commonly affects travellers to certain high risk countries in Africa, Asia, and South America. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, and is usually transmitted via contaminated foods and water.

You can order Azithromycin online from our UK registered online pharmacy and doctor service. To see if you are suitable for this treatment, complete the online assessment and checkout. Our UK registered doctors will review the order and after approval pass the prescription to the Pharmacy team. We will then dispense and dispatch your order to your chosen address.

Usual dose for treating Traveller's diarrhoea with Azithromycin is a 500mg tablet every day after symptoms start for 3 days.

Traveller's Diarrhoea

Travellers' diarrhoea is one of the most common health issues experienced during travel. It can be caused by many different germs like bacteria (E.coli, Salmonella), viruses (norovirus) and parasites (Giardia). All these germs are spread through eating and drinking contaminated food and water, or using contaminated dishes and cutlery.

Common symptoms:

• Travellers’ diarrhoea is when you have 3 or more bouts of loose, watery poo in 24 hours.
• Most cases are mild, but for some people it is severe.
• Travellers' diarrhoea tends to happen in the first week of travel.
• Symptoms last on average 3 to 5 days and usually get better without you needing specific treatment.

Note: Loose poo can also be caused by a change in your diet such as eating oily or spicy foods.

Severe Traveller's Diarrhoea - You should seek medical attention if:

• you cannot continue your normal activities and you have had more than 6 episodes of diarrhoea stools in a 24 hour period, OR
• you have passed blood or mucous (slime) in your diarrhoea, OR
• you keep vomiting, have a fever or severe tummy pain

Azithromycin Tablets may be used to treat a wide range of infections caused by certain bacteria and other microorganisms such as: 

• Traveller's diarrhoea
• chest, throat or nasal infections (such as bronchitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis, sore throat (pharyngitis) and sinusitis)
• ear infections
• skin and soft tissue infections, with exception of infected burn wounds e.g. infection of the tube that carries urine from the bladder (urethra) or the neck of the womb (cervix) caused by Chlamydia trachomatis (bacteria).

You must talk to your doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.

A good self care guide and information for diarrhoea is available on the NHS website.

NHS - Diarrhoea

How Does Azithromycin Work?

Azithromycin is from a group of medicines called macrolide antibiotics. Azithromycin is from a group of medicines called macrolide antibiotics. Macrolide antibiotics work by killing the bacteria that cause the infection.

When Will I Feel Better?

With most infections, you'll usually feel better within a few days. When you do, it's important to keep taking Azithromycin until you finish your course. Taking all your medicine will help stop the infection coming back.

What If I Do Not Get Better?

If you're taking Azithromycin for any other infection, tell your doctor if you do not start feeling better after 3 days. Also tell them if, at any time, you start to feel worse.

Will It Stop My Contraception Working?

Azithromycin does not stop any type of contraception from working, including the combined pill and emergency contraception. But if azithromycin makes you sick (vomit) or have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy. Look on the pill packet to find out what to do.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while taking Azithromycin

Azithromycin is generally thought to be OK to take during pregnancy if you have an infection that needs treatment. However, other antibiotics may be more suitable for you, depending on your type of infection. Talk to your doctor about taking azithromycin as it should only be taken if the benefits outweigh the possible risks.

Can I Drive While Taking Azithromycin?

Azithromycin Tablets may cause dizziness and seizures so make sure you are not affected before driving or operating machinery.

Can I Take Azithromycin If I Am?

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Can I Drink Alcohol While Taking Azithromycin?

Yes, you can drink alcohol with azithromycin. However, if azithromycin makes you feel dizzy, do not drink alcohol as it will make you feel worse.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If you have any of the below symptoms of a severe allergic reaction STOP taking this medicine and tell your doctor immediately or go to the casualty department at your nearest hospital.

Possible Side Effects

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, hands, feet or genitals
• blistering of the skin, mouth, eyes and genitals (Stevens-Johnson syndrome).

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):

• skin rash accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, swollen glands and an increase in a type of white blood cell (eosinophilia). A rash appears as small, itchy red bumps (Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS)).

Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):

• sudden difficulty in breathing, speaking and swallowing
• extreme dizziness or collapse
• severe rash involving reddening, peeling and swelling of the skin (Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis).

If you experience any of the following serious side effects, contact your doctor as soon as possible as you may need urgent medical attention.

Other side effects include:

Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):

• diarrhoea
• abdominal pain
• feeling sick (nausea)
• wind (flatulence).

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• lack of appetite (anorexia)
• feeling dizzy
• headache
• sensation of pins and needles or numbness (paraesthesia)
• changes in your sense of taste
• visual impairment
• deafness
• being sick (vomiting), stomach pain or cramps, loss of appetite, problems digesting your food
• skin rashes and itching
• joint pain (arthralgia)
• fatigue
• change in the quantity of the white blood cells and the concentration of bicarbonate in the blood.

For a full list of side effects, please read the patient information leaflet.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, our Rightdose pharmacists or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can help to make medicines safer by reporting any side-effects to the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

Before taking any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

Patient Information Leaflet Azithromycin 250mg Film-coated Tablets

Other medicines and Azithromycin

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, in particular:

• antacids - used for heartburn and indigestion
• ergotamine - used for migraine, should not be taken at the same time as serious side effects may develop (with numbness or tingling sensations in the limbs, muscle cramps, headaches, convulsions, abdominal or chest pain).
• warfarin or similar medicines - used to thin the blood. Azithromycin can thin the blood even more
• terfenadine - used to treat hay fever or skin allergy, should not be taken at the same time as this may cause severe heart problems (shown on an ECG)
• zidovudine or nelfinavir - used to treat HIV infections.

Taking nelfinavir with Azithromycin may mean that you get more of the side effects listed in this leaflet

• rifabutin - used to treat tuberculosis (TB)
• quinidine - used to treat heart rhythm problems
• ciclosporin - used to stop your body rejecting an organ transplant. Your doctor will regularly check your blood levels of ciclosporin and may change your dose.
• hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine (used to treat conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, or to treat or prevent malaria).

Taking these medicines at the same time as azithromycin may increase the chance of you getting side effects that affect your heart.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines. Azithromycin can make the effects of these other medicines stronger. Your doctor may change your dose.

• digoxin - used to treat cardiac impairment
• colchicine - used for gout and familial Mediterranean fever.

Azithromycin with food and drink

This medicine can be taken with or without food.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Driving and using machines

There is no data available about the influence of azithromycin on the ability to drive or operate machines. However, Azithromycin Tablets may cause dizziness and seizures so make sure you are not affected before driving or operating machinery.

Azithromycin contains lactose

If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.

Information on sodium content

This medicinal product contains less than 1mmol sodium (23mg) per film-coated tablet, i.e. essentially ‘sodium- free’.

How to store Azithromycin

• Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
• Do not store above 25°C. Store in the original packaging to protect from moisture.
• Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Always take your medicine exactly as your doctor has instructed you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist, if you are unsure.

Your medicine should be taken by mouth as follows:

• The tablets can be taken with or without food.
• The tablets should be taken with half a glass of water.
• Always continue with the course even if you feel better.

If your infection gets worse or you do not start to feel better within a few days or a new infection develops, go back and see your doctor.

The recommended dose

• For adults, children and adolescents with a body weight of 45kg or over 500mg (two 250mg or one 500mg tablets) once daily for three days with a total dose of 1500mg.

Alternatively, your doctor may decide to prescribe the total dose of 1500mg over a period of 5 days, with 500mg the first day and 250mg on days 2 to 5.

Children and adolescents under 45kg

Azithromycin tablets should not be taken by children or adolescents weighing less than 45kg. Other dosage forms are available for this group of patients.

Patients with kidney or liver problems

You should tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems as your doctor may need to alter the normal dose.

If you take more Azithromycin than you should

If you have taken too much Azithromycin, contact your doctor, pharmacist or go to your nearest hospital immediately. Symptoms of overdose are loss of hearing, feeling sick or being sick and diarrhoea. In case of overdose, admission into hospital may be necessary.

If you forget to take Azithromycin

If you forget to take Azithromycin, take your dose as soon as possible. If it is almost time for the next dose, just skip that dose and take the next one when it is due. If in doubt, please contact your doctor or pharmacist. If you have to skip a dose, still take all of your tablets. This means that you will finish your course a day later.

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you stop taking Azithromycin

Never stop the treatment with Azithromycin on your own, but first discuss this with your doctor. If you stop taking Azithromycin too soon, the infection may return. Take the tablets for the full time of treatment, even when you begin to feel better.

If you are still not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Do not take your medicine and tell your doctor, if you:

• are allergic to azithromycin dihydrate or any other macrolide antibiotic such as erythromycin or clarithromycin or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Azithromycin if:

• you have severe liver problems: your doctor may need to monitor your liver function or stop the treatment
• you have severe kidney problems
• you have heart problems
• your blood levels of potassium or magnesium are too low
• you develop signs of another infection
• you are taking any ergot derivatives such as ergotamine (to treat migraine) as these medicines should not be taken together with azithromycin
• you have a certain type of muscle weakness called myasthenia gravis.

Tell your doctor immediately if you feel your heart beating in your chest or have an abnormal heartbeat, or get dizzy or faint or suffer from any muscle weakness when taking Azithromycin.

If you develop diarrhoea or loose stools during or after treatment, tell your doctor at once. Do not take any medicine to treat your diarrhoea without first checking with your doctor. If your diarrhoea continues, please inform your doctor.

What Azithromycin contains

The active substance is azithromycin dihydrate. Azithromycin 250mg Film-coated Tablets contain 250mg azithromycin (as dihydrate).

The other ingredients 

Core: croscarmellose sodium (E468), magnesium stearate (E572), microcrystalline cellulose (E460), silicium dioxide (E551), poloxamer, povidone (E1201), talc and lactose.

Coating: hypromellose (E464), hydroxypropyl cellulose, macrogol and titanium dioxide (E171).

What Azithromycin looks like and contents of the pack

Azithromycin 250mg Film-coated Tablets are white to off-white oval, 6.7 x 13.5 mm, biconvex film-coated tablets marked “250” on one side and plain on the other side.

250mg tablets are available in a PVC/Alu blister of 4 film-coated tablets.