Erythromycin is the grandfather of azithromycin. They belong to the same macrolide family.
Azithromycin is steeper in all categories. The spectrum of its action is wider. It does not affect liver enzymes and interacts less with other medications.
Problems arise with the frequency of reception.
Old erythromycin had to be taken four times a day. Azithromycin is eaten once a day.
Slow elimination
And here not everyone understands one important detail. Azithromycin is excreted for a very long time. It is taken for three days or six days, and then (later!) It will float in the blood in good concentration for another week.
And now imagine what would happen if you decided to swallow it a little longer than the doctor suggested. If after three days it is withdrawn for another week, what concentration will be after 10 or 14 days of continuous intake?
There will be an overkill, and side effects will appear. This is extremely rare. Only for one or two known infections.
Overdose can result in hearing loss or a dangerous heart rhythm disorder.
Laxative
Well, I would also like to remind you of the side effects, which are not really side effects. Both azithromycin and erythromycin act as a laxative.
They cause diarrhea, but this does not mean that they spoil the microflora. No, not at all necessary. They just act like prokinetics. And this is sometimes useful.
Do you know what prokinetics are? These are remedies for nausea. They force the stomach to contract in the direction of the intestines, and then to the exit.
The most popular prokinetics are cerucal and motilium. And also erythromycin. Really! Erythromycin is a completely self-sufficient prokinetic. Have you heard about this?
I would like to draw your attention once again. I constantly hear that someone has been taking azithromycin for 10 days or longer. You can't do that. There will be an overdose.
