Precautions

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

It is very important that your doctor check you or your child's progress closely while you are receiving this medicine to make sure this medicine is working properly and to check for any unwanted effects.

If your or your child's symptoms do not improve within a few weeks, or if they become worse, check with your doctor.

You should not receive this medicine if you are also using astemizole (Hismanal®), cisapride (Propulsid®), dihydroergotamine (Migranal®), ergotamine (Ergomar®), pimozide (Orap®), terfenadine (Seldane®), or statin medicine (eg, lovastatin, simvastatin, Mevacor®, Zocor®). Using these medicines together may cause serious unwanted effects.

Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

Erythromycin may cause diarrhea, and in some cases it can be severe. It may occur 2 months or more after you stop receiving this medicine. Do not take any medicine to treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor. Diarrhea medicines may make the diarrhea worse or make it last longer. If you have any questions about this or if mild diarrhea continues or gets worse, check with your doctor.

This medicine can cause changes in heart rhythms, such as a condition called QT prolongation. It may change the way your heart beats and cause fainting or serious side effects in some patients. Contact your doctor right away if you or your child have any symptoms of heart rhythm problems, such as fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat.

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) occurs in infants receiving this medicine. Tell your child's doctor right away if your child is vomiting or irritable during feeding.

Before you have any medical tests, tell the medical doctor in charge that you or your child are receiving this medicine. The results of some tests may be affected by this medicine.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.