Prescription Drug:
Klaricid tablets, suspension and injection all contain the active ingredient clarithromycin, which is a type of drug known as a macrolide antibiotic. It is used to treat infections caused by bacteria. (NB. Clarithromycin is also available without a brand name, ie as the generic drug.)
Clarithromycin works by preventing bacteria from producing proteins that are essential to them. Without these proteins the bacteria cannot grow, replicate and increase in numbers. Clarithromycin doesn't directly kill the bacteria, but leaves them unable to increase in numbers. The remaining bacteria eventually die or are destroyed by the immune system. This treats the infection.
Clarithromycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is active against a wide variety of bacteria that cause a wide variety of infections. Clarithromycin may be used to treat infections of the upper or lower airways, skin or soft tissue, or ears.
Clarithromycin is also used to eradicate a type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) from the gut. The presence of these bacteria in the gut is associated with ulcers of the stomach and duodenum (an area of the intestine directly after the stomach). Eradicating H pylori from the gut allows duodenal ulcers to heal and also helps prevent them recurring. Clarithromycin is used in combination with a proton pump inhibitor such as lansoprazole or omeprazole and the antibiotics metronidazole or amoxicillin for this purpose (triple therapy). Proton pump inhibitors reduce the production of acid in the stomach and help create an environment in the stomach in which the antibiotic can work more effectively against the bacteria. They also help the ulcer to heal.
To make sure the bacteria causing an infection are susceptible to clarithromycin your doctor may take a tissue sample, for example a swab from the throat or skin.
Clarithromycin is used for the treatment of infections including those of the chest, skin and ear. It is also used for some types of stomach ulcer.
Even if your condition improves it is important to complete the prescribed course of clarithromycin or your infection could come back.
The most common side effects are feeling sick, being sick, tummy pain, diarrhoea and indigestion or heartburn. You can try taking it with food to help stop this if it does occur.
Clarithromycin is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections; it works by killing bacteria that cause the infection.
No Prescription:
Clarithromycin is a semi- synthetic macrolide antibiotic chemically related to erythromycin. It is effective against a wide variety of bacteria organisms, such as Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and mycobacterium avium, and many others.
Drug without Prescription:
Clarithromycin, an antibiotic chemically related to erythromycin, is used to treat certain bacterial infections of the respiratory tract, including:
Strep throat
Pneumonia
Sinusitis (inflamed sinuses)
Tonsillitis (inflamed tonsils)
Acute middle ear infections
Acute flare-ups of chronic bronchitis (inflamed airways)
Clarithromycin is also prescribed to treat infections of the skin. Combined with Prilosec or Prevacid and amoxicillin, it is used to cure ulcers near the exit from the stomach (duodenal ulcers) caused by H. pylori bacteria. It can also be prescribed to combat Mycobacterium avium infections in people with AIDS.
Clarithromycin is available in tablet and suspension form, and in extended-release tablets (Clarithromycin XL). The extended-release form is used only for sinus inflammation and flare-ups of bronchitis.
Clarithromycin, like any other antibiotic, works best when there is a constant amount of drug in the blood. To keep the amount constant, try not to miss any doses.
Prescription is used for:
Bacterial infections of the lungs (lower respiratory tract), eg bronchitis, pneumonia
Bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract, eg sinusitis, pharyngitis
Bacterial infections of the skin or soft tissue
Bacterial infection of the middle ear (otitis media)
Eradicating Helicobacter pylori bacteria from the gut in people with duodenal ulcers.
Clarithromycin is effective against susceptible bacteria causing infections of the middle ear, tonsillitis, throat infections, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and skin infections. It is also used in treating infections caused by mycobacterium avium, an organism closely related to the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. Clarithromycin has been used in combination with Prilosec in treating H. Pylori bacteria that causes stomach ulcers.
Prescription Side Effects:
Abdominal pain;
Abnormal heart beats (arrhythmias);
Abnormal taste;
Allergic skin reactions;
Changes in sense of smell;
Confusion;
Diarrhea;
Difficulty sleeping or bad dreams;
Disturbance of taste or smell;
Dizziness;
Dyspepsia;
Headache;
Indigestion or heartburn;
Lips or tongue;
Liver or kidney disorders;
Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia);
Nausea (feeling sick);
Nausea;
Oral thrush;
Pain in the muscles or joints;
Pins and needles;
Rash;
Reversible loss of hearing;
Sore mouth;
Sore throat with inflamed gums;
Tongue or tooth discolouration;
Tooth or tongue discolouration and changes in taste;
Vomiting (being sick);
Vomiting;
Prescription Form:
Tablets: 250 milligrams,
Tablets: 500 milligrams.
Suspension: 125 milligrams per 5 milliliters teaspoonful,
Suspension: 250 milligrams per 5 milliliters teaspoonful.
Prescription Recommended Dosage:
Clarithromycin
Adults
Respiratory, ear, and skin infections: Your doctor will carefully tailor your individual dosage of Clarithromycin depending upon the type of infection and organism causing it.
The usual dose varies from 250 to 500 milligrams every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days.
Duodenal ulcers: You can expect one of the following treatment regimens:
500 milligrams of Clarithromycin, 30 milligrams of Prevacid, and 1 gram amoxicillin every 12 hours for 10 or 14 days.
500 milligrams of Clarithromycin, 20 milligrams of Prilosec, and 1 gram amoxicillin every 12 hours for 10 days. Some patients need to continue taking 20 milligrams of Prilosec on a once-daily basis for an additional 18 days.
500 milligrams of Clarithromycin every 8 hours plus 40 milligrams of Prilosec every morning for 14 days. Some patients need to continue taking Prilosec at a reduced dosage of 20 milligrams once a day for an additional 14 days.
500 milligrams of Clarithromycin every 8 or 12 hours plus 400 milligrams of Tritec every 12 hours for 14 days. Some patients need to continue taking 400 milligrams of Tritec every 12 hours for an additional 14 days.
Mycobacterium Avium infections: For prevention or treatment, the recommended dose is 500 milligrams twice a day.
Children
Clarithromycin is not recommended for children under 6 months of age.
The dose for children older than 6 months depends on how much the child weighs. Clarithromycin is usually given twice a day for 10 days.
Clarithromycin XL
Adults
Sinusitis: The usual dosage is 1000 milligrams once a day for 14 days.
Bronchitis or pneumonia: The usual dosage is 1000 milligrams once a day for 7 days.
Children
Safety and effectiveness of Clarithromycin XL have not been established for children.
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