Zithromax info

[Guest guest]

I found this info the other day - someone was asking about Zithro for ear

infections I think. It's actually recommended by this site in Autism

treatment ?!? I still would't go near the stuff with a 10 foot poll for

many reasons but thought I'd share as you may decide different (my kid gets

full body hives when he encounters FD & C Red #40 which is in the oral

suspension unless you get it compounded, both my boys guts get totally

screwed up by oral antibiotics, why do systemic when topical will do?!? -

our ENT always starts with the drops to see if that will clear it up and

only moves on to oral if that doesn't, I go into anaphylaxis shock when I

ingest erythromycin so haven't tried any of it's derivatives on my kids,

etc., etc., etc.)...

http://www.recoveryprotocol.com/

Antibiotics/Antivirals Recommended by the Institute for Molecular Medicine

when Indicated for Treatment of Chronic Bacterial, Viral Infections in

Autism/ADD Patients

Azithromycin (aka Zithromax) (No Age Limit in Children)

Azithromycin is a azalide (macrolide) antibiotic with good absorption and a

serum half-life of ~68 hrs. This class of drug acts by binding to the 50S

ribosomal subunit of susceptible organisms where it interferes with protein

synthesis. Food decreases absorption rate, but absorption is unaffected by

antacids containing magnesium, aluminum or other salts; other drugs may

affect absorption (see above).

For children the recommended dose is 10 mg/Kilogram body weight/day (oral

capsules taken at once) for each 6-wk cycle of therapy. Azithromycin

should not be taken with meals (1 hr before or 1 hr after). Initially,

azithromycin may exacerbate some symptoms but these are usually gone within

a few weeks. Patients usually start feeling better with alleviation of

most major signs/symptoms within several weeks, but in some patients major

symptoms are not alleviated within months. Azithromycin has been used for

patients aged less than 8 years, in which doxycycline cannot be tolerated,

or in patients that no longer respond to doxycycline. Herxheimer reactions

usually pass within a few days to weeks. Virtually all patients relapse

(show the same major signs/symptoms) after terminating therapy in less than

12 wks. Additional cycles of antibiotic result in milder relapses after

drug is discontinued. Azithromycin has been shown to be safe for pediatric

use (at 10 mg/KG/day).

Azithromycin is effective against the following organisms: gram-negative

bacteria (Bordetella pertussis, Shigella species, Haemophilus

influenzae, Chlamydia species, Yersinia pestis, Brucella species, Vibrio

cholera); gram-positive bacteria (Streptococci group C, F, G); mycoplasmas

(Mycoplasma species); others (Clostridium species, Treponema pallidum

[syphilis], and Borrelia species).

Precautions: Azithromycin is principally absorbed by the liver, and

caution should be exercised with patients with impaired liver

function. Antacids containing magnesium, aluminum or other salts should

not be taken at the same time of day with azithromycin.

Adverse Reactions: Adverse antibiotic responses were mild to moderate in

clinical trials and included diarrhea (5%), nausea (3%), abdominal pain

(3%). In rare cases (<1%) azithromycin may cause cardiovascular problems

(palpitations, tachycardia, chest pain) and central nervous system

(dizziness, headache, vertigo), allergic (rash, photosensitivity,

angioderma), fatigue and other reactions (<1%). In pediatric patients >80%

of the adverse responses were gastrointestinal. In children, doses above

the suggested 10 mg/kg/day have been shown to produce hearing loss in some

patients.