Erythromycin (Intravenous)

Erythromycin injection is used to treat bacterial infections in various parts of the body. It is also used to treat diphtheria, acute pelvic inflammatory disease, and Legionnaire's disease. This medicine is also used to prevent bacterial endocarditis and rheumatic fever from happening again in patients who have had an allergic reaction to penicillin or sulfa drugs.

Erythromycin belongs to the class of medicines called macrolide antibiotics. It works by killing bacteria or stopping their growth. However, this medicine will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.

This medicine should only be given by or under the direct supervision of a doctor.

It is very important for your doctor to closely monitor you or your child's progress while receiving this medicine to ensure it is working correctly and to check for any side effects.

If your or your child's symptoms do not improve within a few weeks, or if they get worse, contact 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 (e.g., lovastatin, simvastatin, Mevacor®, Zocor®). Using these medicines together may lead to serious side effects.

Contact your doctor immediately if you or your child experience 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 signs of a serious liver issue.

Erythromycin may cause diarrhea, which can be severe in some cases. Diarrhea may occur 2 months or more after you stop taking this medicine. Do not take any medication for diarrhea without first consulting your doctor. Diarrhea medications may worsen the diarrhea or prolong it. If you have questions about this or if mild diarrhea continues or worsens, contact your doctor.

This medicine can cause changes in heart rhythms, such as a condition known as QT prolongation. It may affect your heart's rhythm and could lead to fainting or serious side effects in some patients. Reach out to your doctor immediately if you or your child show any symptoms of heart rhythm issues, like a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat.

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) can occur in infants taking this medicine. Inform your child's doctor right away if your child is vomiting or irritable during feedings.

Before undergoing any medical tests, inform the doctor overseeing your care that you or your child are receiving this medicine. The results of some tests may be influenced by this medicine.

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

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medication must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your clinician will make. For this drug, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your clinician if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this drug or any other medicines. As well tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of erythromycin injection in children.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of erythromycin injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have erythromycin-induced hearing loss, heart rhythm problems, and bleeding problems, and age-related kidney, liver, or heart issues, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving erythromycin injection.

Breast Feeding

Studies in women suggest that this medication poses minimal chance to the infant when used during breastfeeding.

Interactions with Drugs

Although certain drugs should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medications may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are receiving this drug, it is especially critical that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medication with any of the following drugs is not advised. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Astemizole
• Bepridil
• Cisapride
• Colchicine
• Dihydroergotamine
• Dronedarone
• Eliglustat
• Ergotamine
• Flibanserin
• Fluconazole
• Grepafloxacin
• Levoketoconazole
• Levomethadyl
• Lomitapide
• Lovastatin
• Mesoridazine
• Pimozide
• Piperaquine
• Posaconazole
• Saquinavir
• Simvastatin
• Sparfloxacin
• Terfenadine
• Thioridazine
• Ziprasidone

Using this drug with any of the following drugs is typically not advised, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your physician may change the dose or how frequently you use one or both of the drugs.

• Abametapir
• Acalabrutinib
• Acecainide
• Adagrasib
• Afatinib
• Ajmaline
• Alfentanil
• Alprazolam
• Amiodarone
• Amisulpride
• Amitriptyline
• Amlodipine
• Amoxapine
• Anagrelide
• Apixaban
• Apomorphine
• Aprepitant
• Aprindine
• Aripiprazole
• Aripiprazole Lauroxil
• Arsenic Trioxide
• Ascorbic Acid
• Asenapine
• Atazanavir
• Atorvastatin
• Avapritinib
• Azimilide
• Azithromycin
• Bedaquiline
• Benzhydrocodone
• Berotralstat
• Betrixaban
• Bosutinib
• Bretylium
• Brexpiprazole
• Brigatinib
• Buprenorphine
• Buserelin
• Carbamazepine
• Ceritinib
• Cerivastatin
• Chloral Hydrate
• Chloroquine
• Chlorpromazine
• Cholera Vaccine, Live
• Cilostazol
• Ciprofloxacin
• Citalopram
• Clarithromycin
• Clindamycin
• Clofazimine
• Clomipramine
• Clothiapine
• Clozapine
• Cobicistat
• Cobimetinib
• Codeine
• Conivaptan
• Crizotinib
• Cyclobenzaprine
• Dabigatran Etexilate
• Dabrafenib
• Daridorexant
• Darunavir
• Dasatinib
• Deflazacort
• Degarelix
• Delamanid
• Desipramine
• Deslorelin
• Deutetrabenazine
• Dexmedetomidine
• Dibenzepin
• Digoxin
• Dihydrocodeine
• Diltiazem
• Disopyramide
• Dofetilide
• Dolasetron
• Domperidone
• Donepezil
• Doxepin
• Doxorubicin
• Doxorubicin Hydrochloride Liposome
• Droperidol
• Edoxaban
• Efavirenz
• Elacestrant
• Elexacaftor
• Encainide
• Encorafenib
• Enflurane
• Entrectinib
• Eplerenone
• Escitalopram
• Etrasimod
• Everolimus
• Fedratinib
• Felodipine
• Fentanyl
• Fexinidazole
• Finerenone
• Fingolimod
• Flecainide
• Fluoxetine
• Formoterol
• Fosaprepitant
• Foscarnet
• Fosnetupitant
• Fostemsavir
• Gatifloxacin
• Gemifloxacin
• Gepirone
• Glasdegib
• Gonadorelin
• Goserelin
• Granisetron
• Halofantrine
• Haloperidol
• Halothane
• Histrelin
• Hydrocodone
• Hydroquinidine
• Hydroxychloroquine
• Hydroxyzine
• Ibrutinib
• Ibutilide
• Ifosfamide
• Iloperidone
• Imipramine
• Infigratinib
• Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
• Isoflurane
• Isradipine
• Itraconazole
• Ivabradine
• Ivacaftor
• Ivosidenib
• Ketoconazole
• Lapatinib
• Larotrectinib
• Lefamulin
• Lemborexant
• Leniolisib
• Lenvatinib
• Leuprolide
• Levofloxacin
• Lidoflazine
• Lofexidine
• Lopinavir
• Lorcainide
• Lumacaftor
• Lumateperone
• Lumefantrine
• Lurasidone
• Lurbinectedin
• Macimorelin
• Mavacamten
• Mefloquine
• Meperidine
• Methadone
• Metronidazole
• Mifepristone
• Mirtazapine
• Mitapivat
• Mobocertinib
• Morphine
• Morphine Sulfate Liposome
• Moxifloxacin
• Nafarelin
• Naloxegol
• Neratinib
• Netupitant
• Nifedipine
• Nilotinib
• Nirmatrelvir
• Norfloxacin
• Nortriptyline
• Octreotide
• Ofloxacin
• Olanzapine
• Olaparib
• Omaveloxolone
• Ondansetron
• Osilodrostat
• Osimertinib
• Oxaliplatin
• Oxycodone
• Ozanimod
• Pacritinib
• Paliperidone
• Palovarotene
• Panobinostat
• Paroxetine
• Pasireotide
• Pazopanib
• Pemigatinib
• Pentamidine
• Pentazocine
• Pexidartinib
• Pimavanserin
• Pirmenol
• Pitavastatin
• Pitolisant
• Pixantrone
• Ponesimod
• Prajmaline
• Pralsetinib
• Probucol
• Procainamide
• Prochlorperazine
• Promethazine
• Propafenone
• Protriptyline
• Quetiapine
• Quinidine
• Quinine
• Quizartinib
• Ranolazine
• Relugolix
• Ribociclib
• Rimegepant
• Risperidone
• Ritonavir
• Rivaroxaban
• Selpercatinib
• Selumetinib
• Sematilide
• Sertindole
• Sertraline
• Sevoflurane
• Simeprevir
• Siponimod
• Sirolimus Protein-Bound
• Sodium Phosphate
• Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic
• Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic
• Solifenacin
• Sonidegib
• Sorafenib
• Sotalol
• Sparsentan
• Spiramycin
• Sufentanil
• Sulfamethoxazole
• Sulpiride
• Sultopride
• Sunitinib
• Tacrolimus
• Tadalafil
• Tazemetostat
• Tedisamil
• Telaprevir
• Telavancin
• Telithromycin
• Tenofovir Alafenamide
• Tetrabenazine
• Tezacaftor
• Theophylline
• Tolvaptan
• Toremifene
• Tramadol
• Trazodone
• Triclabendazole
• Trifluoperazine
• Trimethoprim
• Trimipramine
• Triptorelin
• Troleandomycin
• Ubrogepant
• Vandetanib
• Vardenafil
• Vemurafenib
• Venetoclax
• Venlafaxine
• Verapamil
• Vilanterol
• Vinblastine
• Vincristine
• Vincristine Sulfate Liposome
• Vinflunine
• Voclosporin
• Voriconazole
• Warfarin
• Zanubrutinib
• Zolmitriptan
• Zolpidem
• Zotepine
• Zuclopenthixol

Using this drug with any of the following drugs may cause an increased chance of certain adverse effects, but using both drugs may be the best therapy for you. If both drugs are prescribed together, your clinician may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the drugs.

• Anisindione
• Avanafil
• Bexarotene
• Budesonide
• Buspirone
• Cyclosporine
• Diazepam
• Dicumarol
• Methylprednisolone
• Midazolam
• Phenprocoumon
• Roflumilast
• Sildenafil
• Sirolimus
• Suvorexant
• Tolterodine
• Triazolam
• Trimetrexate
• Valproic Acid
• Zafirlukast

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medications may additionally cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Other Medical Issues

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you inform your physician if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Heart rhythm problems (eg, QT prolongation, ventricular tachycardia) or
• Myasthenia gravis (severe muscle weakness)—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease—Use with caution. Effects of erythromycin may be increased since of slower removal of the drug from the body.

Along with its necessary effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Not all of these side effects may happen, but if they do, you might need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse right away if any of the following side effects happen:

Incidence not known

• Blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
• chest pain or discomfort
• chills
• cough
• diarrhea
• difficulty with swallowing
• dizziness
• fainting
• fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
• hearing loss
• hives or welts, itching, skin rash
• irregular or slow heart rate
• irritation at the injection site
• joint or muscle pain
• puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
• red, irritated eyes
• red skin lesions, often with a purple center
• redness of the skin
• sore throat
• sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips
• tightness in the chest
• unusual tiredness or weakness

Some side effects may happen that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you how to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue, are bothersome, or if you have any questions about them:

Incidence not known

• Bleeding, blistering, burning, coldness, discoloration of the skin, feeling of pressure, hives, infection, inflammation, itching, lumps, numbness, pain, rash, redness, scarring, soreness, stinging, swelling, tenderness, tingling, ulceration, or warmth at the injection site

Other side effects not listed may also happen in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You can report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

In the U.S.

• Erythrocin Lactobionate

Available Dosage Forms:

• Powder for Solution

Therapeutic Class: Antibiotic

Chemical Class: Erythromycin

A nurse or other trained health professional will give you or your child this medicine in a hospital. It is given through a needle placed into one of your veins.

Your doctor may give you a few doses of this medicine until your condition improves, and then you may be switched to an oral medicine that works the same way. If you have any concerns about this, talk to your doctor.

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