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Roxithromycin Side Effects

There are a number of different types of prescription macrolide antibiotics available to treat specific types of bacterial infections, and the brand names of these drugs vary from country to country. In Australia and New Zealand, the drug Roxithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic used to treat infections in the respiratory and urinary systems as well as in soft tissues. Despite its effectiveness, Roxithromycin is not for everyone as it presents several risks for side effects and complications in some patients.

  1. Common Side Effects

    • The most common side effects of Roxithromycin are not normally serious in nature and pose little discomfort. Many patients taking the drug experience gastrointestinal side effects, such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain. Like other antibiotics, Roxithromycin frequently decreases the amount of necessary bacteria that grow in the body, causing an increased incidence of yeast infections. The most common of these infections are vaginal yeast infections and oral thrush.

    Other Side Effects

    • Roxithromycin also has the potential to cause a number of other troublesome or annoying, but not dangerous, side effects. Less common gastrointestinal side effects of the drug include flatulence and loss of appetite. Some patients experience a general feeling of tiredness or sensory effects, such as ringing in the ears and abnormal changes in the tastes of food and drinks. Other possible side effects of Roxithromycin include headaches, skin rash and itching.

    Drug Interactions

    • There are some medications that produce unwanted side effects when used in conjunction with Roxithromycin. When combined with blood thinners like warfarin, Roxithromycin increases your risk of experiencing uncontrollable bleeding during surgery or following an injury. In addition, ergot derivative headache drugs, the asthma drug theophylline and certain cardiovascular medications and anesthetics have the potential to cause increases in the negative side effects of Roxithromycin.

    Risks

    • In addition to minor side effects and the risk of interactions, Roxithromycin has the potential to cause serious medical complications. For some patients, Roxithromycin elevates levels of certain liver enzymes, which can cause damage to the liver or even liver failure. Because of this, your doctor will most likely perform regular, routine liver function blood tests if you will be taking Roxithromycin for an extended period of time. Additionally, some patients experience severe allergic reactions to Roxithromycin. Typically, these reactions begin with the appearance of hives or itching around the mouth, progressing to swelling of the lips and throat and difficulty breathing. If you experience any signs of an allergic reaction while taking Roxithromycin, you should seek immediate medical attention.

    Considerations

    • Because it sometimes causes drowsiness, you should not operate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery until you know how Roxithromycin effects you. Because there is not yet sufficient evidence that Roxithromycin has no unwanted effects upon the fetus, doctors typically do not prescribe the drug for pregnant women. If you suffer from cirrhosis of the liver, jaundice or any type of liver disease, your doctor will typically not prescribe Roxithromycin for you due to its side effects. Additionally, if you have ever experienced an allergic reaction to another type of macrolide antibiotic, you should not take Roxithromycin.

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