[GaudiaRay]

Does anyone know if Zithromax is a great choice for secondaries from bird flu?
If yes, what dosage range is known to be normal?
This is not practicing medicine. This is education awareness day!

Zithromax is used to treat many different types of bacterial infections, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis, skin infections, ear infections and STD's.

These are all the options. What I think about are bottles of 500 or 600 mg tablets, and a long shelf-life. If one needs to take less, the pills could be split.

Any thoughts, by anyone who may know or have seen information on this topic?

Zithromax
• Zithromax 3 1gm Packets, Box
• Zithromax 100mg/5ml Suspension, 15ml Bottle
• Zithromax 200mg/5ml Suspension, 15ml Bottle
• Zithromax 200mg/5ml Suspension, 22.5ml Bottle
• Zithromax 200mg/5ml Suspension, 30ml Bottle
• Zithromax 500mg, Tablets
• Zithromax 600mg, Tablets
click to hide the different types of Zithromax Tri-PakZithromax Tri-Pak
• Zithromax Tri-Pak 3 500mg Tablets, Disp Pack
click to hide the different types of Zithromax Z-PakZithromax Z-Pak
• Zithromax Z-Pak 6 250mg Tablets, Disp Pack

[Snowy Owl]

azithromycin
A macrolide antibiotic related to erythromycin. It is used primarily to treat infections caused by respiratory pathogens, such as Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Legionella pneumophila, and urethritis caused by gonococci and chlamydia. Trade name is Zithromax.
"Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary," Copyright © 2005 by F. A. Davis Co., Phil., PA
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/azith.htm

[Snowy Owl]

If you are really worried about controlling secondary infections after flu, most are, commonly, caused by mycoplasma. The cillins are inhibitors of cell wall synthesis. Since mycoplasma have no cell wall they don't do anything. You need an inhibitor of protein synthesis. Tet used to work but most have developed resistance through a membrane pumping system. What still works is erythromycin, but it is one nasty antibiotic. The side effects listed here are minimal compared to the effects:
http://www.curevents.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15268

[LMonty911]

personally, i'd prefer the cheaper and more common erythromycin. I think Zithromax is too short a course for most pneumonias. Just had a conversation on this the other day with one of the docs at work- a z pack isonly 5 days, with supposed 7 days blood levels (its just erytromyicn thats basically sustained release and slow clearance) Its attractive because its a once a day treatment, instead of every 6 or 8 hours dosing with the older form. it may be a little more tolerable to the GI system. however, I personally go for the longer one- even with the downsides, I think it gives better coverage- we see too many treatment failures with zithromax.and erythromycin is available at veterinary supply outlets without an rx, which is a point for those stocking up without an rx. and its dirt cheap compared to zithromax.
just my take on it, theres good and bad to both options. depends on your personal situation which you choose.

[LMonty911]

BTW, the usual zithromax dosing is 500 mg the first day- (2 tabs) then one 250 mg tab per days for the next 4 days.

[suzy]

Wasn't doxycycline the preferred treatment for mycoplasma infections?

[Snowy Owl]

Doxycycline
A broad-spectrum antibiotic of the tetracycline group.
"Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary," Copyright © 2005 by F. A. Davis Co., Phil., PA

Doxycycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic synthetically derived from oxytetracycline and is available as doxycycline monohydrate; doxycycline hyclate; doxycycline hydrochloride hemiethanolate hemihydrate; and doxycycline calcium for oral administration. It is also available as doxycycline hyclate for intravenous use as well as coated hyclate pellets.

The molecular formula of doxycycline monohydrate is C22H24N2O8·H2O and a molecular weight of 462.46. The chemical designation for doxycycline is 4-(Dimethylamino)-1, 4, 4a, 5, 5a, 6, 11, 12a-octahydro-3,5,10,12,12a-pentahydroxy-6-methyl-1, 11-dioxo-2-naphthacenecarboxamide monohydrate. The molecular formula for doxycycline hydrochloride hemiethanolate hemihydrate is (C22H24N2O8·HCl)2·C2H6O·H2O and the molecular weight is 1025.89. Doxycycline is a light-yellow crystalline powder. Doxycycline hyclate is soluble in water, while doxycycline monohydrate is very slightly soluble in water.

Doxycycline has a high degree of lipoid solubility and a low affinity for calcium binding. It is highly stable in normal human serum. Doxycycline will not degrade into an epianhydro form.

Inert ingredients in the syrup formulation are: apple flavor; butylparaben; calcium chloride; carmine; glycerin; hydrochloric acid; magnesium aluminum silicate; povidone; propylene glycol; propylparaben; raspberry flavor; simethicone emulsion; sodium hydroxide; sodium metabisulfite; sorbitol solution; water.

Inert ingredients in the capsule formulations are: hard gelatin capsules (which may contain Blue 1 and other inert ingredients); magnesium stearate; microcrystalline cellulose; sodium lauryl sulfate.

Inert ingredients for the oral suspension formulation are: carboxymethylcellulose sodium; Blue 1; methylparaben; microcrystalline cellulose; propylparaben; raspberry flavor; Red 28; simethicone emulsion; sucrose.

Inert ingredients for the tablet formulation are: ethylcellulose; hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; magnesium stearate; microcrystalline cellulose; propylene glycol; sodium lauryl sulfate; talc; titanium dioxide; Yellow 6 Lake.

Inert ingredients for the coated pellets are lactose, NF; microcrystalline cellulose, NF; povidone, USP. Each shell and/or band contains FD and C blue No. 1; FD and C yellow No. 6, D and C yellow No. 10; gelatin NF: silicon dioxide; sodium laurel sulfate, NF; titanium dioxide, USP.

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/doxycyc.htm

[GaudiaRay]

OK, folks. Bye bye Zithromax and hello Erytrhomycin.
Hi to the local feed store, too! My dog's gonna like goin' to get this stuff as there are open bins at low levels filled with dog cookies. The gal will kipe a few without doubt, costing me extra for this drug as I pay for what she "flavor tests". Like candy at the grocery checkout center, these cookies are strategically placed.

So, last question on this topic:

What's the normal dosing for secondaries due to a bad case of the flu?

Thx to you two folks, LMonty & SnowyOwl for posting so quickly your prior responses.

[LMonty911]

http://www.uspharmacist.com/oldformat.asp?url=newlook/files/Feat/ACF2FEA.cfm&pub_id=8&article_id=125

lots of info here.

emycin- i'd go for 250mg (smaller person) to 500 mg every six hours for 10 days

actually, if money is no object and a script is easy to get, I'd choose levaquin (levafloxin) 500 mg once daily for 10 days. that would be my personal preference.

[GaudiaRay]

There's a website where one finds many people who have experienced very bad side effects from Levaquin. It's not the money. I just don't want to find my tendons tearing due to Levaquin reaction. I guess the answer is to get both, and take Emycin first. If the stomach can hold it down, then go with that. If not, then take Levaquin.

What sayest you to this plan, LMonty911?

[LMonty911]

it is a possible side effect of the quinalones- had it happen to me years back- tore a plantar tendon- had plantar fasciits at the time i as on cipro for a uti. best thing that happened-it hurt, but cured a years long case of pf!

but, theres downsides to each drug. if you get a severe gi reaction, that can be just as bad as the tendon thing- and probably more likely. if you have taken emycin before and it was a breeze-then FAIK youre less likely to have trouble with it in the future.

personally, even though Ive had a tendon issue with cipro in the past- Id go for the levafloxin, i rarely hear of treatmetn failure or intolerance with it- and to me, i'd guess its more likely to be tolerated than emycin if youve just had the flu, with the usual gi upset that goes with it. But,I doubt I'll hve anyway to get it, or store it in any amounts prior to an epidemic- they dont AFAIK sell it on vet sites. so, emycin for me, even though its my second choice.

if i can get any I'd save it for DH- he had a reaction to zithromax, and even though he might not cross react to emycin, i think id rather have him on the levaquin he's taken before without problems.

just my own musings on the subject, GR. maybe your doctor is the one ot ask about this- if youre taking other meds, theres other things to consider the way each drug reacts with other meds and stuff.

[GaudiaRay]

TY LMonty for knowing and sharing about this. It's back to Levaquin and being nice to myself during the treatment. This has been great progress today in this area. TY again.

[Yammy]

As for getting eryth at the vet supply store, you may want to check your local area. Here in Oregon we found that you can not get it without a vets prescription. However the pet store carried Fish antibiotics which were 200 mg eryth which worked just fine for a recent uti.

[Shadowfane]

There WAS a relatively benign script only decongestant 15 - 20 years ago that had a SERIOUS interaction with e-mycin....it is no longer available but for the life of me (and I DO MEAN it that way) I can't remember the name of the decongestant......I am one of the folks who reacts HIGHLY negatively to any of the e-mycin family (which includes Biaxin and z-max) and it is probably due to having taken a course of e-mycin while taking that drug...

Which means that my medical director is having to get flouroquinalones for the trip, when he would rather use Z-max..

eh domage....

[y2kmisfit]

http://www.jefferspet.com/ssc/product_print.asp
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E8-L1 Ampicillin Capsules, 250mg (jar of 100)
$21.95


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E8-L2 Tetracycline Capsules, 250mg (jar of 100)
$10.95


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E8-L3 Amoxicillin Capsules, 250mg (jar of 100)
$14.95


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E8-L4 Penicillin Tablets, 250mg (jar of 100)
$33.85


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

E8-L5 Erythromycin Tablets, 250mg (jar of 100)
$38.95


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[dharma]

Yammy, erythromycin doesn't cover gram negative bugs, which almost all UTI's are. Not to say you didn't get better, of course, but if it cured your symptoms, I'd have to wonder whether you were really suffering a bacterial UTI, or something else.

If you think getting antibiotics is hard, just wait till you try to learn to use them properly.