Erythromycin is a prescription medication sold under a variety of brand names including Erythrocin. Erythrocin may be prescribed in the treatment of infections, including streptococcus, for people who may have rheumatic heart disease in their medical histories or who cannot be given penicillin because of allergic reactions. The medication also has been used in the treatment of Legionnaire's disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. While a good alternative to penicillin, Erythrocin does have some side effects of which users should be aware.
Common Temporary Side Effects
Some people experience side effects of Erythrocin when they first start their treatment with the drug. The more common of these, according to the Mayo Clinic, are vomiting and nausea, diarrhea, cramps in the stomach or discomfort in the abdomen. Less-common side effects include mouth soreness or a sore tongue, itching in the vagina or a vaginal discharge for women. The side effects do occur in some people taking the drug, but they tend to be temporary. Your doctor may know how to reduce the effects if they bother you, but they should go away by themselves as you acclimate to Erythrocin. If not, ask your physician about them and ways to treat them. He may want to try another medication in Erythrocin's place.
Common Serious Side Effects
There are more serious side effects that may be associated with the use of Erythrocin in some people. While these do not occur in everybody, they do require a consultation with your doctor. These may include skin yellowing, a fever, eye yellowing, nausea, vomiting, a skin rash, itching on the skin or skin redness. Others include severe pain in the stomach, abnormal tiredness and uncommon weakness throughout your body. There also may be difficulties at the site of injection of Erythrocin such as redness on the skin, swelling or pain beyond the injection itself.
Rare Serious Side Effects
The rarest of the serious side effects reported from use of Erythrocin also require a consultation with a doctor. These may be very disconcerting, and your physician needs to know if you experience any of them. These include fainting repeatedly, a temporary loss of hearing, bradycardia, or a slowed heart rate, or arrhythmia, also known as an irregular heartbeat.
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