Patient was educated on the side effects of using Erythromycin as follows:
- Opportunistic fungal infections
- The friendly normal flora residing in the human body help prevent growth of opportunistic infections.
- Erythromycin by destroying the normal flora, tips the balance in favor of opportunistic infections.
- So, long term use of Erythromycin carries a risk of opportunistic fungal infections, such as, thrush and yeast infections.
- Anaphylaxis
- A rare, but serious anaphylactic response can occur for Erythromycin.
- Patients can present with extreme itching and rash, swelling of the face and throat, dizziness, bronchoconstriction, and difficulty breathing.
- This is an emergency and medical attention should be sought immediately, without any delay.
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Erythromycin can precipitate irregular heartbeats, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in individuals with history of cardiac arrhythmias.
- Individuals with history of chronic disturbance in serum magnesium and potassium ions are also at increased risk for arrhythmias with Erythromycin.
- Also, individuals taking Lasix are at increased risk for losing potassium, thus setting the ground for life-threatening arrhythmias, upon taking Erythromycin.
