Erythromycin Tips from Pharmacists

• You can take erythromycin with or without food. However, if you develop stomach upset when you take erythromycin on an empty stomach, taking it with food might help.

• Do not use erythromycin to treat the common cold or flu. These are viral infections and do not respond to antibiotics.

• Take erythromycin for as long as your doctor tells you to, even if you feel well and your symptoms disappear. Stopping antibiotic treatment too soon can cause your infection to come back and be harder to treat in the future.

• Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop severe diarrhea with watery or bloody stools up to 2 months after erythromycin treatment. This could be a serious problem called C. diff associated diarrhea.

• If you are taking erythromycin for a sexually transmitted infection, talk to your provider about appropriate treatment for your sexual partner. You may be able to get a prescription for your partner without them being present through the expedited partner therapy program in your state.