E.E.S. 200 Oral

Erythromycin is used to prevent and treat infections in many different parts of the body, including respiratory tract infections, skin infections, diphtheria, intestinal amebiasis, acute pelvic inflammatory disease, Legionnaire's disease, pertussis, and syphilis. This medicine is also used to prevent recurrent attacks of rheumatic fever in patients who have had an allergic reaction to penicillin or sulfa drugs.

Erythromycin belongs to the class of medicines known as macrolide antibiotics. It works by killing bacteria or preventing their growth.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

This section provides information on the proper use of a number of products that contain erythromycin. It may not be specific to E.E.S. 200. Please read with care.

Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered.

Take this medicine with or without food.

Measure the mixed suspension with a marked measuring spoon, oral syringe, or medicine cup.

Keep using the medicine for the full time of treatment, even if you or your child begin to feel better after the first few doses. Your infection may not go away if you stop using the medicine too soon.

Dosing

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

• For oral dosage forms (granules for suspension, suspension, and tablets):
  • For treatment of bacterial infections:
    • Adults—400 milligrams (mg) every 6 hours or 800 mg every 12 hours. Depending on the severity of your infection, your doctor may increase your dose as needed up to 4000 mg per day.
    • Children—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is usually 30 to 50 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day, divided in equal doses and taken every 6 hours. Depending on the severity of your infection, your doctor may increase your dose as needed.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep the mixed E.E.S.® suspension in the refrigerator. Throw away any unused medicine within 10 days.

Store the mixed Ery-Ped® suspension at room temperature. Throw away any unused medicine within 35 days.

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

• Blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
• chills
• cough
• diarrhea
• difficulty with swallowing
• dizziness
• fast heartbeat
• hives or welts
• joint or muscle pain
• puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
• red, irritated eyes
• red skin lesions, often with a purple center
• redness of the skin
• skin rash
• sore throat
• sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips
• tightness in the chest
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• wheezing

• Abdominal or stomach cramps or tenderness
• bloating
• bloody or cloudy urine
• chest pain or discomfort
• dark urine
• diarrhea, watery and severe, which may also be bloody
• fainting
• fever
• general tiredness and weakness
• greatly decreased frequency of urination or amount of urine
• hearing loss
• increased thirst
• irregular heartbeat recurrent
• irregular or slow heart rate
• light-colored stools
• nausea and vomiting
• pain
• swelling of the feet or lower legs
• unusual weight loss
• upper right abdominal or stomach pain
• yellow eyes and skin

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Abdominal or stomach pain
• diarrhea (mild)
• loss of appetite
• weight loss

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain/cramping, and loss of appetite may occur. Taking this medication with food may lessen these symptoms. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: signs of liver disease (such as persistent nausea/vomiting, yellowing eyes or skin, dark urine, severe stomach/abdominal pain), unusual tiredness, muscle weakness, slurred speech, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, hearing loss.

Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: severe dizziness, fainting, fast/irregular heartbeat.

This medication may rarely cause a severe intestinal condition (Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea) due to a type of resistant bacteria. This condition may occur during treatment or weeks to months after treatment has stopped. Tell your doctor right away if you develop: persistent diarrhea, abdominal or stomach pain/cramping, blood/mucus in your stool.

Do not use anti-diarrhea products or narcotic pain medications if you have any of these symptoms because these products may make them worse.

Use of this medication for prolonged or repeated periods may result in oral thrush or a new yeast infection. Contact your doctor if you notice white patches in your mouth, a change in vaginal discharge or other new symptoms.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

In the US -

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor's approval.

Some products that may interact with this drug include: clindamycin, digoxin.

Many drugs besides erythromycin may affect the heart rhythm (QT prolongation), including amiodarone, dofetilide, cisapride, pimozide, procainamide, propafenone, quinidine, sotalol, among others.

Other medications can affect the removal of erythromycin from your body, which may affect how erythromycin works. Examples include azole antifungals (such as itraconazole, ketoconazole), certain calcium channel blockers (such as diltiazem, verapamil), certain anti-seizure medications (such as carbamazepine, phenytoin), quinupristin-dalfopristin, among others.

Erythromycin can slow down the removal of other drugs from your body, which may affect how they work. Examples of affected drugs include bromocriptine, colchicine, certain benzodiazepines (such as midazolam, triazolam), eletriptan, ergot alkaloids (such as ergotamine, dihydroergotamine), certain drugs to treat erectile dysfunction-ED or pulmonary hypertension (such as sildenafil, tadalafil), certain "statin" drugs (such as lovastatin, simvastatin), vinblastine, among others.

Although most antibiotics are unlikely to affect hormonal birth control such as pills, patch, or ring, a few antibiotics (such as rifampin, rifabutin) can decrease their effectiveness. This could result in pregnancy. If you use hormonal birth control, ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

This medication may interfere with certain laboratory tests (urine tests), possibly causing false test results. Make sure laboratory personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug.

If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call 911. Otherwise, call a poison control center right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center.

Notes

Do not share this medication with others.

This medication has been prescribed for your current condition only. Do not use it later for another infection unless your doctor directs you to do so. A different medication may be necessary in that case.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip themissed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Storage

Different brands of this medication have differentstorage needs. Check the product package for instructions on how to store your brand, or ask your pharmacist. Do not freeze or store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.Information last revised December 2016. Copyright(c) 2016 First Databank, Inc.