Clarithromcyin, woe is me

[Thinkle]

Just that really.
Could this be worse than the actual illness? This stuff is beyond disgusting. Read the leaflet and read the nhs website and the common side effects are really awful let alone the less common ones.
Please join me in self pity if you are in this to..
I’ve only had two doses but I already have the most disgusting taste in my mouth that woke me up throughout the night, and pain around my middle like someone is pulling a band tight around me. I need to eat to take ibuprofen for my actual illness but the thought of eating makes me shudder.

I had to take this once, it made me feel awful.

I was actually crying trying to take the last two doses. I remember crying and reminding myself how important it was to finish the course they are horrible antibiotics but they did clear up the nasty infection.

It made me (temporarily) deaf as well!

I hope you are feeling better soon

It makes me horrendously sick. I have now got a note on file to say I’m allergic to it. Though not an actual allergy, i was so ill and dehydrated they want to make sure no one prescribes it to me again.

Unfortunately when I’m ill I get confused easily and often no fully with it to check the prescription in the gp and only when I get to the pharmacy!

What sort of things is it prescribed for? It sounds hideous - but I’ve never come across it.

I’ve had this lots. It gave me a very upset stomach but it does work amazingly!

I had to stop taking it mid course after I needed my dad to rescue me in the toilet as I thought I was going to pass out and possibly hit my head falling off the toilet. I was having diarrhea at the same time as being sick.
Being rescued by your dad in the toilet is not to be recommended.

I feel a bit of a wimp now, it’s seems I’ve got off quite lightly... so far. I’m on day three, will it get better or worse do you think?
On the plus side it’s made my nasty throat better.

I’ve just this morning been prescribed this for a chest infection as I’m halfway through a course of amoxicillin and it wasn’t making a difference.
Now I’m scared to take it! The GP didn’t mention any bad side effects. I already feel worse than I’ve ever felt I don’t know if I can take anymore

Oh no! On balance I’m now glad I’m taking it as net net I feel better. Just buy some sweets to suck on because the bitter taste is annoying.
Feel better soon

My son has to take it. Now I feel like a wagon for making him!!! But it’s amazing for chest infections.

Feel like a wagon? Never heard that before.
Did anyone get a skin rash, like a slapped cheek? I had a CT scan yesterday so I could have reacted to the contrast dye. My face is very hot and very red in a stripe.

I don't think I'm allowed that one. Had a reaction to erythromycin as a child and that's treated as an allergy, so apparently they won't prescribe anything in the same family?

It's one of the few I'm not actually incredibly allergic to, so I treat the stuff like gold.

But it makes me puke my guts up, so I get prescribed the same overall dosage in a day, but in as small tablets as possible on the very, very rare occasions I am ill enough to a) need it and b) prepared to risk it being the day my body decides to be allergic to that as well, especially as I'm now allergic to erythromycin.

Try to take them after eating a light meal and have small sips of fluid, rather than chugging down loads to try and get rid of the taste.

You do need to see at least a pharmacist about your rash today, though. Just in case it's an allergic reaction starting up.

Taken one and I can already taste it!

Oh god the taste, and it lives with you for days! i have to have it as allergic to Penicillin and good god it's awful.

It is vile stuff, but it works. I have just finished a 10 day course.
I always took it with food and have lots of sugar free mints to help with the horrible taste. Drink plenty of liquids too.

I’m also on it atm. Often have to take it as an allergic to pencillin and I find it marginally better than erythromycin in terms of feeling sick/throwing up.

My poor DS was prescribed it in liquid form ( powder shaken) when he was 2. Literally couldn’t get it down him and then I tasted it and OMG it was truly vile.

Much better azizromycin but I think it’s more expensive to prescribe.

I also find it’s a good tell of how I’ll I’m feeling. Because it has to be pretty bad for me to take it

What’s worked best for everyone? Taking it before/after food? I took my first dose at 12:30 with milk after I’d just eaten some soup, some crisps and a digestive. I feel awful and it’s not even been 3 hours

For some reason if I eat or drink anything milky with it I always feel worse.

I do find it better taken with a small meal but not too much? If you can suck something. To take the taste away it can help as well.

That’s interesting about the milk bigmouse, but I’ve just chugged a Yakult

It’s probably just me!

Even worse than clarithromycin is metronidazole. Only time I haven’t finished an antibiotic course!

Is it evil that I’m glad you’ve all experienced it too so I’m not alone?!

How is the rash Thinkle?

My doctor just called me to check on me as I had some other hospital tests yesterday. She recommended gaviscon for the stomach discomfort and said if I get the flushed face/rash again after taking tonight’s dose then I need to stop taking it.
So fingers crossed for a big old rash

Oh god yes, the taste...

And for me, the racing heart and insomnia. Five days straight with only about an hour's fitful doze a night. Just lying there all night with a foul taste in my mouth, a sort of roaring sound in my ears, and a racing heart. It was fucking awful.