Erythromycin - violently ill

[Litluts]

I was prescribed erythromycin yesterday. 2 tablets to be taken 4 times a day. I've had 10. I have been violently ill since about noon today. And I mean constant nausea, vomiting profusely (literally just liquid bile).
I have stopped taking them (last ones were taken this morning).
I rang GP surgery at 3pm to speak to a GP but they had all gone home

Is there anything I can do to stop the nausea? Or do I have to wait for it to come out of my system? The leaflet lists it as a side effect 'feeling sick or being sick', but it only says to report the side effect, not what the fuck to do about it.

I'm already on lansoprazole for my stomach. Would taking one of them help? I can honestly say, I've rarely been so violently ill in my life.

Bastard things. I feel like I've been poisoned.

Not sure if it's relevant, but I'm allergic to penicillin?

I think doctors don't always warn you about potential side effects in case it puts you off taking them. And really, if you have an infection bad enough to require antibiotics then you need to take them, regardless of how bad they make you feel. I'm having flashbacks to Calpol as child and being told that if I wouldn't take it due to the taste then I clearly didn't need it and was well enough to go to school.

It gave me gastritis/dyspepsia,band I've had several episodes of it since.

I had to have acid suppressants (omeprazoke) and gaviscon advance to recover.

Sounds like you're already stopping it so I don't have to say, just stop and see if they can give you anything else.

Doc didn't warn me - and I'm not even allergic to penicillin.

Omeprazole.

Almost forgot - it also gave me a massive candida/sweat rash all over chest and neck.

It's a godawful antibiotic and is prescribed when amoxicillen would probably do the same job. It kills off everything in your body basically. Good and bad.

Awful drug. Pretty sure it put my mother into cardiac arrest. Thankfully she has an IED (defibrillator pacemaker) which shocked her heart back into rhythm. Hate to think what would have happened if she didn’t have it.

And really, if you have an infection bad enough to require antibiotics then you need to take them, regardless of how bad they make you feel

But how do you take them when you cant even keep down water and you are passed out on the floor?

DD is also allergic to erythromycin, she had a very similar reaction. I'd stop taking it, and call OOH or 111 if you can't wait until the morning & calling your GO again.

How are you doing OP?

Massive sympathies, OP. After a horrific bout of tonsillitis and a (much milder!) reaction to amoxicillin my GP put me on erythromycin. Being sick that much through a horribly inflamed throat was not my idea of a fun weekend...!

Called 111 at about 8pm yesterday. They called me back at 4am this morning. I was asleep and missed the call. Haven't vomited today.
I don't think it's an allergic reaction (I sort of got itchy and swollen from amoxycillin on a drip years ago so they told me I'm allergic to penicillin despite having had it several times previously in tablet form.
They stopped the drip immediately as it was affecting my breathing too).

This was just violent vomiting which has abated. I won't ever take it again however.
I do wonder though as I was apparently on 5 different antibiotics on drips about 2 years ago, so not sure whether allergies are building up. Don't even know if the reaction can become more severe but that seems to happen to me with loads of my allergies.
Too pissed off with GP and unwell today to go back to get different antibiotics. She's a bit of a know-it-all and I can be a bit of an arsehole when in pain or discomfort. She couldn't actually get the speculum in as I was literally screaming in pain. Have never had pain from smears before.
Seriously thinking of changing practices. She is the only female in the practice, but she's very much by the book. The other pair, a father and son, have given me meds that you wouldn't usually get prescribed here. I thought because of the intimate nature of it, she might be a best bet.
I know it's not her fault and she wasn't to know, but it's like if you get food poisoning from a restaurant, you'll never set foot there again. That's the equivalent to how I feel. Genuinely, I have rarely been so violently ill. I only had 10 of them, which were 2, 4 times daily, so I know I'll probably need something more.

For today I couldn't face going back.

OP, I am allergic to these, was given them for a chest infection.
I came out in red pimples and face swelled up, and one gp said I couldn't be allergic to them, dick head.
All you can do is seek medical advice, call out of hours.
it sounds like you need a change, but don't just stop taking them.
I'd call tonight if I were you.

Actually, I did vomit once today, but not since about 10am. Have managed to keep food down. Still feel nauseous, but haven't vomited since this morning.

I stopped taking them since the 8am ones yesterday. I couldn't keep anything down, so had no choice but to stop them.
It's silly advice to tell me to keep taking them!

She also wanted to send me for a scan (heavy constant, but irregular bleeding with clots the size of egg yokes and severe pelvic pain), but I refused that as I never leave the house and I know I wouldn't cope with getting to the hospital and a waiting room (I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's just not something I'm capable of achieving now). No point saying I'll go when I know I won't.
It was all pretty traumatic to me due to a violent rape 3 years ago and a whole plethora of shit since then. I'm extremely distressed and would rather just stay at home.
Fucking awful really.

Think I need a holiday in Barbados or 2 weeks in a psychiatric hospital to be honest!

When waiting for the appointment they had to put me on a chair outside as I couldn't cope despite having music blaring in my headphones.
So annoying.

Wow, you have been through the ringer. I don't have any advice for you but you're a trooper! Chin up and keep soldiering, as my dear old mum would say...I really hope you start getting better very soon, it sounds shit.

I'm allergic to penicillin too and when I need antibiotics I'm either given this or doxycycline (depending on the infection). Both make me feel awful but doxycycline marginally less so. I've never actually vomited but they make me very very nauseous and give me horrendous stomach cramps. Are you making sure you follow the instructions carefully? I think erythromycin has to be taken with food? I haven't had it for a while so can't remember. On my doxycycline labels it always says to take with a full glass of water, avoid dairy and stand or sit up for 30 mins afterwards. I also always take a Buscopan with each dose.
I remember when I had them for a wound infection last year, I was in the middle of teaching and all of a sudden I though I was going to be violently sick, I yelled for TA to take over and ran from the room. I couldn't actually be sick so then I was running from classroom to classroom to find someone who had something I could eat - hardly anyone had brought their own lunch that day!! I eventually found a cereal bar, scoffed the lot and felt much better.

Big (but gentle) hugs OP. Erythromycin tends to give me the raging shits rather than vomiting, but I find that eating bananas can calm the situation down. I don't know if that works for the vomiting though.

Oh you poor thing OP. Given where the infection is, could you go to a Sexual Health clinic instead? I've worked with lots of SH Drs and nurses and they have been really lovely, great attitude to patients and obviously knowledgeable. You don't need to have an actual STI to go, they are integrated clinics nowadays.

Well then it would be a moot point wouldn't it? The OP is here so clearly not passed out on the floor which is why we are having this discussion.

I'm the same. Had them in the past with no issues but suddenly started reacting badly to them. Trimethroprim does the same. Now they mark me up for augmentin, cephalaxin or amoxil

How are you feeling now?