Erythromycin Side Effects

[reeldoop]

Any doctors awake that could offer some reassurance? I'm normally fit and healthy and quite unflappable. I've been on Erythromycin antibiotics for the past 10 days for a nasty skin infection, finished the course today. I felt ropey all last week, pretty much after the first few days, and its got worse and worse culminating in today when I've had really bad heart palpitations all day that won't go away, cant stop sweating and feel clammy and have a headache. I also feel really panicky and "sense of doomy". I've also had a very stressful couple of days, started a new job last week which involved a lot of driving and information overload. Plus the skin infection has come back somewhere else and I've now got thrush I guess from the antibiotics.

So my question is could the racing heart, palpitations, etc be a side effect of the Erythromycin, or am I just having a prolonged panic attack due to stress?

Aaah, Erythromycin my old foe. I’m not a doctor but I’m very badly allergic to penicillin so Erythromycin is my standard antibiotic. Vile drug. Those side effects sound very normal I’m afraid.

Ive found Clarithromycin- which is the next generation of Erythromycin, it was developed as a result of its parent drug- much better. You need to take less of it and it’m doesn’t have as many side effects (although gives you a vile taste in your mouth throughout the course).

Not a GP but an anxiety sufferer who's had lots of Erythromycin. My side effects have always been feeling sick but not anything panic related. It does make me feel unwell and perhaps the general upset tummy feeds into the panic.

Sounds more like sepsis/cellulitis to me

If the infection is back - you need more and different antibiotics.

I’d see a dr quick

thanks all, that's reassuring that its probably 'just' the Erythromycin. Will it gradually improve now as it goes out of my system? Do I need to go to the doctor and tell thwm about the side effects tommorow, or just that the skin rash has come back but in a different place? What is cellulitis?

Another penicillin allergy person here, seconding FelloutofBed's comments, Clarithromycin much better but v rough on your tummy, expect a week of crap and will need probiotics etc afterwards

Go back about the rash. That might need checking.

Cellulitis is a serious skin infection that can be really dangerous and make you feel rubbish - sorry I think I spelt it wrong

If the skin infection Is back despite antibiotics you must go back to the dr.

How are you feeling today?

Still feel dodgy but not as bad as last night. My GP is overrun and can't get an appt but I did manage to get an emergency phone consultation so a GP has prescribed me some more antibiotics which I am just about to go out to the pharmacy and get (Penicillin type one). Hopefully that will help. I still have the palpitations and tingling in my arm now, but not as bad. I told the GP on the phone about it and he didnt seem too bothered and said its a common side effect of Erythomycin and might be also the infection causing it. I took my BP in the machine at the GP while I was up there which seemed a little high, for me, but not as bad as I was expecting (145/78, 109/85, 118/80 - I am normally something over 65).

Thanks all for your help and concern, you stopped me flipping out last night and I live to fight another day!

Hope the new antibiotics work

Count your heart rate too - fingers on your wrist and count for 60 seconds