erythromycin, estrogen, ethambutol 501
erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Ery-max, Ethril, Ilosone, Ilotycin)
Erythromycin is an antibiotic of the macrolide family used to treat many infections, including some STIs,
respiratory and skin infections. It can be safely used during pregancy and is widely available.
In what forms
does this medicine
come?
Tablets or capsules:
200, 250 or 500 mg
Ointment: 1%
Powder for solution:
125 mg per 5 ml
How much and
For chlamydia: 500 mg by
when to take
mouth 4 times a day for
7 days (see page 268 for drug
combinations to treat vaginal
discharge from STIs).
For breast infection, infection from female genital
cutting or deinfibulation, or infection after abortion:
500 mg by mouth 4 times a day for 7 days.
For chancroid or skin infections: 500 mg by mouth
4 times a day for 7 days (also use other drugs, see
page 271). For syphilis: 500 mg by mouth 4 times a
day for 15 days.
For newborn eye-care: Use 1% ointment one time only.
For skin infection: Give 250 mg by mouth, 4 times a
day for 7 to 10 days.
Who should
not take this
medicine?
Do not use if you are
allergic to antibiotics of
the macrolide family.
Side
effects
May upset stomach or cause
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
Information
you should
know
Erythromycin works best when taken
1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal.
If this upsets your stomach too much,
take with a little food.
Do not break up tablets. Many tablets
are coated to prevent strong stomach
juices from breaking down the drug
before it can begin to work.
Other medicines
that may work
for breast infection: cephalexin,
dicloxacillin
for infection after genital cutting: cephalexin,
doxycycline
for STIs: see pages 268 and 271 for drug
combinations
for newborn eye-care: tetracycline ointment,
chloramphenicol ointment
for skin infection: dicloxacillin
estrogen (ethinyl estradiol, mestranol)
Chemical forms of estrogen are used in birth control pills and injections.They are similar to the hormone
estrogen made in a woman’s body. Estrogen can also be used to treat abnormal bleeding. It should no
longer be used for problems of menopause (see Chapter 8). For more information, see the section on birth
control pills, injections, and emergency family planning (see Chapter 13 and pages 522 to 524).
ethambutol (Interbutol, Myambutol, Mycrol, Odetol,Triambutol)
Ethambutol is used to treat tuberculosis (TB) especially where other TB medicines are no longer strong
enough. It is used in combination with other drugs. See Chapter 25.
In what forms
does this
medicine come?
How much and
when to take
Who
should not
take this
medicine?
Tablets: 100 or 400 mg
Syrup: 25 mg/ml
The doses for tuberculosis
medicines differ from region
to region. See a health worker.
(Take ethambutol in combination
with other drugs, see page 389.)
People with serious vision
problems, including cataracts,
should not take this drug.
Neither should people with
severe kidney problems.
Side
effects
Ethambutol often causes vision changes
in one or both eyes. It might make
the area of what you can see smaller,
or cause patchy dark spots or “holes”
in your vision. This usually goes away
when you stop taking the drug.
Information you
should know
It is very important that you
take the entire course of
treatment for tuberculosis,
even if it lasts for a year. If not,
you might infect other people
or get sick again with a kind of
TB that is very hard to cure.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012