Zmax Side Effects

Generic Name: azithromycin

Please note - some side effects for Zmax may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA.

Side Effects of Zmax - for the Consumer

Zmax Extended-Release Oral Suspension

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Zmax Extended-Release Oral Suspension:

Diarrhea or loose stools; headache; mild stomach pain; nausea; vomiting.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Zmax Extended-Release Oral Suspension:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing or swallowing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, throat, or tongue; unusual hoarseness; wheezing); bloody or watery stools; changes in hearing or hearing loss; chest pain; dark, red, raised areas of the skin; eye or vision problems; fainting; irregular heartbeat; muscle weakness; pounding in the chest; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; ringing in the ears; seizures; severe or persistent diarrhea; severe stomach cramps or pain; symptoms of liver problems (eg, yellowing of the skin or eyes; dark urine; pale stools; severe or persistent nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite; unusual itching); trouble speaking or swallowing; unusual vaginal itching, odor, or discharge.

Top

Zmax Side Effects - for the Professional

Zmax

Clinical studies experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

Adults:

The data described below reflect exposure to Zmax in 728 adult patients. All patients received a single 2 g oral dose of Zmax. The population studied had community-acquired pneumonia and acute bacterial sinusitis.

In controlled clinical trials with Zmax, the majority of the reported treatment-related adverse reactions were gastrointestinal in nature and mild to moderate in severity.

Overall, the most common treatment-related adverse reactions in adult patients receiving a single 2 g dose of Zmax were diarrhea/loose stools (12%), nausea (4%), abdominal pain (3%), headache (1%), and vomiting (1%). The incidence of treatment-related gastrointestinal adverse reactions was 17% for Zmax and 10% for pooled comparators.

Treatment-related adverse reactions following Zmax treatment that occurred with a frequency of <1% included the following:

Cardiovascular: palpitations, chest pain
Gastrointestinal: constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence, gastritis, oral moniliasis
Genitourinary: vaginitis
Nervous System: dizziness, vertigo
General: asthenia
Allergic: rash, pruritus, urticaria
Special Senses: taste perversion

Laboratory Abnormalities

In subjects with normal baseline values, the following clinically significant laboratory abnormalities (irrespective of drug relationship) were reported in Zmax clinical trials:

-

with an incidence of greater than or equal to 1%: reduced lymphocytes and increased eosinophils; reduced bicarbonate;

-

with an incidence of less than 1%: leukopenia, neutropenia, elevated bilirubin, AST, ALT, BUN, creatinine, alterations in potassium.

Where follow-up was provided, changes in laboratory tests appeared to be reversible.

Pediatric Patients:

The data described below reflect exposure to Zmax in 907 pediatric patients. The population was 3 months to 12 years of age. All patients received a single 60 mg/kg oral dose of Zmax.

As in adults, the most common treatment-related adverse reactions in pediatric subjects were gastrointestinal in nature. The pediatric subjects all received a single 60 mg/kg dose (equivalent to 27 mg/lb) of Zmax.

In a study with 450 pediatric subjects (ages 3 months to 48 months), vomiting (11%), diarrhea (10%) loose stools (9%), and abdominal pain (2%) were the most frequently reported treatment-related gastrointestinal adverse reactions. Many treatment related gastrointestinal adverse reactions with an incidence greater than 1% began on the day of dosing in these subjects [43% (68/160)] and most [53% (84/160)] resolved within 48 hours of onset. Treatment-related adverse events that were not gastrointestinal, occurring with a frequency ≥ 1% were: rash (5%), anorexia (2%), fever (2%), and dermatitis (2%).

In a second study of 337 pediatric subjects, ages 2 years to 12 years, the most frequently reported treatment-related adverse reactions also included vomiting (14%), diarrhea (7%), loose stools (2%), nausea (4%) and abdominal pain (4%).

A third study investigated the tolerability of two different concentrations of azithromycin oral suspension in 120 pediatric subjects (ages 3 months to 48 months), all of whom were treated with azithromycin. The study evaluated the hypothesis that a more dilute, less viscous formulation (the recommended 27 mg/mL concentration of Zmax) is less likely to induce vomiting in young children than a more concentrated suspension used in other pediatric studies. The vomiting rate for subjects taking the dilute concentration azithromycin was 3% (2/61). The rate was numerically lower but not statistically different from the vomiting for the more concentrated suspension Across both treatment arms, the only treatment-related adverse events with a frequency of ≥ 1% were vomiting (6%, 7/120) and diarrhea (2%, 2/120).

Treatment-related adverse reactions with a frequency of < 1% following Zmax treatment in all 907 pediatric subjects in the Phase 3 studies were:

Body as a whole: chills, fever, flu syndrome, headache;
Digestive: abnormal stools, constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence, gastritis, gastrointestinal disorder, hepatitis;
Hemic and Lymphatic: leukopenia;
Nervous System: agitation, emotional liability, hostility, hyperkinesia, insomnia, irritability, parasthesia, somnolence;
Respiratory: asthma, bronchitis, cough increased, dyspnea, pharyngitis, rhinitis;
Skin and Appendages: dermatitis, fungal dermatitis, maculopapular rash, pruritus, urticaria;
Special Senses: otitis media, taste perversion;
Urogenital: dysuria.

Laboratory Abnormalities

In subjects with normal baseline values, the following clinically significant laboratory abnormalities (irrespective of drug relationship) were reported in Zmax pediatric clinical trials:

-

with an incidence of greater than or equal to 1%: elevated eosinophils, BUN, and potassium; decreased lymphocytes; and alterations in neutrophils;

-

with an incidence of less than 1%: elevated SGOT, SGPT and creatinine; decreased potassium; and alterations in sodium and glucose.

Postmarketing experience with other azithromycin products

Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, reliably estimating their frequency or establishing a causal relationship to drug exposure is not always possible.

Adverse events reported with azithromycin immediate release formulations during the postmarketing period for which a causal relationship may not be established include:

Allergic: arthralgia, edema, urticaria and angioedema
Cardiovascular: palpitations and arrhythmias including ventricular tachycardia and hypotension
There have been rare reports of QT prolongation and torsades de pointes.
Gastrointestinal: anorexia, constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence, vomiting/diarrhea rarely resulting in dehydration, pseudomembranous colitis, pancreatitis, oral candidiasis, pyloric stenosis, and rare reports of tongue discoloration
General: asthenia, paresthesia, fatigue, malaise and anaphylaxis (rarely fatal)
Genitourinary: interstitial nephritis, acute renal failure, moniliasis and vaginitis
Hematopoietic: thrombocytopenia, mild neutropenia
Liver/Biliary: Adverse reactions related to hepatic dysfunction have been reported in postmarketing experience with azithromycin. [See WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.2)]
Nervous System: convulsions, dizziness/vertigo, headache, somnolence, hyperactivity, nervousness, agitation and syncope
Psychiatric: aggressive reaction and anxiety
Skin/Appendages: pruritus, rash, photosensitivity, rarely serious skin reactions including erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis
Special Senses: hearing disturbances including hearing loss, deafness and/or tinnitus and rare reports of taste/smell perversion and/or loss

Top

Side Effects by Body System - for Healthcare Professionals

Gastrointestinal

Gastrointestinal side effects have included nausea, abdominal discomfort, vomiting, and diarrhea in up to 10% of patients. However, patients rarely (less than 1%) discontinued therapy due to these side effects. Dyspepsia, flatulence, mucositis, oral moniliasis, constipation, melena, and gastritis have been reported with a frequency of 1% or less. Pseudomembranous colitis has been reported with nearly all antibacterial agents and may range in severity from mild to life-threatening. Therefore, it is important to consider this diagnosis in patients who present with diarrhea subsequent to the administration of azithromycin. Anorexia, vomiting/diarrhea rarely resulting in dehydration, pancreatitis, oral candidiasis, pyloric stenosis, and rare cases of tongue discoloration have been reported during postmarketing experience.

Hypersensitivity

Reappearance of allergic symptoms may occur without further azithromycin exposure when symptomatic therapy is discontinued. This phenomenon may be related to the long tissue half-life of the drug. Patients experiencing allergic symptoms may require prolonged periods of observation and symptomatic treatment.

Hypersensitivity side effects have rarely included angioedema, anaphylaxis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Toxic pustuloderma with fever has been reported in at least one patient receiving azithromycin. There is also an isolated report of azithromycin-induced hypersensitivity syndrome. Allergic reactions (including arthralgia, edema, urticaria, and angioedema) and anaphylaxis (rarely fatal) have been reported during postmarketing experience.

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular side effects have rarely included arrhythmias (including ventricular tachycardia), prolongation of the QT interval, torsades de pointes, palpitations, hypotension, and chest pain in postmarketing experience. A causal relationship has not been established.

Hepatic

Hepatic side effects have infrequently included transient elevations of liver function tests (including AST and ALT) and elevated bilirubin. Hepatitis and cholestatic jaundice, as well as rare cases of hepatic necrosis and hepatic failure (some resulting in death), have been reported during postmarketing experience.

Local

Local side effects associated with intravenous administration of the drug have included pain at injection site (6.5%) and local inflammation (3.1%).

Nervous system

Nervous system side effects have included headache, somnolence, vertigo, and dizziness in approximately 1% of patients. Hearing disturbances including hearing loss, deafness, and/or tinnitus have been reported rarely. Paresthesia, convulsions, hyperactivity, nervousness, agitation, and syncope have been reported during postmarketing experience.

Dermatologic

Dermatologic side effects have included rash, pruritus, and urticaria. Photosensitivity and, rarely, serious skin reactions (including erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis) have been reported during postmarketing experience.

Other

Other side effects have included asthenia. Taste/smell perversion and/or loss (rare), fatigue, and malaise have been reported during postmarketing experience.

Renal

Renal side effects have rarely included elevations in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. Interstitial nephritis and acute renal failure have been reported during postmarketing experience. Interstitial nephritis resulting in permanent renal failure has been reported in a patient receiving azithromycin monotherapy.

Hematologic

Hematologic side effects have included decreased lymphocytes, increased eosinophils, leukopenia, and neutropenia. Thrombocytopenia has been reported during postmarketing experience.

Metabolic

Metabolic side effects have included reduced bicarbonate and alterations in potassium.

Psychiatric

Psychiatric side effects have included aggressive reaction and anxiety during postmarketing experience.

Genitourinary

Genitourinary side effects have included vaginitis. Moniliasis has been reported during postmarketing experience.

Top

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. In addition, the drug information contained herein may be time sensitive and should not be utilized as a reference resource beyond the date hereof. This information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients, or recommend therapy. This drug information is a reference resource designed as supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill , knowledge, and judgement of healthcare practitioners in patient care. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug of drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Drugs.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.