Throcin 125 mg/5 ml Suspension

Macrolide antibiotic, often used in penicillin allergy:

• Throat, ear, sinus and chest infections (including atypical pneumonia, whooping cough)
• Skin infections and acne
• Chlamydia and some other sexually transmitted infections
• Diphtheria (treatment and carriers), campylobacter enteritis
• Prevention of rheumatic fever recurrence (penicillin allergy)
• Low dose: to speed stomach emptying (gastroparesis), on specialist advice

Adults: 250–500 mg every 6 hours, or 500 mg–1 g every 12 hours; up to 4 g daily in severe infections.

Acne: 250–500 mg twice daily for several months (with topical treatment).

Children: 30–50 mg/kg/day in 2–4 divided doses (up to 100 mg/kg/day in severe infections), as prescribed. Under 2 years usually 125 mg four times daily; 2–8 years 250 mg four times daily.

• Stearate: take before food; ethylsuccinate/coated tablets can be taken with food.

• Allergy to erythromycin or other macrolides
• Use with astemizole, terfenadine, cisapride, pimozide, ergotamine, simvastatin, lovastatin
• Known QT prolongation or low potassium/magnesium

Common: nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, loss of appetite.

Less common: rash, itching.

Rare but serious: irregular heartbeat (QT prolongation), liver inflammation and jaundice (more with estolate), temporary hearing loss at high doses, severe allergy, C. difficile colitis, pyloric stenosis in newborns.

• Use with caution in liver disease and heart-rhythm problems.
• Many drug interactions — tell your doctor about all medicines you take.
• Myasthenia gravis may worsen.

Not known to be harmful (avoid the estolate salt). Small amounts in breast milk — generally compatible.

• Statins (simvastatin, lovastatin — muscle damage); atorvastatin dose limits
• Warfarin (bleeding risk)
• Theophylline, carbamazepine, ciclosporin, digoxin, midazolam (levels rise)
• QT-prolonging drugs, domperidone (heart-rhythm risk)
• Colchicine (toxicity)

Severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea; hearing loss; heart-rhythm changes. Seek medical care.

Store below 30°C. Reconstituted suspension: use within 7–14 days as stated.