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Azithromycin

Medication macrolide antibiotic antibiotic
Aka: Zithromax, Zmax
Brands seen in Singapore: Zithromax, Imexa, Azimax, Zynomax, AZmycin, Zithrotel
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Prescribed for bacterial infections — your doctor decides
When to take
NHS: usually once a day, at the SAMe time each day
Take with
Water · NHS: capsules/tablets 1 h before or 2 h after food
Pros & cons
Pros
  • NHS: usually once a day
  • NHS: many courses run just 3 to 10 days
  • Liquid form exists for children (NHS)
Cons
  • Nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting in >1 in 100 (NHS)
  • NHS: can affect heartbeat — heart problems matter here
  • NHS: taste changes, headaches and dizziness are common
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset, 5,511 rows, pulled via datastore_search API) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “All 16 registered azithromycin products are Forensicclassification 'Prescription Only' — SIN10911P ZITHROMAX TABLET 250 mg · SIN14281P Imexa Film-Coated Tablet 250mg · SIN15065P AZIMAX-250 · SIN16423P ZYNOMAX · SIN14040P AZmycin Tablet 500mg · SIN16876P ZITHROTEL”
  2. NHS Medicines A-Z — About azithromycin (brand name: Zithromax) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Azithromycin is an antibiotic medicine. It's used to treat infections including: chest infections such as pneumonia; ear, nose and throat infections; skin infections; Lyme disease; some sexually transmitted infections … available on prescription as capsules, tablets and a liquid”
  3. NHS Medicines A-Z — About azithromycin: key facts · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “You'll usually take azithromycin once a day … Take azithromycin capsules or tablets at least 1 hour before food or 2 hours after eating. You can take tablets or liquid with or without food … finish your full course”
  4. NHS Medicines A-Z — How and when to take azithromycin: dosage and strength · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The usual adult dose is 500mg a day for 3 to 10 days depending on the infection. For some infections, you'll be given a one-off higher dose of 1g or 2g … tablets come in strengths of 250mg or 500mg”
  5. NHS Medicines A-Z — How and when to take azithromycin: spacing from antacids · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “If you're taking antacid medicines for indigestion or heartburn, take azithromycin at least 1 hour before the antacid or at least 2 hours after. Antacids can affect how much azithromycin your body takes in”
  6. NHS Medicines A-Z — Who can and cannot take azithromycin · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Most adults and children can take azithromycin … tell your doctor if you have: ever had an allergic reaction … liver or kidney problems; heart problems, including irregular heartbeats; ever had diarrhoea when you have taken antibiotics before; myasthenia gravis; diabetes”
  7. NHS Medicines A-Z — Side effects of azithromycin · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “These common side effects of azithromycin happen in more than 1 in 100 people … Feeling sick (nausea) … Diarrhoea … Being sick (vomiting) … Losing your appetite … Headaches … Feeling dizzy or tired … Changes to your sense of taste”
  8. NHS Medicines A-Z — Taking azithromycin with other medicines and herbal supplements · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Azithromycin can affect your heartbeat, so it's best not to take it with other medicines that have the same side effect … tell your doctor … if you're taking: antacids for indigestion … warfarin … digoxin … a statin”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.