Azithromycin Tablets

What is Azithromycin?

Azithromycin is an antibiotic used to treat lots of different types of bacterial infections. It’s sometimes prescribed for chlamydia when someone can’t take Doxycycline, which is the ‘first choice’ antibiotic treatment for chlamydia.

Azithromycin is usually taken for three days, and our clinician will tell you to take two tablets on the first day of treatment and one tablet on the second and third days.

Chlamydia is a very common infection. WHO estimated in 2020 that the global number of new chlamydia infections in adults was 128.5 million.^[1] In Europe, it’s most prevalent among women aged 20-24 years old.^[2]

Chlamydia is spread through unprotected sex, including oral sex.

Symptoms of chlamydia include:

• pain when peeing;
• in women, bleeding after sex;
• in men, pain and discomfort in the testicles;
• unusual discharge from the genitals or rectum.

It’s possible to have chlamydia without knowing because most people with it don’t get any symptoms. Estimates vary, but it’s thought that 61% of cases in women and 68% of cases in men are asymptomatic ^[2]. This is one reason why men and women under 25 are advised to get tested each year if they regularly engage in unprotected sex.

You need to get tested before you can start treatment for chlamydia. You can get a test through your GP, or at a sexual health clinic, and send the results to us. If your test returns with a positive result, we’ll advise you about the best course of treatment. If you’re not able to take Doxycycline, our clinicians might prescribe Azithromycin.

If your partner has a positive test result, you can start taking the medication before you’ve been contacted about the results of your test.

Three weeks after finishing your treatment, it’s recommended you take another test to check that treatment has been successful.

How does Azithromycin work?

Azithromycin belongs to a group of medicines called macrolide antibiotics. Chlamydia is caused by a type of bacteria called C. trachomatis. The antibiotic attacks the bacteria that causes infection and weakens it before eventually killing it. It does this by stopping the bacterial cell from making a protein which helps it to grow. Without the protein, the bacteria can’t multiply and the infection clears up.

What doses of Azithromycin are there?

Azithromycin is made in two different dose sizes: 500mg and 250mg. When it’s used to treat chlamydia, the 500mg dose is used.

You usually take Azithromycin for three days when taking it for chlamydia. You’ll take two 500mg tablets on day one and one 500mg tablets on days two and three.

There’s a branded version of the drug called Zithromax, from Pfizer. Azithromycin is the generic version of it.

How to take Azithromycin for chlamydia

It’s important to take your medicine as directed so that it works properly. You should always complete the full course of treatment.

You’ll take Azithromycin tablets for three days:

• Two tablets on day one.
• One tablet on days two and three.

You should:

• Take your tablet(s) at the same time each day
• Take your tablets with water
• Not have sex for at least seven days after your course of treatment has ended to ensure you don’t put someone else at risk of becoming infected.

How long does it take Azithromycin to work?

It takes around seven days for Azithromycin to kill chlamydia. Even though the tablets are only taken for three days, it’s important to remember that you could still be infectious after your treatment has finished. You shouldn’t have sex for at least seven days after finishing treatment so that you don’t risk passing the infection on to someone else.^[1]

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Azithromycin?

If you make a mistake when taking Azithromycin you should let us know, so we can advise you on what to do next. You may need to restart your course of treatment. It’s important you don’t have sex until you’ve completed a full course of treatment because you could risk passing the infection on to your partner.