Anyone else have really bad gastro side effects from Azithromycin?
I just started the second course of treatment for MAC. Was treated starting in 2023 initially with azithromycin, rifampin, and ethambutol on an every other day regimen, azithromycin one day and the rifampin and ethambutol the next with Sunday off. After 16 months, I had neuropathy from the ethambutol and the doctor thought that I was probably okay to stop treatment as a suputum sample came back negative. But two months later after stopping, I submitted another one that looked suspicious and it came back positive. I had to go through quite a bit of neurology testing and now my doctor put me on azithromycin and rifabutin every day along with Arikayce. I always had problems with the azithromycin during the last course of treatment but I managed with every other day. But now the gastro side effects are horrible. Every day I can count on the severe pain starting about 2 - 3 hours after I take it even on a full stomach. Anyone else have this problem and if so, how do you manage it?
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.