It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
Do not use this medicine if you or your child are also using astemizole (Hismanal®), cisapride (Propulsid®), lomitapide (Juxtapid®), lovastatin (Mevacor®), pimozide (Orap®), simvastatin (Zocor®), terfenadine (Seldane®), or certain ergot medicines (eg, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, D.H.E. 45®, Ergomar®, Ergostat®, or Migranal®). If you have kidney or liver disease, do not take this medicine together with colchicine (Colcrys®). Using these medicines together may increase the risk for more serious side effects.
If your or your child's symptoms do not improve within a few days, or if they become worse, check with your doctor.
Make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while using this medicine, tell your doctor right away.
This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Call your doctor right away if you or your child have a rash, itching, hoarseness, trouble breathing or swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, mouth, or throat while you or your child are using this medicine.
Serious skin reactions can occur with this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, red skin lesions, severe acne or skin rash, sores or ulcers on the skin, or fever or chills while you or your child are using this medicine.
Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.
Contact your doctor right away if you have any changes to your heart rhythm. You might feel dizzy or faint, or you might have a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat. Make sure your doctor knows if you or anyone in your family has ever had a heart rhythm problem, such as QT prolongation.
Clarithromycin may increase the risk for heart and blood vessel problems in patients with these conditions. It may occur a year or 10 years after the use of this medicine. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about this risk.
This medicine may cause diarrhea, and in some cases it can be severe. It may occur 2 months or more after you or your child stop taking this medicine. Do not take any medicine to treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor. Diarrhea medicines may make the diarrhea worse or make it last longer. If you have any questions or if mild diarrhea continues or gets worse, check with your doctor.
This medicine may make you dizzy or confused. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
