Erythromycin and Sulfisoxazole (Systemic)

Brand name(s): Eryzole

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For erythromycin and sulfisoxazole, the following should be considered:

Allergies-Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to the erythromycins or sulfa medicines, furosemide (e.g., Lasix) or thiazide diuretics (water pills), oral antidiabetics (diabetes medicine you take by mouth), or glaucoma medicine you take by mouth (for example, acetazolamide [e.g., Diamox], dichlorphenamide [e.g., Daranide], methazolamide [e.g., Neptazane]). Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy-Studies have not been done in humans with either erythromycins or sulfa medicines. In addition, erythromycins have not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in humans. However, studies in mice, rats, and rabbits have shown that some sulfa medicines cause birth defects, including cleft palate and bone problems.

Breast-feeding-Erythromycins and sulfa medicines pass into the breast milk. This medicine is not recommended for use during breast-feeding. It may cause liver problems, anemia, and other unwanted effects in nursing babies, especially those with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.

Children-This medicine has been tested in children over the age of 2 months and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems than it does in adults. This medicine should not be given to infants under 2 months of age unless directed by the child's doctor, because it may cause unwanted effects.

Older adults-This medicine is intended for use in children and is not generally used in adult patients.

Other medicines-Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking erythromycin and sulfisoxazole, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) (with long-term, high-dose use) or
• Amiodarone (e.g., Cordarone) or
• Anabolic steroids (nandrolone [e.g., Anabolin], oxandrolone [e.g., Anavar], oxymetholone [e.g., Anadrol], stanozolol [e.g., Winstrol]) or
• Androgens (male hormones) or
• Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
• Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol) or
• Carmustine (e.g., BiCNU) or
• Chloroquine (e.g., Aralen) or
• Dantrolene (e.g., Dantrium) or
• Daunorubicin (e.g., Cerubidine) or
• Disulfiram (e.g., Antabuse) or
• Divalproex (e.g., Depakote) or
• Estrogens (female hormones) or
• Etretinate (e.g., Tegison) or
• Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
• Hydroxychloroquine (e.g., Plaquenil) or
• Mercaptopurine (e.g., Purinethol) or
• Methotrexate (e.g., Mexate, Rheumatrex) or
• Methyldopa (e.g., Aldomet) or
• Naltrexone (e.g., Trexan) (with long-term, high-dose use) or
• Other anti-infectives by mouth or by injection (medicine for infection) or
• Phenothiazines (acetophenazine [e.g., Tindal], chlorpromazine [e.g., Thorazine], fluphenazine [e.g., Prolixin], mesoridazine [e.g., Serentil], perphenazine [e.g., Trilafon], prochlorperazine [e.g., Compazine], promazine [e.g., Sparine], promethazine [e.g., Phenergan], thioridazine [e.g. Mellaril], trifluoperazine [e.g., Stelazine], triflupromazine [e.g., Vesprin], trimeprazine [e.g., Temaril]) or
• Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
• Valproic acid (e.g., Depakene)-Use of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole with any of these medicines may increase the chance of side effects affecting the liver

• Acetohydroxamic acid (e.g., Lithostat) or
• Dapsone or
• Furazolidone (e.g., Furoxone) or
• Nitrofurantoin (e.g., Furadantin) or
• Primaquine or
• Procainamide (e.g., Pronestyl) or
• Quinidine (e.g., Quinidex) or
• Quinine (e.g., Quinamm) or
• Sulfoxone (e.g., Diasone)-Use of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole with these medicines may increase the chance of side effects

• Alfentanil (e.g., Alfenta)-Long-term use of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole may increase the action of alfentanil and increase the chance of side effects

• Aminophylline (e.g., Truphylline) or
• Caffeine (e.g., NoDoz) or
• Oxtriphylline (e.g., Choledyl) or
• Theophylline (e.g., Slo-Phyllin, Theo-Dur)-Use of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole with these medicines may increase the side effects of these medicines

• Astemizole (e.g., Hismanal) or
• Terfenadine (e.g., Seldane)-Use of astemizole or terfenadine with erythromycin and sulfisoxazole may cause heart problems, such as an irregular heartbeat; these medicines should not be used together

• Anticoagulants (blood thinners) or
• Antidiabetics, oral (diabetes medicine you take by mouth) or
• Ethotoin (e.g., Peganone) or
• Mephenytoin (e.g., Mesantoin)-Use of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole with these medicines may increase the effects of these medicines, thereby increasing the chance of side effects

• Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
• Clindamycin (e.g., Cleocin) or
• Lincomycin (e.g., Lincocin)-Use of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole with these medicines may decrease the effectiveness of these medicines

• Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune, Neoral)-Use of any of these medicines with erythromycin and sulfisoxazole may increase the side effects of these medicines

• Methenamine (e.g., Mandelamine)-Use of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole with this medicine may, on rare occasion, increase the chance of side effects affecting the kidneys

• Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) containing estrogen-Use of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole with oral contraceptives may decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, increasing the chance of breakthrough bleeding and pregnancy. Also, the use of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole with oral contraceptives containing estrogen may increase the chance of side effects affecting the liver.

• Vitamin K (e.g., AquaMEPHYTON, Synkayvite)-Patients taking erythromycin and sulfisoxazole may have an increased need for vitamin K

Other medical problems-The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Anemia or other blood problems or
• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency-Erythromycin and sulfisoxazole may increase the chance of blood problems

• Heart disease-High doses of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole may increase the chance of side effects in patients with a history of an irregular heartbeat

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease-Patients with liver or kidney disease may have an increased chance of side effects

• Loss of hearing-High doses of erythromycin and sulfisoxazole may increase the chance for hearing loss in some patients

• Porphyria-Erythromycin and sulfisoxazole may increase the chance of a porphyria attack

Last Revised: 06/14/1999