Clarithromycin
Clarithromycin 250mg and 500mg tablets are a macrolide antibiotic used for bacterial chest, throat, sinus and skin infections, stocked here in packs of 28 or more.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250mg | 28 tablets | $92.96 | $3.32 |
| 250mg | 32 tablets | $103.68 | $3.24 |
| 250mg | 60 tablets | $162.60 | $2.71 |
| 250mg | 84 tablets | $217.56 | $2.59 |
| 250mg | 92 tablets | $230.00 | $2.50 |
| 250mg | 120 tablets | $262.80 | $2.19 |
| 250mg | 180 tablets | $367.20 | $2.04 |
| 500mg | 28 tablets | $129.36 | $4.62 |
| 500mg | 32 tablets | $140.80 | $4.40 |
| 500mg | 60 tablets | $223.20 | $3.72 |
| 500mg | 92 tablets | $299.92 | $3.26 |
| 500mg | 120 tablets | $390.00 | $3.25 |
- Category
- Antibiotics
- Active ingredient
- Clarithromycin
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet, Suspension
- Strengths
- 250/500mg
You will receive a quality generic, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Bacterial infections · Respiratory infections · Skin infections
- Brands with the same ingredient
- Klacid
- Therapeutic Class
- Macrolide
- Pharmacological Class
- Macrolide antibiotic
- Minor Side Effects
- Diarrhoea, Nausea
- Moderate Side Effects
- Abdominal pain, Disturbed taste
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet, Suspension
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Abbott
- Onset Time
- 1–2 hours
- Duration
- 12 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature away from light.
- Drug Interactions
- Statins, Warfarin
What you will receive
Clarithromycin is a generic medicine sold under the name of its active ingredient, Clarithromycin.
- The manufacturer depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
- It contains the same active ingredient, at the same strength, as the brand-name versions.
FAQ
What pack sizes of Clarithromycin tablets are available?
Clarithromycin tablets come in 250mg and 500mg. The 250mg packs range from 28 up to 180 tablets, while the 500mg packs range from 28 to 120. Each page lists the price per tablet in Hong Kong dollars, and bigger packs lower that price per tablet.
Can I cancel a Clarithromycin order before it ships?
Orders can be cancelled within 24 hours if they have not yet been dispatched. Clarithromycin orders over 120 units may be split into several parcels, so they can arrive on slightly different days. Support answers 24/7 in English and Cantonese by live chat.
Which brand names does clarithromycin have?
Brand names for clarithromycin include Biaxin, Claribid, Crixan, Klacid and Klaricid. Clarithromycin tablets are a pure generic clarithromycin product and are not any of those brands.
How long does clarithromycin take to work?
Fever and pain commonly start to ease within two or three days. A cough often hangs on for a week or more, and pneumonia can take longer to settle. If nothing at all has changed after about three days, the antibiotic may not suit the infection.
Can I drink alcohol while taking clarithromycin?
No reaction between the two is known, so a drink with dinner is not off limits. Alcohol can, however, make the nausea, stomach ache and dizziness that this antibiotic sometimes causes feel worse. Plenty of people simply give it a miss until the last tablet is taken.
What is the difference between clarithromycin 250mg and 500mg?
They are the same antibiotic; the 500mg tablet simply holds twice as much as the 250mg one. A course stays on one strength and keeps to set intervals between doses, so the two are not mixed. Where a larger dose is needed, the higher strength means fewer tablets a day.
Is clarithromycin the same as penicillin?
No. Clarithromycin is a macrolide, a different family with a different structure and a different way of attacking bacteria. It is often chosen for chest and skin infections when a penicillin is unsuitable. The two families cover some of the same bacteria, but they are separate medicines.
About Clarithromycin
A macrolide antibiotic for bacterial infections
Bacteria need a steady supply of new proteins to survive, and clarithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, jams the process that builds them, so the infection stalls and the body's defences take over. It is mostly used for chest infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and it also covers throat, sinus and middle-ear infections and infections of the skin and the tissue beneath it. For stomach ulcers it is one of several medicines given together against Helicobacter pylori. People with weak immune defences may take it against MAC (Mycobacterium avium complex), a lung infection. Viruses cause colds and flu, so it does nothing for them.
Taking the tablets
Say the first tablet goes down at 8am with a glass of water. The next one is due at 8pm. Most infections are treated this way, twelve hours apart, and a few need a tablet every eight hours. Breakfast and dinner make no difference to it. Courses usually last one to two weeks. Each tablet is 250mg or 500mg, and you stay on the one you start with. Feeling better after four days is no reason to stop, since the bacteria left in the body can start multiplying again.
Side effects to expect
The gut usually notices first: queasiness, cramps, looser stools and a bitter or metallic taste in the mouth. Most of this settles within a few days. Swelling of the face, lips or tongue, difficulty breathing or a rash that spreads need urgent treatment. A yellow tinge to the skin or eyes, dark urine and lasting tiredness suggest the liver is struggling. The heart's rhythm can change in rare cases, especially in anyone who already has an irregular heartbeat or low potassium or magnesium. Severe diarrhoea, or diarrhoea that begins after the last tablet, can point to a serious bowel infection.
Other medicines to check
While clarithromycin is in the system, the liver enzyme that clears many other drugs works more slowly, so those drugs build up in the blood. Statins, warfarin and several heart-rhythm medicines are the usual examples, as are other drugs that lengthen the QT interval (part of the heart's electrical cycle). St John's wort has the opposite effect and can make clarithromycin weaker.
The 250mg and 500mg tablets
The listing here is the plain tablet form, 250mg and 500mg. Both hold the same medicine in different amounts, and a course keeps to one strength. The clarithromycin page covers the ingredient itself.
Sources
- Clarithromycin: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- CDC - Antibiotic Use — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention