Is Zithromax safe during pregnancy?

Has anyone here dealt with this before? I'm dealing with some nasty sinus issues and my throat is killing me, so my doctor put me on an antibiotic today—it’s Azithromycin, which is basically the same thing as Zithromax over here. But then I start actually reading the fine print in the instructions, and it says it hasn't been studied enough to be recommended for pregnant women, yet my doctor went ahead and prescribed it to me today anyway. Now I'm just sitting here spiraling and stressing out completely. What am I supposed to do?

Quite a situation here.

I wouldn't do it if I were you. I don't know how you feel about it, but personally, I’d try to hold out without antibiotics entirely... or at least ask for one that's been thoroughly tested and is completely safe.

I honestly can't believe she actually handed that over to me in the first place, I mean, seriously? I'm calling them first thing tomorrow morning.😠

There are certain antibiotics that are okay to take during pregnancy—Zithromax just isn't one of them. (I actually asked about this back when I needed one right after giving birth; I managed to dodge the antibiotics in the end, but honestly, I'd rather forget that whole ordeal)

I ended up with an inflamed elbow joint and had to get a steroid shot injected directly into the muscle—which, if you ask me, felt way worse than labor 😲.

If you want to dig into pregnancy meds (or steroids), there’s more info over here—there's a German site that really gets what you're going through
.

link 1 At the end of the link, there's a chart showing which drugs (like Voltaren, for example) pass into breast milk and in what percentages. For some, you aren't supposed to nurse for at least four hours after taking it.

I didn't take anything while I was pregnant. A few times I was dying for something for a toothache, but I held out. Acupuncture helped me get through, though I know not everyone is into that kind of thing.

Go ahead and look for an alternative medication before things get out of hand. Don't make the mistake I did—I waited until the absolute last second (until I couldn't even wipe my own butt, let alone handle everything else... breastfeeding required outside help, too). Then the baby blues hit me like a freight train. I was stubborn, too—if I hadn't gotten professional advice in time, I wouldn't have even made it to the injection stage.

hang on just one more minute for an answer—the lady who knows everything there is to know about Zithromax is grabbing some lunch right now 😢

It would be ideal if they just performed a throat swab—that way they could run an antibiogram and prescribe a targeted antibiotic instead of guessing. If there’s actually a bacterial infection present, you really have to take the antibiotics, because the bacteria itself is almost certainly a greater risk to the pregnancy than the medication is. There are specific antibiotics that are considered safe for use during pregnancy and are prescribed regularly; I personally had to take Cefdinir, even during my first trimester, because I dealt with a urinary tract infection. I can't say for certain about Zithromax, though, as I believe they tend to avoid prescribing that during the first trimester. You should probably ask Dr. Harvey on the forum for her take.

Did a little digging online and found this:

For patients with impaired kidney function, Zithromax is totally fine to take since hardly any of it gets cleared through the kidneys.
You do need to be careful, though, if someone has more serious liver issues.
As for older folks—no dose adjustments needed there.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
So far, nothing we've seen suggests Azithromycin harms the baby. But, because clinical data is still pretty thin, it’s not recommended during pregnancy unless it's absolutely necessary...
And for breastfeeding? It's generally advised against using Azithromycin.

Source: Pfizer.com

If the manufacturer themselves says that, then honestly, there isn't much left to say besides—just don't do it!

You'll see this disclaimer on basically every medication out there—use during pregnancy isn't recommended unless it's absolutely necessary.

So I ended up dealing with an ear infection recently and my OBGYN just handed me some Cefdinir from the cephalosporin group, which is totally fine since those are actually given to pregnant women all the time.

mellowbadger8 said:Anyone dealt with this before? My sinuses are killing me and my throat is a wreck. My doctor put me on Azithromycin today—basically the same stuff as Zithromax over here. I’m reading the fine print now and it says there isn't enough data to say it's totally safe for pregnant women, yet my doctor went ahead and prescribed it anyway. Now I'm freaking out. What should I do?

Zithromax? Yeah, right. No way in hell am I touching that stuff.
Look, you can never be 100% sure there won't be some kind of fallout. I mean, maybe nothing happens, but who's actually gonna want to deal with that headache?

And another thing—Zithromax for a sore throat? That’s just overkill. It’s like putting on a heavy winter parka just because there's a tiny little breeze outside.

👋

placidjackal97, I just sent you a DM
👋

darkhawk14 said:placidjackal97, I just sent you a PM
👋

Sent you a reply too—it’s a long one.😉

The real issue isn't necessarily prescribing Azithromycin during pregnancy, but rather using antibiotics to treat what's being labeled as "sinus problems."

mellowbadger8, if I were in your shoes, I would definitely go with the second opinion.

Look, I am absolutely certain I need an antibiotic because I know my own body better than anyone, and this damn throat infection flared up so bad last night that it’s practically out of control. I’ve completely lost my voice, I can feel that heavy, dragging sensation hitting my lungs, and my sinuses are a total disaster zone right now—just a massive breeding ground for all kinds of nasty stuff. I’m just waiting for my doctor to get back to me so I can give her a call and really hammer the point home. What makes this even more infuriating is that I already had to take two rounds of the exact same antibiotics back in October because of an ear infection that migrated straight to my throat. The first round did absolutely nothing, and then it came roaring back twice as hard once the higher dose kicked in, so now I’m genuinely worried because it hasn't been that long since the last time, and honestly, I’m getting sketched out by what I read on the manufacturer's website and even on the site for the company that produces them here in the USA.

I wouldn't jump straight to antibiotics if I were you—but you have to realize that sinus issues and throat infections are incredibly common during pregnancy. If you’ve dealt with similar stuff before you were pregnant, definitely have a full consultation with your doctor. Ask every single question you have regarding your own health and the baby's wellbeing; legally, you have the right to know, and your doctor is obligated to provide those answers. There are also plenty of prenatal specialists and support groups out there designed to walk you through everything from nutrition and exercise to clothing and general health...

mellowbadger8

When dealing with sinus infections, the absolute priority is clearing the nasal passages. That is the foundation of treatment—just like with ear infections. You need nasal drops. Without them, even antibiotics won't do much.

Taking an antibiotic only makes sense if you have a fever or elevated white blood cell counts. Did your doctor actually run a differential blood count?

If the criteria for antibiotics are met, there is a specific list of options available. According to FDA standards, drugs are categorized into three groups:

Group A: Medications proven to be safe during pregnancy.

Group B: Drugs that weren't specifically tested on pregnant women during clinical trials, but long-term medical practice has shown no adverse effects for those who took them (for instance, cases where early pregnancy wasn't known at the time of ingestion).

Group C: Medications for which there is no data or that are proven to be harmful during pregnancy.

Treat Group A as a theoretical concept, because let's face it: no sane researcher tests drugs on pregnant women today. Therefore, almost all antibiotics currently deemed safe for use during pregnancy (including old-school penicillin) fall into Group B. Per the FDA, Azithromycin is also in Group B, meaning there have been no recorded adverse effects on the fetus from women taking it.

Manufacturers are required to cite clinical trial results in their recommendations. Since controlled trials on pregnant women don't exist, it is only logical that they include these disclaimers.

Besides, just go to the FDA websitehttp://www.fda.gov/ and look up the medication lists regarding pregnancy.

But before you jump to conclusions, check your temperature, get your white blood cell count and differential checked, and use nasal drops (after verifying the ingredients against the FDA list). If none of that works, then you can consider Azithromycin.😉

Now, this is what I call actual advice.

granitebadger25, thanks a million for all the intel and advice you shared. I actually started popping those antibiotics today because my condition absolutely tanked overnight and, honestly, based on experience, I already know where this is headed if I don't act, and it isn't anywhere good. There is zero chance this just clears up on its own without antibiotics; I am dead certain we're dealing with a bacterium here rather than some random virus. It's probably Streptococcus, because my throat has completely slammed shut—I can barely even speak and it hurts like absolute hell—plus my lymph nodes are swollen as can be and my sinuses are totally blocked with nothing coming out. I’ve been using warm compresses and trying everything to get some relief, but nothing is working. I'm basically taking the whole weekend to try and pull myself together, so it'll be lots of steam inhalation, saline spray, and hot packs. I really hope these antibiotics do the trick because I was genuinely freaking out that this might spread to my lungs, since things have taken such a massive downward turn. I had a talk with my doctor and decided to just go for it and take them. Thanks to everyone for the info and the help.

Hmm, again, if we're dealing with Streptococcus, then Azithromycin isn't really the best way to go.

Ugh, give me a break. Honestly, I’m finally starting to turn a corner. My sinuses have finally started draining, but only because I’ve been keeping them warm 24/7. It’s actually pretty weird—my nose hasn't even been stuffy once, instead, everything just seems to drain straight down my throat. My throat still hurts like hell, but at least things are finally moving out. I think I’ll try gargling some sage today. If only I had some Hexoral on hand, since that’s always been my go-to remedy. Anyway, I am feeling slightly better, for whatever that's worth.