Description
Same active ingredient (azithromycin) as Zithromax®, the US brand. Azee 1000 mg is an Indian brand, made and licensed in India.
About Azee 1000 mg
Azee 1000 mg is a prescription tablet containing 1 g (1000 mg) of azithromycin, made by Cipla Limited, used mainly as a one-off dose for certain sexually transmitted infections, such as uncomplicated genital chlamydia and non-gonococcal urethritis or cervicitis. Packing the full gram into a single tablet means the whole treatment can be taken at once, which makes it easy to finish.
How does a single dose work?
Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic that stops bacteria from building essential proteins. After one gram, the drug is taken up by cells in the genital tract and released slowly, with a half-life of roughly 68 hours. Levels therefore remain effective against Chlamydia trachomatis for about a week, without the need for repeated tablets.
What is it used for?
- Uncomplicated chlamydia infection of the cervix or urethra.
- Non-gonococcal urethritis and cervicitis.
- Chancroid, a bacterial cause of genital ulcers.
- Trachoma, where the World Health Organization uses a single weight-based dose of 20 mg/kg up to 1 g.
Guidance has shifted in recent years. In the UK and US, doxycycline for seven days is now usually preferred for chlamydia, with azithromycin kept for people who cannot take it, including during pregnancy. UK sexual health clinics that choose azithromycin often give 1 g on the first day followed by 500 mg daily for two days. Azithromycin alone is no longer a reliable treatment for gonorrhoea, which is treated with a ceftriaxone injection.
How to take Azee 1000 mg
- Swallow the tablet whole with water, with or without food; a light snack beforehand may ease nausea.
- Take only the dose prescribed. Do not repeat it on following days unless your clinic has set out a longer regimen.
- If you vomit shortly after taking it, contact your clinic, as a repeat dose may be needed.
- Avoid taking indigestion remedies containing aluminum or magnesium at the same time.
After treatment
Avoid all sex, including oral sex, for seven days after the dose and until any current partners have also been treated, otherwise the infection can pass straight back. Clinics usually recommend testing for other infections, such as HIV, syphilis and gonorrhoea, and may suggest a repeat chlamydia test a few months later. Return if symptoms do not settle.
What are the side effects?
A gram taken in one go is more likely to upset the stomach than a smaller dose, so nausea, diarrhea, cramps and vomiting are the most common complaints. Headache and dizziness can also occur. Seek urgent care for signs of a serious allergy (swollen face or throat, wheezing, hives), a rash that blisters, a pounding or irregular heartbeat or fainting, jaundice, or severe diarrhea that persists or contains blood.
Who should not take it?
Not suitable if you have ever reacted to azithromycin, erythromycin or another macrolide, or had liver problems after previous azithromycin. Discuss heart rhythm disorders or long QT, low potassium or magnesium, liver disease and myasthenia gravis with your prescriber, and mention medicines such as amiodarone, sotalol, hydroxychloroquine, warfarin, digoxin, colchicine and ergotamine. Azithromycin is one of the recommended options for chlamydia in pregnancy; if breastfeeding, watch the baby for diarrhea or thrush.
Pack sizes and storage
Each strip holds one tablet. Packs of 10, 30, 60 or 90 tablets are available, from $25. Store below 86°F (30°C), dry and out of reach of children.
Frequently asked questions
Is there another 1 g azithromycin tablet?
Azeetop 1000 mg by Healing Pharma contains the same dose.
Can Azee 1000 mg be used for chest infections?
Those are normally treated with 500 mg a day, for example Azee 500 mg for three days, not with a single gram.
Where are other antibiotics listed?
In the More Product category.
For general information; it does not replace testing and advice from a sexual health clinic. Azee 1000 mg is a prescription-only antibiotic.