Azithromycin 500mg

Standby antibiotic, Azithromycin 500mg x 3 tablets for treatment of travellers' diarrhoea for use when needed, available to buy online from Dr Fox Pharmacy.

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Buy Azithromycin online in UK

How to order Azithromycin online for UK delivery:

  1. Read medical information about travellers' diarrhoea
  2. Answer medical questions to check for eligibility
  3. Reviewed by doctors - posted from UK pharmacy (tracked 24hr service)

Prices

Azithromycin Quantity Cost
Azithromycin 500mg 3 tablets (1 course) £8.90

Prescription issued online - small prescription fee per order.

Compare prices: Dr Fox prices are 25%-50% lower cost than other online clinics.

Prescription fees

Dr Fox supplies medicine on prescription and charges a small prescription fee based on the order value of each prescription.

Prescriptions are issued by our doctors online and sent electronically to our pharmacy.

Order value Prescription fee
up to £10 £1.00
up to £20 £2.00
up to £40 £3.00
over £40 £4.00

If you have your own private paper prescription please post to our pharmacy (details).

Dr Fox prices are 25%–50% lower than other UK online clinics.

*Dr Fox adds a small prescription fee not included in table above.
Comparative costs of Azithromycin from UK online clinics (24 June 2024) - qualifying notes
  1. The prices shown are listed by the online clinics named after a customer first enters consultation information and is offered prescriptions. It is possible these clinics may have special offers or lower prices for repeat supplies.
  2. Prices may change and are, to the best of our knowledge, accurate on the date stated. All products in stock and new condition.
  3. Dr Fox does NOT claim to provide a superior service to any of the online clinics listed. All the clinics listed, as far as we can tell, comply with all regulation and, as far as we can tell, operate to high ethical standards.
  4. Dr Fox adds a small prescription fee not included in the table (between £1 and £4 depending on value of the order).
  5. To amend the information in this table please contact us
  6. The prices listed in the table do not identify the cost of prescription medicine as online clinics charge a single fee to cover services which includes advice, consultations, prescriptions and dispensing and supply of treatments.
  7. Where services include free delivery this is using the slowest delivery option available. Dr Fox uses Royal Mail Tracked 24.
Medication Dr Fox* PostMyMeds ASDA Online Doctor The Independent Pharmacy Cloud Pharmacy
Azithromycin 500mg £9.90 £12.49 £27.00 £19.99 £13.99
UK delivery £2.90 £3.95 Free £4.45 £4.29

Delivery charges

UK delivery only: £2.90 per consultation via Royal Mail Tracked 24 Signed For (1-3 working days with tracking).

Parcel forwarding services are not permitted. Use only UK home or work delivery address.

Returns and refunds - unwanted items can be returned within 14 working days for a full refund.


About azithromycin

  • Azithromycin is a prescription-only antibiotic used to treat infections such as travellers' diarrhoea.
  • Take 500mg daily for 3 days.
  • Read the patient leaflet for a full list of side effects, cautions, and interactions with other drugs.
  • Note: The dose of azithromycin to treat travellers' diarrhoea is different to that required to treat chlamydia. Dr Fox does NOT provide azithromycin to treat other conditions including sore throats, gonorrhoea, and mycoplasma.

Azithromycin is effective in reducing the symptoms of travellers' diarrhoea, particularly if taken with loperamide. This is an off-label use of azithromycin, but it has been prescribed for travellers' diarrhoea for many years. The symptoms of travellers' diarrhoea should improve within 24 hours of starting antibiotic.

It is recommended that you consider carrying standby antibiotics for travellers' diarrhoea:

  • If you are going to a remote location with little or no access to good medical assistance.
  • If you are at high risk of the diarrhoea leading to severe illness, e.g. poorly controlled diabetes, renal impairment, heart failure, reduced CD4 HIV or other reduced immunity.
  • If you have a pre-existing bowel problem where infection may trigger a relapse, e.g. ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, coeliac disease, and previous bowel surgery.
  • If you have a known tendency to severe travellers' diarrhoea.

Dosage

Treatment with azithromycin is 500mg daily for 3 days (either 2 x 250mg tablets or 1 x 500mg tablet). Start as soon as you get diarrhoea, not before. It is not a preventative.

Cautions

If you have known allergy to azithromycin, erythromycin, or clarithromycin you should not take azithromycin for travellers' diarrhoea.

There are some medical conditions where you should not take azithromycin:

  • A tendency to irregular heartbeat or other heart disease.
  • Myasthenia gravis.
  • Liver disease.
  • Kidney disease.

It is not recommended to take azithromycin when trying to conceive, or during pregnancy and breastfeeding, without first discussing with your own GP. See Best use of medicines in pregnancy - Azithromycin for further information.

Azithromycin tablets contain lactose.

Other medicines

There are several medications which should not be used at the same time as azithromycin. Not many of them are prescribed frequently so most people should be able to use it. Consult your own GP if taking:

  • Ciclosporin - for reducing immunity after transplant.
  • Digoxin - for irregular heart or heart failure.
  • Ergotamine - for migraine used rarely.
  • Terfenadine - antihistamine for hay fever and allergy.
  • Theophylline - for asthma used rarely.
  • Disopyramide, Amiodarone, Sotalol or other medication for irregular heart.
  • Rifabutin - anti-tuberculosis antibiotic used rarely
  • Promethazine (including Avomine) - NOT to be taken at the same time as azithromycin.
  • Colchicine - for gout and familial Mediterranean fever.
  • Warfarin, edoxaban, ticagrelor, or any similar medicines - to prevent blood clots.
  • Talazoparib, topotecan - specialist cancer drugs.
  • Antidepressant or antipsychotic medication.
  • Quinolone antibiotics, e.g. moxifloxacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin.
  • Antacids - for indigestion, azithromycin can be taken but leave at least 2 hours after taking the antacid.

There is a very rare theoretical risk of abnormal heart rhythm if azithromycin is taken at the same time as some other medications - please check this list.

Side effects

If there are any side effects the most common are stomach upset, headache, nausea, and diarrhoea. For more details see the patient information leaflet supplied with the tablets.

Seeking help

Symptoms should start to improve within 24 hours of starting azithromycin. Medical advice should be sought if symptoms are not improving after 2 or 3 days, or are worsening, or if any of the following occur:

  • Profuse diarrhoea and vomiting leading to dehydration.
  • Blood and green or yellow slime in the motions with severe abdominal pains.
  • Diarrhoea associated with rashes.
  • High fever and headache with diarrhoea (particularly in malarial areas).

Managing the symptoms of diarrhoea

  • The antidiarrhoeal loperamide can also reduce symptoms.
  • Try to get plenty of rest.
  • Drink plenty of fluids, even if vomiting (at least 3-4 litres daily).
  • Continue to eat simple foods such as rice and dried bread, appetite permitting.
  • Pay attention to personal hygiene, to prevent spread.

Patient Information Leaflet

Illustration of patient leaflet from medicine packet

The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine and must be read before taking the medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine.

Azithromycin patient leaflet

Antibiotic guardianship

Antibiotic Guardian logo

To combat antibiotic resistance please:

  • Only use antibiotics when needed
  • Never share antibiotics
  • Always complete course as instructed
  • Take unused medicine to local pharmacy for disposal
Buy treatment
Dr Tony Steele

Authored 22 March 2010 by Dr Tony Steele
Last updated 3 December 2024

Reviewed by Dr A. Wood, Dr C. Pugh, Dr B. Babor
Last reviewed 25 November 2021
Editorial policy

References

Recent Azithromycin reviews

Azithromycin rated 4.69/5 in 85 product reviews

See over 40,000 service reviews of Dr Fox

Azithromycin 500mg

Fantastic, the only medication I have ever had that completely relieved my symptoms from travellers diahorea quickly, allowing me to enjoy the rest of my holiday without any problems.

19 May 2022
Anonymous Verified

Azithromycin 500mg

Recent trip to Azerbaijan. Drank bottled water which I soon discovered was being topped up from a nearby stream !! This product killed my TD overnight after an horrendous day! Would highly recommend.

24 September 2018
Anonymous Verified

Azithromycin 500mg

Good stuff

10 June 2024
Anonymous Verified

Azithromycin 500mg

works like a charm.

16 May 2024
Anonymous Verified

Azithromycin 500mg

Really helpful and the service from Dr Fox is great.

22 August 2023
Anonymous Verified

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The order process

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