What Causes Diarrhea While On Azithromycin?

Posted on Tue, 28 Jun 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 28 Jun 2016 Answered on

Tue, 19 Jul 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : Had burning urine and swollen lymph nodes in groin. Doctor gave me azytheromycin for Clamydia that day (tests came back negative a few days later). An hour after taking the medication it made me sick to my stomach with bad diherrea. That night when I went to bed I noticed a small red bump on my shaft. I went to sleep and in the morning there were a bunch more red bumps on my foreskin. They didn't hurt really. after a few days they scabbed and went away. I couldn't tell if they were full of fluid or not if there was it would have been a very small amount not really visible to the eye for me. Is there a chance this was a rash from the medication or does this sound like hsv 2?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
HSV 2 infection has to be ruled out by investigations.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
Tab.Azithromycyin can cause Gastrointestinal problems (diarrhea) in certain individuals. If you are not able to tolerate Azithromycin, you can try multidose Doxycyclin for Chlamydial infection (if any), under the guidance of your physician.
Red rashes over the shaft and foreskin of the penis could unlikely be due to drug rashes. Such localized (confined to genitals alone) reactions are rare with Azithromycin. Urine examination will reveal whether your urethritis got cured or not.
Possibility of HSV 2 can not be ruled out without an examination or investigation.
Dr S.Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (14 hours later)

I will get examined. However, can a combination of small blisters on foreskin, burning urination, and swollen nodes in the groin area be caused by anything other than STDs?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Unlikely to occur in conditions other than STDs.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
Burning sensation during urination, blisters and inguinal glands enlargement can occur individually in conditions other than STDs, but all the three put together occur with genital herpes simplex, a STD.
Dr S Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar