Antibiotics: Topical and Oral. Potential side effects
With topical antibiotics, common side effects may include burning, itching, dryness, redness, oiliness, or peeling where applied. With oral antibiotics, the most frequently observed, and usually doserelated, side effects are dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. A less common side effect with oral antibiotics is blurred vision, primarily associated with tetracycline. Photosensitivity can also occur with tetracycline, so it is advisable to reduce sun exposure.
More serious side effects associated with oral antibiotics that may require medical attention include severe allergic reactions; other infections; vaginal irritation or discharge; bloody stools; red, swollen, or blistered skin; severe diarrhea; severe stomach pain or cramps; and yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Major cautions
Antibiotics can cause a severe intestinal condition (pseudomembranous colitis) that may occur during treatment or even several weeks after treatment has stopped. Symptoms of this condition may include persistent diarrhea, abdominal or stomach pain or cramping, or blood or mucus in the stool. Clindamycin is particularly associated with this condition, but it can be caused by any antibiotic.
In rare cases, erythromycin has been associated with the production of cardiac ventricular arrhythmias. There have also been reports of reversible hearing loss primarily in people with renal insufficiency or in those taking high doses of erythromycin. Abnormal liver tests and hepatic dysfunction can also occur. Tetracycline and its derivatives (doxycycline, minocycline) should not be taken by children younger than 8 years of age because they can affect growth and stain teeth, and there have been reports of severe gastrointestinal problems occurring in infants following erythromycin therapy. Rare instances of esophagitis and esophageal ulceration have been reported in patients receiving the capsule and tablet forms of tetracycline.
Antibiotics may cause Candida albicans or other Candida species to overgrow in the digestive, respiratory, urinary, and vaginal areas of the body. They destroy friendly flora that keeps these yeast organisms in check. (Friendly flora also is involved in the synthesis of various nutrients, aids in detoxification, and supports normal immunity.) Microbial resistance to antibiotics is a major concern and problem associated with antibiotic use.
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