I recently found myself dealing with a nasty bout of bronchitis and sinusitis, and my doctor prescribed Klacid SR, an antibiotic I wasn't too thrilled about taking. But, as it turned out, it was just what the doctor ordered.
I was experiencing a persistent cough, a runny nose, and a stuffy head. My symptoms were getting worse by the day, and I was starting to feel like I was in for a long haul.
Review of Antibiotic Klacid SR
My doctor prescribed me 7 tablets of Klacid SR, which cost 599 rubles. The packaging was a bit larger than I expected, mainly because the instruction manual took up most of the space. It was a real behemoth.
Inside the blister pack, it was business as usual. I was a bit confused when I first opened the packaging - one tablet was missing, and there was no note about it!
But, as it turned out, all 7 tablets were still on board, just packed into a blister pack of 8 capsules.
Klacid SR: What does SR stand for?
Antibiotic Klacid SR for sinusitis and bronchitis
The tablet itself had a pretty large, yellowish coating, and it was smooth as silk. Easy to swallow.
What's the difference between Clacid and Clacid SR
Clacid SR 500 reviews
Clacid is a clarithromycin-based antibiotic. The 'SR' label tells me it's a sustained-release form. Clacid SR gets absorbed slower in the gut, keeping higher concentrations in the blood for longer. As a result, you only need to take it once a day, whereas Clacid needs to be taken twice daily, with strict intervals between doses.
Clacid SR is taken once a day, while Clacid needs to be taken twice a day, with specific intervals between doses. So, these two meds are basically interchangeable.
I started feeling like I had a normal cold: by evening I was hackling. I couldn't figure out what it was: either my seasonal allergies were flaring up (it was just the start of fall and my weeds allergy hadn't fully passed yet), or I was actually coming down with something. By the second day, I was hackling nonstop and my throat started to feel scratchy. I was slathering my throat with Ingalipt and Kameton. By mid-day, I knew for sure it was a cold, and by evening, my temperature was up to 38.4. I had a runny nose and a stuffy nose.
As each day went by, the runny nose got worse. My throat cleared up pretty quickly, thanks to the Kameton - it's amazing at dealing with sore throats if you catch it early. But then the cough started.
At first, I tried to fight off the cough with Mucaltin, and it started to help on the second day of taking it - I started to cough up thick green mucus. After that, I switched to Bronchipret. The contents of my nose turned green too, and I started to freak out - it didn't seem like a normal cold anymore.
After a week, I went back to see my doctor, and things only got worse: the green mucus was still there, even though it was coming out, and my cough was getting worse. I was coughing so hard that my sinuses were aching, and I had a headache and a stuffy head. When I coughed, I felt a sharp pain in my frontal sinuses. I knew what a sinus infection was - I'd had one 6 years ago, and I could tell that I was dealing with one again without even needing a doctor's appointment.
I had a doctor's appointment, and after explaining my symptoms, she told me I needed antibiotics. She prescribed me Clarithromycin SR for 6 days.
Clarithromycin SR dosage in Latin
It was easy to take - I didn't have to worry about timing my doses several times a day over the course of a day. I only had to take Clarithromycin SR once a day.
Take the tablets whole, without breaking, crushing, or chewing, with food, one tablet a day. For severe infections, take two tablets a day. The treatment course is usually between 5 to 14 days.
INDICATIONS
Adults and children over 12 years old with infections caused by bacteria sensitive to clarithromycin:
lower respiratory tract infections (such as bronchitis, pneumonia);
upper respiratory tract infections (such as pharyngitis, sinusitis);
skin and soft tissue infections (such as folliculitis, cellulitis, erysipelas);
disseminated or localized infections caused by Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare;
localized infections caused by Mycobacterium chelonae, Mycobacterium fortuitum, and Mycobacterium kansasii;
prevention of the spread of infection caused by the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) in HIV-positive patients with a CD4 count of 100 cells/mm3 or less;
eradication of H. pylori and reduction of the frequency of duodenal ulcer recurrence;
periodontal infections.
1️⃣ I took one pill around lunchtime. By evening, my headache had disappeared, but the pain in my forehead when I coughed was still there.
2️⃣ After taking the second pill, I felt like I no longer had pain in my forehead when I coughed. On the same day, my mucus became clearer, less thick and green. When I rinsed my nose, there was no green discharge either. My nasal congestion had decreased slightly, and the next night I slept without using decongestant nasal spray. My nose was still a bit stuffy, but I decided not to overuse the Nazivin.
However, on this day, I started experiencing some gastrointestinal issues. Nothing serious, just that I had to go to the bathroom a few times during the day, which isn't typical for me.
3️⃣ On the third day, my mucus was coming out better, and it was clear. I didn't have a headache, but my nasal congestion was still there, though my cold had decreased significantly. I even got lazy about rinsing my nose, but I still did it a couple of times with Furacilin.
But things took a turn for the worse with my stomach. By evening, I was afraid to be far from the bathroom, and one time it even started to make me nauseous and my stomach was really cramping.
Plus, from this day on, I started noticing dry mouth.
4️⃣ 5️⃣ On the fourth and fifth days. I wasn't running to the bathroom as much, but my stomach was still hurting. My cough was pretty intense, my mucus was coming out clear and not green. My cold was still pretty strong, and I couldn't go outside without a tissue, but my mucus wasn't green. By the evening of the fifth day, my headache started to come back in the forehead area.
6️⃣ On the sixth day I was back to dealing with bathroom issues - I was running to the loo nonstop. My stomach was churning, and my head was still throbbing. I know the sixth pill was supposed to be the last one, but my doctor prescribed six, and the Clacid SR packets come in either five or seven. Given my suspicious headache, which I was worried might be a lingering gaiatriis issue, I ended up taking the seventh pill. 7️⃣
After finishing the antibiotic course, my sinus pain subsided, and the headache went away. I'd say this was the best day, despite still having a lingering cough and needing to rinse my nose. As soon as I finished taking the pills, I got a nasty stomachache, although my stomach had been sore all along.
Twenty-four hours later, things started to take a turn for the worse: the sinus pain came back, and the headache returned, along with a worsening cough.
Another day went by, and my headache got even worse, accompanied by a return of the sinus pain, which got sharper when I coughed. I remembered my previous gaiatriis treatment, when my doctor prescribed Sinupret, which I took for a month and warned me that the swelling might take a while to go down.
It looks like Sinupret saved the day: my nasal discharge became easier to expel, thinner, and the sensation of pressure in my sinuses gradually subsided. In the end, Clacid SR + Sinupret helped me kick the gaiatriis and got me back on my feet.
I still had a lingering cough for two weeks after finishing the antibiotic course. The first week was a real challenge, like I hadn't even been treated at all, while the second week saw the cough gradually subside.
BONUS
I've been dealing with acne for over six months now, and nothing seemed to work - not even salicylic toners or serums. But after a week of taking antibiotics, all my breakouts cleared up, and it looks like the ones that were there have healed pretty quickly.
Another plus is that I didn't get any yeast infections after taking the antibiotics.
The Verdict
It's tough to review an antibiotic: it can't be bad, but it may not be right for you due to potential contraindications.
You might not be able to tolerate it.
You might be resistant to this particular antibiotic.
I did find that Klacid SR helped me with both bronchitis and sinusitis, but I did experience some side effects when taking it - stomach pain and nausea, headaches, and dry mouth. There are a lot of possible side effects for this antibiotic:
From the digestive system: diarrhea, vomiting, dyspepsia, nausea, stomach pain; less commonly - esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, proctalgia, stomatitis, glossitis, bloating, constipation, dry mouth, belching, flatulence, elevated bilirubin levels, elevated liver enzymes, cholestasis, hepatitis, including cholestatic and hepatocellular.
Allergic reactions: common - rash; uncommon - anaphylactoid reaction, hypersensitivity, bullous dermatitis, itching, urticaria, maculopapular rash; frequency unknown - anaphylactic reaction, angioneurotic edema, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS syndrome).
Neurological side effects: common - headache, insomnia; uncommon - loss of consciousness, dyskinesia, dizziness, sleepiness, tremors, anxiety, increased excitability; frequency unknown - seizures, psychotic disorders, confusion, depersonalization, depression, disorientation, hallucinations, nightmares, paresthesia, mania.
Skin-related side effects: common - excessive sweating; frequency unknown - acne, hemorrhages.
Effects on the senses: common - dysgeusia; uncommon - vertigo, hearing impairment, ringing in the ears; frequency unknown - deafness, ageusia, parosmia, anosmia.
Cardiovascular side effects: common - vasodilation; uncommon - cardiac arrest, atrial fibrillation, prolonged QT interval on ECG, extrasystoles, atrial tremors; frequency unknown - ventricular tachycardia, including 'pirouette' type.
Urinary tract side effects: uncommon - increased creatinine concentration, changed urine color; frequency unknown - renal insufficiency, interstitial nephritis.
Metabolic and nutritional side effects: uncommon - anorexia, decreased appetite, increased urea concentration, altered albumin-globulin ratio.
Side effects related to the musculoskeletal system: occasionally - muscle spasms, musculoskeletal stiffness, myalgia; frequency unknown - rhabdomyolysis, myopathy.
Side effects related to the respiratory system: occasionally - asthma, nasal bleeding, pulmonary embolism.
Side effects related to the hematopoietic system: occasionally - leukopenia, neutropenia, eosinophilia, thrombocytosis; frequency unknown - agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia.
Side effects related to the coagulation system: occasionally - increased MHO value, prolonged prothrombin time.
Infectious and parasitic diseases: occasionally - cellulitis, candidiasis, gastroenteritis, secondary infections (including vaginal infections); frequency unknown - pseudomembranous colitis, erysipelas.
Local reactions: very often - phlebitis at the injection site, frequently - pain at the injection site, inflammation at the injection site.
General side effects: occasionally - malaise, fever, asthenia, chest pain, shivering, fatigue.
I had to recover my stomach after taking Klacid for about a month, but the rest went much faster, almost as soon as I stopped taking the medication.
Yes, it's a working, effective antibiotic, but like most antibiotics, it's worth taking only in case of acute need.
KLACID SR INSTRUCTIONS
Full instructions for Klacid SR are available below. If needed, the photos can be enlarged to a readable size.
Klacid SR Instruction Manual
Klacid SR Review
Klacid SR 500 Instruction Manual
Klacid SR Instructions for Use
Klacid SR Instructions for Use Reviews
Klacid SR 500 Instructions for Use for Adults
Klacid SR 7 Tablets
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