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Leg ulcer - venous - Management
What advice should I give to patients about erythromycin or clarithromycin?
- Erythromycin, and less commonly clarithromycin, may cause gastrointestinal adverse effects (e.g. nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea) [BNF 54, 2007].
- Antibiotics may cause the combined oral contraceptive pill or patch to fail during the first few weeks of treatment [Baxter, 2006]. Advise women to use additional contraception during the course of treatment and for 7 days afterwards. If this 7-day period runs beyond the end of the pack of contraceptive pills, advise the woman to start a new pack without a break (omitting any inactive tablets) [FFPRHC, 2005; FFPRHC, 2007].
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