If not, mention the risks to him or her and request something else.Īn alternative that’s less risky from a heart-health perspective is amoxicillin. Well, hopefully, your doctor will already be aware of the heart risks associated with Z-packs and will prescribe you something else. So, what should you do next time your doctor tries to write you a script for a Z-pack… especially if you fall into one of the categories mentioned above? Low blood levels of potassium or magnesium.Long QT syndrome (a heart rhythm disorder).People who should probably steer clear of Z-packs include those with: That said, certain people are more at risk for heart issues when taking a Z-pack. Most of us, however, can take a Z-pack from time to time without harming our heart. It got the FDA’s attention, after all… and that’s not always easy to do. Now, the heart risk associated with azithromycin is not sky high, but it’s still noteworthy. That means more people died from taking azithromycin for a shorter period. Related: 7 things you need to know before taking antibiotics (slideshow)Ī 2012 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that for every 1 million people taking azithromycin for five days (instead of another antibiotic for 10 days), 47 more people died from heart issues. What clued them into the questionable safety of the sacred Z-pack? They said that this common antibiotic can change your heart’s electrical activity, which could lead to a fatal heart rhythm. In 2013, the FDA issued an alarming warning about the antibiotic used in Z-packs… This may have flown under your radar (it flew under mine), but in 2013, the FDA issued a warning that azithromycin can cause abnormal - and potentially deadly - changes to your heart rhythm. Unfortunately, this common antibiotic can also be a life-ender…

During those moments, a Z-pack feels like a life-saver. Or your eye matched the pink paint in your six-year-old daughter’s room. Maybe your throat was ablaze with strep bacteria. Now, there’s probably been a point sometime in your life where you took a Z-pack from your doctor without second guessing it. The typical Z-pack contains six azithromycin pills. What exactly is this mysterious Z-pack that cures us of our everyday bacterial ailments?Ī Z-pack is just a cutsie name for the antibiotic azithromycin (aka Zithromax or Zmax). That means, whether it was for pneumonia, pink eye, a sinus infection, strep throat or something else, most of us have taken them at least once. Z-packs are effective for a variety of common issues. I’m guessing you’re reaching for the sky right now. Raise your hand if your doctor has ever written you a prescription for a Z-pack?

Does z pack really caise heart pro lems