Mycobacterium avium Complex (MAC)

November 2004     View PDF     En español

Side effects

The most common side effects with azithromycin and clarithromycin are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. A rare side effect is hearing loss. Azithromycin may also cause swelling of the blood vessels and liver damage.

Ethambutol can cause nausea and vomiting. It may lead to impaired vision, so people taking this drug should have regular eye check-ups.

Common side effects of rifabutin include orange urine, stomach upsets and rashes. In some studies, up to a quarter of people taking rifabutin developed uveitis, a painful inflammation in the eye. This occurred more often among people who also took clarithromycin.