Prescription medication · Macrolide Antibiotic
erythromycin
Also sold as E-Mycin, Ery-Tab. Erythromycin Topical Solution treats acne vulgaris.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 18,237
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 63
- InteractionsMany interactions
- 4
- Recall records
What the data shows
erythromycin (E-Mycin) is a prescription Macrolide Antibiotic, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (18,237 FDA reports), with 63 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
erythromycin (E-Mycin) is a prescription Macrolide Antibiotic. Erythromycin Topical Solution treats acne vulgaris.
Erythromycin Topical Solution is a medicine that you put on your skin to treat acne. It contains an antibiotic to help clear up your skin.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$2.87/unit
Generic Available
Yes (26 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Erythromycin Topical Solution treats acne vulgaris.
Common side effects
Peeling, Dryness, Itching
Key warnings
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from erythromycin's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This helps to reduce inflammation and clear up acne.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 18,237 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for erythromycin, by number of reports
- Drug Hypersensitivity
Drug Hypersensitivity
4,088 reports
- Nausea 1,271
Nausea
1,271 reports
- Vomiting 1,121
Vomiting
1,121 reports
- Diarrhoea 1,069
Diarrhoea
1,069 reports
- Dyspnoea 1,023
Dyspnoea
1,023 reports
- Fatigue 1,012
Fatigue
1,012 reports
- Rash 1,007
Rash
1,007 reports
- Headache 866
Headache
866 reports
- Pain 779
Pain
779 reports
- Dizziness 777
Dizziness
777 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for erythromycin each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where erythromycin sits
erythromycin has more FDA adverse-event reports than 53% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is erythromycin; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 18,237 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2003–2025.
Total Reports
18,237
Reports Mentioning Death
1,606
8.8% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
4,825
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY | 4,088 |
| 2 | NAUSEA | 1,271 |
| 3 | VOMITING | 1,121 |
| 4 | DIARRHOEA | 1,069 |
| 6 | DYSPNOEA | 1,023 |
| 7 | FATIGUE | 1,012 |
| 8 | RASH | 1,007 |
| 10 | HEADACHE | 866 |
| 11 | PAIN | 779 |
| 12 | DIZZINESS | 777 |
| 13 | PYREXIA | 689 |
| 14 | MALAISE | 686 |
| 15 | HYPERSENSITIVITY | 677 |
| 16 | PNEUMONIA | 654 |
| 17 | ARTHRALGIA | 643 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.
Known Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS • CYP3A Inhibitors: In post-MI HFrEF patients, do not exceed 25 mg once daily when used with moderate CYP3A inhibitors (e.g., verapamil, erythromycin, saquinavir, fluconazole).
Mechanism: Erythromycin blocks the proteins that break down eplerenone, leading to more of the drug staying in your body.
Erythromycin Clinical Impact: Erythromycin significantly increases pitavastatin exposure and increases the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. Intervention: In patients taking erythromycin, do not exceed pitavastatin tablets 1 mg once daily [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.4 )].
Mechanism: Erythromycin slows down how the body processes pitavastatin, which leads to higher amounts of the drug in your system. Having too much pitavastatin in the blood can cause severe muscle breakdown.
Dose adjustment is not recommended for risperidone tablets when co-administered with ranitidine, cimetidine, amitriptyline, or erythromycin [see Table 18 ] . Do not exceed twice the patient’s usual dose Enzyme (CYP3A) inhibitors Ranitidine 150 mg twice daily 1 mg single dose 1.2 1.4 Dose adjustment not needed Cimetidine 400 mg twice daily 1 mg single dose 1.1 1.3 Dose adjustment not needed Erythromycin 500 mg four times daily 1 mg single dose 1.1 0.94 Dose adjustment not needed Other Drugs Amitriptyline 50 mg twice daily 3 mg twice daily 1.2 1.1 Dose adjustment not Needed *Change relative...
Mechanism: Erythromycin can slightly change how your body processes risperidone, but the effect is too small to matter.
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Sildenafil can potentiate the hypotensive effects of nitrates, alpha blockers, and anti-hypertensives ( 4.1 , 5.5 , 7.1 , 7.2 , 7.3 , 12.2 ) With concomitant use of alpha blockers, initiate sildenafil at 25 mg dose ( 2.3 ) CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir, ketoconazole, itraconazole, erythromycin): Increase sildenafil exposure ( 2.4 , 7.4 , 12.3 ) Ritonavir: Do not exceed a maximum single dose of 25 mg in a 48 hour period ( 2.4 , 5.6 ) Erythromycin or strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, saquinavir): Consider a starting dose of 25 mg ( 2.4 , 7.4...
Mechanism: Erythromycin prevents your body from processing sildenafil normally, which increases the amount of medicine in your blood.
Therefore, avoid concomitant use of XENLETA Injection and XENLETA Tablets with such drugs (for example, Class IA and III antiarrhythmics, antipsychotics, erythromycin, moxifloxacin, tricyclic antidepressants).
Mechanism: These two drugs can both interfere with the electrical signals that control your heartbeat. Using them at the same time makes a dangerous heart rhythm more likely.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
What is the strength of this medicine?
How often should I apply this solution?
Can I use this on my whole body?
What should I do if my skin gets too dry?
Can this medicine cause irritation?
What should I do if I get a rash?
Can I use other acne treatments with this?
How long will it take to see results?
Is this medicine safe for children?
What are the ingredients in this solution?
What are the common side effects of erythromycin?
Does erythromycin interact with other medications?
What drug class is erythromycin?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for erythromycin?
Has erythromycin been recalled?
Active Recalls
CGMP Deviations; presence of N-Nitroso-Desmethyl-Erythromycin above the recommended acceptable intake limit
Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc
CGMP Deviations; presence of N-Nitroso-Desmethyl-Erythromycin above the recommended acceptable intake limit
Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc
CGMP Deviations:
Akorn, Inc.
CGMP Deviations: all products within expiry are being recalled because the manufacturing firm, Teligent Pharma, Inc.is discontinuing its stability study program.
McKesson Corporation dba McKesson Drug Company
Related Medications in Macrolide Antibiotic
Other drugs grouped near erythromycin - same-class peers and common alternatives.
amikacin
Amikin
Amikacin is an antibiotic medicine.
Compare with erythromycin →
amoxicillin
Amoxil
Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium is a combination medicine used to fight bacterial infections.
Compare with erythromycin →
amoxicillin/clavulanate
Augmentin
Augmentin is a combination of two medicines, amoxicillin and clavulanate.
Compare with erythromycin →
ampicillin/sulbactam
Unasyn
Unasyn is a combination of two antibiotics that fights bacteria in your body.
Compare with erythromycin →
azithromycin
Zithromax, Z-Pack
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria.
Compare with erythromycin →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for erythromycin: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 18,237.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 8.81%.
- ertapenem Δ 0.00 pts · 3,848 reports · Carbapenem Antibiotic 8.81%death share
- pravastatin Δ 0.01 pts · 18,936 reports · HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor (Statin) 8.81%death share
- melatonin Δ 0.03 pts · 51,370 reports · Hormone Supplement (Sleep Aid) 8.77%death share
- dexlansoprazole Δ 0.04 pts · 40,790 reports · Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) 8.84%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for erythromycin
The FDA label for erythromycin (sold under brand names such as E-Mycin, Ery-Tab) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Macrolide Antibiotic class. Erythromycin Topical Solution treats acne vulgaris. Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Peeling, Dryness, Itching.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 18,237 voluntary reports. The database also lists 63 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $2.87.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 4 recall records on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: October 11, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages