Erythromycin Lactobionate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Erythromycin Lactobionate is a macrolide sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for acne vulgaris, campylobacter infections and chancroid. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Macrolide
- Treats
- Acne Vulgaris, Campylobacter Infections and Chancroid
- Available as
- Injectable
- Sold as
- 2 products — Erythrocin and Erythromycin Lactobionate
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
How erythromycin lactobionate is dosed
From the FDA label for Erythrocin (application NDA050609). Other erythromycin lactobionate products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
For the treatment of severe infections in adults and pediatric patients, the recommended intravenous dose of erythromycin lactobionate is 15 to 20 mg/kg/day. Higher doses, up to 4 g/day, may be given for severe infections. Administration of doses of ≥4 g/day may increase the risk for the development of erythromycin-induced hearing loss in elderly patients, particularly those with reduced renal or hepatic function. Erythrocin Lactobionate-IV (erythromycin lactobionate for injection, USP) must be administered by continuous or intermittent intravenous infusion only. Due to the irritative properties of erythromycin, IV push is an unacceptable route of administration. Continuous infusion of erythromycin lactobionate is preferable due to the slower infusion rate and lower concentration of erythromycin; however, intermittent infusion at six hour intervals is also effective. Intravenous erythromycin should be replaced by oral erythromycin as soon as possible. For slow continuous infusion: The final diluted solution of erythromycin lactobionate is prepared to give a concentration of 1 g per liter (1 mg/mL). For intermittent infusion: Administer one-fourth the total daily dose of erythromycin lactobionate by intravenous infusion in 20 to 60 minutes at intervals not greater than every six hours. The final diluted solution of erythromycin lactobionate is prepared to give a concentration…
Erythromycin Lactobionate side effects
Erythromycin has been associated with QT prolongation and ventricular arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia and torsades de pointes (See WARNINGS ). Side effects following the use of intravenous erythromycin are rare. Occasional venous irritation has been encountered, but if the infusion is given slowly, in dilute solution, preferably by continuous intravenous infusion or intermittent infusion in no less than 20 to 60 minutes, pain and vessel trauma are minimized. Allergic reactions ranging from urticaria to anaphylaxis have occurred. Skin reactions ranging from mild eruptions to erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis have been reported rarely. There have been isolated reports of reversible hearing loss occurring chiefly in patients with renal insufficiency and in patients receiving high doses of erythromycin. Elderly patients, particularly those with reduced renal or hepatic function, may also be at increased risk for developing this effect when Erythrocin TM doses of 4 grams/day or higher are given (See DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ).
Who shouldn’t take erythromycin lactobionate
Erythromycin is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to this antibiotic. Erythromycin is contraindicated in patients taking terfenadine or astemizole, cisapride, pimozide, ergotamine, or dihydroergotamine (See WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS – Drug Interactions ). Do not use erythromycin concomitantly with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) that are extensively metabolized by cytochrome P450 isoform 3A4 (lovastatin or simvastatin), due to the increased risk of myopathy, including rhabdomyolysis (See WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS – Drug Interactions ).
Every erythromycin lactobionate product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60/100 | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → |
How long erythromycin lactobionate keeps
No erythromycin lactobionate label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does erythromycin lactobionate expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsWhat people report to the FDA about erythromycin lactobionate
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 70 reports naming erythromycin lactobionate, and the FDA flagged 86% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- agranulocytosis10 reports
- leukopenia10 reports
- mixed liver injury6 reports
- neutropenia6 reports
- drug hypersensitivity4 reports
- alanine aminotransferase increased3 reports
- shock haemorrhagic3 reports
- blood pressure increased2 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean erythromycin lactobionate caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is erythromycin lactobionate?
Erythromycin is produced by a strain of Streptomyces erythraeus and belongs to the macrolide group of antibiotics. It is basic and readily forms salts with acids.
What kind of drug is erythromycin lactobionate?
The FDA classifies erythromycin lactobionate as a macrolide. Macrolide antibiotics latch onto the bacterial ribosome's 50S subunit, the cell's protein-building machine, and block the growing protein chain from being assembled. Without the proteins they need, the bacteria stop multiplying, which lets the immune system clear the infection. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take erythromycin lactobionate with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run erythromycin lactobionate against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is erythromycin lactobionate sold under?
We track 2 erythromycin lactobionate-containing products in the U.S.: Erythrocin and Erythromycin Lactobionate. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does erythromycin lactobionate come in?
Across the brands we track, erythromycin lactobionate is currently marketed as injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic erythromycin lactobionate?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic erythromycin lactobionate product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Erythromycin Lactobionate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/erythromycin-lactobionate
- MLA
- “Erythromycin Lactobionate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/erythromycin-lactobionate.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for erythromycin lactobionate on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.