Tolerance and efficacy of erythromycin stearate tablets versus enteric-coated erythromycin base capsules in the treatment of patients with acne vulgaris.

In a randomized, and for the investigator, blind study side-effects and efficacy of two oral erythromycin preparations have been compared. Twenty patients with acne vulgaris, predominantly of the face, received erythromycin stearate tablets and another twenty patients received erythromycin enteric-coated base capsules. All patients were given 500 mg twice a day for 2 weeks. An improvement was seen in both groups, most pronounced in patients treated with the stearate tablets. Twenty per cent of the patients given the base preparation withdrew from therapy due to gastro-intestinal side-effects, as compared to 10% in the erythromycin stearate group.