# Kanaplex substitute?



## BettaBeau (May 14, 2014)

I have read that many people here recommend Kanaplex for certain diseases. Is Erythromycin an acceptable substitute for Kanaplex?


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

No. The base medicine of kanaplex is kanamycin and API E.M. Erythromycin base medicine is erythromycin. kanaplex treats internal bacterial infections while Erythromycin treats external bacterial infections. If you are looking for a medicine as a substitute for Kanaplex then find a medicine whose base medicine or active medicine is kanamycin.


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## BettaBeau (May 14, 2014)

Ah, I see. I assumed that medications ending in -mycin would treat the same things. I don't need it now, but it sounds like something I should have on hand just in case.

Thanks!


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

anytime


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Eh, there's far more to it than that....

Erithromycin treats gram-positive bacterial infections. It is not effective against gram-negative bacteria. However, the majority of aquatic bacterial illnesses are caused by gram negative bacteria. So often, erithromycin is not the treatment-of-choice. 

Kanaplex (kanamycin sulfate) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic. It treats a wide variety of both gram-positive and gram-negative aerobic bacteria. However, it's not effective on anaerobic bacteria.

Kanaplex is also one of the few antibiotics that can be absorbed internally. This means it can treat internal, as well as external, aerobic bacterial illnesses. It's a relatively new antibiotic, therefore fewer organisms are resistant to it.

For anaerobic bacterial infections though, look to metronidazole. It treats anaerobic bacterial infections (both internal and external).

Additional info, if you're still reading: 

Kanamycin is an "aminoglycoside" antibiotic. It inhibits protein synthesis in gram-negative and gram-positive aerobic bacteria. 

Erithromycin belongs to a group of antibiotics called "macrolides." It also inhibits protein synthesis, but it does it differently than Kanamycin.


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