How long should the side effects of a z-pack last?

[NicoleD25]

2 weeks ago today, I was prescribed a z-pack. I went to the ER with a 103 degree fever, sinus tachycardia, and coughing. All of my blood work came back normal but they prescribed me a z-pack in case I took a turn for the worse (they were suspecting delayed pneumonia). I didn't experience any side effects (other than weird dreams) the entire time that I was actively taking the medication. 5 days ago, so a little over a week after I had finished the medicine, I started getting HORRIBLE abdominal cramps once a day. They didn't last all day, anywhere from an hour to 5 hours. The cramps are right under my rib cage and are so debilitating that I can barely stand up straight. It almost feels like it could be a horrible gas pain that just doesn't alleviate itself. I also get diarrhea anytime the cramps come on. The past few days they have occurred around 7:30 or 8:00 at night and have been lasting until 1:00 in the morning. I am exhausted from dealing with this. I saw my doctor today and he said that this was a common side effect from taking a z-pack but I just want this to be over. I am a Mom of two little ones and I don't have time to deal with this kind of pain. How long can I expect for these symptoms to persist? Like I said, today is day 14 since the first day I began taking the medicine. It was the 5 day plan.