Ceftin
Cefuroxime
Drug Class and Mechanism of Action of Ceftin
Ceftin belongs to cephalosporin group of antibiotics. It acts by interfering synthesis of bacterial cell wall so that bacteria can not grow and there is rupture of cell wall and death of the bacteria.
Therapeutic Uses of Ceftin
Ceftin is used in the treatment of bacterial infections (ear, sinus, lungs, throat, urinary tract infection etc.) that are sensitive to it. Ceftin is also used in gonorrhea, Lyme disease etc.
Direction of use of Ceftin
Use Ceftin as directed by your doctor and consult your doctor if you have any question about Ceftin:
- Take Ceftin orally with food or on empty stomach. Swallow it as a whole without breaking, crushing or chewing it.
- To eradicate bacterial infection from your body take it for the full course and keep taking even if you feel better after taking it for few days.
- Ceftin works best if taken same time everyday.
Dose of Ceftin, if Missed
If a dose of Ceftin is missed than take it as soon as possible or as soon as you remember it. If you miss for long time and it is almost due for next dose; skip the missed dose and continue with regular dosing schedule. Never consume 2 doses of Ceftin to make up for the missed dose.
How to Store Ceftin
Ceftin should be stored at room temperature i.e. between 68 and 77 degree F (20 to 25 degree Centigrade) in a dry place. It should be stored out of reach of children and away from heat, moisture and light.
More Information About Ceftin
If you are not getting any result of clearing bacterial infection like body temperature coming to normal, than consult your doctor immediately. Never share Ceftin with anyone and it should be used by the patient for whom it is prescribed.
Precautions to be Taken While Taking Ceftin
Do not use Ceftin if you are allergic to any of the ingredients of Ceftin or any other cephalosporin antibiotics like cefalexin, ceftraxone, cefadroxyl etc. and consult your doctor or other health care provider immediately. Important precautions about Ceftin:
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Ceftin should not be taken during pregnancy. If you become pregnant, consult your doctor about the risks and benefits of using Ceftin during pregnancy. Ceftin is found in breast milk and you should not breast feed if you are taking Ceftin.
- Do not use it in infants below 3 months of age because the safety and effectiveness of Ceftin is not confirmed in infants below 3 months of age.
- Contact your doctor or other health care provider if you get symptoms like stomach ache, stomach cramp, severe diarrhea, blood in stool etc. Never try to treat the diarrhea without checking your doctor.
- Never try to treat viral infections (common cold, chickenpox etc.) with Ceftin as it is effective against bacteria only.
- The tablet form of Ceftin and liquid form are not equivalent, so do not try to substitute on with the other form.
- Repeated and long term use of Ceftin can cause second infection and inform your doctor if you think you are getting another infection. You may have to take another antibiotic to treat the second infection.
- Complete the full course of Ceftin if you have to use it. If you do not take full course of treatment, it may not be able to clear the infection even if you feel better after taking it for few days. The bacteria may also become less sensitive and develop resistance to Ceftin and other antibiotics and that makes it difficult to treat infection in future.
- If you are using hormonal contraceptive pills and have to take Ceftin; the pills may not work well during treatment with Ceftin so you should take extra precaution with other form of contraception like use of condoms.
- In diabetes patients it may be responsible for giving wrong results of urine tests for glucose, so contact your doctor if you are taking Ceftin and has to do urine test for diabetes.
- Laboratory tests like liver function test, kidney function test, complete hemogram can be done without any interference and can be used for monitoring the effectiveness of therapy and also to detect any side effects that may develop while using Ceftin.
Possible Adverse Effects
- The common side effects of using Ceftin are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody stool and consult your doctor if you get any of these.
- Contact your doctor immediately if you get any of the severe but uncommon side effects like serious allergic reaction (rash, hives, itching, difficulty in breathing, chest discomfort, swelling of lips, face, mouth, tongue etc.), severe diarrhea, bloody stools, reduced urine output, dark urine, stomach pain, stomach cramp, vaginal irritation due to discharge, fever, seizure etc.