Ceftin : Drug Information

What is Ceftin (Cefuroxime)?

Ceftin is a cephalosporin antibiotic medication that is a good option for treating symptoms of bacterial infections.

Many other medicines are also used with Ceftin to help in the treatment of other symptoms. Ceftin is safe for children who are older than three months. Still, no one knows that Ceftin is safe or not for children below three months of age.

Ceftin can treat severe to life-threatening bacterial infections. Doctors may use this medicine for other medical purposes that are not listed here.

Important Information

• If you are allergic to cefuroxime or any other similar antibiotics like cefdinir(Omnicef), cephalexin(Keflex), cefprozil(Cefzil), and others, then you should not use Ceftin without a doctor’s permission.
• Consult with your doctor if you have diabetes, liver, or kidney disease if you are malnourished or a history of intestinal problems.
• Ceftin tends to reduce the power of birth control pills; this may cause pregnancy. Consult with your doctor if you are taking birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. There are many other options available for birth control; you can use anyone during the treatment with Ceftin.
• You should complete the entire length of time that your doctor prescribed you. Your symptoms may hide before the complete treatment of infection. So do not leave your medicine in between only for the reason that your symptoms are gone.
• Ceftin is not for viral infections such as common flu or cold.
• You may suffer from diarrhea after taking antibiotics; it is a sign of a new infection itself. If you have diarrhea that has blood in it or is watery, consults with your doctor. Do not use any medication for the treatment of diarrhea without consulting with your doctor.
• If you are going for some medical tests, such as for urine glucose, tell your doctor that you are using cefuroxime because it causes false results with specific medical tests.

What to know before taking Ceftin?

• Ceftin is not safe for those who are suffering from an allergic reaction with penicillin, cefuroxime, or any other cephalosporin antibiotics like;

 

• cefaclor (Raniclor)
• cefadroxil (Duricef)
• cefdinir (Omnicef)
• cefditoren (Spectracef)
• cefazolin (Ancef)
• cefazolin (Ancef)
• cefpodoxime (Vantin)
• cefprozil (Cefzil)
• cephalexin (Keflex)
• ceftibuten (Cedax)
• cephradine (Velosef)

• Consult with your doctor if you have kidney disease, an allergic reaction to penicillin, liver disease, diabetes, a history of intestinal problems, like colitis, or malnourished to ensure that Ceftin is safe for you.
• If you have phenylketonuria(PKU), please consult with your doctor before using Ceftin because Ceftin itself contains phenylalanine.
• Ceftin, do not harm your unborn baby. But if you are pregnant, your doctor must know about it.
• Birth control pills become less effective due to Ceftin. Talk with your about using non-hormonal birth control options such as condom and diaphragm with spermicide if you want to prevent pregnancy.
• Breastfeeding is not safe for nursing babies. If you are breastfeeding your baby, your doctor must know about it.
• Ceftin is not for children younger than three months old.

How to take Ceftin?

• Take this medication exactly your doctor prescribes you. Read all the instructions carefully written on the package label. Do not take this medication in excess.
• Use Ceftin according to your prescription exactly. Follow all the instructions on your prescription level. Do not take this medication in excess or lower than your cure. Do not take this medication longer than you prescribed.
• You can take this medication with food or without food according to your convenience. Crushing Ceftin tablet can give you an unpleasant bitter taste.
• You must take the oral suspension of Cerftin with food.
• Before measuring a dose, you have to shake the liquid solution well. You should measure liquid medicine with a dosing syringe or a medical cup, or a special dose-measuring spoon. If you don’t have a dose-measuring device, you can ask your pharmacist for one. If you switch your medication from tablet to liquid form, you do not need to use the same dose in milligrams. If you are not using the same strength and form as your doctor prescribed you, this medication may not be effective.
• You should use this medication for the full length of therapy. If you stop taking it before the treatment over, you may again suffer from the infection. Your infection may stop showing its symptoms, but it is not entirely gone, so you should complete Ceftin therapy.
• If you skip doses, you may increase the risk of further infection that may resist antibiotics. Ceftin is not for viral infections such as the common cold or flu, so do not take it without consulting your doctor.

Ceftin dosage

• Ceftin oral suspension and Ceftin tablets are not bioequivalent; therefore, both are not substitutable on a milligram-per-milligram basis.
• Use Ceftin oral suspension or tablets according to the appropriate dosing guidelines.
• You must take Ceftin oral suspension with food.
• Pediatric patients of 13 years and older can take Ceftin oral solution if they can not swallow the whole Ceftin in tablet form.

Adult Patient and Pediatric Patients Dosage Guidelines for Ceftin Tablets

Adults and Adolescents(13 years and older)

• For the Pharyngitis/tonsillitis (mild to moderate) infection, the usual dosage is 250 mg every 12 hours for ten days.
• For the Acute bacterial maxillary sinusitis (mild to moderate) infection, the usual dosage is 250 mg every 12 hours for ten days.
• For Acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (mild to moderate) infection, the usual dosage is 250 or 500 mg every 12 hours for ten days.
• For Uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections, the usual dosage is 250 or 500 mg every 12 hours for ten days.
• For Uncomplicated urinary tract infections, the usual dosage is 250 mg every 12 hours for 7 to 10 days.
• For Uncomplicated gonorrhea infections, the usual dosage is 1,000 mg in a single dose.
• The usual dosage is 500 mg every 12 hours for 20 days for the Early Lyme disease infections.

Pediatric Patients below 13 years old (who can swallow tablets whole)

• For Acute bacterial otitis media infections, 250 mg every 12 hours for ten days.
• For the Acute bacterial maxillary sinusitis infection, the usual dosage is 250 mg every 12 hours for ten days.

Pediatric Patients from 3 Months to 12 Years, Dosage Guidelines for CEFTIN for Oral Suspension

• For the Pharyngitis/tonsillitis infections, the usual daily dosage is 20 mg/kg, and the maximum daily dosage is 500 mg for ten days.
• For Acute bacterial otitis media infections, the usual daily dosage is 30 mg/kg, and the maximum daily dosage is 1,000 mg for ten days.
• For Acute bacterial maxillary sinusitis infections, the usual daily dosage is 30 mg/kg, and the maximum daily dosage is 1,000 mg for ten days.
• The usual daily dosage is 30 mg/kg for the Impetigo infections, and the maximum daily dosage is 1,000 mg for ten days.

Overdose

• Overdosing of Ceftin can harm your body, so do not overdose on this medication. If you think by mistake, you have taken a large amount of this medication and immediately seek emergency medical attention.
• You have to call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 in case of overdosing.
• The overdosing symptoms of Ceftin are black-out or convulsions.

What to avoid while using Ceftin?

While taking antibiotic medicines, you might suffer from diarrhea. It might be a sign of another infection. If you have watery or bloody diarrhea, immediately consult with your doctor. Do not take any anti-diarrhea medication to treat yourself.

Ceftin side effects

Ceftin side-effects are both types. Some of them are common, and some of them are severe. If you are suffering from severe side-effects, immediately consult with your doctor.

Consult with your doctor at once if you have:

• jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin);
• diarrhea that is watery or bloody, severe stomach pain;
• severe tingling, skin rash, bruising, or numbness;
• short of breath or feeling tired, kidney problems – painful or difficult urination, little or no urination, swelling in your feet or ankles;
• skin pain with a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.
• seizure (black-out or convulsions);
• severe skin reaction – fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes.

Common Ceftin side effects may include:

• diaper rash in an infant taking liquid Ceftin.
• diarrhea;
• nausea, vomiting;
• unusual or unpleasant taste in your mouth; or

What drugs can interact with Ceftin?

Talk to your doctor and tell his/her about your current medication because any medicine you are taking may interact with Ceftin and harm you physically and mentally.

The drugs that tend to interact with Ceftin are

• probenecid (Benemid);
• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven); or
• a diuretic or “water pill.”

The above-given list is not a complete list of all medications that can interact with Ceftin; please consult with your doctor to know that your current medicine can interact with Ceftin or not.