Ceftin (Cefuroxime)

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Cefuroxime 250mg

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Cefuroxime 500mg

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Ceftum 500mg

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Ceftum 125mg

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Ceftum 250mg

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Ceftin (Cefuroxime) Dosage and Side Effects

CEFTIN is used to kill the bacteria or “germs” which cause infections.

Proper Use of this medication

Usual dose:

The usual length of treatment is 7-10 days, although your doctor may adjust the prescription to suit your treatment. During the course of treatment, all the tablets or oral suspension must be taken to make sure that all germs have been killed. CONTINUE TAKING THE TABLETS OR SUSPENSION UNTIL FINISHED, EVEN IF YOU BEGIN TO FEEL BETTER.

YOU SHOULD NOT INCREASE OR DECREASE THE PRESCRIBED DOSE UNLESS ADVISED BY YOUR DOCTOR.

Take CEFTIN Tablets or CEFTIN for Oral Suspension with food. This will help to make the treatment more effective.

Tablets:

You must take the medicine as prescribed by your doctor. If you are not sure how many tablets to take, or how often to take them, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

The usual dose for adults is one 250 mg tablet twice a day.

CEFTIN has a bitter taste, therefore, do not chew or crush the tablets but swallow each one whole with a drink of water.

Suspension:

The dose depends on the weight of the child. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you exactly how many teaspoonful or 5 mL measures your child must take.

Bottles: Before removing the cap, you must shake the bottle very well until the medicine can be heard moving in the bottle to make sure you get out the right dose. Replace cap securely after each opening. During treatment, you should use a 5 mL spoon to take the medicine exactly as prescribed, taking care not to overfill the spoon. If desired, the dose may be added to one of the following cold beverages immediately prior to administration: milk (i.e. skim, 2% or homogenized), fruit juice (i.e. apple, orange, or grape) or lemonade.

Do not mix CEFTIN for Oral Suspension with hot beverages before drinking.

Overdose:

It is important to follow the dosage instructions on the label of your medicine. Taking more than this dose is unlikely to be dangerous unless a large quantity of tablets or suspension is taken all at once. In this case, contact your doctor or nearest hospital emergency department immediately.

Missed dose:

If you forget to take a dose, take another as soon as possible. Then continue with the normal dose. Do not double doses.

Side Effects

If you experience wheeziness and tightness of chest, swelling of eyelids, face or lips, or develop skin lumps or hives, or a skin rash (red spots), tell your doctor immediately. Do not take any more medicine unless your doctor tells you to do so. Your doctor may decide to stop your treatment.

You may experience diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, loose stools, abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, diaper rash, drowsiness, inflammation of the vagina or symptoms that you do not understand. There is no need to stop taking your tablets or suspension, but you should tell your doctor of any of these symptoms as soon as possible.

If you experience symptoms such as severe diarrhea (bloody or watery) with or without fever, abdominal pain, or tenderness, you may have Clostridium difficile colitis (bowel inflammation). If this occurs, stop taking CEFTIN and contact your doctor immediately.

Other side effects include seizure and kidney problems. CEFTIN may also cause an increase in a type of white blood cell (eosinophilia), a decrease in the number of white blood cells (leukopenia), decrease in number of blood platelets (cells that help blood to clot) called thrombocytopenia or an increase in some substances (enzymes) produced by the liver. If you are taking a blood test, you should tell your doctor that you are taking CEFTIN, as it may affect your result.

On rare occasions, medicines like CEFTIN can cause an overgrowth of yeast (Candida) in the body which can lead to fungal infections (such as thrush). This side effect is more likely if you take CEFTIN for a long time. Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you think you have a fungal infection. Your doctor may need to stop your treatment.

Very rarely, CEFTIN may cause severe skin reactions, such as skin rash, which may blister, and looks like small targets (central dark spots surrounded by a paler area, with a dark ring around the edge) known as erythema multiforme, and widespread rash with blisters and skin peeling on much of the body surface (toxic epidermal necrolysis), particularly around the mouth, nose, eyes and genitals (Stevens-Johnson syndrome). If these severe skin reactions occur, stop taking CEFTIN and contact your doctor immediately.

Very rarely, CEFTIN may cause effects such as:

  • a high temperature (fever)

  • yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin (jaundice)

  • inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) with symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea and jaundice, and

  • a faster breakdown of red blood cells leading to a form of anemia (hemolytic anemia) with symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath and looking pale

If these symptoms occur or persist, contact your doctor.

If you feel worse or you have taken all the tablets or all the suspension and do not feel better TELL YOUR DOCTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Warnings and Precautions

BEFORE you use CEFTIN talk to your doctor or pharmacist if:

  • you are allergic to or react badly to penicillins or other antibiotics.

  • you have kidney problems, as your doctor may reduce your dose.

  • you are having a urine test for sugar. False positive reactions may occur if using methods dependent on copper reduction such as Fehling's or Benedict's solution or with Clinitest Tablets. For this reason enzyme-based tests such as Tes-Tape or Clinistix should be used.

  • you have phenylketonuria. Do not use CEFTIN Suspension because it contains aspartame, a source of phenylalanine.

  • you are diabetic. CEFTIN Suspension contains sugar (about 3 g/5 mL).

  • you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

  • you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. Cefuroxime is excreted in human breast milk. Discuss breastfeeding with your doctor.

  • you are taking other medicines. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about all the medicines you are taking, including non-prescription drugs and natural health products.

As this medication may cause dizziness, do not drive or operate machinery if you are feeling dizzy.

Talk to your doctor if the following occurs while taking CEFTIN:

  • you develop hemolytic anemia (breakdown of red blood cells) with symptoms such as pale skin, weakness, tiredness, shortness of breath, yellowing of your skin and/or the whites of your eyes.

Interactions with this medication

Drugs that may interact with CEFTIN include:

  • Medicines used to reduce the amount of acid in your stomach (e.g. antacids used to treat heartburn) can affect how CEFTIN works.

  • Medicines that promote the production of urine (such as furosemide and ethacrynic acid) may increase the risk of kidney problems when taken while being treated with CEFTIN.

  • CEFTIN may reduce how well the contraceptive pill works. If you are taking the contraceptive pill while you are being treated with CEFTIN, you also need to use a barrier method of contraception (such as condoms). Ask your doctor for advice.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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