Chloromycetin

Chloromycetin is used in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria. It works by killing bacteria or preventing their growth. Chloromycetin is used to treat serious infections in different parts of the body. It is sometimes given with other antibiotics. However, chloramphenicol should not be used for colds, flu, other virus infections, sore throats or other minor infections, or to prevent infections.

Chloromycetin should only be used for serious infections in which other medicines do not work. This medicine may cause some serious side effects, including blood problems and eye problems. Symptoms of the blood problems include pale skin, sore throat and fever, unusual bleeding or bruising, and unusual tiredness or weakness. You and your doctor should talk about the good this medicine will do as well as the risks of taking it.

Chloromycetin is one of the first natural anti-microbe medications produced at the end of 40s and since then many bacteria have developed resistance to it. It also causes severe side effects and its usage is limited at present time. It is mostly used to treat meningitis, rickettsial disease, salmonellosis and anaerobic infections. Its mechanism of action is associated with blockage of bacterial protein synthesis in ribosomes, thus its effect is bacteriostatic, but can also be bactericidal in high concentrations for pneumococci, meningococci, and H.influenzae. Chloromycetin is usually administered for treatment of bacterial infections of eyes (locally) and sometimes does also for treatment of bacterial meningitis, brain abscess, generalized forms of salmonellosis, typhoid fever, rickettsiosis: Ku-fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus, intra-abdominal infections, pelvic infection, gas gangrene, plague as a secondary drug.

Precautions
Tell your doctor about all other illnesses and history of allergies (especially to antibiotics) before to take Chloromycetin.

Contraindications
Hypersensitivity, pregnancy, breastfeeding.

Possible side effects
In some rare cases Chloromycetin may cause serious, even fatal, blood disorders (for instance, bone marrow hypoplasia, aplastic anemia) so monitoring of blood is needed on a regular basis. Treatment with antibacterial agents alters the normal flora of the colon leading to different intestinal disorders ranging in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Gray baby syndrome (in neonates) involves hypothermia, cyanosis, flaccidity, and circulatory collapse, is often fatal.

Drug interaction
Chloromycetin increases period of excretion and effects of peroral anti-diabetes medications and may show false positive results in glucose tests in patients with diabetes. Co-administration of Chloromycetin with erythromycin or lincosamides is not advised. Chloromycetin is able to diminish effects of medications which contain iron, folic acid and B12 vitamin.

Missed dose
Never take a double dose of this medication. If it is almost time of the next dose just skip the missed portion and continue to take the medicine according to the schedule.