USES: This medication is an antibiotic used to treat infections.
HOW TO USE: Take this medication by mouth as directed usually three to four times a day for 7 to 10 days. The dose of oral solution may be diluted in 1 ounce of water to improve the taste. For best results, take each dose at evenly spaced intervals around the clock. This will ensure a constant level of medication in your blood. Take this medication for the full time prescribed. Do not stop taking this without your doctor's approval. Stopping therapy too soon may result in a reinfection.
SIDE EFFECTS: Indigestion or stomach ache may occur. If these effects continue or become bothersome, inform your doctor. Notify your doctor if you develop: difficulty hearing, fever, chills. In the unlikely event you have an allergic reaction to this drug, seek immediate medical attention. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include: rash, itching, swelling, dizziness, breathing trouble. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
PRECAUTIONS: Tell your doctor your medical history, especially of: kidney disease, stomach or intestinal problems, hearing problems, allergies you may have. Vancomycin should be used only when clearly needed during pregnancy. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. This drug is excreted into breast milk. Because the effects on a nursing infant are not known consult your doctor before you breast feed.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Tell your doctor of all prescription and nonprescription medications you may use, including: aminoglycosides (e.g., gentamicin, neomycin), amphotericin B, other antibiotics, live vaccines. If you will be undergoing treatment requiring anesthesia, tell the doctor/dentist you have been using vancomycin Do not start or stop any medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval.
OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly.
Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a bacterium, and is one of the most common causes of infection of the colon. C. difficile spores are found frequently in hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, and nurseries for newborn infants. They can be found on bedpans, furniture, toilet seats, linens, telephones, stethoscopes, fingernails, rings, floors, infants' rooms, and diaper pails. They even can be carried by pets. Antibiotic-associated (C. difficile) colitis is an infection of the colon caused by C. difficile that occurs primarily among individuals who have been using antibiotics. Treatment for C. difficile colitis hydration, replenishment of electrolyte deficiencies, discontinuing the antibiotic that caused the colitis, and using antibiotics to eradicate the C. difficile bacterium.
Sepsis (blood poisoning) is a potentially deadly infection with signs and symptoms that include elevated heart rate, low or high temperature, rapid breathing and/or a white blood cell count that is too high or too low and has more than 10% band cells. Most cases of sepsis are caused by bacterial infections, and some cases are caused by fungal infections. Treatment requires hospitalization, IV antibiotics, and therapy to treat any organ dysfunction.
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection is the most common type of infection acquired by patients while hospitalized. Patients at risk for VRE are those who are already ill, and hospitalized, including individuals with diabetes, elderly, ICU patients, kidney failure patients, or patients requiring catheters. Enterococci can survive for months in the digestive tract and female genital tract. Other risk factors for acquiring VRE include those how have been previously treated with vancomycin and combinations of other antibiotics. Treatment of VRE is generally with other antibiotics other than vancomycin. Prevention of VRE can be achieved by proper hand hygiene.
Drug resistance (antimicrobial resistance) is the ability of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses to grow, even in the presence of a drug that would normally kill it (or limit it's growth). Drug resistance is a growing problem, particularly for infections such as MRSA, VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci), tuberculosis, HIV, STDs, gonorrhea, flu, pneumonia, malaria, E. coli, salmonella, Campylobacter, which causes diarrhea and gastroenteritis. Learn how to protect yourself from resistance to drugs.
Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a bacterium that is related to the
bacterium that cause tetanus and botulism. The
C. difficile bacterium has two
forms, an active, infectious form that cannot survive in the environment for
prolonged periods, and a nonactive, "noninfectious" form, called a spore, that
can survive in the environment for prolonged periods. Although spores cannot
cause infection directly, when they are ingested they transform into the active,
infectious form.
Healthy Living Tips
This site complies with the