Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim
Brands Names: Bactrim, Bactrim DS, Co-trimoxazole, Diseptyl, Diseptyl forte, Septra
- Form of administration: Pills or suspension
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Why is the drug here:
An antibiotic that is practical and important, even though it is not used on a day-to-day basis.
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Purpose of treatment:
Antibiotic drug for children and adults, for the treatment of specific infections – mainly in the respiratory system, ears, urinary tract or the gastrointestinal system.
- Ingredients: A combination of two different antibiotics – Sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic that belongs to the family of Medicines2022 known as ‘Sulfa’ drugs and Trimethoprim.
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How to use:
Suspension (or tablet, in those that are able to swallow pills). In most brands, every 5 ml of drug contains 200mg of Sulfamethoxazole and 40mg of Trimethoprim. A forte tablet contains 800mg of Sulfa and 160mg of Trimethoprim. The dose differs depending on the site of infection and the weight of the child. The drug is always given twice a day. The specific dose is decided on by the prescribing doctor, but the usual dose is as follows: adults and children over 12 years of age: one tablet, twice a day. Children from 6 to 12 years of age – 10 ml, twice a day. Children from 6 months to 6 years of age – 5ml, twice a day. Infants from 6 weeks to 6 months of age– 2.5ml twice a day.
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Benefits:
There are two main advantages:
- Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim is the first line of treatment for some infections. For certain infections, it is not only the drug of choice but I could even say it is the only available treatment.
- Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim is the second line of treatment for other infections – the advantage behind using this drug for those infections is its relative narrow-spectrum of activity.
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Side Effects:
Various and non-specific. If a rash appears, the medication should be stopped immediately and the patient should see a doctor. In the past, people were concerned about using Sulfa drugs because of G6PD enzyme deficiency (fava bean intolerance). Nonetheless, today it is known that this medication is safe, also for individuals who have this enzyme deficiency (you can read more about this in the link below, coming soon).
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Another word from the doctor:
This is an important antibiotic that is useful in specific infections, even though it is not the first line of treatment for most infections.
If your doctor prescribed your child with this medication, he probably had a specific reason for why he chose to do so.
Often, I see this drug being prescribed for an extended period of time for recurrent ear infections. This approach is controversial. You can read more about the use of antibiotic in recurrent ear infections here.