The bacterial infections bronchitis (infection of the airways leading to the lungs), gonorrhoea (a sexually transmitted disease), infections of the ears, throat, tonsils, and urinary tract are all treated with cefixime. Cefixime belongs to the group of drugs known as cephalosporin antibiotics. It eliminates bacteria to operate.

Colds, the flu, or other viral diseases cannot be treated with antibiotics like cefixime. Antibiotic overuse raises the likelihood that you’ll get an infection later on that is resistant to antibiotic therapy.

Cefixime is available as a tablet, chewable tablet, capsule, and liquid suspension for oral administration. It is often given every 12 or 24 hours, with or without food. It can be used in a single dose while treating gonorrhoea. Cefixime should be taken every day at roughly the same time. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the cefixime directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Before each use, thoroughly shake the suspension to combine the medication.

Chew the chewable tablets completely before swallowing them if you’re taking them; do not take the chewable pills whole. You could crush them before swallowing if you have problems chewing.

The middle of every tablet of cefixime has a line running through it. Take the tablet carefully on the line if your doctor instructs you to take only half of it. Save the remaining half of the tablet for your next dose and take half of it as prescribed.

Since different cefixime products are absorbed by the body in various ways, they cannot be interchanged. Your doctor might need to change your dose if you need to transition from one cefixime product to another.

Throughout the initial days of cefixime therapy, you should start to feel better. Call your doctor if your symptoms don’t go away or get worse.

Cefixime should be used even if you feel better. Your infection could not be entirely healed if you stop taking cefixime too soon or skip doses, and the bacteria might develop an antibiotic resistance.

In addition to treating pneumonia, shigella (an illness that causes severe diarrhoea), salmonella (an infection that causes severe diarrhoea), and typhoid fever, cefixime is occasionally used to treat sinus infections in those who are allergic to penicillin (a serious infection that is common in developing countries). The dangers of using this drug for your illness should be discussed with your doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking cefixime,

• If you experience side effects while taking cefixime, other cephalosporin antibiotics including cefaclor (Ceclor), cefadroxil cefazolin (Ancef, Kefzol), cefdinir, cefditoren (Spectracef), cefepime (Maxipime), cefotaxime (Claforan), cefotetan, or cefoxitin, or if you have any additional allergies (Mefoxin), cefpodoxime, cefprozil, ceftaroline (Teflaro), ceftazidime (Fortaz, Tazicef, in Avycaz), ceftibuten (Cedax), ceftriaxone (Rocephin), cefuroxime (Zinacef), or cephalexin (Keflex), as well as any other penicillin antibiotics or medicines.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any vitamins, nutritional supplements, herbal items, and prescription and over-the-counter medications you are taking or plan to use. Mention any of the following: warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), carbamazepine, and other anticoagulants (often known as “blood thinners”) (Carbatrol, Epito, Equetro, Tegretol, Teril). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• Inform your doctor if you have or have had had renal or liver illness, as well as gastrointestinal (GI) disease, especially colitis (a condition that causes swelling in the lining of the colon [large intestine]).
• Inform your physician if you are nursing a baby, intend to get pregnant, or are already pregnant. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking cefixime.
• You should be aware that cefixime chewable tablets are sweetened with aspartame, which forms phenylalanine, if you have phenylketonuria (PKU), an inherited disorder that requires you to follow a particular diet to prevent brain damage that could cause severe intellectual disability.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Cefixime could have negative effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Gas
• Heartburn
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Certain adverse effects can be very harmful. Get emergency medical care if you encounter any of the following symptoms, or call your doctor right away:

• Watery or bloody stools, stomach cramps, or fever during treatment or for up to two or more months after stopping treatment
• Rash
• Itching
• Hives
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Wheezing
• Face, throat, tongue, lips, and eye swelling
• A recurrence of fever, chills, or other infection-related symptoms

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep the capsules, chewable pills, and tablets at room temperature away from moisture and excessive heat (not in the bathroom). Store liquid medications tightly closed, at room temperature or in the fridge, and discard any that aren’t used within 14 days.

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To determine how you are responding to cefixime, your doctor may request specific lab tests.

Use Clinistix or TesTape (not Clinitest) to test your urine for sugar if you have diabetes and are taking this medicine.

No one else should take your medication. Very likely, you cannot get more refills on your prescription.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.