Cefuroxime is used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria, such as bronchitis(infection of the airway tubes leading to the lungs); gonorrhoea (a sexually transmitted disease); Lyme disease (an infection that may develop after a person is bitten by a tick); and infections of the skin, ears, sinuses, throat, tonsils,, and urinary tract. Cefuroxime is among a class of drugs called cephalosporin antibiotics. It acts by preventing bacterial development.

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

Cefuroxime is available as a tablet and a liquid suspension for oral use. Depending on the ailment being treated, it is often taken every 12 hours for 5–10 days. Cefuroxime is used as a single dosage to treat gonorrhoea, and it is administered continuously for 20 days to treat Lyme disease. The tablet can be taken with or without food, however the suspension should be taken with meals. Cefuroxime 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. Use cefuroxime precisely as advised. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Because different cefuroxime products are absorbed by the body in various ways, they cannot be interchanged. Your doctor may need to change your dose if you need to transition from one cefuroxime medication to another.

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

The tablets ought to be consumed whole. The tablet shouldn’t be crushed because it tastes extremely bitter when it is. The liquid should be administered to children who are unable to swallow the tablet whole.

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

Even if you feel better, continue taking cefuroxime until the prescription is finished. Your infection could not be entirely treated if you stop taking cefuroxime too soon or skip doses, and the bacteria might develop an antibiotic resistance.

Pneumonia can also occasionally be treated with cefuroxime. 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 cefuroxime,

• If you have an allergy to cefuroxime or any other cephalosporin antibiotics, including cefaclor, cefadroxil, cefdinir, cefditoren, cefepime (Maxipime), cefixime, cefotaxime (Claforan), cefotetan, cefoxitin (Mefoxin), cefpodoxime, cefprozil, and ceftaroline, let your (Teflaro), penicillin antibiotics; any additional drugs; the antibiotics ceftazidime (Fortaz, Tazicef, in Avycaz), ceftibuten (Cedax), ceftriaxone (Rocephin), and cephalexin (Keflex). Additionally let your doctor know if any of the components in cefuroxime pills or suspension cause you to react negatively. Get a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products that you are now taking or intend to use. Mention any of the following: diuretics (also known as “water pills”) such as famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), omeprazole (Prilosec, in Zegerid), pantoprazole (Protonix), probenecid (Probalan), and ranitidine. Anticoagulants (also known as “blood thinners”) include warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), cimetidine, and (Zantac). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• Use magnesium- or aluminum-containing antacids at least one hour before or two hours after taking cefuroxime.
• 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]).
• You should be aware that some oral contraceptives (often known as “birth control pills”) become less effective when taken with cefuroxime. While taking this medicine, you must utilise another method of birth control. When taking this drug, discuss alternate birth control options with your doctor.
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking cefuroxime.
• You should be aware that cefuroxime suspension is sweetened with aspartame, which creates 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 incapacity.

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.

Side effects from cefuroxime are possible. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, consult your doctor:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Some adverse effects may be severe. Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical attention if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Rash
• Itching
• Hives
• breathing or swallowing challenges
• Wheezing
• Swelling of the lips, eyes, tongue, cheeks, or throat
• Stomach pains, fever, or bloody or watery stools while receiving treatment or for two or more months after it is stopped
• A recurrence of fever, sore throat, chills, or any other infection-related symptoms

Other adverse effects from cefuroxime are possible. If you have any strange side effects while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

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 pills away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom). Keep liquid medications tightly wrapped in the refrigerator, and after 10 days, throw away any unused medicines.

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

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.

Overdose symptoms could include:

• Seizures

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To monitor how your body is responding to cefuroxime, 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. See your doctor or pharmacist for advice on the best product to use while taking this medication if you test your blood sugar.

No one else should take your medication. It’s likely that your prescription cannot be renewed.

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.