Cloxacillin is an antibiotic. It is used to treat infections that are caused by certain bacteria that are resistant to benzylpenicillin (antibiotic).
This medicine may be used to treat other conditions as decided by your doctor.
Cloxacillin is to be given intramuscularly (into the muscle) as an injection or intravenously (into the vein) as an injection or infusion.
Your doctor or nurse will administer the injection for you.
The dose of this medicine will be decided by your doctor. Your doctor will advise you on the treatment timeframe depending on the type and severity of your infection.
Ensure that you keep all appointments with your doctor so that you do not miss any doses. Your doctor also needs to regularly monitor your response to Cloxacillin.
If you miss an appointment or miss an injection, alert your doctor or nurse. A replacement appointment or injection should be given as soon as possible.
Do not use Cloxacillin if you ever had an allergic reaction (e.g. rashes, breathlessness, swollen eyes) to this medicine or similar antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporins (e.g. cefuroxime).
Inform your doctor if you have the following conditions:
- history of allergy to other drugs or any other kinds of allergies
- asthma
- history of seizure disorder
- syphilis (a type of sexually transmitted disease [STD])
- kidney disease
Let your doctor know if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
For as long as you are being treated with Cloxacillin, you may need to have regular blood tests to check your body's response to the medicine. Your doctor will advise you about how often you need to have blood tests.
Cloxacillin may cause any of the following side effects: diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
Some side effects may need immediate medical help. Alert your doctor quickly if you experience any of the following:
- rashes, breathlessness, swelling of the face, eyes, or mouth
- unusual bleeding or bruising, frequent and persistent sore throat with fever
- rashes with peeling of the skin or blistering of the lips, mouth, or eyes accompanied by fever
Inform your doctor if any of these side effects do not go away or are severe, or if you experience other side effects.
Inform your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any of these medicines:
- other antibiotics e.g. tetracycline, chloramphenicol
- blood-thinning medicines
- probenecid (medicine for gout or high uric acid level in the blood)
- methotrexate (medicine for cancer or certain immune disorders)
- birth control pills
This list does not include all medicines that may interact with Cloxacillin.
Always notify your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including herbal tonics such as traditional Chinese medicines, supplements, and medicines that you buy without a prescription.
Avoid alcohol.
Store in a cool, dry place away from the reach of children.
Medicines must not be used past the expiry date.