How does it work?

Ceftriaxone belongs to a group of antibiotics called the cephalosporins. They kill bacteria by interfering with the ability of bacteria to form cell walls. The bacteria therefore break up and die. Ceftriaxone is given by injection or infusion, and is generally used for severe infections.

What is it used for?

• Gonorrhoea
• Infection of the blood (septicaemia or blood poisoning)
• Infections of the organs associated with breathing, including nasal passages, sinuses, windpipe and lungs (respiratory tract)
• Meningitis
• Preventing infection following surgery
• Prevention of meningococcal meningitis

Warning!

• You should ensure that you drink plenty of fluids while receiving treatment with this medicine.

Use with caution in

• Allergy to penicillin-type antibiotics
• Premature babies
• Severe kidney disease

Not to be used in

• Allergy to any of the active ingredients
• Babies with jaundice
• Life long inherited blood diseases which can cause a variety of symptoms, including mental health problems (porphyrias)
• Low albumin blood levels (hypoalbuminaemia)

This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.

• This medicine should be used with caution during pregnancy, and only if the expected benefit to the mother is greater than any possible risk to the foetus. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
• This medicine passes into breast milk. Seek medical advice from your doctor before using this medicine during breastfeeding.

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• Headache
• Rash
• Itching (pruritus)
• Diarrhoea
• Allergic reaction to active ingredient
• Pain and inflammation of the blood vessel at the site of injection
• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• Inflammation of the large intestine (colitis)
• Increase in the time it takes for blood to clot

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How can this medicine affect other medicines?

The removal of ceftriaxone from the body may be slowed if given with probenecid.

Other medicines containing the same active ingredients