Bactrim how long does it take to work

Table of contents. What Is Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole? Frequently Asked Questions What is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole used to treat? If you have a bacterial infection, your doctor will work with you to determine whether trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is an appropriate course of treatment.

How long does trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole stay in your system? Every drug has a half life, which is the amount of time it takes for the medication to reduce to half of the initial dose. The half life of trimethoprim is about hours, and the half life of sulfamethoxazole is about 10 hours. Should you drink a lot of water when you take trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole? Drinking extra water when you take trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole may help prevent unwanted side effects. And it never hurts to drink water throughout the day to promote hydration.

How long does it take for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to work? Your body will start to absorb trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole immediately when you start taking it, and it will start to kill bacteria within about four hours of your first dose. Generally, people start to feel better within a few days of taking trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but it can take up to a few weeks if you have a complicated diagnosis like pneumonia. This information does not constitute and should not be relied on for professional medical advice.

Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Sarah Malka, MD Dr. Jump over to the doctors only platform. Click Here. Bactrim is used to treat bacterial infections in different parts of the body. Your doctor may have prescribed Bactrim for another purpose. Ask your doctor if you have any questions why Bactrim has been prescribed for you.

Action: How Bactrim works Bactrim works by stopping the growth of the bacteria causing the infection. Dose advice: How to use Bactrim Before you take Bactrim When you must not take it Do not take Bactrim if: You have had an allergic reaction to sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, any other sulfonamide, or any of the ingredients listed here.

Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include: Skin rash ; Peeling of the skin; Itching or hives; Swelling of the face, lips or tongue which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing; Wheezing or shortness of breath.

You have severe liver or kidney disease, any blood disorder or megaloblastic anaemia ; The child you are treating is less than 3 months of age; You have streptococcal pharyngitis; The package is torn or shows signs of tampering; You are taking dofetilide, a medicine used to treat irregular heartbeats; The expiry date EXP printed on the pack has passed.

If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well. If you are not sure if you should be taking Bactrim, talk to your doctor. Before you start to take it Your doctor must know about all the following before you can start to take Bactrim. Tell your doctor if: You are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. If Bactrim is taken late in pregnancy, it may harm the baby. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking Bactrim during pregnancy. You are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed.

Bactrim passes into breast milk. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking Bactrim while breast-feeding; You have any other health problems including: an allergic reaction to any diuretic fluid tablet or medicines for diabetes or overactive thyroid. This may increase your chances of an allergic reaction to Bactrim; Any type of blood disorder including porphyria and glucosephosphate dehydrogenase deficiency ; Kidney or liver disease A hereditary disorder called phenylketonuria ; Epilepsy fits or convulsions ; Asthma ; Allergic disorders; Rheumatoid arthritis ; Urinary obstruction; Folic acid deficiency; You are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives.

Taking other medicines Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines including any that you have bought from a pharmacy, supermarket or healthfood shop. Some medicines may interfere with Bactrim. Use in very young children Bactrim should not be given to premature babies or children younger than 3 months of age. Use in people over 65 years People over 65 years are more at risk of severe side effects when taking Bactrim. How to take Bactrim Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully.

They may differ from the information contained here. How much to take Take Bactrim exactly as your doctor has prescribed. Your doctor will tell you how much Bactrim to take each day. For adults and children over 12 years, the usual dose of Bactrim DS is one tablet twice per day. How to take it Swallow Bactrim DS tablets whole or halve them if necessary with a glass of water. When to take it Take Bactrim DS tablets or oral suspension after a meal.

How long to take Bactrim Continue taking Bactrim until your doctor tells you to stop. If you forget to take Bactrim Do not take an extra dose. Wait until the next dose and take your normal dose then. Do not try to make up for the dose that you missed by taking more than one dose at a time. If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

In case of an overdose Immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre telephone 13 11 26 for advice or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Bactrim even, if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. By day 3 I was shaking, shivering, anxious, insomnia. By day 5 nausea, dizziness, heart rate, very low blood pressure, extreme anxiety.

Although this drug is well tolerated by many patients, it is associated with several potentially serious adverse reactions. Bactrim works by stopping the growth of the bacteria causing the infection. It blocks two consecutive steps in the biosynthesis of nucleic acids and proteins essential to bacteria.

Bactrim does not work against infections caused by viruses, such as colds and flu. Some providers might choose to have you take it a few days longer than that to be sure your infection is totally gone.

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Architecture How long does it take for Bactrim to leave your system? Ben Davis February 20, In addition to gastrointestinal issues, both alcohol and antibiotics can hinder cognitive function, concentration, and coordination.

Peak blood levels for the individual components occur 1 to 4 hours after oral administration. The mean serum half-lives of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim are 10 and 8 to 10 hours, respectively. Gastrointestinal side effects were more common with amoxicillin-clavulanate p less than 0. Our results suggest that for acute otitis media twice-daily trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is more effective clinically and produces fewer side effects than twice-daily amoxicillin-clavulanate.

It is in no way related to Penicillin. It is safe to take if you are allergic to Penicillin. Bactrim DS is an antibiotic and belongs to a drug class called sulfonamides. This medication is a combination of two antibiotics: sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. It is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections such as middle ear, urine, respiratory, and intestinal infections.

Combining antibiotics and alcohol can increase these side effects. A few antibiotics — such as metronidazole Flagyl , tinidazole Tindamax , and sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim Bactrim — should not be mixed with alcohol because this may result in a more severe reaction.