dicloxacillin
Dicloxacillin is a penicillin antibiotic. It's used to treat certain infections, such as mastitis, caused by the family of bacteria called Staphylococcus. Dicloxacillin is a capsule that's taken by mouth, typically every 6 hours, by adults and children. Some side effects of dicloxacillin can include nausea and diarrhea. Brand name Dynapen has been discontinued; dicloxacillin is only available as a generic medication.
What is Dicloxacillin?
What is Dicloxacillin used for?
- Infections caused by Staphylococcus bacteria
How Dicloxacillin works
Dicloxacillin is a type of penicillin antibiotic. It kills bacteria by preventing them from making an additional covering around themselves for protection.
Drug facts
Side effects of Dicloxacillin
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Stomach irritation
- Mouth sores
Less Common Side Effects
- Black or hairy tongue
- Rash
Dicloxacillin serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Serious allergic reaction: hives, rash, blisters, swelling of the lips or tongue, difficulty breathing
- Infectious diarrhea (C. difficile-related diarrhea): fever, nausea, foul-smelling diarrhea, frequent bowel movements (even up to 15 times per day)
The following Dicloxacillin side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Stop taking this medicine and get emergency help immediately if any of the following effects occur:
Less common
Fast or irregular breathing
joint pain
lightheadedness or fainting (sudden)
puffiness or swelling around the face
red, scaly skin
shortness of breath
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Rare
Abdominal or stomach cramps and pain (severe)
abdominal tenderness
convulsions (seizures)
decreased amount of urine
diarrhea (watery and severe), which may also be bloody
mental depression
pain at place of injection
sore throat and fever
unusual bleeding or bruising
yellow eyes or skin
Rare
For penicillin G procaine only
Agitation or combativeness
confusion
fear of impending death
feeling, hearing, or seeing things that are not real
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Pros and cons of Dicloxacillin
Pros
- Taken by mouth
- Available as a lower-cost generic
- An option for adults and children
Cons
- Not a good option if you are allergic to penicillins
- Taken 4 times a day
- Need to take on an empty stomach
Pharmacist tips for Dicloxacillin
- Take dicloxacillin on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. This helps your body to absorb all of the medication so it works as best as possible for you.
- Take dicloxacillin exactly as prescribed. Make sure to finish your treatment course, even if you're feeling better. Stopping the medication earlier than prescribed can make your infection come back and become harder to treat.
- Swallow the dicloxacillin capsules whole. If you're having trouble swallowing them, ask your HCP about switching you to another antibiotic that comes as a liquid or chewable tablet.
- Get medical help as soon as possible if you develop watery or bloody diarrhea, fever, fatigue, or stomach cramps anytime during treatment or after stopping dicloxacillin. These could be signs of C. difficile-related diarrhea, which needs to be treated right away.
- Make sure to tell your HCP and pharmacist about all of the medications you're taking before and during treatment with dicloxacillin. Some medications can interact with dicloxacillin. For example, probenecid can raise your risk for side effects from dicloxacillin. Also, taking warfarin (Coumadin) and dicloxacillin might raise your risk of bleeding.
Common questions about Dicloxacillin
Yes, dicloxacillin is a penicillin antibiotic. This means that if you have a penicillin allergy, you might also be allergic to dicloxacillin too. Your healthcare professional (HCP) will decide to use dicloxacillin to treat your infection based on what your reaction to penicillin was like. If you had a mild rash or itchy skin when you took penicillin, your HCP will probably still prescribe dicloxacillin and ask you to watch closely for allergic reactions. But if you had a severe reaction like facial swelling, closing of the throat, or anaphylaxis, your HCP might decide to use a different antibiotic to be safe.
Yes, dicloxacillin generally safe to take during breastfeeding. The levels of the medication are very low in breastmilk, so it's not expected to cause side effects in a breastfed baby. Dicloxacillin is commonly prescribed in nursing mothers to treat mastitis.
Dicloxacillin might be an option during pregnancy. In general, penicillin antibiotics, such as dicloxacillin, aren't known to cause harm during pregnancy.
Yes, dicloxacillin is one the preferred treatment options for treating mastitis, an infection of the breast. The typical dose for mastitis is dicloxacillin 500 mg by mouth four times daily for 10 to 14 days.
No, dicloxacillin isn't one of the antibiotics recommended for strep throat. Typically, antibiotics like amoxicillin or cephalexin (Keflex) are prescribed for strep throat.
You might start to feel better 1-3 days after starting dicloxacillin. Keep in mind that the time it takes for you to feel better after you start your antibiotics can also depend on the specific infection you have and how serious it is. Let your prescriber know if you're concerned with how well dicloxacillin is working for you.
You should avoid alcohol while you're taking dicloxacillin. Alcohol can make it harder for you to recover from an infection. It can also worsen certain dicloxacillin side effects, such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Talk to a healthcare professional about your drinking habits before you start taking dicloxacillin.
Dicloxacillin doesn't have any known interactions with acetaminophen (Tylenol). But acetaminophen (Tylenol) might not be a safe option for people with certain medical condition, such as those with liver problems. Ask a member of your healthcare team if you're not sure whether you can take acetaminophen (Tylenol) with dicloxacillin.
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Risks and warnings for Dicloxacillin
Dicloxacillin can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Severe allergic reaction
- Risk factors: Allergy to penicillin or other beta-lactam antibiotics
Severe allergic reactions to dicloxacillin are possible. Some reactions can be life-threatening and can include facial swelling, shock, and anaphylaxis (e.g., closing of the throat). Let the prescriber know if you have an allergy to antibiotics to check your risk of having an allergic reaction to dicloxacillin. Get medical attention right away if you notice hives, rash, red skin, swelling of the lips or tongue, or difficulty breathing while you're taking dicloxacillin.
Diarrhea from Clostridioides difficile infection
Antibiotics, including dicloxacillin, raise your risk of getting infected with a bacteria called Clostridioides difficile (C. diff). This infection can cause diarrhea that can sometimes be life-threatening. Antibiotics change the amount of normal bacteria in your stomach and intestines. This can cause C. diff to overgrow in your gut and lead to an infection. This type of infectious diarrhea is different than the diarrhea you might get as a possible side effect of dicloxacillin. C. diff-related diarrhea can cause rapid heart rate, foul-smelling diarrhea, fever, nausea, bloody stools, or frequent bowel movements (even up to 15 times per day). This is considered a medical emergency. If you experience any of these symptoms, get medical attention right away so you can be tested for C. diff infection and receive treatment.
Development of drug-resistant bacteria
Take dicloxacillin exactly as prescribed. Using dicloxacillin for any shorter or longer periods of time can raise your risk for developing infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. This is also possible if you take the antibiotic for other illnesses that it's not appropriate for. Infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria can be severe, life-threatening infections, and more difficult to treat.
Dicloxacillin dosage
Capsule| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250mg | 40 capsules | $22.92 | $0.57 |
| 500mg | 40 capsules | $33.10 | $0.83 |
Typical dosage for Dicloxacillin
-
Adults
- Mild-to-moderate infections: The typical dose is 125 mg by mouth every 6 hours.
- Severe infections: The typical dose is 250 mg by mouth every 6 hours.
-
Children
- Mild-to-moderate infections: Your child's pediatrician will determine the dose based on their body weight. The typical dose is 3.125 mg/kg of body weight daily total, divided into equal doses and taken by mouth every 6 hours.
- Severe infections: Your child's pediatrician will determine the dose based on their body weight. The typical dose is 6.25 mg/kg of body weight daily total, divided into equal doses and taken by mouth every 6 hours.
Interactions between Dicloxacillin and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Alfentanil
- Amifampridine
- Amiodarone
- Avapritinib
- Axitinib
- Benzhydrocodone
- Brigatinib
- Buprenorphine
- Bupropion
- Capmatinib
- Chlortetracycline
- Cholera Vaccine, Live
- Clarithromycin
- Codeine
- Cyclosporine
- Daclatasvir
- Darunavir
- Deflazacort
- Demeclocycline
- Desogestrel
- Dienogest
- Dihydrocodeine
- Donepezil
- Doxorubicin
- Doxorubicin Hydrochloride Liposome
- Doxycycline
- Dronedarone
- Drospirenone
- Elbasvir
- Encorafenib
- Entrectinib
- Eravacycline
- Erdafitinib
- Estradiol
- Ethinyl Estradiol
- Ethynodiol
- Etonogestrel
- Fedratinib
- Fentanyl
- Gestodene
- Glasdegib
- Grazoprevir
- Hemin
- Hydrocodone
- Lefamulin
- Lemborexant
- Levonorgestrel
- Lorlatinib
- Lumateperone
- Lurbinectedin
- Lymecycline
- Meclocycline
- Medroxyprogesterone
- Meperidine
- Mestranol
- Methacycline
- Methadone
- Methotrexate
- Minocycline
- Mycophenolate Mofetil
- Neratinib
- Nifedipine
- Nomegestrol
- Norelgestromin
- Norethindrone
- Norgestimate
- Norgestrel
- Olaparib
- Omadacycline
- Oxycodone
- Oxytetracycline
- Pemigatinib
- Pentazocine
- Perampanel
- Piperaquine
- Pretomanid
- Rimegepant
- Rolitetracycline
- Sarecycline
- Segesterone
- Selpercatinib
- Selumetinib
- Simeprevir
- Sufentanil
- Sulfasalazine
- Tacrolimus
- Tazemetostat
- Tetracycline
- Tigecycline
- Tramadol
- Ubrogepant
- Ulipristal
- Vancomycin
- Vecuronium
- Velpatasvir
- Venetoclax
- Venlafaxine
- Voclosporin
- Voxelotor
- Voxilaprevir
- Warfarin
- Zanubrutinib
How much does Dicloxacillin cost?
$22.92
Dicloxacillin contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Dicloxacillin will not be safe for you to take.
- Severe allergy to other penicillins or beta-lactam antibiotics
What are alternatives to Dicloxacillin?
Dicloxacillin images
