gentamicin
Gentamicin (Gentak) is a popular, affordable antibiotic for treating different types of bacterial eye infections. It comes as an eye drop and an eye ointment.
What is Gentamicin (Gentak)?
What is Gentamicin (Gentak) used for?
- Bacterial infections of the eye or eyelid
How Gentamicin (Gentak) works
Gentamicin (Gentak) is an aminoglycoside antibiotic. It kills bacteria by blocking their ability to make proteins that are necessary for their protective covering.
Drug facts
Side effects of Gentamicin (Gentak)
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
See Risks and Warnings.
Less Common Side Effects
- Eye burning or irritation
- Pink eye (not caused by bacteria)
- Damage to the "skin" of the eye (conjunctival epithelial defects)
- Eye redness
Gentamicin (Gentak) serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Allergic reactions
The following Gentamicin (Gentak) 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.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common
Itching, redness, swelling, or other sign of irritation not present before use of this medicine
redness of eye, eyelid, or inner lining of eyelid
Rare
Black, tarry stools; blood in urine or stools; or unusual bleeding or swelling
blurred vision, eye pain, sensitivity to light, and/or tearing
seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
hallucinations
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:
Less common
Burning or stinging
After application, eye ointments usually cause your vision to blur for a few minutes.
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 Gentamicin (Gentak)
Pros
- Treats various bacterial eye and eyelid infections
- The ointment form requires fewer doses per day compared to most alternatives.
- Available as a lower-cost, generic form
Cons
- The ointment form tends to be messy and harder to put in the eye.
- Can cause temporary eye irritation or burning
Pharmacist tips for Gentamicin (Gentak)
- Be sure to use gentamicin (Gentak) for the full amount of time your healthcare provider instructed, even if you start to feel better. Stopping gentamicin (Gentak) too soon can cause your infection to come back and be harder to treat.
- Wash your hands before and after using gentamicin (Gentak). Don't touch the tip of the container with your eye, hands, or any other surface. This will help avoid spreading germs and bacteria to the medication and your eyes.
- Eye drops: After placing the drop(s) in your eye, close your eye and press one finger to the inner corner of your eye by the nose for 1 to 2 minutes. This helps make sure your eye absorbs the drop.
- Eye ointment: Gently pull down your lower eyelid and put the ointment into the space between your eyelid and eyeball. Then, let go of the eyelid and close your eye for 1 to 2 minutes, so the medication is able to reach all the necessary parts of the eye. If you want to wipe off extra ointment or greasiness on the outside the eye, do it carefully and make sure you're using a clean tissue. Eye ointments usually cause blurry vision, but this should only last a couple minutes.
- Don't put any other medications in the eye for at least 5 minutes before or after gentamicin (Gentak).
- It's best not to wear contacts while you have an eye infection, since this can affect how quickly your symptoms improve. Be sure to throw away the contacts you were wearing before you started using gentamicin (Gentak), because they most likely have bacteria on them. Wear new contacts once your infection is cleared up.
Common questions about Gentamicin (Gentak)
Gentamicin (Gentak) is an antibiotic that treats bacterial infections of the eye (such as pink eye or corneal ulcers) or eyelid (such as blepharitis or oil gland infection). You may also get this medication after eye surgery or injury to help prevent bacterial infections from happening.
Gentamicin (Gentak) eyedrops and ointment work against many different bacteria; you may have heard of some of them, such as Staphylococcus ("staph"), Streptococcus ("strep"), and Escherichia coli ("E.coli"). Your provider will prescribe antibiotic eye medications that target the bacteria that are most likely to be causing your eye infection.
Since you're applying the medication directly where the infection is, gentamicin (Gentak) should start to work right away, but it'll take a few days to see any changes. For most eye or eyelid infections, it usually takes 1 to 2 days for your symptoms to start clearing up, so contact your provider if your infection isn't looking better after that time. Be sure to use gentamicin (Gentak) for the full amount of time your healthcare provider instructed, even if you start to feel better.
Gentamicin (Gentak) is not available over-the-counter. All antibiotic eyedrops and ointments require a prescription from a provider.
Gentamicin (Gentak) is not a steroid or corticosteroid. It is an antibiotic eye medication that kills bacteria. If you have a severe eye or eyelid infection, your provider may prescribe an additional steroid medication for you to take to help with the swelling.
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Risks and warnings for Gentamicin (Gentak)
Gentamicin (Gentak) 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.
New infection
- Risk factors: Using gentamicin (Gentak) for too long
It's possible to get a new infection from fungi or bacteria that are resistant to gentamicin (Gentak) after using this medication for a while. Don't use this medication longer than prescribed. Let your provider know if you notice symptoms of a new infection or if the original symptoms don't get better after using gentamicin (Gentak).
Irritation or allergic reaction
- Risk factors: Allergy to other aminoglycoside antibiotics
Gentamicin (Gentak) can cause eye irritation and, in some rare cases, it can cause an allergic reaction. Call your provider if you experience irritation, pain, rash, or redness that is severe or doesn't go away. Let your provider know if you've had allergic reactions to other aminoglycoside antiobiotics like tobramycin (Tobrex) in the past.
Slower healing (ointment form)
Eye ointments like gentamicin (Gentak) may slow healing of the cornea, which is the protective covering in the front of the eye. Remember to follow-up with your provider to make sure that your eye is healing appropriately.
Contamination (spreading germs and bacteria)
Bacterial contamination of eyedrops can lead to eye infections. Wash your hands each time before you take a dose. Don't touch the tip of the container with your eye, hands, or any other surface. Remember to put the cap back on the container after each use.
Gentamicin (Gentak) dosage
Typical dosage for Gentamicin (Gentak)
- Eye ointment: Apply a half-inch sized ribbon to the infected eye(s) 2 or 3 times a day.
- Eye drops: Place 1 or 2 drops in the affected eye(s) every 4 hours. For severe infections, you may need to use it every hour.
Interactions between Gentamicin (Gentak) 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 this medicine, 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 this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
- Ataluren
Using this medicine 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.
- Agalsidase Alfa
- Alcuronium
- Atracurium
- Cholera Vaccine, Live
- Cidofovir
- Cisatracurium
- Colistimethate Sodium
- Decamethonium
- Digoxin
- Doxacurium
- Ethacrynic Acid
- Fazadinium
- Foscarnet
- Furosemide
- Gallamine
- Hexafluorenium
- Lysine
- Metocurine
- Mivacurium
- Pancuronium
- Pipecuronium
- Rapacuronium
- Rocuronium
- Succinylcholine
- Tubocurarine
- Vancomycin
- Vecuronium
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Indomethacin
- Methoxyflurane
- Polygeline
How much does Gentamicin (Gentak) cost?
$11.05
What are alternatives to Gentamicin (Gentak)?
