gentamicin
Gentamicin is a topical antibiotic that treats bacterial skin infections, such as impetigo. It comes as a cream that's useful for wet, oozing, or greasy skin infections. There's also a topical ointment for infections on dry skin. Both forms are applied on the skin 3 to 4 times a day. Gentamicin can be used on adults and children over 1 year of age. Most people don't have many side effects when used as directed. But it's possible to have mild skin irritation, like redness and itching.
What is Gentamicin?
What is Gentamicin used for?
- Impetigo
- Other bacterial skin infections
How Gentamicin works
Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic. It kills bacteria by stopping them from making proteins they need to survive.
Drug facts
Side effects of Gentamicin
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
- Side effects aren't common. See "Other Side Effects."
Less Common Side Effects
- Skin redness
- Itching
The following Gentamicin 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
Pros
- Treats various bacterial skin infections, including severe acne or impetigo
- Very few side effects, so it's safe for most people if used as directed
- Might be a good option for people who are sensitive to Neosporin
Cons
- Applied many times a day
- Can cause temporary skin irritation
- Need a prescription from a healthcare professional
Pharmacist tips for Gentamicin
- Before applying gentamicin, gently clean the affected area(s) of your skin. Also wash your hands with soap and warm water. This helps prevent getting more germs into the infection.
- Only use gentamicin on the outside of your body (on top of your skin). Don't put this medication in your mouth and swallow it. Also never put it in your eyes, nose, or ears. This can cause irritation.
- After applying gentamicin on the skin, wash your hands again with soap and warm water. This gets rid of the medication from your fingers so you don't get it in your eyes, mouth, or anywhere else by accident.
- After you put gentamicin on the infected area, you can cover it with a clean bandage if you want. It'll help protect the area. Just make sure the bandage isn't too tight.
- Most people don't have many side effects from gentamicin. But if you notice skin irritation that doesn't go away on its own or gets worse, tell a healthcare professional. They can check if there's something else going on.
- Be sure to use gentamicin for the full amount of time your prescriber tells you to, even if your skin starts to look better. Stopping too early can make the infection come back and be harder to treat.
Common questions about Gentamicin
No. You can't buy gentamicin over the counter because it's not available like that. You need a prescription from a healthcare professional to get it from a pharmacy.
Yes. If you're allergic to penicillin antibiotics, gentamicin is safe to use. It doesn't have a penicillin in it. But always tell your prescriber about any allergies to antibiotics before using gentamicin. If you're allergic to antibiotics like neomycin (found in Neosporin), you could have a reaction to gentamicin. Stop using the medication and talk to your care team if you have really bad itching, skin rash, redness, or swelling. These could be signs of a serious skin reaction.
It's very important to keep applying gentamicin for as long as your prescriber told you to. This is even if your skin starts looking better. If you stop too early, your infection can become even harder to treat. Other antibiotics might not work as well to treat it in the future. Ask your care team about how long you should use gentamicin and when to stop.
No, gentamicin isn't a topical steroid. Topical steroids help lessen skin inflammation, which can be a symptom of a skin infection. But steroids don't treat the infection itself. Gentamicin is a topical antibiotic. It kills the bacteria causing a skin infection. Ask a healthcare professional which medications are best for your skin problem.
Gentamicin and Neosporin are both topical antibiotics used for bacterial skin infections. They each have a type of antibiotic called an aminoglycoside antibiotic. Gentamicin is in one and neomycin is in Neosporin. One study showed that Neosporin works just as well as gentamicin at preventing skin infections after a surgery. Both usually have few side effects. Note that you can buy Neosporin over the counter, but you need a prescription for gentamicin. Also keep in mind that some Neosporin medications might have other antibiotics in them. This is because Neosporin is a branded line of products. Talk to a healthcare professional about which product is best for you.
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Risks and warnings for Gentamicin
Gentamicin 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.
Risk of other skin infections
- Risk factors: Using gentamicin long term
Although it's rare, using gentamicin for a long time can raise the risk of other skin infections, like fungal infections. Talk to a healthcare professional if you notice signs of a new infection. Look out for a rash or itching that doesn't go away or gets worse.
Allergic reaction
- Risk factors: Allergy to aminoglycoside antibiotics
Like with all medications, gentamicin can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Tell your prescriber if you've ever had a reaction to other aminoglycoside antibiotics like Neosporin. You might be more likely to have an allergic reaction to gentamicin.
Call your care team if you have hives, skin pain, rash, or skin redness that's severe, doesn't go away, or gets worse. This could be signs of an allergic reaction.
Gentamicin dosage
Tube of cream| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15g of 0.1% | 1 tube | $18.29 | $18.29 |
| 30g of 0.1% | 1 tube | $34.16 | $34.16 |
Typical dosage for Gentamicin
This medication is available as a 0.1% topical cream and 0.1% topical ointment.
In general, apply a small amount of the medication to the affected area(s) 3 to 4 times a day.
Interactions between Gentamicin 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 cost?
$11.05
What are alternatives to Gentamicin?
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