neomycin / polymyxin b / bacitracin
Neo-Polycin is an eye ointment used to treat various bacterial eye infections in adults, including pink eye and eyelid infection. It's a combination of three different antibiotics: bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin B. The typical dosage is to put a small amount of ointment into the affected eye(s) every 3 to 4 hours for 7 to 10 days. While some people might experience mild eye irritation, most people experience few to no side effects while using Neo-Polycin as directed. This medication is available as both a brand name and generic.
What is Neo-Polycin?
What is Neo-Polycin used for?
- Bacterial eye infections, including:
- Keratitis (inflammation of the cornea)
- Blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids)
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
- Blepharoconjunctivitis (inflammation of both the eyelids and conjunctiva)
How Neo-Polycin works
Neo-Polycin is a combination of three medications:
- Bacitracin is an antibiotic that prevents bacteria from making cell walls to protect themselves.
- Neomycin is also an antibiotic. It kills bacteria by preventing them from making proteins that they need to survive.
- Polymyxin B is an antibiotic that kills bacteria by destroying the bacteria's protective covering.
Drug facts
Side effects of Neo-Polycin
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
- Itchy eye
- Eye swelling
- Red eye
Less Common Side Effects
- Eye irritation
Neo-Polycin serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Serious allergic reaction: hives, swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing
The following Neo-Polycin 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:
More common
Itching, rash, redness, swelling, or other sign of irritation not present before use of this medicine
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 Neo-Polycin
Pros
- Applied directly where the infection is (in the eye)
- Generally well-tolerated with mild side effects
- Combines three antibiotics into one eye ointment for convenience
Cons
- Need to be used multiple times a day
- Like other eye ointments, might cause blurry vision
- Might be harder to apply than eye drops
Pharmacist tips for Neo-Polycin
- Make sure to follow your prescriber's instructions before using Neo-Polycin. Doing so can help you use this medication safely.
- Depending on how serious your infection is, your eye specialist will prescribe Neo-Polycin to you for 7 to 10 days. Don't stop using it before you complete treatment, even if your symptoms get better. If you stop using Neo-Polycin too soon, your infection might come back or become harder to treat.
- Don't let the tip of the Neo-Polycin tube touch the eye, eyelid, fingers, or other surfaces. Doing so can spread germs to the medication and cause serious harm to the eye, such as infection and vision loss.
- Neo-Polycin, like other eye ointments, can temporarily blur your vision. Don't drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects your vision and until you can see clearly.
- Your eye specialist will likely ask you stop wearing contact lens while you're using Neo-Polycin, until your eye infection is treated. Sometimes, eye infections are caused by contact lenses. Your prescriber will let you know when it's safe to wear contacts again.
- To prevent new or worsening bacterial eye infections, wash your hands with soap and water often, as well as before and after using Neo-Polycin.
- While you're using Neo-Polycin to treat your infection, don't share personal items, like pillows, towels, and eye drops, with other people. This can help prevent spreading the infection to others.
Common questions about Neo-Polycin
Yes, Neo-Polycin contains three different antibiotics: bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin B. They work in different ways to kill bacteria causing an eye infection.
No, Neo-Polycin isn't a sulfa medication, so it won't trigger a sulfa allergic reaction. It's a combination of three different antibiotics, including neomycin. But if you've had an allergic reaction (swollen eyelids or red, itchy eyes) to similar antibiotics, such as gentamicin (Gentak), tell your healthcare team. There's a chance that you might be allergic to Neo-Polycin as well.
To apply Neo-Polycin ointment, wash your hands with soap and water. Then pull down your lower eyelid with one hand, and hold the tube of ointment with the other. Place about half an inch of ointment in the space between your eyelid and eyeball. Try your best to avoid touching the tip of the tube of ointment to your eye. Rotate the tube to free the ointment. Look down before closing your eye for 1 to 2 minutes to help the medication spread and absorb. Wipe off any extra ointment with
Yes, Neo-Polycin can expire. Be sure to check the expiration date on your package before using your medication. If it's past the expiration date, it might not work as well to treat your eye infection. In fact, using expired Neo-Polycin can raise your risk of an infection. You can get rid of expired Neo-Polycin by bringing it to a drug disposal site.
No, Neo-Polycin isn't the same as Neosporin. Both medications contain the same 3 antibiotics: bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin B. But Neo-Polycin is made specifically for your eyes to treat eye infections, while Neosporin is used topically to prevent skin infections in case of minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. You should never put Neosporin in your eyes. In addition, you can only get Neo-Polycin at the pharmacy with a prescription from your healthcare professional, but you can find Neosporin over the counter.
Neo-Polycin and Neo-Polycin HC are both eye ointments that can fight against bacterial infections. Both contain the antibiotics bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin B. But Neo-Polycin HC contains an additional corticosteroid medication, hydrocortisone, to help with redness and swelling. If you have any questions about which eye ointment is best for your infection, talk with your healthcare team about your symptoms.
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Risks and warnings for Neo-Polycin
Neo-Polycin 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.
Only use on eye surface
Neo-Polycin should only be used on the surface of the eye. Don't put Neo-Polycin in your mouth, nose, or other parts of your body.
Allergic reaction
Tell your healthcare team before using Neo-Polycin if you have a history of allergy to antibiotics, such as gentamicin (Gentak), streptomycin, and paromomycin. Watch out for signs and symptoms of allergic reactions, such as swelling, rash, itchy skin, or other skin conditions. Please stop using Neo-Polycin and tell your care team if you have these signs and symptoms.
New or worsened eye infections
- Risk factors: Using Neo-Polycin longer than prescribed
Using Neo-Polycin long-term can raise the risk of other eye infections, such as fungal eye infections. Don't use Neo-Polycin if you have a viral eye infection because it can make your infection worse. Let your healthcare team know if you have eye pain or redness, blurry vision, light sensitivity, or watery discharge from your eye, or if your symptoms don't improve after a couple days of treatment. These can be signs and symptoms of a new eye infection.
Neo-Polycin dosage
Tube of ointment| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5g | 1 tube | $19.26 | $19.26 |
Interactions between Neo-Polycin 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 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.
- Alcuronium
- Atracurium
- Cisatracurium
- Doxacurium
- Fazadinium
- Gallamine
- Hexafluorenium
- Metocurine
- Mivacurium
- Pancuronium
- Pipecuronium
- Rapacuronium
- Rocuronium
- Tubocurarine
- Vecuronium
How much does Neo-Polycin cost?
$19.26
What are alternatives to Neo-Polycin?
Neo-Polycin images
