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.
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What are the side effects of Neo-Polycin?
Common Side Effects
- Itchy eye
- Eye swelling
- Red eye
Other Side Effects
- Eye irritation
Serious Side Effects
- Serious allergic reaction: hives, swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing
Source:Â DailyMed
The following 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.
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.
Frequently asked questions about Neo-Polycin
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What are the 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 forms
| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5g | 1 tube | $10.99 | $10.99 |
Typical dosing for Neo-Polycin
Adults: The typical dose is to put a small amount of the ointment in the affected eye(s) every 3 to 4 hours for 7 to 10 days, depending on how serious the infection is.
Interactions between Neo-Polycin and other drugs
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?
What are alternatives to Neo-Polycin?
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)
Bacterial eye infection with inflammation
Prevent bacterial eye infection with inflammation
Bacterial eye infection
To prevent pink eye (conjunctivitis) in newborns who might be exposed to certain sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) from their mothers during birth
Neo-Polycin images
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References
Best studies we foundBoyd, K. (2024). Eye infections from contact lenses. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). About handwashing.
Ihsan Fazal, M., et al. (2023). Blepharoconjunctivitis. StatPearls.
MedlinePlus. (2016). Neomycin, polymyxin, and bacitracin ophthalmic.
MedlinePlus. (2022). Dry eye syndrome.
Nguyen, R., et al. (2024). Bacitracin topical. StatPearls.
Padagis US LLC. (2024). Neo Polycin- neomycin and polymyxin b sulfates and bacitracin zinc ointment [package insert]. DailyMed.
Trimble, M. J., et al. (2016). Polymyxin: Alternative mechanisms of action and resistance. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine.
Veirup, N., et al. (2023). Neomycin. StatPearls.
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