Sivextro
Sivextro (tedizolid) is an antibiotic used to treat skin infections, such as cellulitis. It's taken once daily for 6 days. Sivextro (tedizolid) is available only as a brand-name medication in tablet and intravenous (IV) forms. Some common effects of this medication include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
What is Sivextro (tedizolid)?
What is Sivextro (tedizolid) used for?
Certain skin infections in adults and children ages 12 years and older
How Sivextro (tedizolid) works
Sivextro (tedizolid) is an oxazolidinone antibiotic. It works by stopping an enzyme (a protein) that's needed to make proteins in bacterial cells from working. This prevents bacteria from being able to grow and survive.
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What are the side effects of Sivextro (tedizolid)?
Common Side Effects
- Nausea (7%)
- Headache (5%)
- Diarrhea (4%)
Other Side Effects
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
Serious Side Effects
- Serious allergic reaction: hives, rash, blisters, fever, swelling of the lips or tongue, difficulty breathing
- Infectious (C. difficile-related) diarrhea: rapid heart rate, foul-smelling diarrhea, fever, nausea, frequent bowel movements (even up to 15 times per day)
Source: DailyMed
The following side effects have also been reported
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
- Allergic reactions—skin rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Infection—fever, chills, cough, or sore throat
- Severe diarrhea, fever
- Unusual vaginal discharge, itching, or odor
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
Pros and cons of Sivextro (tedizolid)
Pros
Only needs to be taken once a day
Total treatment lasts only 6 days
Less likely to cause gut-related side effects than linezolid (Zyvox), a similar medication
Cons
Only approved for skin infections
Not for children under 12 years of age
Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding females isn't well-studied
Pharmacist tips for Sivextro (tedizolid)
You can take Sivextro (tedizolid) with or without food. If it's upsetting your stomach, try taking it with food to help.
If you develop watery or bloody diarrhea, fever, fatigue, or stomach cramps anytime during treatment or after stopping Sivextro (tedizolid), get medical help right away because these could be signs of a type of infectious diarrhea, which needs to be treated right away.
If you experience diarrhea from taking Sivextro (tedizolid), let your provider know. If they think the diarrhea isn't too serious, they might recommend that you take a probiotic to help lessen this side effect. If so, make sure to separate the probiotic from Sivextro (tedizolid) by at least 2 hours to prevent Sivextro (tedizolid) from killing the "good" bacteria in the probiotic.
Take Sivextro (tedizolid) 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.
If you miss a dose of Sivextro (tedizolid), take it as soon as you remember if there's at least 8 hours until your next scheduled dose. If your next dose is due in less than 8 hours, just skip the missed dose. Take your next dose at your regularly scheduled time. Don't take two doses to make up for the missed dose.
Frequently asked questions about Sivextro (tedizolid)
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What are the risks and warnings for Sivextro (tedizolid)?
Sivextro (tedizolid) 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.
Diarrhea from
Sivextro (tedizolid) can raise your risk of getting infected with a bacteria called Clostridioides difficile (C. diff). This infection can cause severe diarrhea. In general, you have "good bacteria" in your gut that keeps the "bad bacteria," like C. diff, in check. But antibiotics, like Sivextro (tedizolid), can change the typical make-up of your gut bacteria. As a result, C. diff can overgrow in your gut and lead to an infection. Infectious diarrhea can cause rapid heart rate, foul-smelling diarrhea, fever, nausea, frequent bowel movements (even up to 15 times per day) and is considered an emergency. If you have any of these symptoms, get medical attention immediately so you can get tested for C. diff infection and receive treatment.
Development of drug-resistant bacteria
Take Sivextro (tedizolid) exactly as prescribed. Taking Sivextro (tedizolid) for any shorter or longer periods of time or taking the antibiotic for other illnesses can raise your risk for developing infections caused by bacteria that's hard to treat with antibiotics. This raises your risk for severe and life-threatening infections that might be difficult to treat.
Sivextro (tedizolid) dosage forms
Typical dosing for Sivextro (tedizolid)
The typical dose is 200 mg by mouth or injected into the veins (IV) once daily for 6 days. If you're receiving Sivextro (tedizolid) IV, it'll be given to you by a healthcare provider, typically in a hospital or a clinic setting.
How much does Sivextro (tedizolid) cost?
What are alternatives to Sivextro (tedizolid)?
Certain skin infections in adults and children ages 12 years and older
Lower respiratory tract infection (e.g., Pneumocystis pneumonia, infections related to bronchitis)
Travelers' diarrhea - tablet or liquid only
Ear infections - tablet or liquid only
Sivextro (tedizolid) images
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References
Best studies we foundBurdette, S.D., et al. (2015). Tedizolid: The first once-daily oxazolidinone class antibiotic. Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). (2021). Tedizolid. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Fala, L. (2015). Sivextro (tedizolid phosphate) approved for the treatment of adults with acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections. American Health & Drug Benefits.
Lan, S. H., et al. (2019). Tedizolid versus linezolid for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Antibiotics.
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. (2023). Sivextro- tedizolid phosphate tablet, film coated; tedizolid phosphate injection, powder, lyophilized, for solution [package insert]. DailyMed.
Pandey, N., et al. (2023). Beta-lactam antibiotics. StatPearls.
Shorr, A. F., et al. (2015). Analysis of the phase 3 ESTABLISH trials of tedizolid versus linezolid in acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
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