Urgent! Interaction of two antibiotics
September 2, 2009 | 10,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Christoph Schmülling
Hello,
I have been taking the antibiotic Isocillin 1.2 mega for three days for a tooth infection.
Now I have developed a bladder infection and had to go to the emergency room. There, they gave me Cortrim Forte Ratiopharm and told me to take 3 tablets (each 960 mg) as a one-time dose.
Unfortunately, I forgot to mention that I am already taking another antibiotic.
Can I use them both at the same time or could there be any problems?
Thank you and regards.
Dear client,
First and foremost: don't worry! Nothing bad can happen (in case you have already taken the antibiotics). There is no pharmacological interaction between the two antibiotics that would directly affect your body.
However, the combination is not ideal, as Cotrim's mode of action does not exactly promote Isocillin's effectiveness against bacteria - at least theoretically. In practice, this usually doesn't matter - but still... if you have a choice, it's better to decide differently.
As a practical advice for you:
If you have already taken Cotrim, please do not worry and wait for the effects on the infections under the supervision of your general practitioner.
If you have not yet taken the antibiotic and only have minor (!) symptoms of the urinary tract infection (i.e. no pain in the kidney area, no fever, no bloody urine), you can wait until tomorrow morning and get a more suitable antibiotic prescribed by your GP. However, if you have severe symptoms of a urinary tract infection (e.g. the ones mentioned above or severe pain), then there can be no compromises and you must start an antibiotic therapy for the urinary tract infection tonight (after providing a urine sample for a bacteriological examination). It would be best to go to the emergency room, where you are already known, and get an antibiotic that is better suited to Isocillin.
I hope I could alleviate your concerns. Wishing you a speedy recovery and a good night's rest.
Best regards,
Dr. med. Christoph Schmülling
