Gentamicin Injection (Gentamicin Sulfate)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Gentamicin Injection Used For?
Gentamicin Injection is an antibiotic that belongs to a group of medicines called aminoglycoside antibiotics. It is used to treat serious bacterial infections throughout the body.
Primary Uses
Gentamicin Injection treats bacterial infections in the bloodstream, lungs, urine, skin, bone, liver, stomach, spleen, gallbladder, and intestines. It is also used for septic abortion (miscarriage) and burns complicated by infection.
How It Works
Gentamicin works by stopping protein production in susceptible bacteria, which leads to their death.
How to Take Gentamicin Injection
Gentamicin Injection is given by healthcare professionals in a hospital or clinical setting. You will not administer this medication yourself.
Dosage Instructions
Your doctor will decide how much Gentamicin Injection you should receive and the length of time for which you should receive it. The medication is given as an injection into a muscle or as a slow injection (drip) into a vein.
Important: As Gentamicin Injection is given under the close supervision of your doctor, it is very unlikely that you will receive too much. If you experience any side effects, tell your doctor or nurse immediately.
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- Loss of appetite, weight loss
- Numbness, skin tingling
- Skin rash, itching, skin reddening
- Vomiting, nausea
- Increased saliva
- Sore mouth
- Muscle and joint pain
- Pain at injection site
- Increased temperature
- Confusion, hallucinations, mental depression
- Headache
- Visual disorders
- Changes in blood pressure
- Hair loss or thinning
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Kidney problems
- Shallow breathing, shortness of breath, swelling of throat
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness, vertigo
- Convulsions (fits or seizures)
- Tinnitus, roaring in ears and hearing loss, balance problems
Important Warnings
There are several important warnings and precautions to be aware of before receiving Gentamicin Injection.
Who Should Not Take Gentamicin Injection
Do not use Gentamicin Injection if you are allergic to gentamicin or any of the ingredients, or if you have experienced previous toxic reactions including hearing loss, often with loss of balance, or damage to your kidneys from an antibiotic.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, neuromuscular disorders such as myasthenia gravis or parkinsonism, are significantly overweight, or have diarrhea following antibiotic use. There may be a greater chance of hearing loss if you are over 65 years of age.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Gentamicin Injection is potentially harmful to the fetus and is not recommended during pregnancy. It passes into breast milk and is not recommended during breastfeeding. Your doctor will discuss the benefits and risks if treatment is necessary.
Special Populations: Gentamicin Injection should be used with caution in premature and newborn babies. There may be a greater chance of hearing loss in patients over 65 years of age.
Drug Interactions
Some medicines may interfere with Gentamicin Injection and affect how it works. Tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking.
- Digoxin (heart medicine)
- Surgery medicines (suxamethonium, some anesthetics, large transfusions with citrated anticoagulated blood)
- Opioid analgesics (strong pain relief)
- Other anti-infective medicines (aminoglycosides, polymyxin B, colistin, vancomycin, amphotericin B, clindamycin, cephalosporins, ciclosporins, penicillins)
- Cisplatin (cancer treatment)
- Diuretics (etacrynic acid, furosemide)
- Indomethacin (arthritis and inflammation)
- Neostigmine (muscle relaxant)
- Vitamin K
Alcohol & Driving
Gentamicin Injection may affect your ability to drive or operate machinery safely.
Alcohol
No specific information is available about alcohol interactions with Gentamicin Injection.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Gentamicin Injection affects you. Gentamicin Injection may cause dizziness and vertigo in some people. Do not drive, operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.
Storage
Gentamicin Injection is stored in the pharmacy or on the hospital ward under the correct conditions. The hospital staff will dispose of any leftover Gentamicin Injection.
Overdose Information
As Gentamicin Injection is given under the close supervision of your doctor, it is very unlikely that you will receive too much. If you experience any side effects, tell your doctor or nurse immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should tell your doctor straight away if the symptoms of your infection do not improve within a few days, or if they become worse.
There is no information in the medication guide suggesting that Gentamicin Injection is addictive. It is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections.
Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, hearing problems, neuromuscular disorders, take any other medicines, or are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor straight away if you have stomach cramps, diarrhea, dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, roaring in the ears, or hearing loss.
There may be a greater chance of hearing loss if you are over 65 years of age. Your doctor will consider this when prescribing the medication.
If you experience any side effects, tell your doctor or nurse immediately. Alert your nurse and/or doctor straight away if you notice serious side effects like kidney problems, breathing difficulties, or hearing problems.
Do not take any other medicines whether they require a prescription or not without first telling your doctor or consulting with a pharmacist. Some medicines may interfere with Gentamicin Injection.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.