What is benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin?
Benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in your body.
Benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin is used to treat many different types of severe
infections, including strep and staph infections, diphtheria, meningitis, gonorrhea, and syphilis.
Benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin is also used to prevent infections of the heart valves
in people with certain heart conditions who need to have dental work or surgery.
Benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin may also be used for other purposes not listed in
this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to penicillin. Tell your doctor if you
have ever had an allergic reaction to a cephalosporin antibiotic such as Ceclor, Ceftin, Duricef, Keflex,
Lorabid, Omnicef, Spectracef, and others.
If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to
safely use benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin:
FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be
harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during
treatment.
Benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin can pass into breast milk and may harm a
nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should I take benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin?
Benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin is given as an injection into a muscle. Your doctor,
nurse, or other healthcare provider will give you this injection. You may be shown how to inject your
medicine at home. Do not self-inject this medicine if you do not fully understand how to give the
injection and properly dispose of used needles and syringes.
Benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin must be injected slowly into a muscle of the buttock
or upper thigh.
Do not inject the medication into a vein or life-threatening side effects
could result.
Benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin is sometimes given only once or only for a few days
until your symptoms clear up. Be sure to have all injections your doctor has prescribed. Your
symptoms may get better before the infection is completely cleared.
Use this medication for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before
the infection is completely cleared. Benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin will not treat a viral
infection such as the common cold or flu.
Use each disposable needle only one time. Throw away used needles in a puncture-proof
container (ask your pharmacist where you can get one and how to dispose of it). Keep this container
out of the reach of children and pets.
After you have finished your treatment with benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin, your
doctor may want to do tests to make sure your infection has completely cleared up.
Store this medication in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. Do not use the mixed medication if
it has changed colors or has any particles in it.
What happens if I miss a dose of benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin?
If you are on a dosing schedule, call your doctor for instructions if you miss a dose.
Where can I get more information about benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin?
Your pharmacist has information about benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
-
fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling,
and red skin rash;
-
skin rash with bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain,
muscle weakness;
-
rash or itching with swollen glands, joint pain, or general ill
feeling;
-
diarrhea that is watery or bloody;
-
slow heart rate, weak pulse, fainting, slow breathing;
-
fast or pounding heartbeats;
-
uncontrolled muscle movements, problems with vision,
speech, balance, thinking, or walking;
-
confusion, agitation, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or
behavior;
-
easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;
-
pale or yellowed skin, dark colored urine; or
-
urinating less than usual or not at all.
Less serious side effects may include:
-
nausea, vomiting;
-
blurred vision, ringing in your ears;
-
headache, dizziness;
-
mild skin rash; or
-
pain, swelling, bruising, skin changes, or a hard lump where
the medicine was injected.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your
doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at
1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to penicillin. Tell your doctor if you
have ever had an allergic reaction to a cephalosporin antibiotic such as Ceftin, Cefzil, Omnicef, Keflex,
and others.
Before using benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin, tell your doctor if you have asthma or
a history of allergies, liver disease, kidney disease, or heart disease.
Do not inject this medication into a vein or life-threatening side effects may
result.
Use this medication for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before
the infection is completely cleared. Benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin will not treat a viral
infection such as the common cold or flu.
After you have finished your treatment with benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin, your
doctor may want to do tests to make sure your infection has completely cleared up.
What should I avoid while taking benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin?
Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have
diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, stop taking this medication and call your doctor. Do not use
any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.
What other drugs will affect benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin?
Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:
-
probenecid (Benemid);
-
a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
-
methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall); or
-
a tetracycline antibiotic, such as demeclocycline
(Declomycin, Ledermycin), doxycycline (Adoxa, Doryx, Vibramycin, Periostat), minocycline
(Minocin), or tetracycline (Broadspec, Panmycin, Sumycin).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with
benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and
over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs
prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
What happens if I have an overdose of benzathine penicillin and procaine penicillin?