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471737 tn?1327252451

Choice of Antibiotics For Stye

Dear Doctor,

What might be a good choice of a topical antibiotic
ointment for a stye ?  I have an external one on my
lower right eyelid now.

I have Maxitrol (neomycin + polymyxin + dexamethasone)
and Terramycin (oxytetracycline + neomycin) ointments.

I have have a bottle of Maxitrol eye drops. Are drops
suitable for external styes ?

If topical treatment doesn't work, how about a
course of oral antibiotics like Bactrim  ?

Thank you.
22 Responses
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Avatar universal
I have an eye sty wondering if i can use mupirocin Cream USP 2% on it?
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
That is not a medication used in the United States. I have no experience with it. I did look it up on the internet and it says not to use around or on the eye.
177275 tn?1511755244
Recurrent styes is not normal for a healthy eye. Thus the emphasis on stye and chalazia prevention rather than letting them form and then starting treatment

JCH MD
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
I believe I have a stye. I have a red bump inner corner of my eye, but no white head. It itches and is making my entire eye swell  a bit. It's been 3 days. What do you reccomend?
Warm compresses with reusable eye heating pad, if not better by now see your family MD, Eye MD or optometrist
15756321 tn?1442786042
I get styes quite often, my doctor prescribes me "Gentac", it works wonderfully as the stye is usually gone in a few days.
Helpful - 0
177275 tn?1511755244
Gentamycin is not a good eye drops to use chronically in the eye nor is it a good treatment of recurrent styes or chalazia.

Use the search feature and archives and also your favorite search engine and read about "blepharitis" which is the most common cause of the problems.

You need to see an ophthalmologist and come up with a plan to keep the condition under control.

One thing that is very important is to keep the lids clean of oil and debris. There are a variety of over the counter lid cleaners that are like medicated shampoo for the scalp in that they remove oil and debris from the lid margins.

One of the best is Ocusoft Plus or the new Ocusoft Platimum and they all work better than baby shampoo.

JCH MD
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had a chalazion excision about 4 months ago and have been getting recurring styes since then.what can I do to treat this? I have been using gentamicin eyes/ear drops but it doesn't help.please help me
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
A chalazion is the proper name for an obstructed oil gland in the lid that becomes swollen and tender when fresh. It may "come to a head" and drain the oil with rapid clearing OR may slowly form a firm nodule that can take weeks or months to clear as the body removes the oil a molecule at a time.
A 'stye' is a lay term for the same thing.
If this sounds a lot like a pimple that's because a chalazion is essentially the same thing, except that the oil gland is MUCH larger and surrounded by cartilage instead of soft tissue. It is NOT an infection! It is a jumbo, armor-plated pimple. Most people are treated with antibiotics because that is what they are expecting and it is faster to write a prescription that convince a patient who 'knows' that they need an antibiotic. Don't believe me? Watch how many people argue with me here. The material that comes out of a pimple is the same, greasy, broken down oils, but not infection.
A hordeolum is an infection or abscess in the glands but is relatively rare, outnumbered 1000 to 1 by chalazions, and has true green, foul pus inside.
How do you treat a pimple? Hot compresses help them "come to a head" and drain. Sometimes, if large, uncomfortable or unsightly enough, they are surgically opened and drained. Either way, when the oil comes out the inflammation resolves quickly.  You know how a deep pimple lingers if it doesn't drain? Same with the chalazion. Hot compresses still help a little. Stubborn ones can be treated with a steroid injection into the nodule. Careful here: these injections can permanently depigment darkly pigmented skin!
Patients with recurrent chalazia are treated with tetracycline or tetracycline analogues as a PREVENTIVE measure, just as acne patients are. The tetracycline somehow alters the oils and reduces inflammation. Not especially effective for a new chalazion.
Hope this helps clear the confusion.

Paul G Mitchell, MD
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Doc what should I tell the Pharmacist??  I mean the Antibiotic name?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was a little girl and had stye's all the time. i recommend boric acid and i no longer have this issue. i can only get in NYC ..when i asked about it here in Charlotte -- people looked at me like i was crazy.  sorry it works! you simply add a teaspoon to three cups of boiling water and let it cool to a comfortable temperature.  Next you take a cotton ball and dip the tip of the cotton ball in the eye salve you created and clean around the eye.  My stye would disappear in a few days coming to a head.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was perscribed clarithromycin for my stye . Is this ok?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I m suffering with eye sty's for the second time.This time my doctor has advised me to take Novaclox tablets as well as the Ciprofloxacin ointment.But that is or external use only as specified whereas i have sty beneath my eyelids on the upper part of the eye.I m confused as i have applied it inside my eye where the sty is.Does it have any harmful effects?????
PLEASE HELP ME!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Dear Doctor Hagan,

       Im sorry I didnt told you what it was... it is a stye by the way... i am kinda worried about it.. i dont want her to go through an eye operation...
Again Thank you ..
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Dear Doctor Hagan

I was just wondering if i can use Terramycin for my 3 year old daughter.. she have this for almost a month already and it is still there.. we already had her eye checked and gave us meds for it but still didnt work.. will it be ok to try terramycin??? thank you :)
Helpful - 0
471737 tn?1327252451


I think your stye has turned into a chalazion.
Maybe minor surgery may be needed to remove it.
I'm surprised your doctors coudn't help you and you
were turned away by the hospital ?  I'm sure they have
at least one opthalmologist there ?   If they can't do it
for you, who can ?

It's best you see a proper opthalmologist.  In Malaysia,
one can just walk into any private opthamologist without
any referral, and the eye specialist will treat you on the spot.
It's just a question of money.

I did a seach for you on Locateadoc.com, and
came out with this :

Bochner Eye Institute
2941 Lawrence Ave E
Scarborough , Ontario M1P 2V6




Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Try applying fresh honey on that region, and regularly do lid cleaning with diluted amounts of baby shampoo.

If the itching or stye size is not so much ignore it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I've been going threw hell with my stye I got it one year ago , It was hudge for a few months . I went to the doctors first he told me to do the warm compress that didn't work , Then he prescribed me Torbex , that didn't work either . I went to see a eye specialist , he told me it's a stye but he couldn't do anything to help without a referal from a doctor . he seemed stupid so I didn't bother going back there .  I was prescribed some pills to take the infection away , but that didn't help either .Now the stye has become something hard that I can feel when I touch my lower eye lid . It's on my right lower eye lid . I went back to the doctors and he said go to the nearest hospital and get it lanced . I went to the hospital and they said that they don't do that ! I've been trying to find a good doctor that can help me and it's seeming near to impossible . I live in Scarborough GTA Ontario . I've also tried the gold ring tale and poke a hair in the eye . but nothing helps some days it's bigger and more notciable than others. I hate this . I'm so scared it's becoming something serious . If anyone can help me I would be more than great full for any tips or advice

My email address is
tina_star***@****

HELP PLEASE
Helpful - 0
471737 tn?1327252451
Dear Dr Hagan,

Following your advice with warm compresses, the residual
bump, or perhaps chalazion, did shrink to almost to where
no one else sees it, maybe about 1 mm diameter, and hardly
a bump too.

However, it seems to have recurred again today at exactly
the same spot. I'm not sure if it is a new stye, or chalazion.

This may be due to me doing quite a bit of sweeping in my
room two days ago, with lots of dust blown up. The last time
I had that stye on June 15, it occurred right after I did the
same thing, i.e. sweeping and dusting.

Been having quite a lot of stress too these days with family
problems and lack of sleep.

Back to warm compresses, and antibiotic creams or drops again ?
I have two new bottles of Ciloxan (ciprofloxacin) and
Vigamox (moxifloxacin) eye drops.

I've taken a photo.



Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Tetracycline antibiotic ointment is very effective in treating eyelid infections & gives quick results.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Doc,

It's okay to use Tobrex (tobramycin Ophalmic Oinment) or Garamycin for STYE? My 2 year old has many stye, before I use this oinment I want to make sure that is safe for infant.

Thank you.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Can I use terramycin for infants stye?

Thanks  
Helpful - 0
233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Yes the hard small residual bump is likely a chalazion or graulation tissue in any case warm compresses and a maybe 3-6 more weeks should make it shrink to where no one else sees it

JCH MD
Helpful - 0
471737 tn?1327252451
Dear Dr Hagan,

The pus in the stye has gone off, but the stye still remains,
thought it is smaller.

It's quite small though, maybe about 2 to 3 mm diameter.

I'm wondering if it might have turned into a chalazion by
this stage, after 3 weeks.

It's external, and more toward the center of the lower right eyelid.

Thank you.

Tham
Helpful - 0
233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Warm compresses, lid cleaning with Occusoft lid cleaner or TheraTears SteriLid eyelid cleaner. Of what  you have on hand I would use the non steroid containing terramycin. Oral antibiotics are not useful.

Use the search feature to read previous posts.

JCH MD
Helpful - 0
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