What is imipenem and cilastatin?
Imipenem is an antibiotic that fights serious infections caused by bacteria.
Cilastatin helps imipenem work more effectively by preventing the breakdown of the antibiotic in the kidneys.
Imipenem and cilastatin is used to treat severe infections of the lower respiratory tract, skin, stomach, female reproductive organs, and other body systems.
Imipenem and cilastatin may also be used for other purposes not listed here.
What is the most important information I should know about imipenem and cilastatin?
Do not use imipenem and cilastatin if you are allergic to it, if you have heart block, or if you are allergic to lidocaine or other local anesthetics (numbing medicine).
Before using imipenem and cilastatin, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis), or a seizure disorder.
Also tell your doctor if you are either allergic to or are currently taking a penicillin or cephalosporin antibiotic such as Amoxil, Augmentin, Bactocill, Beepen-VK, Ceclor, Ceftin, Duricef, Dycill, Dynapen, Keflex, Ledercillin VK, Omnipen, Pen-V, Pfizerpen, Principen, Veetids, and others.
Primaxin IM (for the muscle) and Primaxin IV (for the vein) are different forms of this medicine and should be used only for their specific type of injection. Do not inject Primaxin IM into a vein and do not inject Primaxin IV into a muscle.
Call your doctor at once if you have serious side effects such as pounding heartbeats, confusion, hallucinations, seizure (convulsions), feeling light-headed, fainting, flu symptoms, nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), or a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash.
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, call your doctor. Do not use anti-diarrhea medicine unless your doctor tells you to.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before use imipenem and cilastatin?
Do not use imipenem and cilastatin if you are allergic to it, if you have heart block, or if you are allergic to lidocaine or other local anesthetics (numbing medicine).
If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests:
kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);
epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
a history of allergy to penicillin antibiotics such as Amoxil, Augmentin, Omnipen, Principen, Dycill, Dynapen, Bactocill, Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pfizerpen, Veetids, and others; or
a history of allergy to cephalosporin antibiotics such as Ceclor, Ceftin, Duricef, Keflex, and others.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether imipenem and cilastatin will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication..
It is not known whether imipenem and cilastatin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.