Neomycin (Oral)

Brand Names : Mycifradin

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For oral neomycin, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to oral neomycin, or to any related antibiotics such as amikacin (e.g., Amikin), gentamicin (e.g., Garamycin), kanamycin (e.g., Kantrex), neomycin by injection (e.g., Mycifradin), netilmicin (e.g., Netromycin), streptomycin, or tobramycin (e.g., Nebcin). Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Studies have shown that neomycin may damage the infant's kidneys. In addition, some reports have shown that related medicines, especially streptomycin and tobramycin (e.g., Nebcin), may damage the infant's hearing and sense of balance. Be sure you have discussed this with your doctor.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether neomycin passes into the breast milk. However, neomycin has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children - Damage to hearing, sense of balance, and kidneys is more likely to occur in premature infants and neonates, who are more sensitive than adults to the effects of neomycin.

Older adults - Serious side effects, such as damage to hearing, sense of balance, and kidneys may occur in elderly patients, who are usually more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of neomycin.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of oral neomycin. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Blockage of the bowel

• Eighth-cranial-nerve disease (loss of hearing and/or balance) - Oral neomycin may increase the chance of hearing loss and/or balance problems

• Kidney disease - Patients with kidney disease may have an increased chance of side effects

• Myasthenia gravis or
• Parkinson's disease - Patients with myasthenia gravis or Parkinson's disease may have an increased chance of developing muscular weakness

• Ulcers of the bowel - Patients with ulcers of the bowel may have an increased chance of side effects since more neomycin may be absorbed by the body