F-Clox

Description

Do NOT take F-Clox if you have:

• Hypersensitivity (allergy) to penicillins.
• Porphyria (a group of liver disorders).

Precautions:

• Neurotoxicity: Very high doses in patients with poor kidney function or heart failure carry a risk of neurotoxicity (damage to the nervous system).
• Sensitization: Avoid skin contact with the medication, as skin sensitization may occur.
• Monitoring: Your doctor may monitor your serum potassium concentration, kidney function, and blood status.
• Specific Infections: Use with caution in spirochete infections, particularly syphilis.
• Prolonged Use: Prolonged use may lead to superinfection with penicillin-resistant organisms.
• Intrathecal Route: Avoid administration via the intrathecal route (into the spinal canal).
• Elderly Patients: Use with caution in elderly patients.
• Hepatic Impairment: Use with caution in patients with liver impairment.

Pregnancy & Lactation:

• Consult your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions:

Always inform your doctor about all medications you are taking, especially:

• Methotrexate: May increase the risk of methotrexate toxicity.
• Estrogen-containing Oral Contraceptives (OC): May decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.
• Probenecid: May enhance flucloxacillin’s plasma concentrations.
• Bacteriostatic Drugs (e.g., chloramphenicol, tetracycline): These drugs may interfere with the bactericidal effect of flucloxacillin.
• Oral Anticoagulants: May prolong bleeding time in patients on oral anticoagulants.

Possible Side Effects

Flucloxacillin can cause various side effects. While not everyone experiences them, some possible effects include:

• Hypersensitivity Reactions: Including urticaria (hives); fever; joint pains; rashes; angioedema (swelling beneath the skin); serum sickness-like reactions.
• Blood Disorders: Haemolytic anaemia; interstitial nephritis (kidney inflammation); neutropenia (low neutrophils); thrombocytopenia (low platelets); agranulocytosis.
• Nervous System: CNS toxicity including convulsions; headache.
• Gastrointestinal: Diarrhoea; antibiotic-associated colitis (inflammation of the colon); hepatitis (liver inflammation); cholestatic jaundice (bile flow obstruction).
• Other: Phlebitis (inflammation of a vein, with IV infusion).
• Potentially Fatal: Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction); Stevens-Johnson syndrome (severe skin reaction).

How does F-Clox work?

Flucloxacillin is an antibiotic that inhibits the third and final step of bacterial cell wall synthesis. It does this by binding to specific penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) located inside the bacterial cell wall, which are crucial for building the bacterial cell wall. It is effective against both penicillinase-producing (bacteria that produce an enzyme breaking down penicillin) and non-penicillinase-producing staphylococci.