Flupen

Description

Do NOT take Flupen 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).
• Skin Sensitization: Avoid skin contact with the medication, as skin sensitization may occur.
• Monitoring: Your doctor may monitor your serum potassium concentration, renal (kidney) function, and haematological (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 Flupen 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.