Colistimethate Injection

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to colistimethate.

Before using colistimethate, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have kidney disease. You may need dose adjustments or special tests during treatment.

Your doctor will tell you if any of your medication doses need to be changed.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether colistimethate 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.

Use the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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 any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.

Colistimethate injection is used to treat bacterial infections in many different parts of the body. It belongs to the class of medicines called antibiotics that works by killing bacteria or preventing their growth. However, colistimethate will not work for colds, flu, or other virus infections.

colistimethate is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of your doctor.

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 colistimethate, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to colistimethate or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of colistimethate injection in children.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of colistimethate injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving colistimethate injection.

Pregnancy

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with 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. When you are receiving colistimethate, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using colistimethate with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Alcuronium
• Amikacin
• Atracurium
• Capreomycin
• Cholera Vaccine, Live
• Cisatracurium
• Doxacurium
• Fazadinium
• Gallamine
• Gentamicin
• Hexafluorenium
• Kanamycin
• Metocurine
• Mivacurium
• Neomycin
• Pancuronium
• Paromomycin
• Pipecuronium
• Rapacuronium
• Rocuronium
• Streptomycin
• Tobramycin
• Tubocurarine
• Vecuronium

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

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

• Diarrhea or
• Lung disease, severe—May make these conditions worse.

• Kidney disease—Use with caution. Effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure colistimethate is working properly. Urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

If your symptoms do not improve within a few days, or if they become worse, check with your doctor.

Colistimethate injection may cause some people to become dizzy or to have numbness and tingling sensations in the hands, toes, and feet. Make sure you know how you react to colistimethate before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or do not have normal feelings in your hands and feet. If these symptoms are especially bothersome, check with your doctor.

Serious lung or breathing problems may occur after you get a shot of colistimethate into one of your muscles. Call your doctor right away if you or your child have any change in your breathing after you receive colistimethate.

Colistimethate injection may cause diarrhea, and in some cases it can be severe. It may occur 2 months or more after you stop using colistimethate. Do not take any medicine to treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor. Diarrhea medicines may make the diarrhea worse or make it last longer. If you have any questions about this or if mild diarrhea continues, or gets worse, check with your doctor.

Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have bloody urine, a decrease in frequency or amount of urine, an increase in blood pressure, increased thirst, loss of appetite, lower back or side pain, nausea, swelling of the face, fingers, or lower legs, troubled breathing, unusual tiredness or weakness, vomiting, or weight gain. These could be symptoms of a serious kidney problem.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.