People's Pharmacy

Cotrim

Generic Name:co-trimoxazole

Other Brand Names: Bactrim, Septra, SMZ-TMP, Sulfatrim, Uroplus

Revised:4/1/2000

Table of Contents

Special Precautions

If you are allergic to sulfa drugs, alert your physician immediately.

People who have reacted to other sulfa drugs, including diabetes pills and thiazide blood pressure medicines, should not take co-trimoxazole.

Symptoms such as breathing difficulty, wheezing, sneezing, hives, itching, and skin rash require immediate emergency treatment.

Life-threatening anaphylactic shock may produce an inability to breathe and cardiovascular collapse and can occur within minutes of exposure.

Co-trimoxazole is not prescribed for women at or after 36 weeks of pregnancy, for breastfeeding mothers, or babies less than two months old.

Elderly people may need lower doses, especially if kidneys or liver are not functioning well.


Prolonged use of an antibiotic like co-trimoxazole sometimes leads to an overgrowth of fungus or resistant bacteria known as superinfection. If this occurs, the doctor may need to have you discontinue this drug and take a different medication.