KEFTAB

INDICATIONS 

Keftab is used for treating certain bacterial infections. Keftab is a cephalosporin antibiotic. It works by interfering with the bacteria’s cell wall formation. This weakens the cell wall, causing it to rupture, and kills the bacteria.

INSTRUCTIONS 

Use Keftab as directed by your doctor.

• Take Keftab by mouth with or without food.
• To clear up your infection completely, take Keftab for the full course of treatment. Keep taking it even if you feel better in a few days.
• If you miss a dose of Keftab, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Keftab.

STORAGE

Store Keftab at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Brief storage at temperatures between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C) is permitted. Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep Keftab out of the reach of children and away from pets.

MORE INFO:

Active Ingredient: Cephalexin.

Do NOT use Keftab if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Keftab or to any other cephalosporin antibiotic (eg, cefuroxime).

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Some medical conditions may interact with Keftab. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substance
• if you have had a severe allergic reaction (eg, severe rash, hives, difficulty breathing, dizziness) to a penicillin (eg, amoxicillin) or other beta-lactam antibiotic (eg, imipenem)
• if you have stomach or bowel problems (eg, inflammation), blood clotting problems, kidney or liver problems, or poor nutrition.

Some medicines may interact with Keftab. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Metformin because its actions and the risks of its side effects may be increased by Keftab
• Probenecid because it may increase the actions and the risk of Keftab’s side effects
• Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) because the risk of side effects, such as bleeding, may be increased.

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Keftab may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

Important safety information:

• Keftab may cause dizziness. This effect may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Keftab with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• Keftab may decrease the ability of your blood to clot. Avoid activities that may cause bruising or injury. Tell your doctor if you have unusual bruising or bleeding. Tell your doctor if you have dark, tarry, or bloody stools.
• Mild diarrhea is common with antibiotic use. However, a more serious form of diarrhea (pseudomembranous colitis) may rarely occur. This may develop while you use the antibiotic or within several months after you stop using it. Contact your doctor right away if stomach pain or cramps, severe diarrhea, or bloody stools occur. Do not treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor.
• Be sure to use Keftab for the full course of treatment. If you do not, the medicine may not clear up your infection completely. The bacteria could also become less sensitive to this or other medicines. This could make the infection harder to treat in the future.
• Keftab only works against bacteria; it does not treat viral infections (eg, the common cold).
• Long-term or repeated use of Keftab may cause a second infection. Tell your doctor if signs of a second infection occur. Your medicine may need to be changed to treat this.
• Diabetes patients – Keftab may cause the results of some tests for urine glucose to be wrong. Ask your doctor before you change your diet or the dose of your diabetes medicine.
• Keftab may interfere with certain lab tests. Be sure your doctor and lab personnel know you are taking Keftab.
• Use Keftab with caution in the elderly; they may be more sensitive to its effects.
• Use Keftab with extreme caution in children younger 10 years who have diarrhea or an infection of the stomach or bowel.
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Keftab while you are pregnant. Keftab is found in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you use Keftab, check with your doctor. Discuss any possible risks to your baby.