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Antibiotics & Infection Medicines
Medicines that treat infections: antibiotics for bacteria, antifungals for fungal infections, antivirals for viruses, and the medicines used for tuberculosis and parasitic infections.
This page lists all 81 of them in the guide. Open any medicine for its uses, common side effects, major cautions and kidney note.
| Medicine | Brand names | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Acyclovir | Zovirax | Genital herpes and cold sores; Shingles |
| Albendazole | Albenza | Worm infections of the gut; Parasite cysts in the liver and brain (with specialist care) |
| Amikacin | Amikin | Serious hospital infections resistant to gentamicin; Certain mycobacterial infections |
| Amoxicillin | Amoxil | Ear, nose, and throat infections; Strep throat |
| Amoxicillin-clavulanate | Augmentin | Sinus infections; Ear infections |
| Amphotericin B | Fungizone, AmBisome | Life-threatening body-wide fungal infections; Fungal meningitis |
| Ampicillin | Principen | Urinary tract infections; Meningitis (hospital) |
| Azithromycin | Zithromax | Pneumonia; Bronchitis and sinus infections |
| Aztreonam | Azactam | Serious infections from gram-negative bacteria; Infections in people with serious penicillin allergy |
| Caspofungin | Cancidas | Serious candida and aspergillus infections in hospital; Fever with low white blood cells when a fungal infection is suspected |
| Cefazolin | Ancef | Preventing infection during surgery; Skin and soft tissue infections (hospital) |
| Cefdinir | Omnicef | Ear infections in children; Sinus infections |
| Cefepime | Maxipime | Serious hospital infections, including pneumonia and blood infections; Infections in people with low white blood cell counts and fever |
| Cefixime | Suprax | Urinary tract infections; Bronchitis |
| Cefotaxime | Claforan | Meningitis (hospital); Pneumonia (hospital) |
| Cefpodoxime | Vantin | Pneumonia; Sinus infections |
| Ceftaroline | Teflaro | Serious skin infections, including MRSA; Pneumonia (hospital) |
| Ceftazidime | Fortaz | Serious hospital infections, especially from Pseudomonas bacteria; Infections in cystic fibrosis |
| Ceftriaxone | Rocephin | Pneumonia; Meningitis (hospital) |
| Cefuroxime | Ceftin, Zinacef | Sinus and ear infections; Bronchitis and pneumonia |
| Cephalexin | Keflex | Skin and soft tissue infections; Strep throat |
| Ciprofloxacin | Cipro | Urinary tract infections; Prostate infections |
| Clarithromycin | Biaxin | Pneumonia and bronchitis; Sinus infections |
| Clindamycin | Cleocin | Skin and soft tissue infections; Dental infections in penicillin-allergic patients |
| Clotrimazole | Lotrimin | Athlete's foot, jock itch, and ringworm; Vaginal yeast infections |
| Colistin | Coly-Mycin | Serious hospital infections from bacteria resistant to nearly all other antibiotics; Lung infections in cystic fibrosis (inhaled) |
| Daptomycin | Cubicin | MRSA bloodstream infections; Heart valve infections (endocarditis) from staph |
| Dicloxacillin | Dynapen | Skin and soft tissue infections from staph bacteria; Bone and joint infections from staph |
| Dolutegravir | Tivicay | HIV infection, combined with other HIV medicines; Preventing HIV after exposure, in combination regimens |
| Doxycycline | Vibramycin, Doryx | Acne and rosacea; Lyme disease and tick-borne infections |
| Emtricitabine | Emtriva | HIV infection, combined with other HIV medicines; Preventing HIV infection (PrEP), in combinations |
| Entecavir | Baraclude | Chronic hepatitis B; Suppressing hepatitis B during immune-suppressing treatment, on specialist advice |
| Ertapenem | Invanz | Abdominal and pelvic infections; Diabetic foot infections |
| Erythromycin | Ery-Tab, E.E.S. | Certain respiratory and skin infections in penicillin-allergic patients; Speeding stomach emptying in some situations |
| Ethambutol | Myambutol | Tuberculosis, combined with other TB medicines; Certain other mycobacterial infections |
| Famciclovir | Famvir | Shingles; Genital herpes and cold sores |
| Fidaxomicin | Dificid | C. difficile infection of the gut; Preventing C. difficile recurrence in selected high-risk patients, on specialist advice |
| Fluconazole | Diflucan | Vaginal yeast infections; Thrush of the mouth and throat |
| Fosfomycin | Monurol | Uncomplicated bladder infections in women; Complicated urinary infections with the hospital injection form, on specialist advice |
| Gentamicin | Garamycin | Serious hospital infections, often combined with other antibiotics; Certain heart valve infections |
| Imipenem-cilastatin | Primaxin | Serious hospital infections of the lungs and abdomen; Serious urinary and bloodstream infections (hospital) |
| Isoniazid | INH | Treating tuberculosis, combined with other TB medicines; Preventing tuberculosis in people with latent infection |
| Itraconazole | Sporanox | Fungal nail infections; Certain lung and body-wide fungal infections |
| Ivermectin | Stromectol | Certain parasitic worm infections; Scabies and head lice (creams and lotions) |
| Ketoconazole | Nizoral | Fungal skin infections (creams and shampoos); Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis (shampoo) |
| Levofloxacin | Levaquin | Pneumonia; Urinary tract and prostate infections |
| Linezolid | Zyvox | MRSA and resistant staph/strep infections; Pneumonia from resistant bacteria |
| Mebendazole | Emverm | Pinworm infection; Other intestinal worm infections such as whipworm and hookworm |
| Meropenem | Merrem | Serious hospital infections of the abdomen, lungs, and skin; Meningitis (hospital) |
| Metronidazole | Flagyl | Bacterial vaginosis; Certain gut infections including C. difficile |
| Micafungin | Mycamine | Serious candida infections in hospital; Preventing yeast infections during stem cell transplant |
| Miconazole | Monistat, Micatin | Vaginal yeast infections; Athlete's foot, jock itch, and ringworm |
| Minocycline | Minocin, Solodyn | Acne; Certain skin and respiratory infections |
| Molnupiravir | Lagevrio | COVID-19 in higher-risk outpatients when other treatments cannot be used; COVID-19 in adults at risk of severe illness, started early |
| Moxifloxacin | Avelox | Pneumonia; Sinus infections |
| Mupirocin | Bactroban | Impetigo and infected skin wounds; Eradicating staph bacteria from the nose before surgery or during outbreaks |
| Nafcillin | Nafcil | Serious staph infections in hospital; Heart valve, bone, and bloodstream infections from staph (hospital) |
| Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir | Paxlovid | COVID-19 in higher-risk outpatients, started early; COVID-19 in higher-risk patients unable to use other first-line options |
| Nitrofurantoin | Macrobid, Macrodantin | Bladder infections (cystitis); Preventing repeated bladder infections |
| Nystatin | Mycostatin | Thrush of the mouth and throat; Yeast infections of the skin |
| Ofloxacin | Floxin | Eye infections (drops); Ear infections (drops) |
| Oseltamivir | Tamiflu | Treating influenza (flu); Preventing influenza after exposure |
| Penicillin G | Pfizerpen | Syphilis; Severe strep infections (hospital) |
| Penicillin V | Pen-Vee K | Strep throat; Skin infections |
| Permethrin | Nix, Elimite | Head lice; Scabies |
| Piperacillin-tazobactam | Zosyn | Serious hospital infections of the lungs, abdomen, and skin; Infections in people with low white blood cell counts |
| Posaconazole | Noxafil | Preventing invasive fungal infections in people with weak immune systems; Treating serious mold and yeast infections |
| Praziquantel | Biltricide | Schistosomiasis (a parasite infection from contaminated water); Certain tapeworm and fluke infections |
| Pyrazinamide | Tuberculosis, in the first phase of combination treatment; Shortening TB treatment as part of standard regimens | |
| Remdesivir | Veklury | COVID-19 in hospital patients; COVID-19 in higher-risk outpatients given as infusions |
| Rifampin | Rifadin | Tuberculosis, combined with other TB medicines; Certain staph infections, combined with other antibiotics |
| Sofosbuvir | Sovaldi | Chronic hepatitis C, in combination products; Hepatitis C in patients with kidney disease or after transplant, in combinations |
| Tenofovir alafenamide | Vemlidy | Chronic hepatitis B; HIV infection, in combination products |
| Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate | Viread | HIV infection, combined with other HIV medicines; Chronic hepatitis B |
| Terbinafine | Lamisil | Fungal nail infections; Athlete's foot and ringworm (creams, and tablets for stubborn cases) |
| Tetracycline | Sumycin | Acne; Part of stomach ulcer (H. pylori) treatment |
| Tobramycin | Tobrex | Lung infections in cystic fibrosis (inhaled); Serious hospital infections (by vein) |
| Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole | Bactrim, Septra | Urinary tract infections; Pneumocystis pneumonia prevention and treatment |
| Valacyclovir | Valtrex | Genital herpes and cold sores; Shingles |
| Vancomycin | Vancocin | Serious MRSA infections (by vein, in hospital); C. difficile infection of the gut (by mouth) |
| Voriconazole | Vfend | Invasive aspergillus fungal infections; Serious candida infections |
Please note: This page is a patient-education summary, not medical advice, and it deliberately contains no doses. Medicines affect everyone differently — always follow your own prescription and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.