Gentamicin is an aqueous solution used as eye drops. The active ingredient gentamicin is an antibiotic. Gentamicin is used in adults and children to kill bacteria which cause infection. It is used for the management of infection in injured eyes, which causes symptoms such as:
Gentamicin kills the bacteria causing the infection, which eliminates the symptoms. This medicine is not effective for the treatment of non-bacterial eye infections or viral and fungal eye infections.
Always use Gentamicin exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. The general instructions for use are:
· Pull the lower eyelid gently downwards, hold the bottle upside down above the eye and gently squeeze the bottle to release a drop into your eye.
· Avoid touching the eye (or any other surface) with the tip of the bottle.
· Replace and tighten the cap immediately after use.
· Keep the affected eye closed and press your fingertip against the inside corner of the closed eye, and hold for one minute. This helps to stop the liquid from draining away and keeps it in your eye.
· Remove contact lenses before using the drops. If you wear soft contact lenses, don’t wear them at all until the course of drops has finished. The eye drops may discolour or damage soft lenses. Hard lenses can be worn with the drops; However, you should wait at least 30 minutes after using the drops before putting your contact lenses back in.
· Do not use the eye drops after four weeks of opening. Any medicine remaining in the bottle should be disposed of four weeks after the first opening.
Dosage
Dosage varies per person and is determined by a doctor for each specific patient depending on the symptoms. The general dosage guidelines are as follows:
A course of treatment typically lasts two up to three weeks. For more information on dosage, see the package leaflet.
Alcohol/driving
This medicine does not interact with alcohol.
The eye drops may cause your vision to blur temporarily after you have applied them into your eye. Do not drive if you experience this side effect.
If you use too much/forget to use/stop using Gentamicin
If you use more Gentamicin than you were told to, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
If you forget to use Gentamicin, do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten one. Just shorten the intervals between doses until you are back to your regular dosing schedule.
Do not stop using Gentamicin without consulting a doctor first.
Gentamicin is not suitable for everyone. Do not use this medicine if:
When should this medicine be used with caution?
As with other antibiotics, infections caused by micro-organisms that are resistant to this medicine may occur with long-term use. If you have (or think you have) a new infection while taking this medicine, contact your doctor immediately.
Repeated treatment with this medicine may result in increased sensitivity. If you notice any local or general side effects, stop using these drops immediately.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
In most cases, this medicine can be used safely by pregnant and breastfeeding women. However, you should ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine.
Other medicines and Gentamicin
Tell your doctor if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines obtained without a prescription and herbal medicines.
Medicines can cause side effects, although some people may not experience any. Side effects that are known to be associated with Gentamicin include:
If the side effects are severe or if you get any side effects that are not listed in the package leaflet, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
The active substance in Gentamicin-POS is 5 mg/ml gentamicin sulphate (equivalent to 3 mg/ml gentamicin).
The other ingredients are: benzalkonium chloride, disodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium chloride, edetate disodium, water for Injection.
The manufacturer of Gentamicin-POS is:
URSAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH
Industriestraße
66129 Saarbrücken
Germany
Read the package leaflet before use. The official package leaflet of Gentamicin-POS is available for download here.
