Chloramphenicol is used for:

Treating serious infections caused by certain bacteria.

Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic. It works by killing or slowing the growth of sensitive bacteria.

Do NOT use Chloramphenicol if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Chloramphenicol
• you have previously had serious side effects from Chloramphenicol
• you have a low white or red blood cell count or decreased blood platelets
• you have a minor infection such as a cold, flu, throat infection, or you are using Chloramphenicol to prevent a bacterial infection
• you are taking other medicines that may decrease your bone marrow (eg, cancer chemotherapy); check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure if any of your other medicines may decrease your bone marrow

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

Before using Chloramphenicol :

Some medical conditions may interact with Chloramphenicol. 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 substances
• if you have anemia, bone marrow problems, liver disease, or kidney problems

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Chloramphenicol. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) because side effects, including risk of bleeding, may be increased
• Hydantoins (eg, phenytoin) or sulfonylureas (eg, glyburide) because the actions and side effects of these medicines may be increased.
• Medicines that may decrease your bone marrow (eg, cancer chemotherapy ) because the risk of serious side effects, such as low blood platelet levels and low white blood cell counts, may be increased; check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure if any of your medicines may decrease your bone marrow

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Chloramphenicol 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.

How to use Chloramphenicol :

Use Chloramphenicol as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

• Chloramphenicol is usually administered as an injection at your doctor's office, hospital, or clinic. If you are using Chloramphenicol at home, carefully follow the injection procedures taught to you by your health care provider.
• If Chloramphenicol contains particles or is discolored, or if the vial is cracked or damaged in any way, do not use it.
• To clear up your infection completely, continue using Chloramphenicol for the full course of treatment even if you feel better in a few days.
• Keep this product, as well as syringes and needles, out of the reach of children. Do not reuse needles, syringes, or other materials. Dispose of properly after use. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain local regulations for proper disposal.
• If you miss a dose of Chloramphenicol , use it as soon as possible. Then use your doses at evenly spaced times as directed by your doctor. Do not use 2 doses at once.

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

Important safety information:

• Do not exceed the recommended dose or use Chloramphenicol for longer than prescribed without checking with your doctor.
• Chloramphenicol is effective only against bacteria. It is not effective for treating viral infections (eg, the common cold).
• It is important to use Chloramphenicol for the full course of treatment. Failure to do so may decrease the effectiveness of Chloramphenicol and increase the risk that the bacteria will no longer be sensitive to Chloramphenicol and will not be able to be treated by this or certain other antibiotics in the future.
• Long-term or repeated use of Chloramphenicol may cause a second infection. Your doctor may want to change your medicine to treat the second infection. Contact your doctor if signs of a second infection occur.
• If symptoms of "gray syndrome" (swelling of the abdomen, pale or blue skin color, vomiting, shock, difficulty breathing, refusal to suck, loose green stools, limp muscles, low temperature) occur in a newborn or infant, contact your doctor. Death may occur within hours of the onset of symptoms. Stopping use of Chloramphenicol when symptoms first appear increases the chance for a complete recovery.
• Chloramphenicol may lower your body's ability to fight infection. Prevent infection by avoiding contact with people with colds or other infections. Notify your doctor of any signs of infection, including fever, sore throat, rash, or chills.
• Chloramphenicol may reduce the number of clot-forming cells (platelets) in your blood. To prevent bleeding, avoid situations in which bruising or injury may occur. Report any unusual bleeding, bruising, blood in stools, or dark, tarry stools to your doctor.
• Diabetes patients - Chloramphenicol may affect your blood sugar. Check blood sugar levels closely and ask your doctor before adjusting the dose of your diabetes medicine.
• LAB TESTS, including complete blood cell counts, may be performed to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
• Use Chloramphenicol with extreme caution in CHILDREN younger than 1 year of age. Safety and effectiveness in this age group have not been confirmed.
• Use Chloramphenicol with extreme caution in CHILDREN younger than 10 years of age who have diarrhea or a stomach or bowel infection.
• Use Chloramphenicol with extreme caution in premature and full-term INFANTS because they may be more sensitive to the effects of Chloramphenicol , especially the risk of "gray syndrome."
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant while taking Chloramphenicol , discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using Chloramphenicol during pregnancy. Chloramphenicol should be used with extreme caution during full-term pregnancy and labor because the fetus may experience severe side effects. Chloramphenicol is excreted in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Chloramphenicol.

Possible side effects of Chloramphenicol :

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Mild diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); confusion; dark urine; delirium; depression; headache; fever, chills, or sore throat; pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site; symptoms of "gray syndrome" in an infant (swelling of the abdomen, pale or blue skin color, vomiting, shock, difficulty breathing, refusal to suck, loose green stools, limp muscles, low temperature); unusual bleeding or bruising; unusual tiredness; vision changes.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bones by cells called osteoblasts and is removed from bones by cells called osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones. It is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and collards, canned salmon, clams, oysters, calcium-fortified foods, and tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1,200 milligrams a day (four glasses of milk) for men and women 51 and older, 1,000 milligrams a day for adults 19 through 50, and 1,300 milligrams a day for children 9 through 18. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily.

Cavities: Holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living tooth tissue called the pulp, where blood vessels and nerves reside. Small cavities may not cause pain, and may be unnoticed by the patient. Larger cavities can collect food, and the inner pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins, foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet - causing toothache.

Naturopathy: A system of therapy based on preventative care, and on the use of heat, water, light, air, and massage as primary therapies for disease. Some naturopaths use no medications, either pharmaceutical or herbal. Some recommend herbal remedies only. A few who are licensed to prescribe may recommend pharmaceuticals in those cases where they feel their use is warranted.

Naturopathy is an American healthcare profession. It was founded in the US as a formal healthcare system at the turn of the 20th century by medical practitioners from various natural therapeutic disciplines. By the early 1900s, more than 20 naturopathic medical schools existed, and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most States. Today there are more than 1,000 licensed naturopathic doctors in the US.

As practiced today, naturopathic medicine integrates traditional natural therapeutics -- including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, traditional oriental medicine, hydrotherapy, and naturopathic manipulative therapy -- with modern scientific medical diagnostic science and standards of care. The medical research base of naturopathic practice consists of empirical documentation of treatments using case history observations, medical records, and summaries of practitioners' clinical experiences.

At present, the two accredited naturopathic medical schools in the US have active research departments. Naturopathic researchers have investigated the pharmacology and physiological effects of nutritional and natural therapeutic agents, and naturopathic physicians have been active in the investigation of new homeopathic remedies and in the natural treatment of women's health problems. The most recently completed naturopathic study in women's health tested the clinical and endocrine effects of a botanical formula as an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy.

Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It's measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called "hypertension".

Brain: That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called "hemispheres."

Disease: Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.

Doctor: In a medical context, any medical professional with an MD, a PhD, or any other doctoral degree. The term doctor is quite nonspecific. A doctor may, for example, be a physician, psychologist, biomedical scientist, dentist, or veterinarian. In a nonmedical context, a professor of history might be addressed as doctor, an eminent theologian might be named a doctor of a church, and a person awarded an honorary doctorate by a college or university might also be called a doctor.

The word "doctor" comes from the Latin "docere" meaning to teach. A doctor was a teacher, especially a learned or authoritative one.