Drug Profile

Pregnancy Warning

Gentamicin has been shown to depress both body and kidney weights and to harm kidney structure. Information is lacking for tobramycin. Use during pregnancy only for clear medical reasons. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant before you take these drugs.

Breast-feeding Warning

No information is available from either human or animal studies. Since it is likely that these drugs, like many others, are excreted in human milk, you should consult with your doctor if you are planning to nurse.

Tell your doctor if you have or have had:

• allergy to gentamicin or tobramycin
• an unusual reaction to any aminoglycoside (neomycin, for example)
• pregnancy or are breast-feeding

Tell your doctor about any other drugs you take, including aspirin, herbs, vitamins, and other nonprescription products.

• Call your doctor if your infection does not improve within a few days or if it gets worse.
• Avoid wearing contact lenses during treatment.
• Use all the gentamicin or tobramycin your doctor prescribed, even if you feel better before you finish. If you stop too soon, your symptoms could come back.

• Follow the instructions for application of eye drops and ointments  so that you won’t absorb the drug into your body and possibly suffer serious adverse effects.
• If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but skip it if it is almost time for the next dose. Do not take double doses.
• Do not share your medication with others.
• Take the drug at the same time(s) each day.
• Store at room temperature with lid on tightly. Do not store in the bathroom. Do not expose to heat, moisture, or strong light. Keep out of reach of children.

The following drugs, biologics (e.g., vaccines, therapeutic antibodies), or foods are listed in Evaluations of Drug Interactions 2003 as causing “highly clinically significant” or “clinically significant” interactions when used together with any of the drugs in this section. In some sections with multiple drugs, the interaction may have been reported for one but not all drugs in this section, but we include the interaction because the drugs in this section are similar to one another. We have also included potentially serious interactions listed in the drug’s FDA-approved professional package insert or in published medical journal articles. There may be other drugs, especially those in the families of drugs listed below, that also will react with this drug to cause severe adverse effects. Make sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist the drugs you are taking and tell them if you are taking any of these interacting drugs:

carbenicillin, cephalothin, cidofovir, GEOCILLIN, INDOCIN, indomethacin, tubocurarine, VISTIDE.

Call your doctor immediately if you experience:

• black, tarry stools
• blood in urine or stools
• eye pain, sensitivity to light, or tearing
• itching, redness, swelling, or other irritation that has appeared since you started using the drug
• seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
• unusual bleeding or bruising

Call your doctor if these symptoms continue:

• burning or stinging of eyes

Signs of overdose:

• increased eye watering
• itching, redness, or swelling of the eyes or eyelids
• painful irritation of the clear front part of eye

If you suspect an overdose, call this number to contact your poison control center: (800) 222-1222.