Prescription Drugs 2 Go

Bactrim is an anti-bacterial drug

Bactrim is a popular antibiotic prescribed to counter and cure bacterial infections. It can be used to treat mild infections and some serious ones such as those of the chest and urinary tract. Antibiotics like Bactrim can therefore save lives.

What is an Antibiotic?

But what exactly is an antibiotic? An antibiotic is a broader spectrum of drugs that kills various types of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi or viruses. Therefore Bactrim is just one kind of antibiotic.

Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that can be seen only under a microscope. Did you know that less than one percent of all bacteria are not harmful?

Drugs like Bactrim kill infectious bacteria which produce toxins in the body that destroy living tissue. The most commonly found bacteria are streptococcus, staphylococcus, and E coli.

Antibiotics were initially grown from a culture of naturally occurring compounds. Now many are a combination of natural and synthetic compounds while some are entirely synthetic.

Bactrim is a combination of sulfa antibiotics and the synthetic antibiotic trimethoprim and it is available in both tablet and liquid form. It is a broad spectrum antibiotic, which it can treat a variety of infections caused by bacteria.

Types of Bacteria

Anti-bacteria drugs can be broadly classified as bactericidal that kill bacteria, or bacteriostatic, which stop bacteria from reproducing. Bactrim is a bacteriostatic drug. These drugs stop the bacteria in its tracks and then allow the body’s natural defences to take over and complete the task.

Another important parameter of bacteria that you need to understand is that they can be divided into two categories – gram-positive and gram-negative. Gram-positive bacteria have a thick waxy layer, while gram-negative bacteria are encased in a fatty layer.

While the doctor prescribes an antibiotic, he or she does so depending on whether the disease is caused by gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria.

This is so because each of the two types of bacteria allows different types of antibiotics to pass through its outer layer. Bactrim is capable of attacking both types of bacteria, which is why it is so commonly prescribed.

Prescription Drug

Antibiotics must be prescribed by a doctor so don’t ever try to self-medicate. This is because many antibiotics like Bactrim have side-effects. Also, each one must be taken for a different period of time and you must take the full course every time.

Among the common side effects of antibiotics are nausea, diarrhoea and a variety of allergic reactions. Bactrim should not be taken by pregnant women, if you’re anaemic or if you have liver or kidney disease.

Bactrim also makes skin hypersensitive to sunlight and avoid going outdoors at noon or without adequately covering yourself if you’re taking a course of Bactrim.