What does it do?

Vancomycin is used to treat and prevent bacterial infections.

How is it given?

Vancomycin is given as a slow infusion into a vein, usually by a health professional.

What if you forget a dose?

If you miss a dose, contact your health professional as soon as possible.

Can you take other medicines?

Some medicines available without a prescription may react with vancomycin including:

• anti-inflammatories, such as diclofenac (e.g. Voltaren®), ibuprofen (e.g. Nurofen®), or aspirin (e.g. Disprin®, in doses used for pain relief). These can also be found in some cold and flu medicines (e.g. Nurofen Cold and Flu®).

Tell your pharmacist or doctor about all medicines or treatments that you may be taking, including vitamins, herbal products or recreational drugs.

What side effects might you notice?

Side Effects	Recommended action
Reaction during the infusion including: flushing, redness, itching, short of breath, dizziness, fast or irregular heartbeat Reduced number of blood cells that fight infections or help your blood to clot - symptoms include: fever, chills, sore throat or generally feeling unwell, or easy or unusual bruising or bleeding Hearing loss, ringing in the ears, unsteadiness	Tell your doctor immediately
Severe or persistent diarrhoea, abdominal pain	Tell your doctor
Pain, tenderness or redness at injection site	Tell your doctor if troublesome

If you notice any other effects, discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist.

Other information:

• Tell your doctor if you have kidney, hearing, or balance problems.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
• You will need regular blood tests to check how well your kidneys are working, and to measure the amount of vancomycin in your blood to make sure you are on the right dose.