• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
• Interactions

What is cefditoren?
Cefditoren is an antibiotic in a group of drugs called cephalosporins. Cefditoren fights bacteria in the body. Cefditoren is used to treat many different types of bacterial infections that can cause bronchitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, or skin infection. Cefditoren may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of cefditoren?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• diarrhea that is watery or bloody;

• numbness, burning, pain, or tingly feeling;

• seizure (black-out or convulsions);

• a red, blistering, peeling skin rash; or

• urinating more or less than usual.

Less serious side effects may include:

• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, constipation;

• white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips;

• dry mouth, appetite changes;

• headache, dizziness, drowsiness;

• muscle pain;

• swelling in your hands or feet;

• runny nose, sore throat;

• mild skin rash or itching; or

• vaginal itching or discharge.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I take cefditoren?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Take each dose with a full glass of water. Your body will best absorb cefditoren if you take it with food. Do not take cefditoren at the same time as you take an antacid (such as Tums, Maalox, Mylanta, or Rolaids) or other stomach acid reducers (such as Tagamet, Axid, Pepcid, or Zantac). These other medicines may make it harder for your body to absorb cefditoren.

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What is the most important information I should know about cefditoren?
Do not take cefditoren if you are allergic to milk protein (not lactose intolerance), or if you have a carnitine deficiency (a lack of a certain chemical in the body). Talk with your doctor if you are unsure. Tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a penicillin or cephalosporin antibiotic. Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Cefditoren will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect cefditoren?
Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially: a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin); probenecid (Benemid); or a medication to reduce stomach acid, such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), ranitidine (Zantac), or nizatidine (Axid). This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with cefditoren. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Cefditoren pivoxil has been assigned to pregnancy category B by the FDA. High-dose animal studies have not revealed evidence of teratogenicity. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Cefditoren pivoxil is only recommended for use during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk.

There are no data on the excretion of cefditoren into human milk. Cefditoren is excreted into the milk of rats. The manufacturer recommends caution when cefditoren pivoxil is given to nursing women. The American Academy of Pediatrics classifies other cephalosporins as compatible with breast-feeding.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known hypersensitivity to cefditoren, other cephalosporins, or any ingredient in the formulation.
• Carnitine deficiency or an inborn error of metabolism that may result in clinically important carnitine deficiency.
• Milk protein hypersensitivity (not lactose intolerance).

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and seizure (convulsions).

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking cefditoren?
Do not take cefditoren if you are allergic to milk protein (not lactose intolerance), or if you have a carnitine deficiency (a lack of a certain chemical in the body). Talk with your doctor if you are unsure. Do not use cefditoren if you have ever had an allergic reaction to: a cephalosporin antibiotic, such as Keflex, Ceclor, Duricef, Ancef, Omnicef, Claforan, Maxipime, Suprax, Cefobid, Ceftin, Fortaz, and others; or a penicillin antibiotic, such as Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Dynapen, Bicillin, Pen-Vee K, Veetids, Omnipen, Totacillin, Ticar, and others.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
If you have been diagnosed with a disease for which an antibiotic is needed, you must complete the prescribed course of treatment. Even if you start to feel better, do not skip any doses and remember to take the medication until it is all gone.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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