Brand: Cubicin
Generic: Daptomycin
Cubicin.
Intravenous daptomycin, a lipopeptide antibacterial, is indicated for the treatment of bloodstream infection with Staphylococcus aureus and complicated skin and skin structure infection, as well as right-sided infective endocarditis.
This medication is not used to treat pneumonia and viral infections. You can only purchase daptomycin with a prescription, and it usually in powder form for reconstitution.
Before initiating treatment with daptomycin, you and your physician need to weigh the benefits and risks involved. This medication is contraindicated in people who have had allergic reactions to daptomycin or any of its components.
Be sure to inform your healthcare team about food, dye, animal and other drug allergies. Treatment with daptomycin is not recommended for pediatric patients below 12 months old because of its effects on the muscular, nervous and neuromuscular systems.
Intravenous daptomycin should be used with caution in patients older than 65 years since this population is prone to age-related decline in body function. Not enough research has been done on daptomycin’s effects on the unborn child. Therefore, it should only be used in pregnant women if the benefits outweigh the risks.
IV daptomycin must also be used with caution in nursing mothers. This medication may also cause unwanted reactions when it is used with other drugs. Concomitant use of atorvastatin, fluvastatin, pravastatin, lovastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin is not recommended but can be necessary.
In such cases, your physician may make dosage adjustments to one or both of the medications. Ask your physician what food or drinks you need to avoid when taking daptomycin.
This medication should be used with caution in patients with diarrhea, muscle or nerve problems, and kidney disease since it can make them worse. Patients with persisting Staphylococcus infection need to get repeated blood exams.
This medication should be administered by a trained healthcare professional or a nurse. It is given either by slow injection within 2 minutes or infusion within 30 minutes.
You need to get this medication on a regular basis in order to get maximum efficacy. You also need to finish the entire duration of treatment even if you feel better. This makes sure that causative agent is completely eliminated.
Stopping treatment abruptly can lead to complications or side effects. In patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections, recommended dosage is 4 mg/kg given in 0.9% sodium chloride injection once a day, for 7 to 14 days.
For those with bacteremia, 6 mg/kg of daptomycin 0.9% sodium chloride injection should be administered intravenously once a day, for 2 to 6 weeks.
As mentioned earlier, daptomycin should be used with caution in patients with renal problems. For those getting hemodialysis, daptomycin is to be given after hemodialysis sessions.
Your doctor will closely follow your progress while you are on daptomycin treatment. Certain laboratory exams will also be repeated regularly.
There are precautions you need to take when you are taking this medication. Watch out for signs and symptoms of eosinophilic pneumonia. These can include:
If you develop diarrhea 2 months after getting this medication, check with your physician and do not take anti-diarrheal medications without prior consultation. Unexplained muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness can be signs of myopathy.
Notify your physician immediately. You should also watch out for symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. These include numbness, tingling, or painful sensations in the arms, hands, legs, or feet. Talk to your doctor about this right away.
Also, tell other physicians that you are on this medicine before getting laboratory exams done.
Daptomycin can cause false prolongation of prothrombin time and increased International Normalized Ratio. Do not take over the counter medications without consulting your physician.
Intravenous daptomycin can also cause a number of side effects. Notify your healthcare team if you have swelling of the face and limbs, tingling of the hands or feet, fever, and unusual weight gain or loss.
Less commonly reported side effects that may need medical attention include:
If the following symptoms do not get better, inform your healthcare team: mild diarrhea and difficulty having a bowel movement.
Check your injection site for bleeding, blistering, discoloration of the skin, scarring, tenderness, tingling, ulceration, or warmth at the injection site.
You may experience side effects that are not mentioned here. Consult your healthcare team right away if you do.
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