Polymyxin B Sulfate

Q: What is polymyxin B sulfate drops used for?

<p>This medicine is a combination of two <a href="https://www.withpower.com/clinical-trials/antibiotics">antibiotics</a>, polymyxin B and trimethoprim, and is used to treat eye infections, including acute bacterial conjunctivitis and blepharoconjunctivitis. This medicine works by killing the bacteria or preventing their growth.</p>

Pseudomonas Infections, Otitis Externa, Klebsiella + 15 more

Treatment

9 FDA approvals

20 Active Studies for Polymyxin B Sulfate

Treatment for

Pseudomonas Infections

What is Polymyxin B Sulfate

Polymyxin B

The Generic name of this drug

Treatment Summary

Trimethoprim is an antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections. It works by blocking a bacterial enzyme that helps the bacteria produce DNA, which leads to the bacteria's death. Trimethoprim is often used in combination with sulfamethoxazole, but can also be used on its own. It is structurally similar to pyrimethamine, another antibiotic used to treat infections caused by parasites.

Polysporin

is the brand name

image of different drug pills on a surface

Polymyxin B Sulfate Overview & Background

Brand Name

Generic Name

First FDA Approval

How many FDA approvals?

Polysporin

Polymyxin B

1951

279

Approved as Treatment by the FDA

Polymyxin B, commonly known as Polysporin, is approved by the FDA for 9 uses like Meningitis, Bacterial and Conjunctivitis .

Meningitis, Bacterial

Conjunctivitis

Used to treat Ocular Inflammation in combination with Dexamethasone

Ocular Inflammation

Used to treat Ocular Inflammation in combination with Dexamethasone

Bacterial Infections

Urinary Tract Infections

ocular bacterial infections

Used to treat ocular bacterial infections in combination with Bacitracin

Bacteremia caused by Enterobacter aerogenes

Pseudomonas Infections

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Effectiveness

How Polymyxin B Sulfate Affects Patients

Trimethoprim helps fight bacterial infections by blocking an essential step in the creation of bacterial proteins and nucleic acids. It is effective against some gram-negative bacteria and certain types of _Staphylococcus_. Sometimes bacteria can become resistant to trimethoprim, either by changing their cell wall, overproducing an enzyme, or making a resistant form of the enzyme. Taking trimethoprim can very rarely cause blood disorders like low platelet count or low white blood cell count. Signs like fever, sore throat, and pale skin may happen before the blood disorder develops. To make sure this drug will work, local antibiotic

How Polymyxin B Sulfate works in the body

Trimethoprim works to kill bacteria by stopping them from making the proteins and nucleic acids they need to survive. It does this by blocking an enzyme in the process of making these molecules. When used alone, trimethoprim can only stop bacteria from reproducing, but when combined with sulfamethoxazole, the two work together to actually kill the bacteria. This combination blocks two steps in the process of making proteins and nucleic acids, making it much more effective than trimethoprim alone.

When to interrupt dosage

The proposed measure of Polymyxin B Sulfate is contingent upon the determined condition, for example Urinary tract infection, Immunocompromised and Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia. The dosage also varies as indicated by the delivery approach (e.g. Tablet - Oral or Tablet) listed in the table following.

Condition

Dosage

Administration

Urinary tract infection

, 100000.0 [USP'U]/mL, 5.0 [USP'U]/mg, 10.0 [USP'U]/mg, 10.0 [iU]/mg, 5.0 [iU]/mg, 200000.0 [USP'U]/mL, 10000.0 [USP'U]/mL, 1.0 [USP'U]/mg, 10000.0 units/mL, 10000.0 mL/mL, 10.0 mg/mg, 10000.0 mg/mL, 500000.0 [iU], 500000.0 [USP'U], 10.0 units/mg, 5000.0 [USP'U], 5.0 units/mg, 5.3228 [iU]/mg, 10000.0 [iU]/mL, 200000.0 [iU]/mL, 0.5 units/mg, 0.0052 mg/mg, 1.0 [iU]/mg, 16250.0 units/mL, 1500.0 units, 50.0 [iU]/mg, 0.01 mg/mg, 0.1 [USP'U]/mg, 10000.0 mg/mg, 50.0 mg, 500000.0 units, 0.77 mg/mL, 5000.0 units/mL, 15.0 [USP'U]/mg, 0.006 mg/mg, 6.0 units/mg, 6000.0 units/mL, 200000.0 units/mL, 1.0 units/mg

Ophthalmic, Solution / drops - Ophthalmic, Topical, Ointment - Topical, , Cream - Topical, Ointment - Ophthalmic, Irrigant - Irrigation, Irrigation, Suspension / drops - Auricular (otic), Auricular (otic), Solution / drops - Auricular (otic), Suspension / drops - Ophthalmic, Suspension - Ophthalmic, Solution - Ophthalmic, Intramuscular; Intrathecal; Intravenous; Ophthalmic, Injection, powder, lyophilized, for solution - Intramuscular; Intrathecal; Intravenous; Ophthalmic, Injection, powder, lyophilized, for solution - Intramuscular; Intravenous, Solution - Irrigation, Stick - Topical, Suspension - Auricular (otic), Powder - Topical, Solution - Auricular (otic), Liquid - Auricular (otic), Cream, Kit, Injection, solution - Intramuscular; Intrathecal; Intravenous; Ophthalmic, Intramuscular; Intrathecal; Intravenous, Intramuscular; Intrathecal; Intravenous; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Ointment, Kit - Topical, Liquid - Ophthalmic, Solution / drops, Solution, Suspension, Suspension / drops, Lozenge, Gel - Topical, Liquid, Buccal, Auricular (otic); Ophthalmic, Ointment - Ophthalmic; Topical, Lozenge - Oral, Lozenge - Buccal, Oral, Injection - Intramuscular; Intrathecal; Intravenous, Solution / drops - Auricular (otic); Ophthalmic, Powder, for solution, Injection, powder, lyophilized, for solution, Injection, powder, for solution - Intramuscular; Intrathecal; Intravenous; Ophthalmic, Ointment; Swab - Topical, Intramuscular; Intravenous, Powder, Injection, Injection, powder, for solution, Solution - Auricular (otic); Ophthalmic, Stick, Ophthalmic; Topical, Injection, solution, Powder, for solution - Intramuscular; Intrathecal; Intravenous; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Kit - Oral; Topical, Oral; Topical, Gel, Swab - Topical, Ointment; Swab, Suspension - Topical, Powder, for solution - Intramuscular; Intrathecal; Intravenous; Ophthalmic, Swab, Irrigant, Liquid - Auricular (otic); Ophthalmic, Solution - Urethral, Urethral, Injection, powder, lyophilized, for solution - Intramuscular; Intrathecal; Intravenous, Kit - Irrigation; Ophthalmic; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Irrigation; Ophthalmic; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Kit - Irrigation; Ophthalmic; Topical, Irrigation; Ophthalmic; Topical, Kit - Ophthalmic, Electro-osmosis, Kit - Ophthalmic; Topical, Kit - Electro-osmosis, Kit - Ophthalmic; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Ophthalmic; Oral; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Kit - Ophthalmic; Oral; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Ophthalmic; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Kit - Irrigation; Ophthalmic; Oral; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Kit - Irrigation; Oral; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Irrigation; Oral; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Irrigation; Ophthalmic; Oral; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Ophthalmic; Oral; Topical, Kit - Ophthalmic; Oral; Topical, Kit - Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Oral; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Kit - Oral; Respiratory (inhalation); Topical, Suspension / drops - Topical, Cream; Kit; Liquid; Ointment; Tablet; Tablet, chewable; Tablet, film coated - Oral; Topical, Cream; Kit; Liquid; Ointment; Tablet; Tablet, chewable; Tablet, film coated

Otitis

Pseudomonas Infections

Klebsiella

Otorrhoea

Urinary Tract Infections

Conjunctivitis, Bacterial

Conjunctivitis

Bacteria

Meningitis, Bacterial

Bacteremia caused by Enterobacter aerogenes

Communicable Diseases

Otitis Externa

Ear Inflammation

Conjunctivitis

Meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae

ocular bacterial infections

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Warnings

Polymyxin B Sulfate has eight contraindications and should not be combined with any of the situations outlined in the table below.

Polymyxin B Sulfate Contraindications

Condition

Risk Level

Notes

conjunctiva

Do Not Combine

Pulse Frequency

Do Not Combine

There are 20 known major drug interactions with Polymyxin B Sulfate.

Common Polymyxin B Sulfate Drug Interactions

Drug Name

Risk Level

Description

Vibrio cholerae CVD 103-HgR strain live antigen

Major

The therapeutic efficacy of Vibrio cholerae CVD 103-HgR strain live antigen can be decreased when used in combination with Polymyxin B.

Naxitamab

Minor

Polymyxin B may increase the neurotoxic activities of Naxitamab.

Typhoid vaccine

Minor

The therapeutic efficacy of Typhoid vaccine can be decreased when used in combination with Polymyxin B.

(R)-warfarin

Moderate

The risk or severity of bleeding can be increased when Polymyxin B is combined with (R)-warfarin.

(S)-Warfarin

Moderate

The risk or severity of bleeding can be increased when Polymyxin B is combined with (S)-Warfarin.

Polymyxin B Sulfate Toxicity & Overdose Risk

In mice and rats, the lowest toxic dose of trimethoprim is 2764 mg/kg and greater than 5300 mg/kg, respectively. If someone takes a higher dose than 1 gram, they may feel nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, mental depression, confusion, or bone marrow issues. To treat this, supportive care and stomach pumping should be given. Increasing the acidity of the urine may help rid the body of the drug and hemodialysis can also be used, though it is not very effective.

Polymyxin B Sulfate Novel Uses: Which Conditions Have a Clinical Trial Featuring Polymyxin B Sulfate?

8 active clinical trials are currently underway to assess the utility of Polymyxin B Sulfate in treating Shigella flexneri-induced Enteritis, Bacterial-induced Blepharoconjunctivitis and Diarrhea.

Condition

Clinical Trials

Trial Phases

Otitis

3 Actively Recruiting

Not Applicable

Urinary Tract Infections

7 Actively Recruiting

Not Applicable, Phase 4

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

6 Actively Recruiting

Phase 1, Phase 3, Phase 4, Phase 2

Bacteria

2 Actively Recruiting

Phase 3

Communicable Diseases

0 Actively Recruiting

Meningitis, Bacterial

0 Actively Recruiting

Pseudomonas Infections

0 Actively Recruiting

Otitis Externa

0 Actively Recruiting

ocular bacterial infections

0 Actively Recruiting

Urinary tract infection

0 Actively Recruiting

Conjunctivitis, Bacterial

0 Actively Recruiting

Conjunctivitis

0 Actively Recruiting

Klebsiella

0 Actively Recruiting

Ear Inflammation

0 Actively Recruiting

Meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae

0 Actively Recruiting

Conjunctivitis

0 Actively Recruiting

Otorrhoea

0 Actively Recruiting

Bacteremia caused by Enterobacter aerogenes

0 Actively Recruiting

Polymyxin B Sulfate Reviews: What are patients saying about Polymyxin B Sulfate?

Patient Review

9/20/2020

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

I had conjunctivitis with blurry vision for four days, then I started taking this medication. I am at almost 100% recovery after 48 hours. Very pleased.

Patient Review

10/7/2017

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

Though this medication is intended for children, it can be used on adults with similar reactions such as itching, swelling and pain.

Patient Review

12/1/2017

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

This treatment was very easy to use and I didn't experience any pain at all.

4.3

Patient Review

8/31/2017

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Inflammation of Eyelid Edges and the Lining of the Eye

It took a little longer to work than I would have liked, but it did the job perfectly. There was some redness in my eye for a few days afterwards, but that cleared up within a week.

2.7

Patient Review

11/14/2019

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

Ever since my daughter started using this medication, she's been complaining of more burning and stinging in her eyes. She's also having difficulty seeing.

2.7

Patient Review

11/25/2018

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

I've been using this medication for five days now, and I'm still experiencing itchy eyes and dry, blotchy skin around my eyes. This product hasn't worked well for me so far.

2.3

Patient Review

9/5/2017

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

Three days in and my vision seems to have gotten worse. I'm missing work as a result, which is extremely frustrating. I'll be calling the doctor today for something else entirely.

Patient Review

9/2/2020

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Eye infection Caused by Bacteria

Unfortunately, I had really adverse reactions to this medication. Burning, itching, blurred vision, and redness were all problems I experienced shortly after using the drops. These reactions were far from mild.

Patient Review

6/14/2018

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

The sulfuric acid in this medication caused burning around my eyes. I had to get a different prescription which cleared the infection in five days.

Patient Review

2/19/2018

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

The burning and itching got so bad after just three days of using this drug that I had to stop. It was horrible and did nothing to help my pink eye. Avoid this treatment at all cost.

Patient Review

3/5/2018

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

I've been on this medication for two days now and have yet to see any improvement.

1.7

Patient Review

2/7/2020

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

Unfortunately, after using this treatment for just two days, my eyes became more irritated. They were swollen and red, itchy, and crusty.

1.3

Patient Review

8/24/2017

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

My eyes felt incredibly irritated after using this product for just a few days.

Patient Review

7/24/2019

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

This pink eye medication is terrible. If anything, it made my symptoms worse. Avoid if you can.

Patient Review

9/5/2020

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

I had an allergic reaction to this that led to burning and itching all over my body.

Patient Review

7/24/2019

Polymyxin B Sulfate for Pink Eye from Bacterial Infection

This pink eye medication is awful. My eyes are more itchy and irritated than before, and it doesn't help at all. It just makes the Pink Eye worse by drying out my eyes.

image of drug pills surrounding a glass of water symbolizing drug consumption

Patient Q&A Section about polymyxin b sulfate

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.

How long does polymyxin take to work for pink eye?

"If your pink eye is caused by bacteria, it will improve within 24-48 hours of taking antibiotics. If it is caused by a virus, it may take a few days to more than a week to resolve."

Answered by AI

What are the side effects of polymyxin eye drops?

"Please seek medical help if you experience any of the following symptoms: severe eye pain, swelling, or redness; crusting or drainage (which may be signs of infection); swelling or redness of your eyelids; or new or worsening symptoms."

Answered by AI

What is polymyxin B sulfate drops used for?

"This medicine is a combination of two antibiotics, polymyxin B and trimethoprim, and is used to treat eye infections, including acute bacterial conjunctivitis and blepharoconjunctivitis. This medicine works by killing the bacteria or preventing their growth."

Answered by AI

Is polymyxin B sulfate used for pink eye?

"Polymyxin B and trimethoprim ophthalmic combination are used to treat bacterial infections of the eye, including conjunctivitis (pinkeye; infection of the membrane that covers the outside of the eyeball and the inside of the eyelid) or blepharoconjunctivitis (infection of the membrane that covers the outside of the eyelid and the inner surface of the eyelid)."

Answered by AI

Clinical Trials for Polymyxin B Sulfate

Image of Children's of Alabama in Birmingham, United States.

Antibiotic Duration for Infections in Children

60 - 17

All Sexes

Birmingham, AL

Infections like pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infection (also called SSTI or cellulitis), and urinary tract infections (UTI) are some of the most common reasons children get admitted to the hospital. All three of these conditions require antibiotics for treatment. Although antibiotics are needed to treat the infection and help children feel better, taking them longer than needed can negatively impact children and their families. Negative impacts include things like the burdens of taking more medications and medication side effects. There are guidelines (instructions) from expert medical organizations that suggest the number of days children need antibiotics, but they give a wide range (between 5 and 14 days). Unfortunately, these guidelines are not based on high-quality studies. National data suggests that doctors often choose on the higher end of this range when writing prescriptions for children in the hospital. Our three caregiver co-investigators, other parents of hospitalized children, doctors, other care providers, and researchers, all believe that additional study is needed to determine the best length of antibiotic treatment that weighs both the benefits and harms of antibiotics. The goal of our study is to understand if 5 total days of antibiotic treatment compared to 10 total days of antibiotic treatment is better for children who have been in the hospital for pneumonia, SSTI, or UTI. We will study this question through a randomized control trial. In other words, half of the children will receive 5-days of antibiotics and the other half will receive 10-days of antibiotics. Children in this study (and their caregivers) will not know how many days of antibiotics they will receive to cure their infection because some children will take a placebo (or a pill without antibiotics in it). Only the pharmacy will know if a child is getting antibiotic or placebo (for days 6-10 of treatment). During the first phase of the trial (feasibility phase), 4 hospitals will enroll children in the study. We plan on enrolling 50 patients during this phase. We are starting with just 4 hospitals, so our study team can create and update our study plans if needed. We will closely review information about how many patients and families agree to participate, and if they have any trouble completing any part of the study. We will also interview families to understand the choice to participate in the study, the choice not to participate in the study, and what it is like to be in the study. During the second study phase, we will enroll 1150 more patients across all 11 hospitals. Families will complete short, daily surveys until the 15th day after they started antibiotics, then a larger survey at day 15, at day 20, and at day 30. These surveys will ask about the child's symptoms and recovery from their illness, how the antibiotics are making them feel, and if they had to go back to their doctor, emergency room, or hospital. The answers to these questions will be combined to measure how well the child did, balancing feeling better and having bad effects from the antibiotics. We will use mathematical tests to determine which antibiotic duration is better for treating these illnesses. We will complete other mathematical tests to see if all children should receive the same length of antibiotics or if certain children should be prescribed shorter courses and others longer courses.

Phase 4

Waitlist Available

New This Month

Children's of Alabama (+9 Sites)

Sunitha V Kaiser, MD, MSc

Image of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, United States.

Educational Tool for Urinary Tract Infections

18+

All Sexes

Houston, TX

Urine culture is the most common microbiological test in the outpatient setting in the United States. Unfortunately, contamination during collection is prevalent and undermines test accuracy, leading to incorrect diagnosis, unnecessary treatment, wasted laboratory resources, and inflated costs. Unnecessary antibiotic treatment increases the risk of developing antimicrobial resistance, one of the most serious threats to patients and public health. The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether a bilingual (English and Spanish) educational intervention, an animated video and pictorial flyer, can reduce urine culture contamination and associated inappropriate antibiotic use in adult patients visiting safety-net primary care clinics. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does providing patients with a bilingual educational intervention reduce urine culture contamination rates? 2. Does the intervention lead to fewer unnecessary urinary antibiotic prescriptions? 3. Does providing patients with a bilingual educational intervention reduce contaminated urinalyses? Researchers will compare patients randomized to receive the educational intervention (video and flyer) to those receiving usual care to see if the intervention improves urine collection accuracy and reduces inappropriate antibiotic use. Participants will watch a short, animated video with step-by-step instructions for proper midstream clean-catch urine (MSCC) collection, receive a pictorial flyer (with stills from the video) reinforcing the instructions, and provide a urine sample for culture. Hypothesis: patients who receive the educational intervention will have: lower urine culture contamination rates (primary outcome), fewer urinary antibiotic prescriptions (secondary outcome), and fewer contaminated urinalyses (secondary outcome). The objectives are to (1) develop educational tools: Create an animated video and pictorial flyer with step-by-step urine collection instructions for women and men, developed through an iterative, stakeholder-engaged process, (2) assess acceptability: Use mixed methods (quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews) to evaluate and refine the tools for usability and cultural/linguistic appropriateness, and (3) test effectiveness: Conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess the intervention's impact on urine contamination rates, antibiotic prescribing, and patient satisfaction.

Waitlist Available

Has No Placebo

Baylor College of Medicine

Larissa Grigoryan, MD, PhD