Imipenem with Cilastatin
“This page provides important general information for pet owners whose animals have been prescribed Imipenem with Cilastatin in Perth during a consultation by Dr Noor.”
(i-me-pen-em with sye-la-stat-in)
Description:
This medicine is an antibiotic in the “beta-lactam” group (a type of antibiotic).
Other Names for this Medication:
- Primaxin®
Common Dosage Forms:
- For animals: there are no standard veterinary forms.
- For people: it comes as 250 mg and 500 mg vials that must be mixed into a liquid for injection.
Antimicrobial Classification:
- Critically Important
This handout does not include every detail that exists about this medicine. It is meant to help with common questions, but it does not replace medical guidance. If you still have questions or need additional details about this medicine, speak with your veterinarian or your pharmacist.
Key Information – Imipenem with Cilastatin
- This medicine must be given by injection into a vein or under the skin. If it is injected into a muscle, it can be extremely painful.
- If this medicine is given by mouth, it will not work.
- This medicine can sometimes lead to seizures, but this does not happen often.
- Hair over the injection area may become less thick or may change color.
How is this medication useful?
- In dogs and cats, imipenem with cilastatin is used for severe bacterial infections when other antibiotics no longer work against the bacteria.
- This medicine is not officially approved for animals.
- In certain cases, veterinarians may prescribe medicines that contain this drug for other species or for different medical problems. You and your veterinarian can talk about why this medicine is the best option.
What should I tell my veterinarian to see if this medication can be safely given?
Many different factors can change how well this medicine works for your animal. Talk with your veterinarian about the points below so you can make treatment choices together.
- Some medicines can affect how imipenem with cilastatin works. Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about everything your animal receives, including prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. Also share how much you give and when you give each one.
- Tell your veterinarian about any health problems your animal has now, or has had before.
- If your animal is pregnant or nursing, discuss the possible risks of using this medicine.
- Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist if your animal has ever had side effects from medicines before. This includes allergic reactions, not wanting to eat, loose stool/diarrhea, itching, or hair loss.
- If your animal has had treatment before for the same illness or problem, tell your veterinarian what was used and whether it helped or did not help.
How long until I will know if this medication is working, and how long will the effects of this medication last?
- This medicine should begin to act within 1 to 2 hours. Even so, you may not be able to see obvious changes right away.
- Your animal should start to feel better within 1 to 2 days.
- This medicine does not last long in the body. Its action stops within 24 hours. However, the helpful effects may last longer if your animal’s kidneys and/or liver are not working normally.
When should this medication not be used or be used very carefully?
No medicine is completely safe for every patient. Your veterinarian will talk with you about any concerns that apply to your animal.
This drug SHOULD NOT be used in patients:
- That have an allergy to this medicine or to similar medicines (for example, ertapenem or meropenem).
This drug should be used WITH CAUTION in patients with:
- Kidney problems.
- Seizures, or a past history of seizures.
If your animal has any of the conditions listed above, talk with your veterinarian about the possible benefits compared with the possible risks.
What are the side effects of this medication?
Side effects that usually are not serious include:
- Stinging where the injection is given, especially if it is injected into a muscle.
- If this side effect is strong, gets worse, or does not go away and continues to be a concern, contact your veterinarian.
Side effects that may be serious or indicate a serious problem:
- Seizures (this is uncommon).
- In cats, not wanting to eat.
- Low energy, skin rashes, trouble breathing, and signs that may suggest anemia (for example, pale gums) can be signs of an allergic reaction to this medicine.
- If you notice any of these signs, contact your veterinarian right away.
If my animal gets too much of this medication (an overdose), what should I do?
- Too much imipenem with cilastatin can be dangerous. It can harm the kidneys, the nervous system (the body’s control system for the brain and nerves), and the liver.
- If you see an overdose happen, or you think it may have happened, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control center for instructions.
How should this medication be given?
For this medicine to work properly, it must be given exactly the way your veterinarian prescribed it.
Always read the prescription label so you confirm you are giving the correct medicine in the correct way.
By Injection:
- Your veterinarian or pharmacist will provide what you need to prepare and give the injections. This includes items such as needles, syringes, and the liquid used to mix the medicine.
- If the medicine must be mixed before use, prepare it exactly as your veterinarian or pharmacist instructs.
- Each time you prepare a vial and each time you give an injection, use a brand-new needle and a brand-new syringe. Do not use needles or syringes again.
- When you add the mixing liquid to the vial, it is important to balance the pressure inside the vial. Your pharmacist or veterinarian will show you how to add the liquid in a way that prevents the medicine from spraying out.
- After you add the mixing liquid, shake the vial until the liquid looks clear.
- Most often, your veterinarian will then have you dilute (mix) the entire vial into a larger bag of fluids so it can be given under the skin.
- Because this medicine must be injected, make sure you fully understand the dose, where to give it, and the correct way to give the injection.
- Once mixed, imipenem with cilastatin breaks down quickly unless it is prepared exactly as directed and kept in the refrigerator.
- After mixing, the “use by” time depends on the instructions, but it is never more than 24 hours.
- Do not use any mixed solution after its expiration time.
- Mixed liquid should look clear to light yellow. It may become more yellow as time passes, and it can still be acceptable to use.
- Do not use any liquid that is turning brown.
- Injections can sting.
- If your animal reacts strongly to the injections, your veterinarian may be able to provide something to mix into the solution to reduce the stinging.
- If you are giving injections at home, put used needles and syringes into a sharps container right after use.
- Your veterinarian or pharmacist can help you get a sharps container.
- Avoid accidentally poking yourself. Do not try to remove the needle from the syringe.
- Keep sharps containers where children and pets cannot reach them.
- When the container is about three-quarters full, dispose of it following your local rules.
- This medicine may need to be given for different lengths of time.
- Make sure you know how long your veterinarian wants you to keep giving it.
- You may need prescription refills before the full course of treatment is finished.
- Do not stop this medicine without speaking with your veterinarian, because there may be important reasons to continue.
What should I do if I miss giving a dose of this medication?
- If you forget a dose, give it as soon as you remember.
- If it is almost time for the next scheduled dose, do not give the missed dose. Instead, give the next dose at the regular time.
- After that, continue with the normal schedule.
- Do not give two doses at once and do not give extra doses.
How should I store this medication?
- Keep this medicine in the original container from the pharmacy, or in another container your pharmacist or veterinarian provided.
- Unmixed powder vials can be kept at room temperature.
- After the medicine is mixed into a liquid, it must be kept in the refrigerator.
- After mixing, the expiration time depends on the instructions, but it cannot be longer than 24 hours.
- Do not use any mixed liquid after its expiration time.
- If your veterinarian or pharmacist has prepared a special made-for-your-pet version (a compounded product), follow the storage directions and the expiration date for that specific product.
- Store this medicine where children and other animals cannot access it.
Can handling this medication be hazardous to me, my family, or other animals?
- No special safety steps are needed when handling this medicine unless you are allergic to it.
- After you handle any medicine, wash your hands.
How should I dispose of this medication if I don’t use it all?
- Do not pour this medicine into a toilet or down a sink.
- If there is a community medicine take-back program, use that option.
- If there is no take-back program, combine the medicine with coffee grounds or cat litter so it is unpleasant to children and animals and not recognizable to people who might search through trash.
- Put that mixture into a sealable plastic bag so it does not leak.
- Throw the sealed bag into the regular trash.
- Do not keep leftover medicine to use later, and do not give it to anyone else.
What other information is important for this medication?
- While your animal is receiving this medicine, your veterinarian will need to recheck your animal from time to time.
- Do not skip these follow-up visits.
- In some animal competitions, using this medicine may not be permitted.
- Before entering a competition while your animal is receiving this medicine, check the rules.
- If you have more questions about this medicine, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist.
“Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided as general educational material only. Every animal’s health situation is unique, and treatment decisions must be based on a full veterinary assessment. Always follow the specific instructions given during your consultation, and contact the prescribing veterinarian if you have any concerns.”