Gentamicin
About Gentamicin
Gentamicin is a prescription antibiotic liquid used to treat bacterial infections in the eyes or ears. It works by targeting and stopping the growth of harmful bacteria that cause redness, swelling, and irritation. This local treatment helps clear up painful infections directly at the source without affecting the rest of your body.
For the best results, you must use Gentamicin at regular intervals and complete the entire course prescribed by your doctor. Skipping applications or stopping early can allow the infection to return and make the bacteria harder to treat. Because this is a topical drop applied directly to the eye or ear, you do not need to worry about taking it with food, but making simple adjustments like avoiding contact lenses or keeping your ears completely dry can speed up your recovery.
Most people tolerate these drops well, though you might feel a brief stinging or burning when you first apply them. If you notice severe irritation, skin rashes around the application area, or changes in your vision or hearing, stop using the drops and speak with a doctor right away. It is always best to consult your healthcare provider if you experience any unusual symptoms during your treatment.
Before you start using Gentamicin, tell your doctor if you have ever had a torn eardrum, kidney problems, or hearing loss. Do not use this if you have had an allergic reaction to similar antibiotic drops in the past. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to use these drops for an elderly family member, consult your doctor first to make sure they are safe to use.
Uses of Gentamicin
• Bacterial eye infections: Gentamicin is used to treat bacterial infections of the eye such as conjunctivitis, keratitis and blepharitis.
• Corneal Ulcers: Gentamicin is used to treat corneal ulcers, especially those caused by bacterial infections.
• Post-Surgical Eye Infections: Gentamicin may also be used to prevent bacterial infection after eye surgeries or after removal of foreign body from the eye.
• Ear Infections: Gentamicin is used to treat bacterial infections of outer ear (otitis externa) or middle ear (otitis media).
Medicinal Benefits
Gentamicin helps treat bacterial eye and ear infections at the site of infection, providing fast relief from symptoms. Key benefits include:
- Provides targeted relief: Works directly at the site of infection to reduce pain, redness, swelling, and discharge.
- Fights bacterial infections effectively: Eliminates the bacteria causing the infection, helping to clear it more quickly.
- Has minimal absorption into the bloodstream: Delivers treatment where it is needed while keeping the risk of body-wide side effects low.
- Helps prevent the spread of infection: Reduces the risk of the infection spreading to the other eye or deeper into the ear canal.
Directions for Use
- Follow your doctor's instructions on the dosage and timing of this medication.
- For Eye: Lie down and tilt your head backwards. Pull your lower eyelid gently with your index finger to form a pocket. Instil the number of drops advised by the doctor into the pocket of the lower eyelid. Close your eyes for 1-2 minutes.
- For Ear: Lie down with the affected ear facing upwards. Hold the dropper over the ear and instil the prescribed number of drops into the ear.
- Gentamicin is for use in eyes/ears only. Not for injection.
- Once the nozzle is piereced, do not touch the nozzle tip as this may contaminate the solution.
Storage
Side Effects of Gentamicin
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Brief stinging, burning, or irritation right after applying the drops
- Temporary watery eyes or blurred vision
- Mild itching or redness in or around the eye or ear
Serious Side Effects (Call a doctor right away):
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as a severe skin rash, itching, hives, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat
- Severe burning, pain, or swelling in the eye or ear that does not go away
- Changes in your hearing, ringing in your ears (tinnitus), or dizziness
- Worsening of your symptoms or a new infection
Medicines Containing this Salt
View AllDrug Warnings
- Check the liquid first: Inspect the bottle before each use. Do not use the drops if the liquid is cloudy, has changed colour, or contains visible particles.
- Avoid contamination: Never let the tip of the dropper touch your eye, ear, eyelids, fingers, or any other surface, as this can introduce bacteria into the bottle.
- Space out other drops: If your doctor has prescribed other eye or ear drops, wait at least 5 to 10 minutes between applying Gentamicin and your other medications.
- Do not share your drops: Keep your medicine for your own use only. Sharing eye or ear drops can easily spread infections from one person to another.
- Finish the entire course: Even if your symptoms disappear after a couple of days, continue using the drops for the full length of time prescribed to ensure all the bacteria are destroyed.
- Ear check warning: Do not use these ear drops if you have a torn or perforated eardrum unless your specialist has explicitly examined you and told you to do so.
Drug Interactions
- Other topical medications: Using other eye or ear drops at the same time can wash out Gentamicin or reduce its effectiveness. Always space them out by at least 10 minutes.
- Other aminoglycosides: Talk to your doctor if you are taking other strong antibiotics by mouth or injection, as combining them might increase the risk of hearing or kidney problems.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionAlcohol consumption may worsen the side effects like dizziness; hence please avoid or limit alcohol intake while being treated with Gentamicin.
Pregnancy
consult your doctorIt is advised to consult your doctor if you plan to conceive or are already pregnant before starting Gentamicin.
Breast Feeding
consult your doctorThere are limited studies on how Gentamicin affects breastfed infants. Please consult your doctor before using Gentamicin if you are breastfeeding.
Driving
cautionGentamicin may cause side effects like blurry vision or dizziness, affecting your driving ability. Do not drive or operate machinery in such cases. Drive only when you are alert and have clear vision.
Liver
consult your doctorLet your doctor know if you have any history of liver diseases or hepatic impairment before starting Gentamicin.
Kidney
consult your doctorLet your doctor know if you have any history of kidney diseases before starting Gentamicin.
Children
cautionGentamicin can be used for children above 1 month if prescribed by a doctor.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Avoid wearing contact lenses: Do not wear contact lenses while treating an eye infection. Wait until your infection has fully cleared and your doctor says it is safe to wear them again.
- Skip eye makeup: Avoid using mascara, eyeliner, or eye shadow during treatment, as these products can carry bacteria and reinfect your eye.
- Keep ears dry: If you are treating an ear infection, keep your ear canal dry. Use earplugs or a cotton ball coated with petroleum jelly while showering or bathing to keep water, soap, and shampoo out.
- Practice good hygiene: Wash your hands frequently, especially before and after applying your drops. Avoid rubbing your eyes or scratching your ears to prevent spreading the bacteria.
- Sanitise your bedding: Wash pillowcases, towels, and sheets in hot water to kill any lingering bacteria and prevent reinfection.
Special Advise
It is advised to contact your doctor if the infection symptoms persist or worsen after two weeks of treatment.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Bacterial eye infection: A bacterial eye infection occurs when bacteria invade any part of the eyeball or its surrounding tissues, including the cornea (clear front surface of the eye) and the conjunctiva (thin membrane lining the outer eye and inner eyelids). A bacterial eye infection symptoms include red eyes, pain, swelling of the eyes, watery eyes, itching, and blurry vision. Some very common eye infections are conjunctivitis, stye (bump on the eyelid), uveitis (inflammation of the uvea-middle layer of the eye), marginal keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), and blepharitis.
Bacterial ear infection: Bacterial ear infection occurs when bacteria infect the outer or middle ear. The most common bacterial strains that cause ear infections are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenza. Symptoms include ear ache (sharp, sudden pain or a dull, continuous pain), feeling of fullness in the ear, ear drainage, and muffled hearing. Treatment may include over-the-counter painkillers, anti-allergic drugs, antibiotics, and steroids.
FAQs
It is generally recommended not to wear contact lenses while treating an eye infection with Gentamicin. Remove your contact lenses before applying the drops and avoid wearing them until your doctor says it is safe. If you normally wear contact lenses, wash your hands before and after using the drops and follow your doctor's advice about when to resume wearing them.
Some formulations of Gentamicin are designed for both eye and ear use, but you must only do this if the product label specifically says it is for eye/ear use and your doctor has instructed you to do so. Never use ear-only drops in your eyes, as they can cause severe damage. Talk to your pharmacist if you are unsure.
These drops may cause temporary blurred vision immediately after application. If this happens, do not drive, operate machinery, or perform any tasks that require clear vision until your sight has returned to normal. Talk to your doctor if your vision remains blurry.
Most people start to feel relief within 24 to 48 hours of starting the drops. However, even if your symptoms improve quickly, you must finish the entire course prescribed by your doctor to make sure the infection is completely gone. If your symptoms do not improve after a few days, talk to your doctor.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, only use this medication if your doctor decides it is absolutely necessary. While very little of the drug enters your bloodstream from eye or ear drops, it is always safest to talk to your doctor before starting any new medication.
A mild, temporary stinging or burning sensation is very common and usually lasts for only a minute or two after application. However, if the stinging is severe, gets worse, or is accompanied by swelling and redness, you should stop using the drops and talk to your doctor right away.
Stopping the drops too early can leave some of the strongest bacteria alive. These surviving bacteria can multiply, causing the infection to return, and they may become resistant to the antibiotic. Always finish the exact course prescribed, and talk to your pharmacist if you have questions.
Once opened, a bottle of Gentamicin should typically be discarded after 4 weeks (28 days). This is because bacteria can enter the bottle during use and contaminate the liquid, which could cause a new infection if used later. Talk to your pharmacist about proper disposal of expired drops.
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