Selectrim 500mg Capsule belongs to the class of antibiotics known as cephalosporin, indicated for treating a wide range of bacterial infections. It helps in the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI), Mild to moderate lower respiratory tract infections (bronchitis), severe lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia), pyelonephritis (kidney inflammation due to the bacterial infection), uncomplicated gonorrhoea (sexually transmitted infection), Lyme disease (caused due to biting of infected black-legged tick insect) in adults and children above 12 years of age.

Selectrim 500mg Capsule is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that kills a wide range of bacteria (bactericidal). It kills the bacterial cell by binding to the outer layer of the bacteria and blocking the activity of the enzyme that makes peptidoglycan (a vital component of the bacterial cell wall). As a result, the bacterial cell cannot grow and multiply and finally gets killed.

You should take Selectrim 500mg Capsule only if your doctor has prescribed you. Selectrim 500mg Capsule is available in various forms, such as oral tablets, dispersible tablets, and oral suspension. Most bacterial infections get treated within one week, while some conditions might take longer. So, it would be best if you tried to complete the dose your doctor prescribed for the specific bacterial infection. During the treatment with Selectrim 500mg Capsule, you may observe some mild and transient nature of common side effects like headache, dizziness,  stomach upset, overgrowth of candida (fungal skin infection), unpleasant taste in the mouth, diaper rashes, and eosinophilia (increased disease-fighting cells WBCs). These side effects are usually in the initial phase and then resolved after some time. However, if these side effects persist, let your doctor know about them.

Overdosage of Selectrim 500mg Capsule can cause brain problems (cerebral irritation with fits or convulsions attack). There is no clinical evidence of a Selectrim 500mg Capsule effect on the mother or baby during pregnancy. However, one should take the Selectrim 500mg Capsule with caution. Selectrim 500mg Capsule is excreted in the breastmilk, so the nursing mother should cautiously take Selectrim 500mg Capsule. This antibiotic may cause dizziness, so patients should be cautious while driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery. Selectrim 500mg Capsule is not recommended for people allergic or hypersensitive to Selectrim 500mg Capsule, penicillin, or other beta-lactam antibiotics. In the initial stage of the treatment, you might have diarrhoea and abdominal cramps due to loss of gut flora (good intestinal/gut bacteria that aids digestion). So, the doctor may prescribe you prebiotics or probiotics to increase the number of gut flora. You can drink alcoholic beverages while taking amoxicillin, as it does not interact with Selectrim 500mg Capsule. Liver and kidney-affected people should take this medication with caution.

Selectrim 500mg Capsule treats a wide range of bacterial infections caused due to gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. It helps treat respiratory tract infections, ear infections, skin infections, genitourinary infections, and bone infections. Besides this, Selectrim 500mg Capsule also prevents in spreading of the infection after surgery and in the early treatment of Lyme disease caused by bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) in adults and children over the age of 12 years. The usual course of Selectrim 500mg Capsule is seven days (5-10 days). But, your doctor might prescribe you Selectrim 500mg Capsule for a longer duration depending on the condition of infection. Selectrim 500mg Capsule has excellent antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus para influenza, Streptococcus pneumonia, S. pyrogens, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Special care should be taken by the people taking Selectrim 500mg Capsule who have allergic reactions to penicillin or other beta-lactam antibiotics. Use with other antibiotics may lead to a fungal skin infection known as Candida. Prolonged use of Selectrim 500mg Capsule may also cause an overgrowth of other pathogens (like enterococci and Clostridium difficile), which can be prevented by stopping Selectrim 500mg Capsule. The case of colitis (inflammatory bowel disease) has been reported using Selectrim 500mg Capsule. Hence, it is important to consider the proper diagnosis of the patients who developed diarrhoea after taking Selectrim 500mg Capsule. If the symptom of diarrhoea persists for a longer duration, the patient may experience abdominal cramps. In this situation, you should discontinue the intake of Selectrim 500mg Capsule immediately. The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction (caused due to toxins released by the death of bacteria within the body during antibiotic treatment) has been seen in the patients taking Selectrim 500mg Capsule for the treatment of Lyme disease. Your ability to perform tasks that require judgment, cognitive, or body movement may be affected, and you may have dizziness. So patients taking Selectrim 500mg Capsule should be warned to be cautious when driving or operating machinery.

• It would be best to take probiotics after taking the full course of Selectrim 500mg Capsule to restore some of the healthy bacteria in the intestine that may have been killed. Taking probiotics after antibiotic treatment can reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Certain fermented foods like yoghurt, cheese, sauerkraut and kimchi can help restore the intestine's good bacteria.
• Include more fibre-enriched food in your diet, as it can be easily digested by gut bacteria which helps stimulate their growth. Thus fibre foods may help restore healthy gut bacteria after taking a course of antibiotics. Whole grains like whole-grain bread, and brown rice, should be included in your diet.
• Avoid taking too much calcium enriched foods and drinks as it might affect the working of Selectrim 500mg Capsule.
• Avoid intake of alcoholic beverages with Selectrim 500mg Capsule as it can make you dehydrated and affect your sleep. This can make it harder for your body to aid the Selectrim 500mg Capsule in fighting off infections.

A bacterial infection is a condition in which harmful bacteria enter, multiply and infect our body. It can target any body part and multiple very quickly. When you get infected with bacteria, you can experience generalized symptoms like fevers, chills, and fatigue. Bacteria are of various forms comprising commonly spherical, rod, and spiral-shaped. Bacterial infections vary from minor illnesses like sore throat and ear infections to severe brain infections like meningitis and encephalitis. Few harmful bacteria that cause infections include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and E. coli. Anyone can become infected with a bacterial infection. But, people with weak immune systems or taking immunosuppressive medicine can make you more prone to bacterial infection.