Cefuroxime Dosage: What You Need to Know About Use, Side Effects, and Alternatives
When your doctor prescribes cefuroxime, a second-generation cephalosporin antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections like sinusitis, bronchitis, and urinary tract infections. Also known as Ceftin, it's often chosen when penicillin won't work or when you need something stronger than basic antibiotics. It doesn't cure every infection—only those caused by bacteria—and getting the cefuroxime dosage right matters just as much as taking it at all.
Most adults take 250 to 500 mg twice a day, depending on the infection. For a simple throat infection, you might only need 250 mg every 12 hours for 10 days. But if it’s pneumonia or a stubborn sinus infection, your doctor might bump it up to 500 mg. Kids get doses based on weight—usually 20 mg per kg per day, split into two doses. Never guess the dose. Too little won’t kill the bacteria, and too much raises your risk of side effects like diarrhea, nausea, or even a yeast infection. If you’ve had allergic reactions to penicillin, talk to your doctor first—cross-reactivity is real, even if it’s not guaranteed.
It’s not just about the number on the pill bottle. cefuroxime side effects, commonly include upset stomach, dizziness, and vaginal itching, but rare cases can involve serious issues like Clostridioides difficile colitis or severe skin reactions. That’s why finishing the full course—even if you feel better—is critical. Stopping early lets surviving bacteria grow back stronger, leading to resistant strains. And if cefuroxime isn’t working, or you can’t tolerate it, alternatives like amoxicillin-clavulanate, a combination antibiotic often used for similar infections, or doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic effective for respiratory and skin infections might be better options. Some people switch because of cost, others because of allergies or past reactions.
The posts below give you real comparisons and practical tips—like how cefuroxime stacks up against other antibiotics for ear infections or how to handle nausea while taking it. You’ll find guides on when to ask for a different drug, what to do if you miss a dose, and how to spot early signs of trouble. No theory. No marketing. Just what people actually need to know when they’re trying to get better.