Bactrim DS is a brand-name prescription antibiotic. It is a higher-strength (“double strength”) version of Bactrim. Healthcare providers use Bactrim DS to treat a wide spectrum of bacterial infections. It contains two active ingredients: sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. Both are antibiotics, but they combine to block two steps that bacteria need to grow. Bactrim DS can only be taken as a tablet. People will take two doses daily for a few days to weeks. Regular blood tests may be required.
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Bactrim Ds overview
BRAND NAMES:
Bactrim, Bactrim DS
Generic Names:
Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim
Uses:
Treats or prevents bacterial infections.
Therapeutic Classes:
Antibiotic, sulfonamide combination
Forms:
Tablet
How it’s taken:
By mouth
What is Bactrim Ds used for?
Bactrim DS treats bacterial infections in adults and children 2 years of age and older, including urinary tract infections, ear infections, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, shigellosis, and traveler’s diarrhea. Healthcare providers may use it off-label to treat acne or staph infections.
What form(s) does Bactrim Ds come in
Tablet
800 mg sulfamethoxazole/160 mg trimethoprim
What are common Bactrim Ds doses?
For urinary tract infections in adults and children weighing more than 88 pounds: One Bactrim DS tablet every 12 hours for 10 days
For ear infections (otitis media) in children weighing more than 88 pounds: One Bactrim DS tablet every 12 hours for 10 days
For exacerbations of chronic bronchitis in adults: One Bactrim DS tablet every 12 hours for 14 days
For shigellosis in adults and children weighing 88 pounds or more: One Bactrim DS tablet every 12 hours for five days
For Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia:
In adults and children weighing between 70 and 106 pounds: One Bactrim DS tablet every six hours for 14–21 days
In adults and children weighing between 106 and 141 pounds: One and one-half Bactrim DS tablets every six hours for 14–21 days
In adults and children weighing between 141 and 176 pounds: Two Bactrim DS tablets every six hours for 14–21 days
In adults and children weighing 176 pounds or more: Two and one-half Bactrim DS tablets every six hours for 14–21 days
For traveler’s diarrhea in adults: One Bactrim DS tablet every 12 hours for five days
For bacterial infection prevention in adults: One Bactrim DS tablet daily
Common Bactrim Ds prescriptions
Bactrim DS
10 tablets bottleBactrim DS
30 tablets bottleBactrim DS
60 tablets bottleBactrim DS
90 tablets bottleBactrim DS
800-160mg tablet
How to take Bactrim Ds
Your doctor will tell you how much medicine to use. Do not use more than directed.
Take all of the medicine in the prescription for the full duration of treatment, even if you feel better after the first few doses.
Bactrim DS can be taken with or without food. If it causes stomach problems, take the dose with a meal, a snack, or milk.
Swallow the tablet whole with a drink of water.
Bactrim DS tablets are scored so that they can be divided into half-tablets. If necessary, ask a pharmacist or other healthcare professional how to break scored tablets into two pieces correctly.
Store the medicine in a light-resistant, closed container at room temperature.
What to do if you miss a dose of Bactrim Ds
Take a missed dose when you remember it. If the next dose is almost due, skip the missed dose and wait to take the next dose.
Refrain from taking extra tablets to make up for a missed dose.
Bactrim Ds contraindications
This medicine is not right for some.
Bactrim DS is not to be used in children younger than 2 months.
Do not use Bactrim in any of the following situations:
Any history of an allergic reaction to trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, or sulfa drugs
Any history of blood-clotting problems due to trimethoprim or sulfamethoxazole use
Pregnancy
Blood disorders (megaloblastic anemia) due to folate deficiency
Liver damage
Kidney dysfunction
Bactrim Ds warnings
Tell any doctor, dentist, or other healthcare professional who treats you that you are taking Bactrim DS.
The prescriber may need to check on your progress or do lab tests. Keep all appointments.
It is not safe to take Bactrim DS during pregnancy because it can harm an unborn baby. Immediately tell the prescribing doctor if you become pregnant.
Tell the prescribing doctor if you are breastfeeding, pregnant, or have:
Asthma
Severe allergies
Diabetes
Malnutrition
Difficulty absorbing nutrients from food (malabsorption syndrome)
Folate deficiency
A genetic disorder called G6PD deficiency
Porphyria
Underactive thyroid
HIV/AIDS
Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim can cause serious side effects including:
Liver problems
Kidney dysfunction
Breathing problems
Blood disorders
Rapid or uneven heartbeats
Low blood sugar
High potassium
Low sodium
Pancreas swelling
Muscle damage
Severe allergic reactions
Drink extra fluids to help prevent kidney problems.
This medicine lowers the number of blood cells responsible for blood clotting so that you may bleed or bruise more easily. Be careful to avoid injuries.
This medicine can cause diarrhea weeks to months after Bactrim DS has been discontinued. Call a healthcare professional immediately if you experience severe, watery, or bloody diarrhea when taking Bactrim DS or in the weeks following. Do not take any medicine to stop the diarrhea until you have talked to your doctor.
Bactrim Ds interactions
Bactrim DS should never be taken by someone who is also taking the heart rhythm drug Tikosyn (dofetilide) or, in people with Pneumocystis jirovecii, leucovorin, a drug that’s used with methotrexate in cancer treatment.
Tell the prescribing doctor about all the prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and supplements being used, including:
Blood pressure drugs called ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)
Oral diabetes drugs
Drugs that make you pee (diuretics)
Drugs that treat depression, especially tricyclic antidepressants
Amantadine, cyclosporine, digoxin, indomethacin, memantine, methotrexate, phenytoin, procainamide, pyrimethamine, warfarin, zidovudine
Tell all other healthcare professionals that you are taking Bactrim DS before they prescribe new medications.
Find more information about sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim interactions to avoid here.
Bactrim Ds side effects
Serious side effects
Talk to a doctor if you notice any signs or symptoms of a possible serious side effect, including:
Skin rash, purple spots on your skin, pale skin
Unusual bleeding or bruising
Lack of energy, numbness or tingling, loss of appetite, problems walking, smooth tongue
Severe muscle pain, dark urine
Severe abdominal pain
Racing heartbeats, chest pain
Change in how much or how often you urinate, painful urination, lower back or side pain
Chest pain, cough, or trouble breathing
Severe diarrhea, stomach pain, cramps, bloating
Confusion, weakness, muscle twitching, seizures
Seizures
Dark urine or pale stools, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach pain, yellow skin or eyes
Cough, shortness of breath, trouble breathing
Blistering, peeling, red skin rash, fever, pus-filled nodules
Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing
Less serious side effects
Skin rash
Sensitivity to sunlight
Decreased appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Stomach upset and stomach pain
Dizziness
Ringing in the ears
Fatigue
Trouble sleeping
Sources:
Bactrim DS, Bactrim sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim tablet prescribing information, DailyMed (NIH National Library of Medicine)
Bactrim DS drug summary, Prescriber’s Digital Reference (PDR)
Trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, StatPearls
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