Zyvox comes as a capsule, an oral liquid, and in an IV injection form. The capsules and oral liquid can be taken with or without food. It is usually taken twice daily (every 12 hours) for 10 to 28 days. Children 11 years of age and younger usually take Zyvox two to three times a day (every 8 to 12 hours) for 10 to 28 days. The length of treatment depends on the type and severity of your infection.
Zyvox oral liquid
- Gently mix the oral liquid by turning the bottle over three to five times. Do not shake Zyvox liquid.
- For accuracy, measure the oral liquid with an oral syringe or a measuring spoon or medicine cup. Do not use a regular household spoon to measure.
- Throw away any unused oral liquid after 21 days.
Take Zyvox exactly as prescribed. Do not skip Zyvox doses. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your regular dosing.
Do not stop taking Zyvox before your doctor recommends, even if you are feeling better.
Zyvox injection
For adults, Zyvox injection is infused into a vein twice daily for 10 to 28 days. The infusion usually lasts between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Children 11 years of age and younger usually receive Zyvox injections 2 to 3 times daily, for 10 to 28 days.
Injections are usually given by a healthcare professional in a medical facility, however, your doctor may decide that you can be taught to give yourself your injections.
Zyvox is available in tablets, oral liquid, and in an injectable form.
Active ingredient: linezolid
Inactive ingredients:
- Intravenous product – sodium citrate, citric acid monohydrate, dextrose
- Tablet – corn starch, microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, magnesium stearate, hypromelloses, polyethylene glycols, titanium dioxide, carnauba wax
- Liquid suspension product – sucrose, citric acid monohydrate, sodium citrate, microcrystalline cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, aspartame, xanthan gum, mannitol, sodium benzoate, silicon dioxide, sodium chloride
Zyvox (linezolid) is an oral medication used primarily to treat severe infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to other medications, such as streptococci, methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resisant enterococci (VRE). These bacteria usually cause pneumonia and skin infections. It is part of a class of medications called oxazolidinone antibiotics, and it works by interfering with the growth and division of bacteria.
In case of an overdose seek medical attention.
Zyvox is a prescription medication used to treat infections, including pneumonia, and certain blood and skin infections.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Zyvox will harm your unborn baby.
The dose your doctor recommends will depend on your age, weight, and the type and severity of your infection.
- Adults – The usual recommended dose of Zyvox in adults is 600 mg every 12 hours. For some infections, including certain skin or soft tissue infections, the recommended dose in adults is 400 mg every 12 hours.
- Children (11 years of age and younger) – The usual dose of Zyvox in children is based on weight.
- Children (12 years of age and older) – The usual recommended dose is 600 mg every 12 hours.
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medications or supplements. Inform your doctor if you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, seizures, or hyperthyroidism. Be sure to inform your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Complete blood counts should be monitored weekly in patients who receive Zyvox, particularly in those who receive Zyvox for longer than two weeks, those with pre-existing myelosuppression, those receiving concomitant drugs that produce bone marrow suppression, or those with a chronic infection who have received previous or concomitant antibiotic therapy.
Discontinuation of therapy with Zyvox should be considered in patients who develop or have worsening myelosuppression.
- Store at room temperature (25°C or 77°F).
- Protect from light.
- Keep bottles tightly closed to protect from moisture.
- It is recommended that the infusion bags be kept in the overwrap until ready to use.
- Protect infusion bags from freezing.
- Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.
Serious side effects have been reported with Zyvox including the following:
- serotonin syndrome. This is a potentially life-threatening condition that has occurred in some people who have received Zyvox. Your risk for developing this condition is increased if you take certain medicines that affect serotonin levels, or if you have a condition known as carcinoid syndrome. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome, which can occur within minutes to hours, may include
- agitation or restlessness
- confusion
- diarrhea
- fast heart beat and high blood pressure
- hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not real)
- increased body temperature
- heavy sweating (without activity)
- shivering
- tremor
- loss of coordination
- nausea
- overactive reflexes
- rapid changes in blood pressure
- vomiting
Zyvox increases your risk of
- seizures
- vision loss
- psuedomembranous colitis
- lactic acidosis (a buildup of lactic acid in the blood). Signs of lactic acidosis inlcude
- nausea
- vomiting
- stomach pain
- fast breathing
Zyvox oral liquid contains phenylalanine. If you have phenylketonuria, the amount of phenylalanine you consume must be limited. Talk to your doctor about the other Zyvox formulations available.
Do not take Zyvox if you:
- have a known allergy to any of its ingredients
- are taking medicines that can increase your blood pressure, or if your high blood pressure is uncontrolled
- are taking a MAO inhibitor (see “Drug Interactions”)
- are taking certain antidepressants
Tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions including if you have:
- carcinoid syndrome (a condition in which a tumor secretes serotonin)
- a long-lasting infection, or if you are currently being treated with other antibiotics
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- hyperthyroidism (over-active thyroid)
- problems with your immune system
- a tumor of the adrenal gland (pheochromocytoma)
- a history of seizures
- kidney disease
- phenylketonuria (Zyvox oral liquid contains phenylalanine)
- allergies to medications (especially Zyvox or any of its ingredients)
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Common side effects of Zyvox include:
- dizziness
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- stomach pain
- headache
- nausea
- Sleep difficulties
Other side effects include:
Lactic Acidosis
Lactic acidosis has been reported with the use of ZYVOX. In reported cases, patients experienced repeated episodes of nausea and vomiting. Patients who develop recurrent nausea or vomiting, unexplained acidosis, or a low bicarbonate level while receiving ZYVOX should receive immediate medical evaluation.
Serotonin Syndrome
Spontaneous reports of serotonin syndrome associated with the co-administration of ZYVOX and serotonergic agents, including antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been reported.
Peripheral and Optic Neuropathy
Peripheral and optic neuropathy have been reported in patients treated with ZYVOX, primarily those patients treated for longer than the maximum recommended duration of 28 days. In cases of optic neuropathy that progressed to loss of vision, patients were treated for extended periods beyond the maximum recommended duration. Visual blurring has been reported in some patients treated with ZYVOX for less than 28 days.
If patients experience symptoms of visual impairment, such as changes in visual acuity, changes in color vision, blurred vision, or visual field defect, prompt ophthalmic evaluation is recommended.
Convulsions
Convulsions have been reported in patients when treated with Zyvox. In some of these cases, a history of seizures or risk factors for seizures was reported.
ZYVOX has not been studied in patients with uncontrolled hypertension, pheochromocytoma, carcinoid syndrome, or untreated hyperthyroidism.
The safety and efficacy of ZYVOX formulations given for longer than 28 days have not been evaluated in controlled clinical trials.
If any of these side effects do not go away, contact a medical healthcare professional.
To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of ZYVOX and other antibacterial drugs, ZYVOX should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy.
Zyvox is available in tablet or liquid form. Zyvox can be taken with or without food. Your doctor will prescribe your usage information based on the particular type of infection you have. Zyvox is generally taken 2-3 times a day. Do not alter the amount of Zyvox you are taking without first consulting with your healthcare provider. Do not stop taking Zyvox even if you believe you have recovered from your infection.
Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Zyvox you should avoid eating or drinking large amounts of foods and beverages containing tyramine.
Foods and beverages that have been pickled, smoked, or fermented usually contain tyramine. These foods and beverages include alcoholic beverages, especially beer, Chianti, and other red wines; alcohol-free beer; cheeses (especially strong, aged, or processed varieties); sauerkraut; dried meats and sausage (including hard salami and pepperoni); and soy sauce.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Zyvox is excreted in human breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby.
ZYVOX formulations are indicated in the treatment of the following infections:
Pneumonia
Infections of the skin and blood
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:
- antidepressant medications such as
- buspirone (Buspar)
- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), and vilazodone (Viibyrd)
- serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and venlafaxine (Effexor);
- tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), amoxapine (Asendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil), and trimipramine (Surmontil)
- monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as isocarboxazid (Marplan) phenelzine (Nardil). rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl), and tranylcypromine (Parnate)
- medications for migraine such as almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Imitrex), and zolmitriptan (Zomig)
- meperidine (Demerol)
- pseudoephedrine (Sudafed; in many cold or decongestant medications)
- amphetamine (in Adderall)
- carbamazepine
- dextroamphetamine (Adderall,Dexedrine, DextroStat)
- dexmethylphenidate (Focalin)
- lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanase)
- methamphetamine (Desoxyn)
- methylphenidate (Concerta, Metadate, Methylin, Ritalin)
- other antibiotics
- phenobarbital
- phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
- rifampin (Rifadin,Rimactance, in Rifamate in Rifater)
This is not a complete list of Zyvox drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.