Various Types of Antibiotic Drugs and their Uses

04/12/2023

 

What are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are very effective and powerful drugs that treat some particular infections when used efficiently. These medications save lives by stopping the bacteria from reproducing and killing them. Although our body's immune system has the ability to kill the bacteria and prevent them from multiplying, but sometimes when these harmful bacteria are in excess, our immune system is not able to clear them all. In these scenarios, antibiotics are considered very useful. Several antibiotics are available these days, and you can buy generic antibiotic drugs online from Canada and treat your condition at reasonable prices. 

How do Antibiotics work?

All antibiotics work in different ways. However, two primary functions include:

1. It stops the bacteria from reproducing or multiplying.

2. It kills or destroys the bacteria.

It will take a few hours or days for symptoms to improve or for someone to feel better after taking the 1st dosage.

Various types of Antibiotics

A lot of antibiotic medications have their unique drug class. When different medications have similar pharmacologic and chemical properties, they are categorized into a single antibiotic class. Drugs in the same antibiotic class may have similar-looking structures and kill or destroy related or even the same bacteria.

 The top 10 types of Antibiotics with their uses are mentioned below:

1. Penicillins 

Due to its structural formula, penicillin is also referred to as a beta-lactam. This class consists of 5 antibiotic groups, i.e., aminopenicillins, beta-lactamase inhibitors, antipseudomonal penicillin, penicillinase-resistant penicillin, and natural penicillin. Common antibiotics in the penicillin class include Amoxil, Augmentin, Principen, etc.

2. Tetracyclines

This antibiotic class is used to treat conditions like UTIs, eye infections, STDs, acne periodontitis, and other bacterial infections. The tetracycline drug class contains medications such as Vibramycin, Minocin, Achromycin V, etc.

3. Cephalosporins

Cephalosporins work similarly to the class of penicillins. They are also bactericidal, which means they kill bacteria. This class treats infections like UTIs, skin infections, meningitis, lung infections, ear infections, and strep throat. Common antibiotics in this class are Duricef, Keflex, Ceftin, Omnicef, etc.

4. Fluoroquinolones

It is a synthetic bactericidal antibacterial class and is used to treat a broad spectrum of infections only in adults and not children. This class of medications is prescribed when all the other less toxic antibiotics have failed to treat a particular condition. Fluoroquinolones include medicines like Cipro, Avelox, Levaquin, and Baxdela.

5. Lincomycins

Lincomycins work against bacteria that can function without oxygen, like gram-positive aerobes and anaerobes. They are helpful in treating infections like lower respiratory tract infections, intra-abdominal infections, pelvic inflammatory conditions, and bone and joint infections. Drugs such as Cleocin, Linocin, and some bacterial vaginal cream form the Lincomycin class.

6. Macrolides

Medications like Zithromax, Biaxin, and Ery tab are the most prescribed macrolide drugs. They are used in treating pertussis, uncomplicated skin infections, community-acquired pneumonia, etc. 

7. Sulfonamides

Sulfonamides are used to treat a wide variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. They are proven effective in treating UTIs and ear infections and preventing and treating pneumocystis pneumonia. Familiar sulfonamides are Bactrim and Azulfidine.

8. Glycopeptide 

Medicines of this group are used to treat complicated skin infections, endocarditis (enterococcal infections), MRSA infections, and C. difficile-associated diarrhea. Common drugs in this class are Vancocin, Dalvance, Orbactiv, etc.

9. Aminoglycosides

This antibiotic drug class includes medications like Amikin, Gentak, and Tobrex. Aminoglycosides inhibit the properties of bacterial synthesis, and they bind with 30S ribosomes to kill the bacteria faster. These medications are available in ophthalmic, inhalation, and injection form.

10. Carbapenems

Carbapenems are injectable antibiotics, and they are used to treat moderate to life-threatening bacterial infections such as kidney infections, stomach infections, multi-drug resistant hospital-acquired infections, and severe cases of pneumonia. Examples in this class are Primaxin, Merrem, and Invanz.

Side Effects & Allergy

Common Side effects of Antibiotic medications are:

• Nausea

• Diarrhea

• Upset stomach

• Vomiting

• Rash

• Fungal infection in the mouth, vagina, and digestive tract due to prolonged use of some antibiotics

• Sensitive towards sunlight

Unusual/ Severe side effects of antibiotic medications are:

• Kidney stones due to sulfonamides

• WBC type – low granulocyte due to penicillin

• Low platelet count due to cephalosporins and penicillin

• Hearing loss due to aminoglycosides or macrolides

• Severe pain due to fluoroquinolones 

Some individuals may develop an allergic reaction to the antibiotic medication like as follows:

• Wheezing

• Coughing

• Swelling of tongue and face

• Rash or hives

• Difficulty breathing

• Fainting or loss of consciousness

• Clammy skin

• Fast heart rate

• Blue or white lips

Seek immediate medical attention if you or anyone near you face any of the above side effects or allergies.

Antibiotics consist of a wide variety of medications. They can be taken by mouth if an oral medication or doctors can administer them if injections are prescribed. Most antibiotics start showing their effects in a few hours. Still, doctors recommend that an individual should not stop taking the medications if they see improvements in their symptoms and complete the course of the treatment. It's even riskier if a person stops taking the drug before the course has finished. It increases the risk of bacteria becoming more resistant to medication in future infections. Confer with your doctor if you want to learn how to take an antibiotic medication if you have issues with the leaflet provided with the medication.