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Sulfadiazine

Precautions

Before taking sulfadiazine, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to sulfa medications; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: certain metabolic disorders (porphyria, G6PD deficiency), kidney disease, liver disease, severe allergies, asthma, diabetes, blood disorders (such as anemia due to folate vitamin deficiency), decreased bone marrow function (bone marrow suppression).

Sulfadiazine may cause live bacterial vaccines (such as typhoid vaccine) to not work well. Tell your health care professional that you are using sulfadiazine before having any immunizations/vaccinations.

This medication may make you more sensitive to the sun. Limit your time in the sun. Avoid tanning booths and sunlamps. Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing when outdoors. Get medical help right away if you get sunburned or have skin blisters/redness.

Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of the drug, especially skin reactions and blood disorders.

During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. This medication should not be used near the expected delivery date because of possible harm to the unborn baby. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.

This drug passes into breast milk. While there have been no reports of harm to healthy infants, this drug may have undesirable effects on infants who are ill or premature or have certain disorders (jaundice, high blood levels of bilirubin, G6PD deficiency). Breastfeeding is not recommended in infants with these conditions. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Side Effects

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or headache may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Remember that this medication has been prescribed because your doctor has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: mental/mood changes (such as depression, hallucinations), signs of kidney problems (such as change in the amount of urine, crystals in the urine, painful urination), lump/growth/swelling in the front of the neck (goiter), signs of low blood sugar (such as shaking, dizziness, blurred vision, unusual hunger).

This medication may rarely cause a severe intestinal condition due to a bacteria called C. difficile. This condition may occur during treatment or weeks to months after treatment has stopped. Tell your doctor right away if you develop: diarrhea that doesn't stop, abdominal or stomach pain/cramping, blood/mucus in your stool.

If you have these symptoms, do not use anti-diarrhea or opioid products because they may make symptoms worse.

Use of this medication for prolonged or repeated periods may result in oral thrush or a new vaginal yeast infection. Contact your doctor if you notice white patches in your mouth, a change in vaginal discharge, or other new symptoms.

Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: headache that is severe or doesn't go away, confusion, neck stiffness, seizures.

This medication may rarely cause serious (possibly fatal) allergic reactions and other side effects such as a severe peeling skin rash (such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome), blood disorders (such as agranulocytosis, aplastic anemia), liver damage, or lung injury. Get medical help right away if you notice any of the following: cough that doesn't go away, nausea/vomiting that doesn't stop, skin rash/blisters, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing, signs of a new infection (such as sore throat that doesn't go away, fever), pale skin, easy bleeding/bruising, yellowing eyes/skin, unusual tiredness, dark urine, stomach/abdominal pain, joint pain.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

In the US -

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

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Drug information is selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First DataBank, Inc. This is a summary and does not contain all possible information about this product. For complete information about this product or your specific health needs, ask your healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your healthcare professional if you have any questions about this product or your medical condition. This information is not intended as individual medical advice and does not substitute for the knowledge and judgment of your healthcare professional. This information does not contain any assurances that this product is safe, effective or appropriate for you.

This information is intended only for residents of the United States. Products sold under the same brand names in other countries may contain different ingredients.

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Information expires December 2025.