Tygacil Description

Tygacil is an antibacterial drug that is administered via intravenous infusion by a health professional in a hospital setting. If you are 18 years of age or older and have been diagnosed with a complicated skin and skin structure infection, an intra-abdominal infection, or community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, your doctor may recommend Tygacil when alternative treatments are not suitable. The bacteria susceptible to Tygacil include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalatiae, Enterobacter cloacae, Clostridium perfringens, and Legionella pneumophila. The active ingredient in Tygacil is called Tigecycline which will not treat viral or fungal infections so a proper diagnosis is needed before Tygacil will be administered.

Once in your bloodstream via an intravenous catheter, Tygacil works as a bacteriostatic drug for many bacterial infections, which means that it does not actually kill bacteria but prevents it from multiplying. To do this, Tygacil binds to bacterial ribosomes which are responsible for producing the proteins that the bacteria need in order to grow and multiply. Without these proteins, the number of surviving bacteria dwindles until your immune system is able to launch an attack and kill off any that remain. Treatment with Tygacil is usually 7 to 14 days.

Conditions Treated by Tygacil

Tygacil has demonstrated bactericidal activity (kills bacteria) against isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila. Isolates refer to a working sample of bacteria that is successfully cultured so it can be studied, tested, and classified. This will make it easier to discover how to stop these bacteria from multiplying. Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause a contagious respiratory infection, but it is less contagious than the common cold or flu because most people have a healthy immune system that kills the bacteria before they have a chance to grow and cause any symptoms. This is the same for Legionella pneumophila; if your immune system is compromised at all, you are more susceptible to these bacteria when breathed in, for example, from droplets sprayed from an unclean hot tub.

Before You Are Administered Tygacil

Before receiving Tygacil intravenously, tell your doctor if you are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are breast feeding as it may be harmful to your unborn or nursing baby. Discuss other medical conditions or allergies you have and tell your doctor about any OTC or Rx drugs you take that could interact with Tygacil, including herbal remedies and dietary or vitamin supplements.

Warnings for Tygacil

To prevent a pregnancy, ask your doctor about a non-hormonal method of birth control due to the possibility of Tygacil causing oral contraceptives to be less effective. You should avoid tanning beds and wear protective clothing with a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher when outdoors as Tygacil can make your skin more sensitive to UV rays.

Possible Side Effects of Tygacil

• Nausea or vomiting
• Headache
• Diarrhea

Drugs Similar to Tygacil

• Zithromax
• Tetracycline