Cefadroxil is used for:

Treating infections caused by certain bacteria.

Cefadroxil is a cephalosporin antibiotic. It works by interfering with the bacteria's cell wall formation. This weakens the cell wall, causing it to rupture, resulting in death of the bacteria.

Do NOT use Cefadroxil if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Cefadroxil or any other cephalosporin (eg, cephalexin)

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Cefadroxil :

Some medical conditions may interact with Cefadroxil. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines or other substances
• if you have a blood clotting disorder, kidney problems, or stomach or bowel problems (eg, inflammation)
• if you have had a severe allergic reaction (eg, a severe rash, hives, breathing difficulties, or dizziness) to a penicillin antibiotic (eg, amoxicillin) or other beta-lactam antibiotic (eg, imipenem)

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Cefadroxil. However, no specific interactions with Cefadroxil are known at this time.

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Cefadroxil may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

How to use Cefadroxil :

Use Cefadroxil as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

• Cefadroxil may be taken on an empty stomach or with food. Taking it with food may help to decrease stomach upset.
• To clear up your infection completely, continue taking Cefadroxil for the full course of treatment, even if you feel better in a few days. Do not miss any doses.
• Do not miss any doses. If you miss a dose of Cefadroxil , take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do NOT take 2 doses at once.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Cefadroxil.

Important safety information:

• If severe diarrhea, stomach cramps/pain, or bloody stools occur, contact your doctor at once. This could be a symptom of a serious side effect that needs immediate medical attention. Do not treat diarrhea without consulting your doctor.
• It is important to use Cefadroxil for the full course of treatment. Failure to do so may decrease the effectiveness of this treatment and may increase the risk that the bacteria will no longer be sensitive to Cefadroxil and will not be able to be treated by this or certain other antibacterial medicines in the future.
• Cefadroxil is effective only against bacteria. It is not effective for treating viral infections (eg, the common cold).
• Long-term or repeated use of Cefadroxil may cause a second infection. Your doctor may want to change your medicine to treat the second infection. Contact your doctor if signs of a second infection occur.
• Diabetes patients - Cefadroxil may cause incorrect test results with some urine glucose tests. Check with your doctor before you adjust the dose of your diabetes medicine or change your diet.
• Cefadroxil may interfere with some lab test results. Make sure your doctor and laboratory personnel know you are using Cefadroxil.
• Use Cefadroxil with caution in the ELDERLY because they may be more sensitive to the effects of Cefadroxil.
• Use Cefadroxil with extreme caution in CHILDREN younger than 10 years of age who have diarrhea or a stomach or bowel infection.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using Cefadroxil during pregnancy. Cefadroxil is excreted in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you are using Cefadroxil , check with your doctor or pharmacist to discuss the risks to your baby.

Possible side effects of Cefadroxil :

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Diarrhea; nausea; stomach upset; vomiting.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); bloody diarrhea; dark urine; decreased urination; fever, chills, or sore throat; joint pain; red, swollen, or blistered skin; seizures; severe diarrhea; stomach pain or cramps; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual tiredness or weakness; vaginal itching, odor, or discharge; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy waves often used in medicine. 2. The use of energy waves to diagnose or treat disease.

Replantation: 1. Literally, the act of planting again. 2. In surgery, the restoration of any part of the body to its original site. Also known as reimplantation.

The Chinese surgeon Zhong Wei Chen (1929-2004) was the "father of replantation." Dr. Chen was the first to reattach a severed hand with success which he did in 1963. Dr. Chen also developed many microsurgical procedures including techniques for preserving severed extremities, reattaching amputated fingers and thumbs, reconstructing muscles and repairing nerves and blood vessels.

Rheumatism: Rheumatism is an older term, used to describe any of a number of painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and bones.

Rheumatism conditions have been classified as either localized, regional, or generalized. Localized rheumatism conditions include bursitis and tendinitis. Regional rheumatism conditions include chest wall pain, temporomandibular joint pain, and myofascial pain syndromes. Generalized rheumatism conditions include fibromyalgia.

Another category of rheumatism is psychogenic rheumatism. With this term it is understood that the patient is reporting inconsistent pains of muscles and joints that do not correspond to true anatomy and physiology. The patient is felt to have underlying psychological causes for the symptoms.

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the non-surgical evaluation and treatment of the rheumatic diseases and conditions. Rheumatic diseases and conditions are characterized by symptoms involving the musculoskeletal system. Many of the rheumatic diseases and conditions feature immune system abnormalities. Therefore, rheumatology also involves the study of the immune system. Classical rheumatology training includes 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship in internal medicine, 2 years of internal medicine residency, and 2 years of rheumatology fellowship. There is a subspecialty board for rheumatology certification. The American College of Rheumatology is the official organization acting on behalf of the field of rheumatology in the United States.

T cell: A type of white blood cell that is of key importance to the immune system and is at the core of adaptive immunity, the system that tailors the body's immune response to specific pathogens. The T cells are like soldiers who search out and destroy the targeted invaders.

Immature T cells (termed T-stem cells) migrate to the thymus gland in the neck, where they mature and differentiate into various types of mature T cells and become active in the immune system in response to a hormone called thymosin and other factors. T-cells that are potentially activated against the body's own tissues are normally killed or changed ("down-regulated") during this maturational process.

There are several different types of mature T cells. Not all of their functions are known. T cells can produce substances called cytokines such as the interleukins which further stimulate the immune response. T-cell activation is measured as a way to assess the health of patients with HIV/AIDS and less frequently in other disorders.

T cell are also known as T lymphocytes. The "T" stands for "thymus" -- the organ in which these cells mature. As opposed to B cells which mature in the bone marrow.

Teleology: The study of the ultimate purpose of the design of something in nature.

For example, "what is the true purpose of the nose?" is a teleological question and, to say that all evolutionary changes occur for a definite purpose is a teleological explanation of evolution.

"Teleology" comes from ancient Greek roots but it (and teleological) did not enter English until the 18th century. It is a compound of the Greek "tele-, telos," meaning "end or purpose" + the ending "logos" meaning "the science or study of" = the study of the ends or purposes.

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages the development of male sexual characteristics, stimulates the activity of the male secondary sex characteristics, and prevents changes in them following castration. Chemically, testosterone is 17-beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3-one.

Testosterone is the most potent of the naturally occurring androgens. The androgens cause the development of male sex characteristics, such as a deep voice and a beard; they also strengthen muscle tone and bone mass.

High levels of testosterone appear to promote good health in men, for example, lowering the risks of high blood pressure and heart attack. High testosterone levels also correlate with risky behavior, however, including increased aggressiveness and smoking, which may cancel out these health benefits.

Testosterone may be given to treat medical conditions, including female (but not male) breast cancer, hypogonadism (low gonadal function) in the male, cryptorchism (nondescent of the testis into the scrotum), and menorrhagia (irregular periods).