Ramycin Uses

• Ramycin indications
• Uses of Ramycin in details
• Ramycin description
• Ramycin dosage
• Ramycin interactions
• Ramycin side effects
• Ramycin contraindications

What is Ramycin?

Ramycin is a substance that is used to treat bacterial infections. It will not work for colds, flu, or other virus infections.

Ramycin is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Ramycin indications

Ramycin is active in vitro against Staphylococcus aureus, most coagulase-negative staphylococci, Corynebacterium species, most clostridium species. Ramycin has no useful activity against enterococci or most Gram-negative bacteria (except Neisseria, Moraxella, Legionella pneumophila and Bacteroides fragilis). Ramycin is active in vitro and clinically against Mycobacterium leprae but has only marginal activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

One important use of Ramycin clinically is its activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Many strains of MRSA remain sensitive to Ramycin, but because there is a low genetic barrier to drug resistance (a single point mutation is all that is required), Ramycin must never be used on its own to treat serious MRSA infection and should be combined with another antimicrobial such as rifampicin.

Ramycin is often found in topical skin and eye preparations (e.g., Fucibet), a use which has been contested.

Uses of Ramycin in details

Ramycin is used for treating various bacterial skin infections and some infections of bone, heart, lungs and eyes.

Ramycin description

Ramycin is a bacteriostatic antibiotic macrolide produced by Streptomyces erythreus. Ramycin A is considered its major active component. In sensitive organisms, it inhibits protein synthesis by binding to 50S ribosomal subunits. This binding process inhibits peptidyl transferase activity and interferes with translocation of amino acids during translation and assembly of proteins.

Ramycin dosage

Cream/Ointment: Apply to the affected area 2-3 times a day, generally for a period of 7 days.

Ramycin ointment can be used with or without a covering dressing.

Ramycin interactions

Ramycin use in patients who are receiving high doses of theophylline may be associated with an increase in serum theophylline levels and potential theophylline toxicity. In case of theophylline toxicity and/or elevated serum theophylline levels, the dose of theophylline should be reduced while the patient is receiving concomitant Ramycin therapy.

Concomitant administration of Ramycin and digoxin has been reported to result in elevated digoxin serum levels. There have been reports of increased anticoagulant effects when Ramycin and oral anticoagulants were used concomitantly. Increased anticoagulation effects due to interactions of Ramycin with various oral anticoagulents may be more pronounced in the elderly.

Concurrent use of Ramycin and ergotamine or dihydroergotamine has been associated in some patients with acute ergot toxicity characterized by severe peripheral vasospasm and dysesthesia.

Ramycin has been reported to decrease the clearance of triazolam and midazolam and thus may increase the pharmacologic effect of these benzodiazepines.

The use of Ramycin in patients concurrently taking drugs metabolized by the cytochrome P450 system may be associated with elevations in serum levels of these other drugs. There have been reports of interactions of Ramycin with carbamazepine, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, hexobarbital, phenytoin, alfentanil, cisapride, disopyramide, lovastatin, bromocriptine, valproate, terfenadine, and astemizole. Serum concentrations of drugs metabolized by the cytochrome P450 system should be monitored closely in patients concurrently receiving Ramycin.

Ramycin has been reported to significantly alter the metabolism of nonsedating antihistamines terfenadine and astemizole when taken concomitantly. Rare cases of serious cardiovascular adverse events, including electrocardiographic QT/QTc interval prolongation, cardiac arrest, torsades de pointes, and other ventricular arrhythmias have been observed. In addition, deaths have been reported rarely with concomitant administration of terfenadine and Ramycin.

There have been postmarketing reports of drug interactions when Ramycin is coadministered with cisapride, resulting in QT prolongation, cardiac arrythmias, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrulation, and torsades de pointes, most like due to inhibition of hepatic metabolism of cisapride by Ramycin. Fatalities have been reported.

Patients receiving concomitant lovastatin and Ramycin should be carefully monitored; cases of rhabdomyolysis have been reported in seriously ill patients.

Ramycin side effects

See also:
What are the possible side effects of Ramycin?

Occasionally hypersensitivity reactions eg, skin rashes, weak pain and irritation may occur. If these symptoms occur, discontinue Ramycin.

Ramycin contraindications

Ramycin is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to this antibiotic. Ramycin is contraindicated in patients taking terfenadine, astemizole, or cisapride.

Topical Ery 2% Pads are contraindicated in those individuals who have shown hypersensitivity to any of its components.

Active ingredient matches for Ramycin:

Fusidic Acid

Erythromycin

References

1. DailyMed. "ERYTHROMYCIN: DailyMed provides trustworthy information about marketed drugs in the United States. DailyMed is the official provider of FDA label information (package inserts).". https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailyme... (accessed September 17, 2018).
2. PubChem. "fusidic acid". https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/com... (accessed September 17, 2018).
3. PubChem. "erythromycin". https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/com... (accessed September 17, 2018).

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Information checked by Dr. Sachin Kumar, MD Pharmacology