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What should I discuss with my health care provider before receiving doripenem (Doribax)?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to doripenem or imipenem (Primaxin), or a history of allergy to penicillin antibiotics such as Amoxil, Augmentin, Omnipen, Principen, Dycill, Dynapen, Bactocill, Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pfizerpen, Veetids, and others.

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use doripenem:

• kidney disease; or
• epilepsy or other seizure disorder.

FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether doripenem passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How is doripenem given (Doribax)?

Doripenem is given as an injection through a needle placed into a vein. You will receive this injection in a clinic or hospital setting. The medicine must be given slowly through an IV infusion, and can take at least 1 hour to complete.

Doripenem is usually given for 5 days to 2 weeks, depending on the condition being treated. You may be switched to an oral (pill form) antibiotic after the first few days of receiving doripenem by injection.

Use this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Doripenem will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu.

You may be shown how to use your medicine at home. Do not self-inject this medicine if you do not fully understand how to mix the medicine, give the injection and properly dispose of needles, IV tubing, and other items used in giving the medicine.

Doripenem is a powder that must be mixed with a liquid (diluent). Do not mix the medicine or draw your dose into a syringe until you are ready to inject the medicine. Ask your pharmacist if you have questions about mixing the doripenem injection.

After mixing doripenem with the diluent, keep it in a refrigerator. Keep from freezing, and use the mixture within 24 hours.

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