Medications and Drugs

Brand Names: Zosyn

Generic Name: piperacillin and tazobactam (Pronunciation: pi PER a sil in and tay zoe BAK tam)

What is piperacillin and tazobactam (Zosyn)?

Piperacillin is a penicillin antibiotic that fights bacteria in the body.

Tazobactam is an antibiotic similar to a penicillin that fights bacteria in the body.

The combination of piperacillin and tazobactam is used to treat many different infections caused by bacteria, such as urinary tract infections, bone and joint infections, severe vaginal infections, stomach infections, skin infections, and pneumonia.

This medication is sometimes given together with other antibiotics.

Piperacillin and tazobactam may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What are the possible side effects of piperacillin and tazobactam (Zosyn)?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

diarrhea that is watery or bloody;
pale or yellowed skin, dark colored urine, fever, confusion or weakness;
feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating;
easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;
dry mouth, increased thirst, confusion, increased urination, muscle pain or weakness, fast heart rate, feeling light-headed, fainting;
fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips; or
seizure (convulsions).

Less serious side effects may include:

nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or upset;
constipation, mild diarrhea;
headache, dizziness, agitation;
runny nose;
anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia);
skin rash or itching;
pain, swelling, or other irritation where the injection was given; or
vaginal itching or discharge.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What is the most important information I should know about piperacillin and tazobactam (Zosyn)?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to piperacillin and tazobactam or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as amoxicillin (Amoxil, Augmentin, Dispermox, Moxatag), ampicillin (Principen, Unasyn), dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen), oxacillin (Bactocill), ticarcillin (Timentin), or penicillin (Bicillin L-A, PC Pen VK, Pfizerpen), and others.

Before using piperacillin and tazobactam tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, low levels of potassium in your blood, cystic fibrosis, a history of allergies, if you are on a low-salt diet, or if you are allergic to a cephalosporin antibiotic such as cefdinir (Omnicef), cefprozil (Cefzil), cefuroxime (Ceftin), cephalexin (Keflex), and others.

Use this medication for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before the infection is completely cleared. Skipping doses may also increase your risk of further infection that is resistant to antibiotics. Piperacillin and tazobactam will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu.

Piperacillin and tazobactam may cause bleeding, especially in people with kidney disease or using certain medicines. Tell your doctor if you are using any medication to prevent blood clots such as alteplase (Activase), bivalirudin (Angiomax), clopidogrel (Plavix), dabigatran (Pradaxa), dipyridamole (Persantine, Aggrenox), enoxaparin (Lovenox), fondaparinux (Arixtra), heparin, tenecteplase (TNKase), ticlopidine (Ticlid), tinzaparin (Innohep), warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), and others.