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Cefuroxime

Medication second-generation cephalosporin antibiotic
Aka: Zinnat
Brands seen in Singapore: Zinnat, Ceftil, Axetine, Shincef, Cefuroxime-AFT
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Prescribed for bacterial infections — your doctor decides
When to take
Usually every 12 hours · SG course is often 5–10 days
Take with
Food · zinnat label: after food for optimum absorption
Pros & cons
Pros
  • SG label: usual course seven days (five to ten)
  • Tablets and a suspension are both registered in SG
  • US label lists a single-dose option for gonorrhoea
Cons
  • Tablets cannot be crushed or split (SG label)
  • Beta-lactam allergy can be serious — labels warn
  • Diarrhoea and nausea/vomiting are the most common
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset; filtered locally for cefuroxime) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Forensicclassification = 'Prescription Only' for all 12 cefuroxime rows (5 oral tablets, 1 oral suspension, 6 injections) — e.g. SIN02364P ZINNAT TABLET 500 mg; SIN12049P CEFTIL TABLET 250 mg; SIN07013P ZINNAT FOR SUSPENSION 125 mg/5 ml”
  2. MOH National Drug Formulary — ZINNAT TABLET 500 MG [SIN02364P], product information · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “CEFUROXIME AXETIL EQV CEFUROXIME - 500 MG … Forensic Classification PRESCRIPTION ONLY MEDICINES … Prescription-only Medicines with Exemptions for Supply without Prescription NA”
  3. MOH National Drug Formulary — ZINNAT TABLET 500 MG [SIN02364P], therapeutic indications · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “ZINNAT is an oral prodrug of the bactericidal cephalosporin antibiotic cefuroxime … Indications include: Upper respiratory tract infections … Lower respiratory tract infections … Genito-urinary tract infections … Skin and soft tissue infections.”
  4. MOH National Drug Formulary — ZINNAT TABLET 500 MG [SIN02364P], posology · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The usual course of therapy is seven days (range five to ten days) … The duration of therapy should be determined by the type of infection and the response of the patient, and should generally not be longer than recommended.”
  5. MOH National Drug Formulary — ZINNAT TABLET 500 MG [SIN02364P], method of administration · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Oral use. ZINNAT should be taken after food for optimum absorption.”
  6. MOH National Drug Formulary — ZINNAT TABLET 500 MG [SIN02364P], posology (tablet handling) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “ZINNAT tablets should not be crushed or split and are therefore unsuitable for treatment of patients, such as younger children, who cannot swallow whole tablets.”
  7. MOH National Drug Formulary — ZINNAT TABLET 500 MG [SIN02364P], paediatric use · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “When doses below 250 mg are required, ZINNAT FOR SUSPENSION 125mg/5ml should be used. There is no experience of using ZINNAT in children under the age of 3 months.”
  8. MOH National Drug Formulary — ZINNAT TABLET 500 MG [SIN02364P], dosage in renal impairment · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “In patients with markedly impaired renal function, it is recommended that the dosage of cefuroxime be reduced to compensate for its slower excretion”
  9. FDA DailyMed — Cefuroxime axetil tablets (A-S Medication Solutions), Dosage and Administration, eff. 2025-10-08 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Adults and Adolescents (13 years and older) … Uncomplicated skin and skin-structure infections 250 mg or 500 mg every 12 hours … Uncomplicated gonorrhea 1,000 mg single dose Early Lyme disease 500 mg every 12 hours”
  10. FDA DailyMed — Cefuroxime axetil tablets, Contraindications · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylaxis) to cefuroxime axetil tablets or to other β-lactam antibacterial drugs (e.g., penicillins and cephalosporins)”
  11. FDA DailyMed — Cefuroxime axetil tablets, Drug Interactions · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Administer cefuroxime axetil at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after administration of short-acting antacids. Histamine-2 (H2) antagonists and proton pump inhibitors should be avoided … Coadministration with probenecid increases systemic exposure … not recommended.”
  12. FDA DailyMed — Cefuroxime axetil tablets, Adverse Reactions · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The most common adverse reactions (≥3%) for cefuroxime axetil tablets are diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, and vaginitis (early Lyme disease).”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.