Cefixime: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Cefixime is a cephalosporin antibacterial sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for bronchitis, escherichia coli infections and gonorrhea. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Cephalosporin Antibacterial
- Treats (across its forms)
- Bronchitis, Escherichia Coli Infections and Gonorrhea
- Available as
- Capsule · Powder · Tablet · Tablet, chewable
- Sold as
- 2 products — Cefixime and Suprax
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $10 per ml — not your price
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How Cefixime is dosed
From the FDA label for Cefixime (application ANDA206358). Other cefixime products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Adults: 400 mg daily ( 2.1 ) Children: weighing more than 45 kg or older than 12 years should be treated with recommended adults dose ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Adults The recommended dose of cefixime is 400 mg daily. This may be given as a 400 mg tablet daily or the 400 mg tablet may be split and given as one half tablet every 12 hours. For the treatment of uncomplicated cervical/urethral gonococcal infections, a single oral dose of 400 mg is recommended. The tablet may be administered without regard to food. In the treatment of infections due to Streptococcus pyogenes , a therapeutic dosage of cefixime should be administered for at least 10 days. 2.2 Pediatric Patients (weighing more than 45 kg or older than 12 years) Children weighing more than 45 kg or older than 12 years should be treated with the recommended adult dose. Clinical trials of otitis media were conducted with the chewable tablets or suspension, and the chewable tablets or suspension results in higher peak blood levels than the tablet when administered at the same dose. Therefore, the tablet should not be substituted for the chewable tablets or suspension in the treatment of otitis media [ see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)] In the treatment of infections due to Streptococcus pyogenes , a therapeutic dosage of cefixime should be administered for at least 10 days. 2.3 Renal Impairment Cefixime may be administered in the…
Everything below is the FDA label for Cefixime (capsule, powder, tablet). Cefixime is also sold as tablet, chewable, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Cefixime side effects
Most common adverse reactions are gastrointestinal such as diarrhea (16%), nausea (7%), loose stools (6%), abdominal pain (3%), dyspepsia (3%) and vomiting. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Rising Pharma Holdings, Inc. at 1-844-874-7464 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The most commonly seen adverse reactions in U.S. trials of the tablet formulation were gastrointestinal events, which were reported in 30% of adult patients on either the twice daily or the once daily regimen. Five percent (5%) of patients in the U.S. clinical trials discontinued therapy because of drug-related adverse reactions. Individual adverse reactions included diarrhea 16%, loose or frequent stools 6%, abdominal pain 3%, nausea 7%, dyspepsia 3%, and flatulence 4%. 6.2 Post-marketing Experience The following adverse reactions have been reported following the post-approval use of cefixime. Incidence rates were less than 1 in 50 (less than 2%). Gastrointestinal Several cases of documented pseudomembranous colitis were identified in clinical trials. The onset of pseudomembranous…
Who shouldn’t take Cefixime
Contraindicated in patients with known allergy to cefixime or other cephalosporins. ( 4 ) Cefixime is contraindicated in patients with known allergy to cefixime or other cephalosporins.
Cefixime drug interactions
Elevated carbamazepine levels have been reported in postmarketing experience when cefixime is administered concomitantly. ( 7.1 ) Increased prothrombin time, with or without clinical bleeding, has been reported when cefixime is administered concomitantly with warfarin and anticoagulants. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 Carbamazepine Elevated carbamazepine levels have been reported in postmarketing experience when cefixime is administered concomitantly. Drug monitoring may be of assistance in detecting alterations in carbamazepine plasma concentrations. 7.2 Warfarin and Anticoagulants Increased prothrombin time, with or without clinical bleeding, has been reported when cefixime is administered concomitantly. 7.3 Drug/Laboratory Test Interactions A false-positive reaction for ketones in the urine may occur with tests using nitroprusside but not with those using nitroferricyanide. The administration of cefixime may result in a false-positive reaction for glucose in the urine using Clinitest ® **, Benedict's solution, or Fehling's solution. It is recommended that glucose tests based on enzymatic glucose oxidase reactions (such as Clinistix ® ** or TesTape ® **) be used. A false-positive direct Coombs test has been reported during treatment with other cephalosporins; therefore, it should be recognized that a positive Coombs test may be due to the drug. **Clinitest ® and Clinistix ® are registered trademarks of Ames Division, Miles Laboratories, Inc. Tes-Tape ® is a registered trademark of Eli Lilly and Company.
Every cefixime product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72/100 | Prescription | Capsule | Generic | $10 | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Suspension | Generic | $10 | View → |
What cefixime pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Cefixime recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
Cefixime for Oral Suspension USP
Subpotent Drug- An out of specification ( OOS ) result observed in assay test during 18-month long term stability study.
Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. · Aug 21, 2024
Cefixime for Oral Suspension USP 200 mg/5 mL (50 mL Pack size)
Failed Content Uniformity Specifications
Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. · May 30, 2024
Cefixime for Oral Suspension 100mg/5mL
Failed Impurities/Degradation Specifications
Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. · Jan 3, 2024
Can you crush or split cefixime?
The cefixime labels that address it permit crushing or splitting in the terms they state — quoted per product, because the instruction belongs to the form.
What each cefixime label says about crushing, splitting and chewingHow long cefixime keeps
The date on a sealed pack is not the only one: some cefixime labels start a second clock once the product is opened or mixed, as short as 14 days.
Does cefixime expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsWhat people report to the FDA about cefixime
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 3,776 reports naming cefixime, and the FDA flagged 82% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- diarrhoea219 reports
- nausea209 reports
- pyrexia200 reports
- fatigue186 reports
- vomiting167 reports
- headache163 reports
- dyspnoea157 reports
- malaise153 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean cefixime caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 25, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Cefixime?
Cefixime is a cephalosporin antibacterial used to treat Bronchitis, Escherichia Coli Infections, Gonorrhea, Haemophilus Infections.
What kind of drug is cefixime?
The FDA classifies cefixime as a cephalosporin antibacterial. Cephalosporins kill bacteria by blocking the proteins they use to build their cell walls. Without an intact wall, the bacterium cannot hold its shape and dies, which clears the infection. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take cefixime with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run cefixime against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is cefixime sold under?
We track 2 cefixime-containing products in the U.S.: Cefixime and Suprax. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does cefixime come in?
Across the brands we track, cefixime is currently marketed as capsule, powder, tablet and tablet, chewable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic cefixime?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic cefixime product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Has cefixime been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 3 recall records whose product description mentions cefixime. The most recent: Cefixime for Oral Suspension USP (Aug 21, 2024). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Cefixime: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/cefixime
- MLA
- “Cefixime: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/cefixime.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for cefixime on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.