Linezolid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Linezolid is an oxazolidinone antibacterial sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for staphylococcal infections, streptococcal infections and bacterial skin diseases. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Oxazolidinone Antibacterial
- Treats (across its forms)
- Staphylococcal Infections, Streptococcal Infections and Bacterial Skin Diseases
- Available as
- Powder · Injectable · Solution · Suspension · Tablet
- Sold as
- 2 products — Linezolid and Zyvox
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- Half-life
- about 4.3 to 5.4 hours (roughly 5 hours) in adults
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $1 per ml — not your price
How linezolid is dosed
From the FDA label for Linezolid (application ANDA210378). Other linezolid products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Dosage, Route, and Frequency of Administration Infection Pediatric Patients (Birth through 11 years of Age) Adults and Adolescents (12 years and Older) Duration (days) Nosocomial pneumonia 10 mg/kg oral every 8 hours 600 mg oral every 12 hours 10 to 14 Community-acquired pneumonia, including concurrent bacteremia Complicated skin and skin structure infections Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium infections, including concurrent bacteremia 10 mg/kg oral every 8 hours 600 mg oral every 12 hours 14 to 28 Uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections less than 5 yrs: 10 mg/kg oral every 8 hours 5-11 yrs: 10 mg/kg oral every 12 hours Adults: 400 mg oral every 12 hours Adolescents: 600 mg oral every 12 hours 10 to 14 2.1 General Dosage and Administration The recommended dosage for linezolid tablets formulations for the treatment of infections is described in Table 1. Table 1. Dosage Guidelines for Linezolid Tablets Infection * Dosage, Route and Frequency of Administration Recommended Duration of Treatment (consecutive days) Pediatric Patients † (Birth through 11 Years of Age) Adults and Adolescents (12 Years and Older) Nosocomial pneumonia 10 mg/kg oral ‡ every 8 hours 600 mg oral ‡ every 12 hours 10 to 14 Community-acquired pneumonia, including concurrent bacteremia Complicated skin and skin structure infections Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium infections,…
Linezolid side effects
The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: • Myelosuppression [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Peripheral and Optic Neuropathy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] • Serotonin Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] • Clostridioides difficile-Associated Diarrhea [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] • Lactic Acidosis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] • Convulsions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] • Rhabdomyolysis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] • Hypoglycemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10 )] Hyponatremia and/or Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion (SIADH) [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.11 )] Most common adverse reactions (>5% of adult and/or pediatric patients treated with linezolid tablets) include: diarrhea, vomiting, headache, nausea, and anemia. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Macleods Pharma USA, Inc. at 1-888-943-3210 or 1-855-926-3384 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. Adults The safety of linezolid tablets formulations was…
Who shouldn’t take linezolid
Known hypersensitivity to linezolid or any of the other product components. ( 4.1 ) Patients taking any monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) or within two weeks of taking an MAOI. ( 4.2 ) 4.1 Hypersensitivity Linezolid tablets formulations are contraindicated for use in patients who have known hypersensitivity to linezolid or any of the other product components. 4.2 Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors Linezolid should not be used in patients taking any medicinal product which inhibits monoamine oxidases A or B (e.g., phenelzine, isocarboxazid) or within two weeks of taking any such medicinal product.
Linezolid drug interactions
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors and potential for interaction with adrenergic and serotonergic agents. ( 4.2 , 5.3 , 5.6 , 7 , 12.3 ) 7.1 Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors Linezolid is a reversible, nonselective inhibitor of monoamine oxidase [see Contraindications ( 4.2 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. 7.2 Adrenergic and Serotonergic Agents Linezolid has the potential for interaction with adrenergic and serotonergic agents [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 , 5.6 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )].
Every linezolid 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 | 70/100 | Prescription | Suspension | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 2 | 64/100 | Prescription | Suspension | Generic | $1 | View → |
What linezolid pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
How long linezolid keeps
The date on a sealed pack is not the only one: some linezolid labels start a second clock once the product is opened or mixed, as short as 21 days.
Does linezolid expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsLinezolid and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for linezolid: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadLinezolid is excreted into breastmilk in concentrations likely to be effective against staphylococcal strains found in mastitis. Limited data indicate that the maximum dose an infant would receive through breastmilk would be only 6 to 9% of the standard infant dose and that resulting infant serum levels are trivial. If the mother requires linezolid, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. Monitor the infant for possible effects on the gastrointestinal tract, such as diarrhea and vomiting.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised July 15, 2024. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about linezolid
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 24,248 reports naming linezolid, and the FDA flagged 93% 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:
- thrombocytopenia1,859 reports
- anaemia1,501 reports
- nausea1,062 reports
- lactic acidosis936 reports
- vomiting904 reports
- acute kidney injury894 reports
- neuropathy peripheral886 reports
- pyrexia843 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean linezolid 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.
How long linezolid stays in your system
The elimination half-life of linezolid is about 4.3 to 5.4 hours (roughly 5 hours) in adults. Not a prodrug. Linezolid's two primary metabolites (aminoethoxyacetic acid and hydroxyethyl glycine) are INACTIVE, so no active metabolite outlasts the parent — the ~5 hour figure is the full story for antibacterial exposure. Populations named by the label: elderly (65+) — pharmacokinetics not significantly altered, no dose adjustment. Renal impairment — the parent drug's PK is UNCHANGED (so its half-life is not prolonged), but the two inactive metabolites accumulate with worsening renal function; both parent and metabolites are removed by hemodialysis, so dose after dialysis. Hepatic impairment — not altered in mild-to-moderate (Child-Pugh A/B); severe impairment has not been studied.
Linezolid label — DailyMed (Section 12.3 Pharmacokinetics, Table 8) ↗Half-life is how long the body takes to clear half a dose. It is not the same as how long a drug test can detect it, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is linezolid?
Linezolid is an oxazolidinone antibacterial used to treat Staphylococcal Infections, Streptococcal Infections, Bacterial Skin Diseases, Bacterial Pneumonia.
What kind of drug is linezolid?
The FDA classifies linezolid as an oxazolidinone antibacterial. 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.
How long does linezolid stay in your system?
The elimination half-life of linezolid is about 4.3 to 5.4 hours (roughly 5 hours) in adults — that is how long the body takes to clear half of a dose. Not a prodrug. Linezolid's two primary metabolites (aminoethoxyacetic acid and hydroxyethyl glycine) are INACTIVE, so no active metabolite outlasts the parent — the ~5 hour figure is the full story for antibacterial exposure. Populations named by the label: elderly (65+) — pharmacokinetics not significantly altered, no dose adjustment. Renal impairment — the parent drug's PK is UNCHANGED (so its half-life is not prolonged), but the two inactive metabolites accumulate with worsening renal function; both parent and metabolites are removed by hemodialysis, so dose after dialysis. Hepatic impairment — not altered in mild-to-moderate (Child-Pugh A/B); severe impairment has not been studied. Half-life is not the same as how long a drug test can detect the drug, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Can you take linezolid 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 linezolid 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 linezolid sold under?
We track 2 linezolid-containing products in the U.S.: Linezolid and Zyvox. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does linezolid come in?
Across the brands we track, linezolid is currently marketed as powder, injectable, solution, suspension and tablet, 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 linezolid?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic linezolid 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.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Linezolid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/linezolid
- MLA
- “Linezolid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/linezolid.
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 linezolid on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.