Penicillin G Benzathine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Penicillin G Benzathine is a penicillin-class antibacterial sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for actinomycosis, anthrax and botulism. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Penicillin-Class Antibacterial
- Treats (across its forms)
- Actinomycosis, Anthrax and Botulism
- Available as
- Suspension · Tablet · Injectable
- Sold as
- 2 products — Bicillin and Bicillin L-A
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
- Boxed warning
- Boxed warning
How Bicillin L-A is dosed
From the FDA label for Bicillin L-A (application NDA050131). Other penicillin g benzathine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Streptococcal (Group A) Upper Respiratory Infections (for example, pharyngitis) Adults—a single injection of 1,200,000 units; older pediatric patients—a single injection of 900,000 units; infants and pediatric patients under 60 lbs.—300,000 to 600,000 units. Syphilis Primary, secondary, and latent—2,400,000 units (1 dose). Late (tertiary and neurosyphilis)—2,400,000 units at 7-day intervals for three doses. Congenital—under 2 years of age: 50,000 units/kg/body weight; ages 2 to 12 years: adjust dosage based on adult dosage schedule. Yaws, Bejel, and Pinta —1,200,000 units (1 injection). Prophylaxis —for rheumatic fever and glomerulonephritis. Following an acute attack, penicillin G benzathine (parenteral) may be given in doses of 1,200,000 units once a month or 600,000 units every 2 weeks. METHOD OF ADMINISTRATION BICILLIN L-A IS INTENDED FOR INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION ONLY. DO NOT INJECT INTO OR NEAR AN ARTERY OR NERVE, OR INTRAVENOUSLY OR ADMIX WITH OTHER INTRAVENOUS SOLUTIONS. (SEE WARNINGS SECTION.) Administer by DEEP INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION in the upper, outer quadrant of the buttock (dorsogluteal) or the ventrogluteal site. In neonates, infants and small children, the midlateral aspect of the thigh may be preferable. Administration in the anterolateral thigh is not recommended due to the adverse effects observed (see WARNINGS section), and vascularity of this region. When…
Everything below is the FDA label for Bicillin L-A (injectable). Penicillin G Benzathine is also sold as suspension and tablet, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Bicillin L-A side effects
As with other penicillins, untoward reactions of the sensitivity phenomena are likely to occur, particularly in individuals who have previously demonstrated hypersensitivity to penicillins or in those with a history of allergy, asthma, hay fever, or urticaria. As with other treatments for syphilis, the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction has been reported. The following adverse reactions have been reported with Bicillin L-A during post-marketing experience: Skin and Appendages: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). (See WARNINGS .) Immune System Disorders: Acute myocardial ischemia with or without myocardial infarction occurring as part of an allergic reaction. The following have been reported with parenteral penicillin G (the active moiety in Bicillin L-A): General: Hypersensitivity reactions including the following: skin eruptions (maculopapular to exfoliative dermatitis), urticaria, laryngeal edema, fever, eosinophilia; other serum sickness-like reactions (including chills, fever, edema, arthralgia, and prostration); and anaphylaxis including shock and death: severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR), such as toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP). (See WARNINGS .) Note: Urticaria, other skin rashes, and serum sickness-like reactions may be controlled with antihistamines and,…
Who shouldn’t take Bicillin L-A
A history of a previous hypersensitivity reaction to any of the penicillins is a contraindication.
Bicillin L-A drug interactions
Tetracycline, a bacteriostatic antibiotic, may antagonize the bactericidal effect of penicillin, and concurrent use of these drugs should be avoided. Concurrent administration of penicillin and probenecid increases and prolongs serum penicillin levels by decreasing the apparent volume of distribution and slowing the rate of excretion by competitively inhibiting renal tubular secretion of penicillin.
Every penicillin g benzathine 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 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Suspension | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → |
Combination products containing penicillin g benzathine
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
Penicillin G Benzathine recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
Bicillin L-A (penicillin G benzathine injectable suspension)
CGMP Deviations; particulates identified during visual inspection
Pfizer Inc. · Jul 10, 2025
Bicillin L-A (Penicillin G Benzathine) 1.2
cGMP Deviations: Products were stored outside the drug label specifications.
Mckesson Medical-Surgical Inc. Corporate Office · Feb 7, 2024
How long penicillin g benzathine keeps
No penicillin g benzathine label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
What people report to the FDA about penicillin g benzathine
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 512 reports naming penicillin g benzathine, and the FDA flagged 72% 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:
- drug hypersensitivity114 reports
- embolia cutis medicamentosa33 reports
- hypersensitivity31 reports
- acute kidney injury30 reports
- rash22 reports
- diarrhoea19 reports
- foetal exposure during pregnancy19 reports
- jarisch-herxheimer reaction18 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean penicillin g benzathine 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.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved September 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Bicillin L-A?
Bicillin L-A (penicillin G benzathine injectable suspension) is available for deep intramuscular injection. Penicillin G benzathine is prepared by the reaction of dibenzylethylene diamine with two molecules of penicillin G.
What kind of drug is penicillin g benzathine?
The FDA classifies penicillin g benzathine as a penicillin-class 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.
Can you take penicillin g benzathine 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 penicillin g benzathine 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 penicillin g benzathine sold under?
We track 2 penicillin g benzathine-containing products in the U.S.: Bicillin and Bicillin L-A. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does penicillin g benzathine come in?
Across the brands we track, penicillin g benzathine is currently marketed as suspension, tablet and injectable, 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 penicillin g benzathine?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled penicillin g benzathine product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Has penicillin g benzathine been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 2 recall records whose product description mentions penicillin g benzathine. The most recent: Bicillin L-A (penicillin G benzathine injectable suspension) (Jul 10, 2025). 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). Penicillin G Benzathine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/penicillin-g-benzathine
- MLA
- “Penicillin G Benzathine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/penicillin-g-benzathine.
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 penicillin g benzathine on DailyMed (NIH) ↗ — including its boxed warning in full.