Sulfacetamide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Sulfacetamide is a sulfonamide antibacterial sold in the U.S. under 5 brand and generic names, for corneal ulcer, ear diseases and seborrheic dermatitis. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Sulfonamide Antibacterial
- Treats (across its forms)
- Corneal Ulcer, Ear Diseases and Seborrheic Dermatitis
- Available as
- Drops · Topical · Liquid
- Sold as
- 5 products — Isopto Cetamide, Klaron and Sodium Sulamyd, and others
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $0.11 per gm — not your price
How Klaron is dosed
From the FDA label for Klaron (application NDA019931). Other sulfacetamide products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Apply a thin film to affected areas twice daily.
Everything below is the FDA label for Klaron (topical). Sulfacetamide is also sold as drops and liquid, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Klaron side effects
In controlled clinical trials for the management of acne vulgaris , the occurrence of adverse reactions associated with the use of Klaron Lotion was infrequent and restricted to local events. The total incidence of adverse reactions reported in these studies was less than 2%. Only one of 105 patients treated with Klaron Lotion had adverse reactions of erythema, itching, and edema. It has been reported that sodium sulfacetamide may cause local irritation, stinging, and burning. While the irritation may be transient, occasionally the use of medication has to be discontinued. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Bausch Health US, LLC at 1-800-321-4576 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Who shouldn’t take Klaron
Klaron Lotion is contraindicated for use by patients having known hypersensitivity to sulfonamides or any other component of this preparation (see WARNINGS ).
Every sulfacetamide product we track (5)
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 | Drops | Generic | $0 | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Topical | Generic | $0 | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Drops | Generic | $0 | View → | |
| 4 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Liquid | Generic | $0 | View → | |
| 5 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Drops | Generic | $0 | View → |
Combination products containing sulfacetamide
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.
Sulfacetamide recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
How long sulfacetamide keeps
No sulfacetamide 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.
Does sulfacetamide expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsWhat people report to the FDA about sulfacetamide
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 594 reports naming sulfacetamide, and the FDA flagged 49% 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 hypersensitivity80 reports
- headache39 reports
- dyspnoea37 reports
- fatigue33 reports
- nausea32 reports
- rash31 reports
- weight decreased28 reports
- diarrhoea26 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean sulfacetamide 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 26, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Klaron?
Each mL of Klaron ® (sodium sulfacetamide lotion) Lotion, 10% contains 100 mg of sodium sulfacetamide in a vehicle consisting of edetic acid, hydroxyethyl cellulose, lauramide DEA, methylparaben, PEG-400 monolaurate, propylene glycol, purified water, silicone emulsion, sodium chloride, sodium metabisulfite, and xanthan gum. Sodium sulfacetamide is a sulfonamide with antibacterial activity.
What kind of drug is sulfacetamide?
The FDA classifies sulfacetamide as a sulfonamide 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 sulfacetamide 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 sulfacetamide 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 sulfacetamide sold under?
We track 5 sulfacetamide-containing products in the U.S.: Isopto Cetamide, Klaron, Sodium Sulamyd, Sodium Sulfacetamide and Sulfair 10. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does sulfacetamide come in?
Across the brands we track, sulfacetamide is currently marketed as drops, topical and liquid, 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 sulfacetamide?
Yes. Our catalog lists 3 generic sulfacetamide products 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 sulfacetamide been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 1 recall record whose product description mentions sulfacetamide. The most recent: Sodium Sulfacetamide 10% (Apr 24, 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). Sulfacetamide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/sulfacetamide
- MLA
- “Sulfacetamide: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/sulfacetamide.
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 sulfacetamide on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.