Vancomycin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibacterial sold in the U.S. under 4 brand and generic names, for diarrhea, bacterial endocarditis and pseudomembranous enterocolitis. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Glycopeptide Antibacterial
- Treats (across its forms)
- Diarrhea, Bacterial Endocarditis and Pseudomembranous Enterocolitis
- Available as
- Injectable · Kit · Capsule · Powder · Solution
- Sold as
- 4 products — Tyzavan, Firvanq Kit and Vancomycin Hydrochloride, and others
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $1 per ml — not your price
- Boxed warning
- Boxed warning
How Tyzavan is dosed
From the FDA label for Tyzavan (application NDA211962). Other vancomycin products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Use this formulation of Vancomycin Injection only in patients who require the entire (500 mg, 750 mg, 1 g, 1.25 g, 1.5 g, 1.75 g or 2 g) dose and not any fraction thereof. ( 2.1 ) For intravenous use only. Do Not administer orally. Administer Vancomycin Injection by intravenous infusion over 60 minutes or greater to reduce the risk of infusion reactions ( 2.1 ) Adult Patients: 2 g divided either as 0.5 grams (g) every 6 hours or 1 g every 12 hours ( 2.2 ) Pediatric Patients (1 Month and Older): 10 mg/kg per dose given every 6 hours ( 2.3 ) Patients with Renal Impairment: See full prescribing information for recommended doses in patients with renal impairment ( 2.4 ) See full prescribing information for further important administration and preparation instructions ( 2.1 , 2.5 ) 2.1 Important Administration Instructions Obtain a pregnancy test in females of reproductive potential prior to initiating treatment with Vancomycin Injection [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) , and Use in Specific Populations (8.1 , 8.3) ]. Use this formulation of Vancomycin Injection only in patients who require the entire (500 mg, 750 mg, 1 g, 1.25 g, 1.5 g, 1.75 g or 2 g) dose and not any fraction thereof. Vancomycin Injection in transparent single-dose flexible bags are intended for intravenous use only. Do NOT administer orally. To reduce the risk of infusion related adverse reactions, administer…
Everything below is the FDA label for Tyzavan (injectable). Vancomycin is also sold as kit, capsule, powder and solution, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Tyzavan side effects
The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: Infusion Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Nephrotoxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Ototoxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Severe Dermatologic Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Clostridioides difficile -Associated Diarrhea [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Hemorrhagic Occlusive Retinal Vasculitis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ] Neutropenia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] The common adverse reactions are anaphylaxis, "red man syndrome", acute kidney injury, hearing loss, neutropenia. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Xellia Pharmaceuticals USA, LLC at 1-833-295-6953 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 following adverse reactions associated with the use of vancomycin were identified in clinical trials: Immune System Disorders: Hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis and "red man syndrome" [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders: Erythema…
Who shouldn’t take Tyzavan
Vancomycin Injection is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to vancomycin. Hypersensitivity to vancomycin ( 4 )
Tyzavan drug interactions
Anesthetic Agents : Concomitant administration of vancomycin and anesthetic agents has been associated with erythema and histamine-like flushing. ( 2.1 , 7.1 ) Piperacillin/Tazobactam : Increased incidence of acute kidney injury in patients receiving concomitant piperacillin/tazobactam and vancomycin as compared to vancomycin alone. Monitor kidney function in patients. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 Anesthetic Agents Concomitant administration of vancomycin and anesthetic agents has been associated with erythema and histamine-like flushing [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) and Use in Specific Populations (8.4) ] . 7.2 Piperacillin-Tazobactam Studies have detected an increased incidence of acute kidney injury in patients administered concomitant piperacillin/tazobactam and vancomycin as compared to vancomycin alone. Monitor kidney function in patients receiving concomitant piperacillin/tazobactam and vancomycin. No pharmacokinetic interactions have been noted between piperacillin/tazobactam and vancomycin. 7.3 Ototoxic and/or Nephrotoxic Drugs Concurrent and/or sequential systemic or topical use of other potentially neurotoxic and/or nephrotoxic drugs requires more frequent monitoring of renal function.
Every vancomycin product we track (4)
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 | Injectable | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 2 | 70/100 | Prescription | Kit | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 3 | 60/100 | Prescription | Capsule | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 4 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | Generic | $1 | View → |
Vancomycin recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
Vancomycin HCI
Lack of Assurance of Sterility; blue Break-Off-Part could detach from the administration port
Fagron Compounding Services · Mar 20, 2026
Vancomycin HCL
Lack of Assurance of Sterility; blue Break-Off-Part could detach from the administration port
Fagron Compounding Services · Mar 20, 2026
Vancomycin HCI
Lack of Assurance of Sterility; blue Break-Off-Part could detach from the administration port
Fagron Compounding Services · Mar 20, 2026
vancomycin HCl
Lack of Assurance of Sterility
Fresenius Kabi Compounding, LLC · Feb 5, 2026
vancomycin HCl
Lack of Assurance of Sterility
Fresenius Kabi Compounding, LLC · Feb 5, 2026
How long vancomycin keeps
The date on a sealed pack is not the only one: some vancomycin labels start a second clock once the product is opened or mixed, as short as 4 hours.
Does vancomycin expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsVancomycin and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for vancomycin: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadLimited information indicates that vancomycin produces low levels in milk and because vancomycin is poorly absorbed orally, it is not likely to reach the bloodstream of the infant or cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. No special precautions are required.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised June 20, 2022. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about vancomycin
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 7,876 reports naming vancomycin, and the FDA flagged 89% 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:
- acute kidney injury530 reports
- pyrexia453 reports
- drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms341 reports
- rash323 reports
- drug hypersensitivity307 reports
- diarrhoea290 reports
- pneumonia274 reports
- sepsis266 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean vancomycin 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 July 26, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Tyzavan?
Tyzavan (Vancomycin Hydrochloride) is a glycopeptide antibacterial used to treat Diarrhea, Bacterial Endocarditis, Pseudomembranous Enterocolitis, Pneumococcal Meningitis.
What kind of drug is vancomycin?
The FDA classifies vancomycin as a glycopeptide 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 vancomycin 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 vancomycin 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 vancomycin sold under?
We track 4 vancomycin-containing products in the U.S.: Tyzavan, Firvanq Kit, Vancomycin Hydrochloride and Vancocin Hydrochloride. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does vancomycin come in?
Across the brands we track, vancomycin is currently marketed as injectable, kit, capsule, powder and solution, 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 vancomycin?
Yes. Our catalog lists 2 generic vancomycin 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 vancomycin been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists at least 5 recall records whose product description mentions vancomycin. The most recent: Vancomycin HCI (Mar 20, 2026). 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). Vancomycin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/vancomycin
- MLA
- “Vancomycin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/vancomycin.
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 vancomycin on DailyMed (NIH) ↗ — including its boxed warning in full.