DoseFacts

Zocef 500: Uses, How It Works, Side Effects

Also in: हिन्दी தமிழ் ਪੰਜਾਬੀ অসমীয়া

Also known as: Zocef, Zocef 500 mg, Zocef 500 tablet, Cefuroxime 500 mg, Cefuroxime axetil 500 mg

Zocef 500 is a prescription tablet containing 500 mg of cefuroxime (as cefuroxime axetil), a cephalosporin antibiotic used to treat certain bacterial infections, such as some throat, sinus, chest, skin and urinary tract infections. It works only against bacteria, so it does not help colds, flu or other viral infections. It is taken only on a doctor's prescription, usually twice a day with food, and the full course should be finished as prescribed.

Active ingredient
Cefuroxime 500 mg
Type of medicine
Cephalosporin antibiotics
Used for
Bacterial infections, Bacterial skin infections, Respiratory tract infections, Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Starts working in
Many infections start to improve within a few days
Effect lasts
About 12 hours; usually taken twice a day
With or without food
Best taken with food, which helps it to be absorbed
Alcohol
No specific interaction is listed; ask your doctor
Pregnancy
Ask your doctor; use only if clearly needed
Habit-forming
No
Made by
VERIFY on pack
Zocef 500 at a glance. Used for: Throat and tonsil infections, Sinus infections and chronic bronchitis flare-ups, Skin infections, Urinary tract infections. Ask a doctor first: Allergy to penicillins or cephalosporins, Kidney disease, Antacids, ranitidine, famotidine or proton pump inhibitors, Probenecid, Past severe diarrhoea with antibiotics, Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Get medical help quickly for: Swelling of the face, lips or throat, Difficulty breathing, Severe or bloody diarrhoea, Blistering or peeling skin, Yellow skin or eyes. Taking too much: One extra tablet by mistake is unlikely to be serious, but larger amounts can cause stomach upset or, rarely, fits: call 112 or go to the nearest hospital. Dose: follow the label or your doctor's advice.

Pharmacist review in progress. This page is based on the sources listed below and is being checked by our registered pharmacist.

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On this page
  1. What is Zocef 500 used for?
  2. How does Zocef 500 work?
  3. How to take Zocef 500
  4. Side effects of Zocef 500
  5. Who should be careful
  6. Medicines and things that interact with Zocef 500
  7. If someone takes too much
  8. Storage
  9. Regulatory status in India
  10. Other brands with the same medicine
  11. Other strengths and forms
  12. Common questions

What is Zocef 500 used for?

Zocef 500 is a prescription antibiotic. It is used, on a doctor's advice, to treat certain bacterial infections.

  • Treating bacterial throat and tonsil infections (pharyngitis and tonsillitis)
  • Treating bacterial sinus infections and flare-ups of chronic bronchitis
  • Treating uncomplicated bacterial skin infections
  • Treating uncomplicated bacterial urinary tract infections
  • Other bacterial infections listed on the Indian pack insert, when a doctor judges it suitable

How does Zocef 500 work?

Cefuroxime stops bacteria from building their cell walls, so the bacteria burst and die. It works only on bacteria and has no effect on viruses.

What happens in your body after you take it

  1. You swallow the tablet

    The tablet is a pro-drug: it dissolves in the gut and the gut wall changes it into active cefuroxime, which enters the blood. Taking it with food helps more of it to be absorbed.

  2. It travels in the blood

    Cefuroxime spreads through the body and reaches the throat, sinuses, lungs, skin and urinary tract, where infections can sit.

  3. It blocks the bacteria's cell wall

    In the bacteria it attaches to the proteins that build their cell wall and stops the wall from forming.

  4. The bacteria burst and die

    Without a firm wall the bacteria cannot survive, and the body's defences clear the rest. It has no effect on viruses.

  5. The body clears it

    Cefuroxime is removed by the kidneys. Its half-life is only about 1 to 1.5 hours, which is why it is taken twice a day and why the dose or timing may change in kidney disease.

How to take Zocef 500

Take Zocef 500 exactly as your doctor has prescribed or as printed on the pack. Your doctor decides the dose and the number of days, which depend on the infection and on how well your kidneys work.

  • It is usually taken twice a day, about 12 hours apart, with food.
  • Swallow the tablet whole. Do not crush it; it tastes very bitter. If you cannot swallow tablets, ask your doctor about a liquid form, which is not a mg-for-mg substitute.
  • Keep it 1 hour before or 2 hours after antacids.
  • Take the full course your doctor prescribed, even if you feel better sooner.
  • If you miss a dose, take it when you remember unless the next dose is nearly due; never take two together.

Side effects of Zocef 500

Most people take cefuroxime without serious problems. Stomach and bowel upsets are the most common side effects, but a few side effects need medical help.

Uncommon or mild

  • Diarrhoea
  • Feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
  • Stomach pain
  • Vaginal thrush (a yeast infection) in women
  • Headache

Rare but serious: get medical help

  • Signs of a severe allergic reaction, which can be fatal: swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, difficulty breathing, hives or collapse. Get emergency help straight away
  • Severe or watery diarrhoea, or diarrhoea with blood or mucus, which can be a sign of a gut infection called C. difficile, even weeks or months after the course
  • A severe skin reaction, such as blistering or peeling skin
  • Yellowing of the skin or eyes, or dark urine
  • Passing much less urine than usual

Who should be careful

Zocef 500 is not suitable for everyone. Tell your doctor about your health and your other medicines before taking it.

When the label says not to use it

  • Known allergy to cefuroxime, any other cephalosporin or a penicillin-type antibiotic
  • A serious allergic reaction to any ingredient of the tablet
  • It treats bacterial infections only. It does not work for colds, flu or other viral infections, and taking it when it is not needed adds to antibiotic resistance
  • Allergy to penicillins or other beta-lactam antibiotics: some people allergic to penicillin also react to cephalosporins, so tell your doctor about any past allergy
  • Kidney disease: the time between doses may need to be longer
  • A history of bowel disease or past severe diarrhoea with antibiotics
  • Pregnancy: use only if clearly needed; tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Breastfeeding: it passes into breast milk in small amounts; ask your doctor
  • Tests: it can affect some urine glucose tests; tell any doctor or lab that you take it
  • Do not switch between the tablets and the liquid form without your doctor's advice

Medicines and things that interact with Zocef 500

Some medicines change how cefuroxime is absorbed or how long it stays in the body. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about everything you take.

  • Antacids (short-acting): take cefuroxime at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after them
  • Acid-reducing medicines such as ranitidine or famotidine and proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole or pantoprazole: they lower absorption, so the combination is best avoided; ask your doctor
  • Probenecid (a gout medicine): it raises cefuroxime levels in the blood, and the combination is not recommended
  • Other antibiotics: do not combine with other antibiotics unless a doctor has prescribed them together

If someone takes too much

Taking one extra tablet by mistake is unlikely to be serious, but larger amounts can cause stomach upset, and very large amounts may rarely cause fits, mainly in people with kidney disease. If someone has taken much more than prescribed, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital and take the medicine pack with you.

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place below 30 C, protected from light and moisture, in the original strip and out of the reach of children. Do not use after the expiry date. Check the pack for the exact storage instructions.

Regulatory status in India

Approved for sale in India as a prescription medicine. Single-ingredient cefuroxime is not on the CDSCO list of medicines banned under section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The combination of cefuroxime with linezolid is prohibited, so check the ingredient list on the pack. Zocef 500 should contain cefuroxime only; confirm on the pack.

Other brands with the same medicine

Cefuroxime 500 mg tablets are sold under other brand names and as generic medicines. They contain the same medicine; check the label for the strength. Some products combine cefuroxime with other ingredients, and one such combination is banned in India, so check the ingredient list and do not switch without asking your doctor or pharmacist.

Other strengths and forms

Cefuroxime is also sold in other strengths and as a liquid. The tablets and liquid are not interchangeable mg for mg. The strength and contents are printed on the pack, so check the label of the one you have.

Common questions

Is Zocef 500 a prescription medicine?

Yes. Cefuroxime is a prescription-only antibiotic in India. It should be taken only if a doctor has prescribed it, and it should not be started, stopped or changed without the doctor's advice.

Is Zocef 500 an antibiotic for cold, flu or viral fever?

No. Zocef 500 acts only on bacteria, and colds, flu and many fevers are caused by viruses. Taking it for them does not speed recovery, adds side effects and adds to antibiotic resistance. A doctor decides whether an infection is bacterial and needs an antibiotic.

Should Zocef 500 be taken with food?

Yes, it is best taken with food, because absorption is higher after a meal. Swallow the tablet whole and do not crush it, as it tastes very bitter. Follow the label or your doctor's advice about timing.

Should I finish the whole course of Zocef 500?

Take the full course your doctor prescribed, even if you feel better sooner, because stopping early can let the infection come back. The exception is a serious side effect or allergic reaction: stop and contact your doctor straight away. Never keep leftover tablets or share them.

Can I take Zocef 500 with an antacid or acidity medicine?

Take cefuroxime at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after short-acting antacids. Medicines that strongly cut stomach acid, such as pantoprazole or famotidine, lower how much is absorbed, so the combination is best avoided. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Can I take Zocef 500 if I am allergic to penicillin?

Some people allergic to penicillin also react to cephalosporins such as cefuroxime. Tell your doctor about any past antibiotic allergy before taking it. Get emergency help for swelling of the face, lips or throat, trouble breathing, or a fast-spreading rash after a dose.

Can Zocef 500 be taken in pregnancy or while breastfeeding?

Studies have not shown an increased risk of birth defects, but it should be used in pregnancy only if clearly needed. Small amounts pass into breast milk. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding. Do not start or stop it without advice.

What is the difference between Zocef 500 and cefuroxime?

Zocef is a brand name; cefuroxime axetil is the medicine inside it. Other brands contain the same medicine, but the strength and ingredient list can differ. Check the pack, and ask your pharmacist before switching products.

Sources

  1. Cefuroxime axetil tablets: prescribing information (A-S Medication Solutions, revised 5/2026). DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine
  2. Antibiotics. NHS (UK)
  3. ATC/DDD Index: J01DC Second-generation cephalosporins. WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology
  4. List of drugs prohibited for manufacture and sale through gazette notifications under section 26A of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)
  5. The Drugs Rules, 1945 (consolidated, September 2024 edition), Schedule H: prescription drugs. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)