Cefuroxime: Uses, How It Works, Medicines
Cefuroxime is a second-generation cephalosporin antibiotic used to treat certain bacterial infections. These include 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. In India it is a prescription medicine, and some people allergic to penicillin can also react to it.
Also known as: Cefuroxime axetil, Cefuroxime tablet, Cefuroxime 500 mg, Cefuroxime IP, Cephalosporin antibiotic
Pharmacist review in progress. This page is based on the sources listed below and is being checked by our registered pharmacist.
How does Cefuroxime 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.
How to take Cefuroxime
Take Cefuroxime 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.
Side effects of Cefuroxime
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
Cefuroxime 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 Cefuroxime
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.
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.
Type of medicine
Cefuroxime belongs to this type of medicine.
Medicines that contain Cefuroxime
These medicines sold in India contain Cefuroxime. They are listed A to Z, not ranked.
- Zocef 500 · 500 mg film-coated tablet
What is Cefuroxime used for?
Medicines that contain Cefuroxime are used for these conditions.
Other medicines of the same type
These active ingredients are of the same type as Cefuroxime.
Common questions
Is Cefuroxime 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 Cefuroxime an antibiotic for cold, flu or viral fever?
No. Cefuroxime 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 Cefuroxime 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 Cefuroxime?
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 Cefuroxime 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 Cefuroxime 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 Cefuroxime 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.
Sources
- Cefuroxime axetil tablets: prescribing information (A-S Medication Solutions, revised 5/2026). DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine
- Antibiotics. NHS (UK)
- ATC/DDD Index: J01DC Second-generation cephalosporins. WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology
- 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)
- The Drugs Rules, 1945 (consolidated, September 2024 edition), Schedule H: prescription drugs. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)