Antibiotics for cervicitis

Treatment of cervicitis - an inflammatory process in the vaginal part of the cervix, in almost all cases requires the prescription of antibiotics. Only in the case of viral etiology of the disease are antiviral agents used for treatment. Antibiotics for cervicitis are prescribed selectively, depending on the detected pathogen.

Treatment of cervicitis with antibiotics

At the initial stage of cervicitis development, it is very important to conduct adequate drug treatment to neutralize the bacteria that caused the disease. Drugs are always prescribed based on the results of microbiological analysis.

If a specific pathogen is detected in the patient, then treatment is carried out with strictly targeted drugs that affect a certain type of bacteria - and both sexual partners must undergo treatment. If the disease is caused by trichomonads or bacterial flora, then taking antibiotics is mandatory.

After a course of antibiotic therapy, it is recommended to undergo a scheme to restore the quality of vaginal microflora. Vaginal suppositories are suitable for this purpose - for example, Bificol, Atsilakt, Vagilak, Lactobacterin, etc.

Indications antibiotics for cervicitis

Cervicitis should not be treated with antibiotics in all cases. Treatment is always selected individually - it depends, first of all, on the underlying cause of the disease. Thus, the use of antibiotics for cervicitis is considered appropriate only when the inflammatory process is caused by pathogenic microorganisms. In this case, the choice of a specific antibiotic depends on the species of microbes. For example, chlamydial cervicitis is treated with antibiotics such as macrolides or tetracyclines.

However, cervicitis is not always of bacterial etiology. Fungi can be the cause of the inflammatory process - in this case, the doctor will use antifungal treatment (for example, Flucostat or Diflucan).

In addition, the development of cervicitis is often provoked by a viral infection - such patients have to undergo treatment with antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs. Such therapy is longer and more complex.

Another possible cause of cervicitis is a hormonal disorder. This type of disease is also not amenable to antibiotic therapy. It is treated with hormonal drugs to prevent atrophic changes in the tissues of the genital tract.

If a specific infectious agent is detected in the patient during diagnosis, then therapy should be carried out not only on the woman, but also on her sexual partner in order to avoid subsequent relapse.

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Antibiotics for chronic cervicitis

Surgical treatment is often used to cure chronic cervicitis. However, surgical methods of treatment cannot be used without first eliminating the sources of infection in the body. Therefore, antibiotics are required both before cryotherapy and before laser treatment procedures.

Antibiotics in such a situation are prescribed after a final diagnosis has been made and the infectious agent has been detected based on the diagnostic results. Physiotherapy and medications that stabilize the body's immune function are often used against the background of antibiotic therapy.

The use of antibiotics for cervicitis and the frequent transition of the disease from acute to chronic is often associated with the penetration of bacteria into the glands of the cervical canal. In such a place, microbes become difficult to access for medicinal action, so there is a high risk of re-infection. And in the case of other infectious diseases and weakened immunity, a relapse of cervicitis is almost inevitable. For these reasons, taking antibiotics for cervicitis is especially recommended for the chronic form of the disease.

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Release form

Antibiotics for cervicitis can be used in several ways. The most common are antibiotic tablets or capsules. They are easy to take and work well. However, at the initial stage of the disease, a faster and more concentrated delivery of the drug into the blood is often required - in such cases, it is preferable to use an antibiotic solution that is administered by injection, intramuscularly or intravenously.

Another form of antibiotic release is suspension. This drug is used mainly for treating children.

Names of antibiotics used for cervicitis

Several groups of antibiotics are suitable for the treatment of cervicitis.

• Penicillin antibiotics (semi-synthetic, protected, combined action) are available in the form of tablets or injection solution. The most common penicillin drugs prescribed for cervicitis include:

1. Ampicillin - in powder or tablets, taken on average 4 times a day, 250 mg per dose;
2. Amoxicillin – in capsules, taken for 5-7 days;
3. Carbenicillin is often prescribed as an intravenous drip in severe cases of the disease;
4. Augmentin, Flemoklav - are drugs of combined action and are often used to treat chronic cervicitis;
5. Trifamox, Ampisid are antibiotics with enhanced action, which are especially appropriate in the acute course of polyinfectious cervicitis (when several infectious pathogens are detected at once);
6. Santaza, Tazacin are solutions that are used for intravenous drip administration of antibiotics.

• Cephalosporin antibiotics are potent drugs with a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity. Such antibiotics are often prescribed as Ceftriaxone, Suprax, Cefuroxime.
• Antibiotics of the fluoroquinolone group are often avoided due to their increased toxic effect on the kidneys. In addition, fluoroquinolones are not suitable for children, pregnant patients, and women who are breastfeeding. Among such drugs, the most well-known are Levofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin.
• Antibiotics of the aminoglycoside group are used in most cases only for parenteral administration - in severe forms of the disease caused by opportunistic anaerobic bacteria. Such aminoglycosides as Gentamicin, Sizomycin, Amikacin, Tobramycin, Netilmicin can be prescribed.
• Tetracycline antibiotics are often irreplaceable in cervicitis caused by intracellular pathogenic bacteria, such as chlamydia, mycoplasmosis, and ureaplasmosis. Doxycycline is considered a typical representative of tetracycline antibiotics.

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Pharmacodynamics

We will consider the medicinal effect of antibiotics in cervicitis using the example of such a common cephalosporin drug as Cefotaxime. Cefotaxime is often used to treat diseases of the genitourinary system, including bacterial cervicitis.

Cefotaxime is suitable for parenteral administration and has a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. It can be used to act on gram-positive and gram-negative flora, as well as on microbes resistant to the effects of penicillins, aminoglycosides, and sulfanilamide drugs.

The antibacterial properties of Cefotaxime consist of inhibiting the activity of the enzyme transpeptidase by inhibiting peptidoglycan, as well as disrupting the formation of bacterial cell walls.

Cefotaxime is capable of having a detrimental effect on multi-resistant strains that exhibit resistance to penicillinase, first- and second-generation cephalosporin antibiotics, and aminoglycoside drugs.

Cefotaxime demonstrates weaker activity against gram-negative coccal flora, in contrast to first-generation cephalosporin antibiotics.

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Pharmacokinetics

After intramuscular injection of Cefatoxime into the body, the maximum content in the blood is recorded after half an hour. In the blood, the antibiotic binds to plasma proteins by 30-40%. The bactericidal effect of the drug can last up to 12 hours.

Cefotaxime is well distributed in the tissues and environments of the body, crosses the placental layer, and is found in breast milk.

Up to 90% of the drug leaves the body with urine, the rest is excreted with feces and breast milk. The half-life of intramuscular injection is 1-1 ½ hours.

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Dosing and administration

Antibiotics for cervicitis are prescribed according to individual schemes. The sensitivity of the identified bacteria to the action of antibiotics is necessarily taken into account, otherwise the treatment may be in vain.

Before you start taking antibiotics for cervicitis, you need to remember a few simple recommendations that will help make the treatment more effective:

• You cannot change the dosage of the drug prescribed by your doctor on your own;
• the tablets should be washed down with water (not milk or hot tea);
• During the course of antibiotic therapy, you cannot drink alcoholic beverages – even in small quantities.

If we consider the cephalosporin antibiotic Cefotaxime given as an example, it is most often prescribed intramuscularly, 1 g every 8-12 hours. One gram of the antibiotic is diluted in 4 ml of solvent. For this, you can use water for injection or 1% lidocaine.

You should consult with your doctor about taking probiotic and antifungal drugs to prevent dysbacteriosis after antibiotic therapy.

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Use antibiotics for cervicitis during pregnancy

Cervicitis during pregnancy is considered a very dangerous disease, as its complications can be spontaneous termination of pregnancy, fading or impaired fetal development. Therefore, it is necessary to start treating cervicitis as soon as possible.

Before prescribing antibiotics for cervicitis in a pregnant woman, the doctor must determine the type of infectious agent. For this, diagnostics are carried out:

• bacterial culture of cervical discharge;
• polymerase chain reaction (if chlamydia is suspected);
• enzyme immunoassay.

If there is a need to use antibiotics, then the most gentle and safe drugs are selected in this case, for example, Doxycycline. It is preferable to use antibiotic therapy for cervicitis in the second half of pregnancy.

Contraindications

Antibiotics for cervicitis are not used in cases of hypersensitivity to a specific group of drugs.

Relative contraindications include pregnancy, breastfeeding and childhood.

For information on other possible contraindications, please refer to the instructions for a specific antibiotic.

Antibiotics should be used with caution:

• with impaired hematopoietic function;
• in case of insufficient kidney function;
• in case of liver dysfunction;
• in severe endocrine disorders.

In addition, taking antibiotics for cervicitis should be coordinated with treatment with other medications, since not all medications are compatible with each other.

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Side effects antibiotics for cervicitis

Taking antibiotics for cervicitis is often accompanied by the appearance of unwanted side effects. The main disadvantage of most antibiotics is their toxicity. Therefore, you should never take such drugs on your own, so as not to harm your health.

Side effects may include:

• hearing loss, tinnitus (especially with prolonged treatment or incorrect dosage of antibiotics);
• dry mouth, thirst, change in the volume of urine excreted;
• respiratory depression, shortness of breath;
• coordination disorders, dizziness;
• paresthesia, visual impairment.

However, the most common side effect is an allergic reaction, which is expressed in the form of a skin rash, swelling, itching. In severe cases, anaphylactic shock may develop.

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Overdose

Taking an unjustifiably high amount of antibiotics can lead to increased severity of side effects, as well as the appearance of convulsions, encephalopathy, tremors in the limbs, and increased neuromuscular excitability.

In case of overdose, symptomatic therapy is almost always used. The action of symptomatic medications is aimed at eliminating the toxic effect of the antibiotic on the body, as well as supporting the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system.

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Interactions with other drugs

It is not recommended to mix different drugs in one injection syringe or in one dropper.

The antibiotic Cefotaxime may cause bleeding if combined with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or antiplatelet agents.

The risk of renal impairment is increased by combining loop diuretics and polymyxin B with aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Tetracyclines should not be combined with medications that contain metal ions. Such medications include antacids, as well as iron, calcium, and magnesium preparations.

Tetracyclines should not be combined with penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics due to the fundamentally different mechanisms of action of the drugs.

Antacids and ethyl alcohol impair the absorption of antibiotics from the digestive tract. In addition, ethanol increases the toxic effect of drugs.

Storage conditions

Antibiotics used to treat cervicitis are stored in places protected from direct sunlight and moisture. The optimal temperature for storing medications is between +15 and +25°C.

It is necessary to ensure that children do not have access to places where medications are stored.

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Shelf life

The average shelf life of antibiotics is 2-3 years, depending on the specific drug. Under no circumstances should you use antibiotics for cervicitis after their expiration date.

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