Uses of Cilastatin+Imipenem

The combination of Cilastatin and Imipenem is used in the management of complicated infections in the stomach, urinary tract, skin and soft tissue, lung infections (pneumonia) or infections during or post-delivery. It may also be used to manage patients with low white blood cell count having fever that may be caused due to a bacterial infection or in patients having bacterial infection of blood.   

Therapeutic Category

Cilastatin : Renal dehydropeptidase inhibitor   

Imipenem: Carbapenem antibiotics      

How Cilastatin+Imipenem works

Imipenem works by inhibiting the penicillin-binding proteins thereby preventing the bacterial cell from synthesizing the cell wall and ultimately leading to cell-death. Cilastatin is a renal dehydropeptidase-1 inhibitor which is administered with imipenem to block its metabolism that would have otherwise caused necrosis of some parts of the kidney. Hence cilastatin and imipenem together helps to treat bacterial infection.        

Common side effects of Cilastatin+Imipenem

• nausea, vomiting
• diarrhoea
• swelling and redness along a vein that is extremely tender to touch
• rash

When to consult your doctor

Consult your doctor:

• If you experience allergic reactions (symptoms include rash, swelling of the face, lips, tongue and/or throat, difficulty in breathing or swallowing and/or low blood pressure)
• If you experience skin peeling (toxic epidermal necrolysis)
• If you experience severe skin reactions (stevens-johnson syndrome and erythema multiforme)
• If you experience severe skin rash with loss of skin and hair (exfoliative dermatitis)

Health Tips for Cilastatin+Imipenem

• While receiving antibiotics, it's important to rest and allow your body to heal. Get plenty of rest to support your immune system. Staying well-hydrated is generally recommended during treatment to reduce the risk of kidney problems associated with some antibiotics
• Before receiving Cilastatin + Imipenem inform your doctor if you are pregnant or breast-feeding women and if you have certain medical problems such as kidney or urinary problems, liver problems, colitis or other gastrointestinal disease, any central nervous system disorders such as localized tremors or epileptic seizures
• Do not drive or operate any machineries after receiving Cilastatin + Imipenem as it may cause side effects such as hallucination, dizziness, sleepiness and spinning sensation
• Before receiving Cilastatin + Imipenem inform your doctor if you are taking certain medications in the management of viral infections (ganciclovir), epilepsy, bipolar disorder, migraine or schizophrenia (valproic acid or sodium valproate), blood clots (warfarin) these medications may interact with each other and alter the therapeutic effectiveness and increases the risk of side effects