What is Tygacil?

• Tygacil is a prescription antibiotic medicine injected into the vein for adults who have complicated skin or intra-abdominal infections caused by certain strains of bacteria.
• Sometimes viruses, rather than bacteria, may infect the lungs and sinuses (for example, the common cold). Tygacil, like all other antibiotics, does not kill viruses.
• Tygacil is in the glycylcycline class of antibiotics.
• Tygacil should only be used to treat infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria.
•  Tygacil has not been studied in children under 18 years of age. 

Who Should Not Be Given Tygacil?

 Do not use Tygacil if you are allergic to tigecycline or any of the ingredients in Tygacil. 

What are The Risks?

Tygacil is structurally similar to tetracycline class antibiotics any may have similar side effects, such as: 

• Birth defects.  Tygacil may cause birth defects when administered to pregnant women. Results of animal studies indicate that Tygacil crosses the placenta and is found in fetal tissues. Decreased birth weights and loss of pregnancy have been observed with Tygacil. 
• Change in tooth color.  The use of Tygacil can cause a change in tooth color that does not go away.  Tygacil should not be used during tooth development (last half of pregnancy and up until a child is 8 years old) unless other drugs are not likely to be effective or are contraindicated. 
• Pseudomembranous colitis.  Tygacil, like other antibiotic medicines may cause pseudomembranous colitis. Tygacil can kill the healthy bacteria in your intestines, causing an overgrowth of  bad bacteria in your colon that can range from mild to life-threatening. Tell your doctor right away if you get diarrhea.
• The most common side effects with Tygacil are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

 What Should I Tell My Health Care Professional?

 Before you start using Tygacil, tell your health care provider if you: 

• are allergic to tetracycline-type of antibiotics.
• have severe liver problems. Your doctor may need to give you a lower dose of Tygacil.
• are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant. The effects on the unborn child are unknown.
• are breast-feeding. It is not known if Tygacil passes into your milk.

Are There Any Interactions With Drugs or Foods?

 Tell your doctor about all the medicines you are taking including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Tygacil and certain other medicines may affect each other in the way they work in your body. Be sure to tell your doctor if you take:

• warfarin (Coumadin), a blood thinner 
• birth control medications. Certain antibiotics may decrease the effectiveness of birth control medications.

 How Am I Given Tygacil?

• Tygacil should only be used to treat bacterial infections. 
• Tygacil is injected into your vein by your health care professional.
• You must continue to take Tygacil exactly as directed, even if you start to feel better right after receiving it. Your doctor will decide how long you need to take Tygacil. Skipping doses or not completing the full course of therapy may decrease the effectiveness of the treatment and increase the chances that bacteria will return and not be treatable by Tygacil or other antibiotics in the future. 
• You will usually receive Tygacil for 5 to 14 days, depending on your condition and response to treatment.

Tygacil FDA Approved 06/2005

Date created: July 27, 2005