Altabax Ointment: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Altabax Ointment (retapamulin) is a prescription topical antibiotic from the pleuromutilin class, used only on the skin to treat impetigo. It works against impetigo caused by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes and is approved for adults and children aged 9 months and older. It is applied as a thin layer, typically for a 5-day course.

What is Altabax Ointment

Altabax is a prescription antibiotic ointment that fights bacteria on the skin. It is used only on the skin, not taken by mouth.

Altabax Ointment uses

• Treats impetigo, a contagious skin infection that usually affects the nose, lips, or other areas of the face, but can also affect other body areas
• Used for impetigo caused by certain bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-susceptible) or Streptococcus pyogenes
• Approved for adults and children aged 9 months and older

Benefits of Altabax Ointment

• Treats impetigo effectively when used as directed
• Shorter treatment course (5 days) compared to some other topical antibiotics
• Can be used in both adults and young children aged 9 months and up

How Altabax Ointment works

Altabax stops bacteria from growing by blocking a key step they need to make proteins, which keeps the bacteria from multiplying.

Altabax Ointment dosage

Use exactly as prescribed by your doctor and follow all directions on the label. This medicine is for use only on the skin — do not swallow it. Apply a thin layer to the affected area. Wash your hands after applying the medicine, unless your hands are the area being treated, and be careful not to wash the medicine off the treated skin on your hands. You may cover the treated area with a bandage or clean gauze after applying.

Use the medicine for the full length of time your doctor prescribes, even if your symptoms improve quickly. Do not skip doses, as this can increase the risk of the infection becoming resistant to treatment. Do not use on a skin condition that hasn't been checked by a doctor, and do not share this medicine with others, even if they have similar symptoms.

Call your doctor if symptoms do not improve within 3 to 4 days of starting treatment. Avoid getting the medicine in your eyes, nose, mouth, or inside the vagina; rinse with water if this happens. Avoid using other medicines on the treated areas unless your doctor says to.

If you miss a dose, apply it as soon as you remember, but skip it if it's almost time for the next dose — do not apply two doses at once.

Available forms and strengths

• Ointment

Side effects of Altabax Ointment

Common

• Mild itching or skin irritation
• Headache
• Mild burning or stinging
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Stuffy nose
• Sore throat

Serious

• Signs of an allergic reaction: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Severe burning, itching, redness, swelling, blistering, oozing, or other skin irritation where the medicine was applied
• New or worsening signs of skin infection

Warnings and precautions

• Do not use this medicine to treat any skin problem that your doctor has not checked first.
• Do not share this medicine with anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms. Impetigo spreads easily between people, so other household members with symptoms should see a doctor too.
• This medicine is for use on the skin only. Do not swallow it, and do not use it in the eyes, mouth, lips, nose, or inside the vagina.
• If the ointment causes a reaction or severe irritation, stop using it, wipe it off, and talk to your doctor about other treatment options.
• Using antibiotics when they are not truly needed can help bacteria become resistant to treatment, making infections harder to treat in the future.
• There isn't enough information from studies in pregnant women to know the risks. 
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, and this medicine should only be used in pregnancy if your doctor decides the benefits outweigh possible risks.
• It isn't known for certain whether this medicine passes into breast milk, but because very little of the drug enters the bloodstream, exposure to a nursing baby is not expected. Ask your doctor about any risk before breastfeeding.
• No routine renal dose adjustment is generally required because systemic absorption is minimal. No routine hepatic dose adjustment is generally required. No significant direct interaction is expected with alcohol. Altabax is not expected to impair driving.

Storage

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
• Store at 25°C (77°F) with excursions permitted to 15°-30°C (59°-86°F).

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency medical help right away if you have signs of an allergic reaction, such as hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Wipe the ointment off and call your doctor right away if you get severe burning, itching, redness, swelling, blistering, oozing, or other skin irritation where you applied the medicine, or if you notice new or worsening signs of infection.
• If your symptoms haven't improved after 3 to 4 days of treatment, contact your doctor.
• Seek emergency help or contact poison control if someone accidentally swallows this medicine.

Alternatives

• Mupirocin ointment
• Fusidic acid where available
• Other clinician-selected topical antibiotics
• Oral antibiotics when infection is extensive or requires systemic treatment