Clinical data | |
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Pronunciation | /traɪˈmɛθəprɪm/ |
Trade names | Proloprim, Monotrim, Triprim, others |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a684025 |
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Routes of administration | By mouth |
Drug class | Diaminopyrimidines |
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Pharmacokinetic data | |
Bioavailability | 90–100% |
Protein binding | 44% |
Metabolism | Liver |
Elimination half-life | 8–12 hours |
Excretion | Kidney (50–60%), faeces (4%) |
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.010.915 |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C14H18N4O3 |
Molar mass | 290.323 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
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Trimethoprim (TMP) is an antibiotic used mainly in the treatment of bladder infections. [1] Other uses include for middle ear infections and travelers' diarrhea. [1] With sulfamethoxazole or dapsone it may be used for Pneumocystis pneumonia in people with HIV/AIDS. [1] [2] It is taken orally (swallowed by mouth). [1]
Common side effects include nausea, changes in taste, and rash. [1] Rarely it may result in blood problems such as not enough platelets or white blood cells. [1] Trimethoprim may cause sun sensitivity. [1] There is evidence of potential harm during pregnancy in some animals but not humans. [3] It works by blocking folate metabolism via dihydrofolate reductase in some bacteria, preventing creation of bacterial DNA and RNA and leading to bacterial cell death. [1]
Trimethoprim was first used in 1962. [4] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. [5] It is available as a generic medication. [6]
It is primarily used in the treatment of urinary tract infections, although it may be used against any susceptible aerobic bacterial species. [7] It may also be used to treat and prevent Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. [7] It is generally not recommended for the treatment of anaerobic infections such as Clostridioides difficile colitis (the leading cause of antibiotic-induced diarrhea). [7] Trimethoprim has been used in trials to treat retinitis. [8]
Resistance to trimethoprim is increasing, but it is still a first-line antibiotic in many countries. [9]
Cultures and susceptibility tests should be done to make sure bacteria are treated by trimethoprim. [10] [11]
It may be involved in a reaction similar to disulfiram when alcohol is consumed after it is used, in particular when used in combination with sulfamethoxazole. [19] [20]
Based on the studies that show that trimethoprim crosses the placenta and can affect folate metabolism, there has been growing evidence of the risk of structural birth defects associated with trimethoprim, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. [21]
The trophoblasts in the early fetus are sensitive to changes in the folate cycle. A 2013 study found a doubling in the risk of miscarriage in women exposed to trimethoprim in the early pregnancy. [22]
Trimethoprim binds to dihydrofolate reductase and inhibits the reduction of dihydrofolic acid (DHF) to tetrahydrofolic acid (THF). [24] THF is an essential precursor in the thymidine synthesis pathway and interference with this pathway inhibits bacterial DNA synthesis. [24] Trimethoprim's inhibitory activity for bacterial dihydrofolate reductase is sixty thousand times greater than for human dihydrofolate reductase. [25] Sulfamethoxazole inhibits dihydropteroate synthase, an enzyme involved further upstream in the same pathway. [24] Trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole are commonly used in combination due to possible synergistic effects, and reduced development of resistance. [24] This benefit has been questioned. [26]
Trimethoprim was first used in 1962. [4] In 1972, it was used as a prophylactic treatment for urinary tract infections in Finland. [4]
Its name is derived from trimethyloxy-pyrimidine.
Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic used to treat a number of bacterial infections. This includes bone and joint infections, intra-abdominal infections, certain types of infectious diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, skin infections, typhoid fever, and urinary tract infections, among others. For some infections it is used in addition to other antibiotics. It can be taken by mouth, as eye drops, as ear drops, or intravenously.
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that affects a part of the urinary tract. Lower urinary tract infections may involve the bladder (cystitis) or urethra (urethritis) while upper urinary tract infections affect the kidney (pyelonephritis). Symptoms from a lower urinary tract infection include suprapubic pain, painful urination (dysuria), frequency and urgency of urination despite having an empty bladder. Symptoms of a kidney infection, on the other hand, are more systemic and include fever or flank pain usually in addition to the symptoms of a lower UTI. Rarely, the urine may appear bloody. Symptoms may be vague or non-specific at the extremities of age.
Dihydrofolate reductase, or DHFR, is an enzyme that reduces dihydrofolic acid to tetrahydrofolic acid, using NADPH as an electron donor, which can be converted to the kinds of tetrahydrofolate cofactors used in one-carbon transfer chemistry. In humans, the DHFR enzyme is encoded by the DHFR gene. It is found in the q14.1 region of chromosome 5.
Sulfonamide is a functional group that is the basis of several groups of drugs, which are called sulphonamides, sulfa drugs or sulpha drugs. The original antibacterial sulfonamides are synthetic antimicrobial agents that contain the sulfonamide group. Some sulfonamides are also devoid of antibacterial activity, e.g., the anticonvulsant sultiame. The sulfonylureas and thiazide diuretics are newer drug groups based upon the antibacterial sulfonamides.
Nitrofurantoin, sold under the brand name Macrobid among others, is an antibacterial medication of the nitrofuran class used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), although it is not as effective for kidney infections. It is taken by mouth.
Cefazolin, also known as cefazoline and cephazolin, is a first-generation cephalosporin antibiotic used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. Specifically it is used to treat cellulitis, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, endocarditis, joint infection, and biliary tract infections. It is also used to prevent group B streptococcal disease around the time of delivery and before surgery. It is typically given by injection into a muscle or vein.
Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, sold under the brand name Bactrim among others, is a fixed-dose combination antibiotic medication used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. It consists of one part trimethoprim to five parts sulfamethoxazole. It is used to treat urinary tract infections, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin infections, travelers' diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, and cholera, among others. It is used both to treat and prevent pneumocystis pneumonia and toxoplasmosis in people with HIV/AIDS and other causes of immunosuppression. It can be given orally or intravenous infusion.
Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, also known as co-amoxiclav or amox-clav, sold under the brand name Augmentin, among others, is an antibiotic medication used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. It is a combination consisting of amoxicillin, a β-lactam antibiotic, and potassium clavulanate, a β-lactamase inhibitor. It is specifically used for otitis media, streptococcal pharyngitis, pneumonia, cellulitis, urinary tract infections, and animal bites. It is taken by mouth or by injection into a vein.
Folinic acid, also known as leucovorin, is a medication used to decrease the toxic effects of methotrexate and pyrimethamine. It is also used in combination with 5-fluorouracil to treat colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer, may be used to treat folate deficiency that results in anemia, and methanol poisoning. It is taken by mouth, injection into a muscle, or injection into a vein.
Sulfamethoxazole is an antibiotic. It is used for bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections, bronchitis, and prostatitis and is effective against both gram negative and positive bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes.
Pyelonephritis is inflammation of the kidney, typically due to a bacterial infection. Symptoms most often include fever and flank tenderness. Other symptoms may include nausea, burning with urination, and frequent urination. Complications may include pus around the kidney, sepsis, or kidney failure.
4-Aminosalicylic acid, also known as para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS) and sold under the brand name Paser among others, is an antibiotic primarily used to treat tuberculosis. Specifically it is used to treat active drug resistant tuberculosis together with other antituberculosis medications. It has also been used as a second line agent to sulfasalazine in people with inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. It is typically taken by mouth.
Pyrimethamine, sold under the brand name Daraprim among others, is a medication used with leucovorin to treat the parasitic diseases toxoplasmosis and cystoisosporiasis. It is also used with dapsone as a second-line option to prevent Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in people with HIV/AIDS. It was previously used for malaria but is no longer recommended due to resistance. Pyrimethamine is taken by mouth.
Sulfadiazine is an antibiotic. Used together with pyrimethamine, a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, it is the treatment of choice for toxoplasmosis, which is caused by a protozoan parasite. It is a second-line treatment for otitis media, prophylaxis of rheumatic fever, chancroid, chlamydia, and infections by Haemophilus influenzae. It is also used as adjunct therapy for chloroquine-resistant malaria and several forms of bacterial meningitis. It is taken by mouth. Sulfadiazine is available in multiple generic tablets of 500 mg. For urinary tract infections, the usual dose is 4 to 6 grams daily in 3 to 6 divided doses.
Dihydropteroate is an important intermediate in folate biosynthesis. It is a pterin created from para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) by the enzyme dihydropteroate synthase.
Antifolates are a class of antimetabolite medications that antagonise (that is, block) the actions of folic acid (vitamin B9). Folic acid's primary function in the body is as a cofactor to various methyltransferases involved in serine, methionine, thymidine and purine biosynthesis. Consequently, antifolates inhibit cell division, DNA/RNA synthesis and repair and protein synthesis. Some such as proguanil, pyrimethamine and trimethoprim selectively inhibit folate's actions in microbial organisms such as bacteria, protozoa and fungi. The majority of antifolates work by inhibiting dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR).
Bacteriuria is the presence of bacteria in urine. Bacteriuria accompanied by symptoms is a urinary tract infection while that without is known as asymptomatic bacteriuria. Diagnosis is by urinalysis or urine culture. Escherichia coli is the most common bacterium found. People without symptoms should generally not be tested for the condition. Differential diagnosis include contamination.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) is a bacterial infection of the prostate gland and a form of prostatitis. It should be distinguished from other forms of prostatitis such as acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP) and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS).
Ceftazidime/avibactam, sold under the brand name Avycaz among others, is a fixed-dose combination medication composed of ceftazidime, a cephalosporin antibiotic, and avibactam, a β-lactamase inhibitor. It is used to treat complicated intra-abdominal infections, urinary tract infections, and pneumonia. It is only recommended when other options are not appropriate. It is given by infusion into a vein.
Urinary anti-infective agent, also known as urinary antiseptic, is medication that can eliminate microorganisms causing urinary tract infection (UTI). UTI can be categorized into two primary types: cystitis, which refers to lower urinary tract or bladder infection, and pyelonephritis, which indicates upper urinary tract or kidney infection. Escherichia coli is the predominant microbial trigger of UTIs, accounting for 75% to 95% of reported cases. Other pathogens such as Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus can also cause UTIs.