amikacin vs trimethoprim
Side-by-side comparison of amikacin and trimethoprim Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Amikin
Primsol
Amikacin is an antibiotic medicine. It fights serious infections caused by certain types of bacteria.
This medicine contains sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. It is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in your body.
Amikacin treats serious infections caused by bacteria. This includes infections in the blood, lungs, bones, joints, brain, skin, and abdomen. It can also treat burns, post-surgery infections, and complicated urinary tract infections.
This medicine can treat urinary tract infections, ear infections in children, and bronchitis in adults. It also treats shigellosis, a type of diarrhea. It can also treat or prevent Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, and treat traveler's diarrhea.
Amikacin belongs to a class of drugs called aminoglycosides. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This helps your body fight off the infection.
This medicine works by stopping bacteria from making folic acid. Bacteria need folic acid to grow and multiply. By blocking folic acid production, the medicine kills the bacteria.
No common side effects listed.
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Loss of appetite
- • Skin rash
- • Hives
- Off Label Use 1,908
- Drug Ineffective 1,673
- Cough 1,620
- Dyspnoea 1,556
- Hospitalisation 1,360
- Nausea 945
- Off Label Use 868
- Diarrhoea 848
- Headache 835
- Malaise 815
Amikacin can potentially cause hearing loss and kidney damage. Tell your doctor if you have kidney problems or are taking other medicines that can affect your hearing or kidneys. Your doctor should closely monitor you for hearing and kidney problems during treatment. This drug can also cause muscle weakness or breathing problems, especially if you are also taking anesthesia or certain muscle relaxants.
Rarely, sulfonamide drugs like this one have caused severe reactions. These include Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, liver damage, and blood problems. Tell your doctor right away if you have a fever, rash, blisters, mouth sores, or signs of infection.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Amikacin may harm your unborn baby. It is not known if amikacin passes into breast milk.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. This medicine may not be safe for your baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine while breastfeeding.
Also Compare — Nearby Drugs
Compare amikacin with
How to Read This amikacin vs trimethoprim Comparison
amikacin is classified in the Aminoglycoside Antibiotic drug class, while trimethoprim sits within the Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitor class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, amikacin has 8,117 submissions while trimethoprim has 4,311. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between amikacin and trimethoprim — always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.