Your doctor has ordered ceftriaxone, an antibiotic, to help treat your infection. The drug will be either injected into a large muscle (such as your buttock or hip) or added to an intravenous fluid that will drip through a needle or catheter placed in your vein for 30 minutes, one or two times a day.

Ceftriaxone eliminates bacteria that cause many kinds of infections, including lung, skin, bone, joint, stomach, blood, and urinary tract infections. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Your health care provider (doctor, nurse, or pharmacist) may measure the effectiveness and side effects of your treatment using laboratory tests and physical examinations. It is important to keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. The length of treatment depends on how your infection and symptoms respond to the medication.

Before administering ceftriaxone,

tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to ceftriaxone, any other cephalosporin [e.g., cefaclor (Ceclor), cefadroxil (Duricef), or cephalexin (Keflex)], penicillins, or any other drugs.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially other antibiotics, probenecid (Benemid), and vitamins.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney, liver, gallbladder, or gastrointestinal disease (especially colitis).
tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking ceftriaxone, call your doctor.
if you have diabetes and regularly check your urine for sugar, use Clinistix or TesTape. Do not use Clinitest tablets because ceftriaxone may cause false positive results.

Although side effects from ceftriaxone are not common, they can occur. If you are administering ceftriaxone into a muscle, it may be mixed with lidocaine (Xylocaine) to reduce pain at the injection site. Tell your health care provider if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

diarrhea
stomach pain
upset stomach
vomiting
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your health care provider immediately:

unusual bleeding or bruising
difficulty breathing
itching
rash
hives
sore mouth or throat

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911

Your health care provider probably will give you a several-day supply of ceftriaxone at a time. If you are receiving ceftriaxone intravenously (in your vein), you probably will be told to store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Take your next dose from the refrigerator 1 hour before using it; place it in a clean, dry area to allow it to warm to room temperature.
If you are told to store additional ceftriaxone in the freezer, always move a 24-hour supply to the refrigerator for the next day's use.
Do not refreeze medications.
If you are receiving ceftriaxone intramuscularly (in your muscle), your health care provider will tell you how to store it properly.

Store your medication only as directed. Make sure you understand what you need to store your medication properly.

Keep your supplies in a clean, dry place when you are not using them, and keep all medications and supplies out of reach of children. Your health care provider will tell you how to throw away used needles, syringes, tubing, and containers to avoid accidental injury.