List of antibiotics

Following is a list of antibiotics, sorted by class. The highest division is between bactericidal antibiotics and bacteriostatic antibiotics. Bactericidals kill bacteria directly where bacteriostatics prevent them from dividing. However, these classifications are based on laboratory behavior; in practice, both of these are capable of ending a bacterial infection.^[1]
See also pathogenic bacteria for a list of antibiotics sorted by target bacteria.

Antibiotics by class

Generic name	Brand names	Common uses[2]	Possible side effects[2]	Mechanism of action
Aminoglycosides
Amikacin	Amikin	Infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Effective against Aerobic bacteria (not obligate/facultative anaerobes) and tularemia.	Hearing loss Vertigo Kidney damage	Binding to the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit (some work by binding to the 50S subunit), inhibiting the translocation of the peptidyl-tRNA from the A-site to the P-site and also causing misreading of mRNA, leaving the bacterium unable to synthesize proteins vital to its growth.
Gentamicin	Garamycin
Kanamycin	Kantrex
Neomycin	Mycifradin
Netilmicin	Netromycin
Tobramycin	Nebcin
Paromomycin	Humatin
Ansamycins
Geldanamycin		Experimental, as antitumor antibiotics
Herbimycin
Carbacephem
Loracarbef	Lorabid	Discontinued		prevents bacterial cell division by inhibiting cell wall synthesis.
Carbapenems
Ertapenem	Invanz	Bactericidal for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms and therefore useful for empiric broad-spectrum antibacterial coverage. (Note MRSA resistance to this class.)	Gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea Nausea Seizures Headache Rash and allergic reactions	Inhibition of cell wall synthesis
Doripenem	Doribax
Imipenem/Cilastatin	Primaxin
Meropenem	Merrem
Cephalosporins (First generation)
Cefadroxil	Duricef	Good coverage against Gram positive infections.	Gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea Nausea (if alcohol taken concurrently) Allergic reactions	Same mode of action as other beta-lactam antibiotics: disrupt the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls.
Cefazolin	Ancef
Cefalotin or Cefalothin	Keflin
Cefalexin	Keflex
Cephalosporins (Second generation)
Cefaclor	Ceclor	Less gram positive cover, improved gram negative cover.	Gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea Nausea (if alcohol taken concurrently) Allergic reactions	Same mode of action as other beta-lactam antibiotics: disrupt the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls.
Cefamandole	Mandol
Cefoxitin	Mefoxin
Cefprozil	Cefzil
Cefuroxime	Ceftin, Zinnat
Cephalosporins (Third generation)
Cefixime	Suprax	Improved coverage of Gram negative organisms, except Pseudomonas. Reduced Gram positive cover.	Gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea Nausea (if alcohol taken concurrently) Allergic reactions	Same mode of action as other beta-lactam antibiotics: disrupt the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls.
Cefdinir	Omnicef, Cefdiel
Cefditoren	Spectracef
Cefoperazone	Cefobid
Cefotaxime	Claforan
Cefpodoxime	Vantin
Ceftazidime	Fortaz
Ceftibuten	Cedax
Ceftizoxime	Cefizox
Ceftriaxone	Rocephin
Cephalosporins (Fourth generation)
Cefepime	Maxipime	Covers pseudomonal infections.	Gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea Nausea (if alcohol taken concurrently) Allergic reactions	Same mode of action as other beta-lactam antibiotics: disrupt the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls.
Cephalosporins (Fifth generation)
Ceftobiprole	Zeftera	Used to treat MRSA	Gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea Nausea (if alcohol taken concurrently) Allergic reactions	Same mode of action as other beta-lactam antibiotics: disrupt the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls.
Glycopeptides
Teicoplanin	Targocid			inhibiting peptidoglycan synthesis
Vancomycin	Vancocin
Telavancin	Vibativ
Lincosamides
Clindamycin	Cleocin	Serious staph-, pneumo-, and streptococcal infections in penicillin-allergic patients, also anaerobic infections; clindamycin topically for acne	Possible C. difficile-related pseudomembranous enterocolitis	Bind to 50S subunit of bacterial RNA thereby inhibiting protein synthesis
Lincomycin	Lincocin
Lipopeptide
Daptomycin	Cubicin	Gram-positive organisms		Bind to the membrane and cause rapid depolarization, resulting in a loss of membrane potential leading to inhibition of protein, DNA and RNA synthesis
Macrolides
Azithromycin	Zithromax, Sumamed, Zitrocin	Streptococcal infections, syphilis, upper respiratory tract infections, lower respiratory tract infections, mycoplasmal infections, Lyme disease	Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (especially at higher doses) Jaundice	inhibition of bacterial protein biosynthesis by binding reversibly to the subunit 50S of the bacterial ribosome, thereby inhibiting translocation of peptidyl tRNA.
Clarithromycin	Biaxin
Dirithromycin	Dynabac
Erythromycin	Erythocin, Erythroped
Roxithromycin
Troleandomycin	TAO
Telithromycin	Ketek	Pneumonia	Visual Disturbance, Liver Toxicity.[3]
Spectinomycin	Trobicin	Gonorrhea
Monobactams
Aztreonam	Azactam			Same mode of action as other beta-lactam antibiotics: disrupt the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls.
Nitrofurans
Furazolidone	Furoxone	Bacterial or protozoal diarrhea or enteritis
Nitrofurantoin	Macrodantin, Macrobid	Urinary tract infections
Penicillins
Amoxicillin	Novamox, Amoxil	Wide range of infections; penicillin used for streptococcal infections, syphilis, and Lyme disease	Gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea Allergy with serious anaphylactic reactions Brain and kidney damage (rare)	Same mode of action as other beta-lactam antibiotics: disrupt the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls.
Ampicillin	Principen
Azlocillin
Carbenicillin	Geocillin
Cloxacillin	Tegopen
Dicloxacillin	Dynapen
Flucloxacillin	Floxapen
Mezlocillin	Mezlin
Methicillin	Staphcillin
Nafcillin	Unipen
Oxacillin	Prostaphlin
Penicillin G	Pentids
Penicillin V	Pen-Vee-K
Piperacillin	Pipracil
Temocillin	Negaban
Ticarcillin	Ticar
Penicillin combinations
Amoxicillin/clavulanate	Augmentin			The second component prevents bacterial resistance to the first component
Ampicillin/sulbactam	Unasyn
Piperacillin/tazobactam	Zosyn
Ticarcillin/clavulanate	Timentin
Polypeptides
Bacitracin		Eye, ear or bladder infections; usually applied directly to the eye or inhaled into the lungs; rarely given by injection	Kidney and nerve damage (when given by injection)	Inhibits isoprenyl pyrophosphate, a molecule that carries the building blocks of the peptidoglycan bacterial cell wall outside of the inner membrane [4]
Colistin	Coly-Mycin-S			Interact with the gram negative bacterial outer membrane and cytoplasmic membrane. It displaces bacterial counter ions, which destabilizes the outer membrane. They act like a detergent against the cytoplasmic membrane, which alters its permeability. Polymyxin B and E are bactericidal even in an isosmotic solution.
Polymyxin B
Quinolones
Ciprofloxacin	Cipro, Ciproxin, Ciprobay	Urinary tract infections, bacterial prostatitis, community-acquired pneumonia, bacterial diarrhea, mycoplasmal infections, gonorrhea	Nausea (rare), irreversible damage to central nervous system (uncommon), tendinosis (rare)	inhibit the bacterial DNA gyrase or the topoisomerase IV enzyme, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and transcription.
Enoxacin	Penetrex
Gatifloxacin	Tequin
Levofloxacin	Levaquin
Lomefloxacin	Maxaquin
Moxifloxacin	Avelox
Nalidixic acid	NegGram
Norfloxacin	Noroxin
Ofloxacin	Floxin, Ocuflox
Trovafloxacin	Trovan	Withdrawn
Grepafloxacin	Raxar	Withdrawn
Sparfloxacin	Zagam	Withdrawn
Temafloxacin	Omniflox	Withdrawn
Sulfonamides
Mafenide	Sulfamylon	Urinary tract infections (except sulfacetamide, used for eye infections, and mafenide and silver sulfadiazine, used topically for burns)	Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea Allergy (including skin rashes) Crystals in urine Kidney failure Decrease in white blood cell count Sensitivity to sunlight	Folate synthesis inhibition. They are competitive inhibitors of the enzyme dihydropteroate synthetase, DHPS. DHPS catalyses the conversion of PABA (para-aminobenzoate) to dihydropteroate, a key step in folate synthesis. Folate is necessary for the cell to synthesize nucleic acids (nucleic acids are essential building blocks of DNA and RNA), and in its absence cells will be unable to divide.
Sulfonamidochrysoidine (archaic)	Prontosil
Sulfacetamide	Sulamyd, Bleph-10
Sulfadiazine	Micro-Sulfon
Silver sulfadiazine	Silvadene
Sulfamethizole	Thiosulfil Forte
Sulfamethoxazole	Gantanol
Sulfanilimide (archaic)
Sulfasalazine	Azulfidine
Sulfisoxazole	Gantrisin
Trimethoprim	Proloprim, Trimpex
Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (Co-trimoxazole) (TMP-SMX)	Bactrim, Septra
Tetracyclines
Demeclocycline	Declomycin	Syphilis, chlamydial infections, Lyme disease, mycoplasmal infections, acne rickettsial infections, *malaria *Note: Malaria is caused by a protist and not a bacterium.	Gastrointestinal upset Sensitivity to sunlight Potential toxicity to mother and fetus during pregnancy Enamel hypoplasia (staining of teeth; potentially permanent) transient depression of bone growth	inhibiting the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to the mRNA-ribosome complex. They do so mainly by binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit in the mRNA translation complex.
Doxycycline	Vibramycin
Minocycline	Minocin
Oxytetracycline	Terramycin
Tetracycline	Sumycin, Achromycin V, Steclin
Drugs against mycobacteria
Clofazimine	Lamprene	Antileprotic
Dapsone	Avlosulfon	Antileprotic
Capreomycin	Capastat	Antituberculosis
Cycloserine	Seromycin	Antituberculosis, urinary tract infections
Ethambutol	Myambutol	Antituberculosis
Ethionamide	Trecator	Antituberculosis		Inhibits peptide synthesis
Isoniazid	I.N.H.	Antituberculosis
Pyrazinamide	Aldinamide	Antituberculosis
Rifampicin (Rifampin in US)	Rifadin, Rimactane	mostly Gram-positive and mycobacteria	Reddish-orange sweat, tears, and urine	Binds to the β subunit of RNA polymerase to inhibit transcription
Rifabutin	Mycobutin	Mycobacterium avium complex	rash, discolored urine, GI symptoms
Rifapentine	Priftin	Antituberculosis
Streptomycin		Antituberculosis	Neurotoxicity, ototoxicity	As other aminoglycosides
Others
Arsphenamine	Salvarsan	Spirochaetal infections (obsolete)
Chloramphenicol	Chloromycetin	meningitis, MRSA, topical use, or for low cost internal treatment. Historic: typhus, cholera. gram negative, gram positive, anaerobes	Rarely: aplastic anemia.	Inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 50S subunit of the ribosome
Fosfomycin	Monurol	Acute cystitis in women		Inactivates enolpyruvyl transferase, thereby blocking cell wall synthesis
Fusidic acid	Fucidin
Linezolid	Zyvox	VRSA
Metronidazole	Flagyl	Infections caused by anaerobic bacteria; also amoebiasis, trichomoniasis, Giardiasis	Discolored urine, headache, metallic taste, nausea ; alcohol is contraindicated	Produces toxic free radicals which disrupt DNA and proteins. This non-specific mechanism is responsible for its activity against a variety of bacteria, amoebae, and protozoa.
Mupirocin	Bactroban	Ointment for impetigo, cream for infected cuts
Platensimycin
Quinupristin/Dalfopristin	Synercid
Rifaximin	Xifaxan	Traveler's diarrhea caused by E. coli
Thiamphenicol		Gram-negative, Gram-positive, anaerobes. widely used in veterinary medicine.	Lacks known anemic side-effects.	A chloramphenicol analog. May inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 50S subunit of the ribosome
Tigecycline	Tigacyl
Tinidazole	Tindamax Fasigyn	protozoan infections	upset stomach, bitter taste, and itchiness
Generic Name	Brand Names	Common Uses[2]	Possible Side Effects[2]	Mechanism of action