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Antibiotics and Staph Infections
Some examples of antibiotics that may be recommended to cure a mild-to-moderate staph infection affecting the skin include:
- Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim®, Bactrim® DS, Septra®, Septra® DS, Sulfatrim®)
- Minocycline
- Doxycycline
- Tetracycline
- Clindamycin
- Linezolid (Zyvox®).
Your healthcare provider may want to see you in 24 to 48 hours after starting treatment to check on your progress. If the antibiotics don't appear to be working, more aggressive treatment may be necessary. More serious staph infections can involve hospitalization and intravenous (IV) antibiotics, including:
- Vancomycin (Vancocin®)
- Linezolid (Zyvox®)
- Daptomycin (Cubicin®)
- Tigecycline (Tygacil®)
- Telavancin (Vibativ™)
- Quinupristin and dalfopristin (Synercid®).
After the infection starts to improve, you may be discharged from the hospital with antibiotics to take either by mouth or through an IV. These medicines may need to be taken for up to eight weeks.
(To read more about treating the condition with antibiotics, click Staph Infection Treatment. This article talks about the treatment options for staph in greater detail, including what to do if staph comes back after your infection has healed.)
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD