Bacitracin is a germ-killing medicine called an antibiotic, which is used to treat infections. Small amounts of Bacitracin are dissolved in petroleum jelly to create antibiotic ointments.
Bacitracin overdose occurs when someone accidentally or intentionally swallows products containing this ingredient or uses more than the normal or recommended amount of the product.
Bacitracin may be found in certain over-the-counter antibiotic ointments such as Bactine Triple Antibiotic and Neosporin. It may also be found in some prescription eye ointments such as AK-Tracin.
The medicine also comes in form that can be given as a shot into a muscle or through a vein. (A real overdose usually only occurs this way.)
Symptoms:
Bacitracin is very safe. However getting bacitracin in your eyes may cause redness and some pain and itching.
Intentionally eating bacitracin in large amounts may cause you to have some pain in your stomach and possibly throw up.
Rarely Bacitracin may cause cause an allergic reaction. You are most likely to have some redness and itching of your skins. However, like any substance a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) can occur.
Review Date: 1/23/2008
Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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