Sulfamethoxazole, usually combined with trimethoprim, is an antibiotic used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. Its common uses include:
- Urinary tract infections
- Middle ear infections (otitis media)
- Bronchitis and acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis
- Traveler's diarrhea
- Shigellosis (bacillary dysentery)
- Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP), especially in people with weakened immune systems such as those with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or transplant patients
- Prostatitis
- Some gastrointestinal infections caused by bacteria
The combination works by inhibiting bacterial folic acid synthesis, which is essential for bacterial growth and replication, making it bacteriostatic
