Talk:Chloramphenicol

Benzene-Based Preservatives
The relationship between chloramphenicol reactions and benzene-based preservatives seems quite important. I almost missed this knowledge except for my curiosity of coming to the talk page and noticing that that part had been removed. I wonder if the original author would please considering restoring this text with required citations. I know this would take a bit of work, but I found this bit extremely valuable and I think others might as well. Thanks. Ssaydjari (talk) 04:03, 16 August 2012 (UTC)

Breast feeding
is chloramphenicol suitable breast feeding mothers as eye drops?

Mechanism and resistance
I have attempted some clarification (i.e. addition of "molecule") and spelling fixes for the "Mechanism and resistance" section. However, the beginning section is slightly confusing to me, as it may be interpreted to suggest that peptidyl transferase inhib'''its ribosome activity:
 * Chloramphenicol stops bacterial growth by inhibiting the enzyme peptidyl transferase, which inhibits ribosomal activity and protein synthesis.

However, I am guessing that peptidyl transferase does not inhibit ribosome activity...should it be reworded to clarify, perhaps to something like the following?:
 * Chloramphenicol stops bacterial growth by inhibiting the enzyme peptidyl transferase; the inhibition of this enzyme results in inhibited ribosomal activity, which leads to inhibited protein synthesis.

--GregRM 04:45, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

There is a big source of confusion here Peptidyl transferase is an activity exherted by the large ribosomal subunit, peptidyl transferase is not something apart from the ribosome, so if it inhibits this activity it will of course inhibit ribosome activity...

R.B. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.195.217.51 (talk) 15:35, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Animal use
Is Chloramphenicol used in the treatment of animals? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Frederickwolf (talk • contribs) 19:07, 15 December 2006 (UTC).

Chloramphenicol is widely used in aquarium. Chloramphenicol is effective in GI problems of fish in most cases as a medicinary bath. The dose should be 250mg/25L of water. The tmep should be maintained at 30-32'c (depending of spices) and well aerated is essential. I do not have any references of using chloramphenicol in fish but this is my experience. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.245.246.237 (talk) 04:18, 12 February 2010 (UTC) My biggest point is that the drug is bacterioSTATIC, not cidal - Merck Manual and Epocrates both list it this way. Someone needs to change that because the article is inaccurate as written.

The above line is wrong - several journal articles and infectious disease texts indicate that chloramphenicol is bactericidal against at least some species of pathogenic bacteria (especially H. influenzae). Google "chloramphenicol bactericidal" if you don't believe me — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.57.84.152 (talk) 03:29, 11 February 2012 (UTC)

Both of you are right. It depends upon what pathogen it is used against. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC352780/ Jokem (talk) 15:26, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

Use on scars
I've heard that Chlorsig can be an effective treatment to minimise the appearance of scars when applied during the healing process - this was confirmed by a plastic surgeon after a recent procedure. I can't find any reference to this anywhere on the internet however. Has anyone else heard of this use, or have any information about its accuracy? -Orpheus82 03:02, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

I have just been to A&E in the UK with open wounds and they gave me a 1% chloramphenicol ointment to apply to the wound site saying it would aid repair and help reduce scarring. I know this is not citable but confirms Orphesus82's comment somewhat. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.139.216.87 (talk) 23:09, 19 February 2012 (UTC)

Considerations on the Thiamphenicol
Thiamphenicol is not only for use in animal.

In Italy Thiamphenicol is sold under the commercial name Glitisol for human use.

I do not know in other European countries, but is not used only in China.

Try to see the follow link : http://www.torrinomedica.it/studio/schedefarmaci/GLITISOL.htm

--Scayn 20:08, 12 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Thanks, added to the article, and to thiamphenicol as well. Fvasconcellos (t·c) 17:46, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Aplastic Anemia
I wanted to know if someone was treated with Chloramphenicol and did not develop the ailment, does that mean they can be treated again and be safe? Jokem (talk) 02:25, 21 June 2010 (UTC)

Well, I think this is my answer -

The anaemia is fully reversible once the drug is stopped and does not predict future development of aplastic anaemia.

So it looks like someone can still get it even if they did not before. 68.12.242.144 (talk) 01:10, 23 February 2014 (UTC)

Eye drops don't cause apalstic anaemia
Removed link to website that is itself unreferenced. Chopped text below:
 * Note http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40025037/ suggests the link between chloramphenicol eye drops and aplastic anemia is "not well founded".

--Gak (talk) 11:20, 29 August 2011 (UTC)

Staphylococcal brain abscesses
Chloramphenicol is not used first line for staphylococcal brain abscesses. Cloxacillin (for methicillin sensitive) (or cefazolin) or Vancomycin/Septra/Clindamycin/Linezolid for MRSA — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.230.239.72 (talk) 22:52, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

Neutrality disputed
The phrase «frequently found as a drug of choice in the third world» primarily, because of the non-neutral term «third world», secundarily, because the sentence lacks any documental references. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Zigisz (talk • contribs) 00:24, 18 December 2011 (UTC)
 * Third World is the title of a Wikipedia article. If you object to the term, please discuss this at Talk:Third world. Lack of references has nothing to do with neutrality; this is covered by the Citation needed tag. --ἀνυπόδητος (talk) 17:35, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Moved from article
I have removed the following text because it requires WP:MEDRS-compliant sources. -- Ed (Edgar181) 12:26, 1 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Chloramphenicol is particularly toxic to people sensitive to benzene-based preservatives, such as preservatives 210 and 211. Chloramphenicol poisoning can cause sensitivity reactions to organic acids and salicylates. It is also known to cause tinnitus and balance problems through inner ear damage. It also causes folic acid depletion, resulting in adverse effects to the thyroid, pituitary and prostate through effects on PABA levels. There may also be links to chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) through folic acid "depletion" and resultant high levels of folic acid in the mutant lymphocytes that characterize CLL. Chloramphenicol stops the body's production of vitamin D and pregnenolone. This results in major hormone depletion, including DHEA and testosterone, that can result in death and also lowers the body's resistance to viral infection.

Chloramphenicol can cause testes pain, possibly through hormone effects or causing a bacterial imbalance. Chinese research showed chloramphenicol affects motor neurones. It also affects insulin Igf1 levels and glutamate levels. Both conditions are considered indicative of a type of motor neurone disease. The adverse genetic effects of chloramphenicol are considered heritable.


 * Instead of deleting one might consider researching.


 * Toxic effect of chloromycetin on the ultrastructures of the motor neurons of the Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri).
 * Yu F1, Yu F, Li R, Wang R.
 * Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2004 Apr;82(4):276-81.
 * http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15181466


 * Role of oxidative stress in reproductive toxicity induced by co-administration of chloramphenicol and multivitamin-haematinics complex in rats.
 * Oyagbemi AA1, Adedara IA, Saba AB, Farombi EO.
 * Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2010 Sep;107(3):703-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-7843.2010.00561.x. Epub 2010 Apr 12.
 * http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20406210
 * http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-7843.2010.00561.x


 * Chloramphenicol causes mitochondrial stress, decreases ATP biosynthesis, induces matrix metalloproteinase-13 expression, and solid-tumor cell invasion.
 * Li CH1, Cheng YW, Liao PL, Yang YT, Kang JJ.
 * Toxicol Sci. 2010 Jul;116(1):140-50. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfq085. Epub 2010 Mar 25.
 * http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2886854/


 * these are just random search results.Bstard12 (talk) 15:25, 24 July 2014 (UTC)

Ear infection addition
I think some information about the use for treatment of ear infection is necessary as it (antibi otic ear drops) was prescribed to me in Thailand (Chiang Mai) by a pharmacist in 2014. Each drop contains 10 mg of chloramphenicol. 2 to 3 drops three times a day was prescribed.Pierrejcd (talk) 08:10, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

Also known as Levomycetin, Chloromycetin, Paraxin, Pharmycetin, racemate as Synthomycetin
Also known as levomycetin, chloromycetin, Paraxin, Pharmycetin, racemate as synthomycetin, some of these may be commercial names. Levomycetin is a very widespread generic name in former Soviet Union and is the name used in publications from Soviet era.

Didn't do much research, just personal knowledge and this link: http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Levomycetin --Bstard12 (talk) 15:01, 24 July 2014 (UTC)


 * Somebody quickly reverted the edit when I added these names to the article. You might want to comment here first, before going trigger-happy. Especialy as one of the alternative names you deleted is mentioned later in the article and in the references section.
 * I'm restoring the names, with a citation pointing to http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Levomycetin. The page itself suggests citing as "Levomycetin." The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition. 1970-1979. The Gale Group, Inc. 9 Jul. 2015 http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Levomycetin but I'm not sure how to do that. Looks like it worked though.--Bstard12 (talk) 01:58, 10 July 2015 (UTC)

WHO no longer recommends oily chloramphenicol
Latest mengitis epidemic management guidelines for Africa for N. Mengitidis have a warning box stating that the WHO no longer recommends oily chloramphenicol for bacterial meningitis. I think the page should be updated to reflect this. Source: http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/HSE_GAR_ERI_2010_4/en/ Page 23 NB. This publication has been revised for 2015 despite saying 2010

Ed2975 (talk) 00:11, 1 March 2016 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 11:34, 29 April 2016 (UTC)

Unsourced
The following is unsourced and was moved here per WP:PRESERVE. Per WP:BURDEN please do not restore without finding independent, reliable sources, checking the content against them, and citing them, and ensuring that this content has appropriate WP:WEIGHT in the article overall.

Chloramphenicol was originally derived from the bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae, isolated by Paul R. Burkholder from a soil sample collected in a mulched field near Caracas, Venezuela. Dr. Burkholder and collaborators (John ehrlich, Quentin R. Bartz, Robert M. Smith, and Dwight A. Joslyn from the Research Laboratories, Parke, Davis & Company, Detroit) publish the first description of the mold in October 1947, in Science. The title of the paper was: Chloromycetin, a new antibiotic from a soil actinomycete. Dr. David Gottlieb, obtained a similar antibiotic from an actinomycete isolated from a compost soil on the horticultural farm of the Illinois agricultural Experiment Station at Urbana, but investigation of this antibiotic was discontinued on learning of the advanced stage of the research at the Park and Davis Laboratories. Both groups published a paper in J. Bacteriol in July 1948, with the title: Streptomyces venezuelae, n. sp., the source of Chloromycetin. This antibiotic was introduced into clinical practice in 1949, under the trade name Chloromycetin. It was the first antibiotic to be manufactured synthetically on a large scale. -- Jytdog (talk) 04:11, 21 June 2017 (UTC)

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Dubious claims regarding first line use in meningitis and brain abcesses
As chloramphenicol is no longer recommended as a first line treatment in bacterial meningitis in both Europe and the US, I would recommend removing any such references from the article. This includes use for brain abcesses. Enzyklop (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 09:11, 25 August 2017 (UTC)
 * We are pretty clear though:


 * I don't think it would be productive to remove the indications entirely. Carl Fredrik  talk 10:27, 25 August 2017 (UTC)
 * Then perhaps the main article should correspond to the introduction. Especially and  have no corresponding evidence. At least those parts should be removed. Enzyklop (talk)
 * Please, go ahead. And welcome! Carl Fredrik  talk 11:55, 25 August 2017 (UTC)

I'm skeptical about the assertion that chloramphenicol is useful for meningitis or brain abscess in developing countries. The rate of chloramphenicol resistance among relevant pathogens continues to increase, probably due to indiscriminate use of other antibiotics, which selects for resistance to chloramphenicol as well (in some cases). I've read the cited article. If it is true that there really is no other antibiotic available, then of course, using chloramphenicol is reasonable. But is this really happening? Without some sort of citation, I'd recommend removing this indication from the article. I left it in for now, as I'd like to hear from other editors, perhaps with supporting citations, if they have them. Sbelknap (talk) 06:36, 22 November 2018 (UTC)

Production?
How is this drug produced? I am reading a time-travel novel and this drug was one whipped up from early-modern ingredients and techniques. How can it be done? &#39;&#39;Paul, in Saudi&#39;&#39; (talk) 07:44, 25 June 2018 (UTC)

Resistance...
The first few lines in the resistance section is a little confusing to read. I'm not sure if there is a typo in there, but it seems like a word or two are possibly missing. Paul K. &#124; MechE &#124; MSY-2 &#124; Chemist &#124; Let's talk 21:47, 19 September 2019 (UTC)

Price of the drug
Thought I would post this to compare it with thiamphenicol - https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/chloramphenicol Jokem (talk) 02:06, 18 July 2022 (UTC)