Like all medicines, chloramphenicol can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.
Common side effects
These common side effects of chloramphenicol happen in more than 1 in 100 people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:
Stinging or burning in the eye
Chloramphenicol eyedrops or ointment can cause stinging or burning in your eye. This happens straight after using the eyedrops or ointment and only lasts for a short time.
Do not rub your eye as this can make things worse. Wet a flannel with cool water and hold it over your eye for a few minutes to ease the symptoms.
Do not drive or operate machinery until your eyes feel comfortable again and your vision is clear.
Mild stinging, irritation, burning or itching
Chloramphenicol eardrops can cause mild stinging, irritation, burning or itching in your ear. If the skin around your ear becomes red and irritated, tell your doctor. This is a sign of dermatitis and your doctor may recommend some different antibiotic eardrops for you.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects are rare and happen in less than 1 in 1,000 people.
Call your doctor or call 111 now if you:
- bruise more easily
- get infections more easily
- feel especially tired or weak
These can be signs of aplastic anaemia, a rare condition where your bone marrow fails to produce blood cells normally. This is very unlikely to happen if you're using chloramphenicol eyedrops, ointment or eardrops. There's a greater risk of aplastic anaemia when chloramphenicol is given intravenously (directly into a vein).
Serious allergic reaction
In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to chloramphenicol.
Immediate action required: Call 999 now if:
- your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
- you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
- your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
- your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
- you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
- someone faints and cannot be woken up
- a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)
You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.
These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.
Do not drive yourself to A&E.
The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.
Other side effects
These are not all the side effects chloramphenicol. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.
Reporting side effects
You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.
Visit the Yellow Card website for more information about reporting side effects.