Let's take a minute to talk about your medication.

This is a sulfa antibiotic. Each tablet contains a combination of two medicines. They are sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. You may hear this medicine called by the brand name 'Bactrim DS'. The 'DS' stands for 'double-strength'.  

This medicine helps treat or prevent infections caused by bacteria.

You should take this medicine exactly as your doctor tells you to. Also, drink a full glass of water with each dose.  

Your infection will probably start improving soon.  But, you should finish taking the full course. Otherwise, the infection could return and become hard to treat.   

The most common side effects include nausea and diarrhea. You should let your doctor know if you get diarrhea that is severe, that lasts longer than 2 days, or that happens weeks after you finish taking this medicine. Also, this medicine may make you sensitive to sunlight. So, you should not spend a lot of time in the sun, and also avoid sunlamps.

As with any medicine, rare but more serious side effects can occur. With this medicine, these include allergic reactions and problems with blood counts. You should call your doctor right away if you have a rash, muscle aches, fever, sore throat, or any other unusual changes to your body.

You should check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking other medicines. 

This medicine may be unsafe for babies. Women should check with their doctors before becoming pregnant or breastfeeding.

For best results with this medicine, be careful not to miss doses, drink plenty of water, and try to rest. Also, let your doctor know if the infection gets worse instead of better, or if it does not improve.