Gentamicin

What is Gentamicin and what is it used for?

Gentamicin is an antibiotic used to treat certain infections.

Why have I been given this leaflet?

Gentamicin can, very rarely, damage your ears, leading to hearing and balance problems. You are more likely to experience ear problems if you receive more than one week of gentamicin treatment, and if you already have underlying problems with your hearing.

Please let the clinical team know if you experience any of the following:

• changes in your hearing (especially not hearing high pitched sounds)
• ringing in the ears
• changes in vision eg blurred or double vision, objects appearing to move back and forth or up and down across your vision
• changes in balance or co-ordination
• feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
• flickering eye movements
• spinning sensation
• feeling dizzy.

You may be asked to go for a hearing test to detect any changes in your hearing.

Useful contacts

We hope that you have found this information useful. If you have any questions or are worried about anything, please speak to a member of the pharmacy team on 01305 253422.

About this leaflet

Author: Rhian Pearce, Antimicrobial Pharmacist
Written: January 2020
Updated and approved: March 2024
Review date: March 2027
Edition: v2

If you have feedback regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this leaflet, or if you would like a list of references used to develop this leaflet, please email patientinformation.leaflets@dchft.nhs.uk