Sulfadiazine is a sulfonamide

Sulfonamide (medicine)

Sulfonamide or sulphonamide is the basis of several groups of drugs. The original antibacterial sulfonamides are synthetic antimicrobial agents that contain the sulfonamide group. Some sulfonamides are also devoid of antibacterial activity, e.g., the anticonvulsant sultiame...

 antibiotic

Antibiotic

An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...

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Uses

It eliminates bacteria

Bacteria

Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...

 that cause infections by stopping the production of folic acid

Folic acid

Folic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...

 inside the bacterial cell, and is commonly used to treat urinary tract infection

Urinary tract infection

A urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. Symptoms include frequent feeling and/or need to urinate, pain during urination, and cloudy urine. The main causal agent is Escherichia coli...

s (UTIs).

In combination, sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine

Pyrimethamine

Pyrimethamine is a medication used for protozoal infections. It is commonly used as an antimalarial drug , and is also used in the treatment of Toxoplasma gondii infections in immunocompromised patients, such as HIV-positive individuals.-Mechanism of action:Pyrimethamine interferes with...

, can be used to treat toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite infects most genera of warm-blooded animals, including humans, but the primary host is the felid family. Animals are infected by eating infected meat, by ingestion of feces of a cat that has itself...

, a disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii is a species of parasitic protozoa in the genus Toxoplasma. The definitive host of T. gondii is the cat, but the parasite can be carried by many warm-blooded animals . Toxoplasmosis, the disease of which T...

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Side effects

Side effects reported for sulfadiazine include: nausea

Nausea

Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...

, upset stomach, loss of appetite, and dizziness

Dizziness

Dizziness refers to an impairment in spatial perception and stability. The term is somewhat imprecise. It can be used to mean vertigo, presyncope, disequilibrium, or a non-specific feeling such as giddiness or foolishness....

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Brand names

Lantrisul; Neotrizine; Sulfa-Triple #2; Sulfadiazine; Sulfaloid; Sulfonamides Duplex; Sulfose; Terfonyl; Triple Sulfa; Triple Sulfas; Triple Sulfoid