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Klaron (Sodium Sulfacetamide Lotion): Side Effects, Uses, Dosage, Interactions, Warnings

Klaron

Medical Editor: John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP Last updated on RxList: 11/20/2023

Drug Summary

What Is Klaron?

Klaron (sodium sulfacetamide) Lotion is an antibacterial used to treat acne, dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis and certain skin infections. Klaron is available in generic form.

What Are Side Effects of Klaron?

Klaron may cause serious side effects including:

  • hives,
  • difficulty breathing,
  • swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat,
  • skin rash (no matter how mild),
  • pale skin,
  • easy bruising,
  • unusual bleeding,
  • new or worsening skin infection,
  • nausea,
  • upper stomach pain,
  • itching,
  • tiredness,
  • loss of appetite,
  • dark urine,
  • clay-colored stools,
  • yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice),
  • joint pain or swelling with fever,
  • swollen glands,
  • muscle aches,
  • chest pain,
  • vomiting,
  • unusual thoughts or behavior,
  • patchy skin color,
  • fever,
  • sore throat,
  • burning in your eyes,
  • skin pain, and
  • followed by red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling

Get medical help right away, if you have any of the symptoms listed above.

Common side effects of Klaron include swelling, itching, redness, dry skin, and yellow discoloration of treated skin (this may be a sign you have applied too much Klaron to your skin).

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

  • Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
  • Serious heart symptoms such as fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in your chest; shortness of breath; and sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, or passing out;
  • Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors.

This document does not contain all possible side effects and others may occur. Check with your physician for additional information about side effects.

Dosage for Klaron

The recommended dosage of Klaron is a thin layer applied to the affected area twice a day.

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Klaron?

Silvadene and Thermazene may interact with Klaron. Tell your doctor all medication you use. Do not apply Klaron to large areas of skin. Avoid getting this medication in your nose, mouth, or eyes.

Klaron During Pregnancy or Breastfeeding

If you are pregnant you should only take Klaron if clearly needed. Caution should be exercised if you are using Klaron and breastfeeding.

Additional Information

Our Klaron (sodium sulfacetamide) Lotion Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

Description for Klaron

Each mL of Klaron® (sodium sulfacetamide lotion) Lotion, 10% contains 100 mg of sodium sulfacetamide in a vehicle consisting of purified water; propylene glycol; lauramide DEA (and) diethanolamine; polyethylene glycol 400, monolaurate; hydroxyethyl cellulose; sodium chloride; sodium metabisulfite; methylparaben; xanthan gum; EDTA and simethicone.

Sodium sulfacetamide is a sulfonamide with antibacterial activity. Chemically, sodium sulfacetamide is N' -[(4-aminophenyl) sulfonyl] - acetamide, monosodium salt, monohydrate. The structural formula is:

KLARON® (sodium sulfacetamide) Structural Formula Illustration

Uses for Klaron

KlaronLotion is indicated in the topical treatment of acne vulgaris.

Dosage for Klaron

Apply a thin film to affected areas twice daily.

HOW SUPPLIED

4 fl oz (118 mL) Bottles - NDC 0187-5198-04

Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature]. Shake well before using. Keep tightly closed.

Manufactured by: Bausch Health Companies Inc. Laval, Quebec H7L 4A8, Canada. Revised Aug 2020.

Side Effects for Klaron

In controlled clinical trials for the management of acne vulgaris, the occurrence of adverse reactions associated with the use of Klaron Lotion was infrequent and restricted to local events. The total incidence of adverse reactions reported in these studies was less than 2%. Only one of 105 patients treated with Klaron Lotion had adverse reactions of erythema, itching, and edema. It has been reported that sodium sulfacetamide may cause local irritation, stinging, and burning. While the irritation may be transient, occasionally the use of medication has to be discontinued.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Bausch Health US, LLC at 1-800-321-4576 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Drug Interactions for Klaron

No Information Provided

Warnings for Klaron

Fatalities have occurred, although rarely, due to severe reactions to sulfonamides including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, fulminant hepatic necrosis, agranulocytosis, aplastic anemia, and other blood dyscrasias. Hypersensitivity reactions may occur when a sulfonamide is readministered, irrespective of the route of administration. Sensitivity reactions have been reported in individuals with no prior history of sulfonamide hypersensitivity. At the first sign of hypersensitivity, skin rash, or other reactions, discontinue use of this preparation (see ADVERSE REACTIONS).

Klaron Lotion contains sodium metabisulfite, a sulfite that may cause allergic-type reactions including anaphylactic symptoms and life-threatening or less severe asthmatic episodes in certain susceptible people. The overall prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the general population is unknown and probably low. Sulfite sensitivity is seen more frequently in asthmatic than in non-asthmatic people (see CONTRAINDICATIONS).

Precautions for Klaron

General

For external use only. Keep away from eyes. If irritation develops, use of the product should be discontinued and appropriate therapy instituted. Patients should be carefully observed for possible local irritation or sensitization during long-term therapy. Hypersensitivity reactions may occur when a sulfonamide is readministered irrespective of the route of administration, and cross-sensitivity between different sulfonamides may occur. Sodium sulfacetamide can cause reddening and scaling of the skin. Particular caution should be employed if areas of involved skin to be treated are denuded or abraded.

Keep out of reach of children.

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment Of Fertility

Long-term studies in animals have not been performed to evaluate carcinogenic potential.

Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Klaron Lotion. It is also not known whether Klaron Lotion can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Klaron Lotion should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

Kernicterus may occur in the newborn as a result of treatment of a pregnant woman at term with orally administered sulfonamide. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of Klaron Lotion in pregnant women, and it is not known whether topically applied sulfonamides can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman.

Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether sodium sulfacetamide is excreted in human milk following topical use of Klaron Lotion. Systemically administered sulfonamides are capable of producing kernicterus in the infants of lactating women. Small amounts of orally administered sulfonamides have been reported to be eliminated in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised in prescribing for nursing women.

Pediatric Use

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients under the age of 12 have not been established.

Overdose Information for Klaron

No Information Provided

Contraindications for Klaron

Klaron Lotion is contraindicated for use by patients having known hypersensitivity to sulfonamides or any other component of this preparation (see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS).

Clinical Pharmacology for Klaron

The most widely accepted mechanism of action of sulfonamides is the Woods-Fildes theory, based on sulfonamides acting as a competitive inhibitor of para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) utilization, an essential component for bacterial growth. While absorption through intact skin in humans has not been determined, in vitro studies with human cadaver skin indicated a percutaneous absorption of about 4%. Sodium sulfacetamide is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract when taken orally and excreted in the urine largely unchanged. The biological half-life has been reported to be between 7 to 13 hours.

The pharmacokinetics of sulfacetamide and its major metabolite sulfaniliamide in Klaron Lotion was evaluated in adult subjects (N=14) with acne vulgaris. The subjects applied Klaron Lotion to their face, back, chest, and shoulders every 12 hours for 28 days. The percentage of the applied dose of KlaronLotion excreted in the urine as sulfacetamide plus sulfanilamide ranged from 0.08 to 0.33%.

Patient Information for Klaron

No information provided. Please refer to the WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS sections.

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Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.