Q: I am a 27 years old female into my 25th week of pregnancy. My doctor has asked me to take Taxim-O (200 mg) for treating urinary infection. Is it safe to take this medicine during pregnancy?

A:It is never a good idea to prescribe antibiotics to women during pregnancy "blindly." It is better to send urine and blood for culture and antibacterial sensitivity and prescribe only when results are received. Many germs are resistant to many antibiotics. How does one know that germs (bacteria) causing UTI in your case will respond to Taxim-O (cefixime)? Suppose you take a course and yet your UTI is not cured; then you will need another antibiotic. By that time there will be no growth of bacteria either in urine or blood since even an inappropriate antibiotic will suppress their growth. One cannot "experiment" with drugs during pregnancy.