Indo Flucloxacillin is a South African generic of flucloxacillin, a penicillin antibiotic. It is the standard treatment for skin and soft tissue infections caused by Staphylococcus — boils, abscesses, cellulitis, infected wounds — and for bone and joint infections. It must be taken on an empty stomach.
What is Indo Flucloxacillin?
Indo Flucloxacillin contains flucloxacillin, a narrow-spectrum penicillin. “Indo” identifies the South African manufacturer; the active ingredient and strength are what matter, and 250 mg and 500 mg capsules are the usual forms.
Flucloxacillin belongs to the penicillin family and kills bacteria the same way its relatives do — by preventing them from building their cell walls, so the bacterium bursts.
What sets it apart is a specific piece of chemistry. Many strains of Staphylococcus aureus — the organism behind most skin infections — produce an enzyme called penicillinase, which destroys ordinary penicillin before it can work. Flucloxacillin’s molecular structure shields it from that enzyme. It is a penicillin that staphylococci cannot disable, which is precisely why it is chosen for skin infections while amoxicillin is not.
The trade-off is that its range is narrow. Flucloxacillin is excellent against staphylococci and streptococci and does very little against anything else. That narrowness is a virtue, not a limitation: a targeted antibiotic disturbs less of your normal bacteria and applies less pressure toward resistance.
It is a Schedule 4 prescription medicine.
What is Indo Flucloxacillin commonly used for?
It is prescribed for infections caused by staphylococci and streptococci:
- Cellulitis, a spreading infection of the skin and tissue beneath it.
- Boils, carbuncles and abscesses.
- Infected wounds and infected surgical sites.
- Impetigo, where widespread or not responding to topical treatment.
- Infected eczema.
- Bone infection (osteomyelitis) and joint infection (septic arthritis), usually starting intravenously.
- Some chest infections where a staphylococcal cause is suspected.
- Endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves, in hospital.
An important practical point about abscesses: an antibiotic alone often will not clear a collection of pus. Antibiotics reach bacteria through the bloodstream, and the inside of an abscess has little blood supply. Drainage is usually the definitive treatment, with flucloxacillin covering the surrounding tissue. If a boil or abscess is not settling on antibiotics, that is generally the reason, and it needs a doctor rather than a longer course.
For cellulitis, watch the edge of the redness. It should stop spreading within a couple of days of starting treatment. Continued spread, increasing pain, or fever means it needs review promptly.
How Indo Flucloxacillin fits into this medicine category
| Group | Examples | Common targets |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow-spectrum penicillins | Flucloxacillin | Skin, soft tissue, bone — staphylococci |
| Broad-spectrum penicillins | Amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate | Chest, ear, throat, dental, urinary |
| Macrolides | Azithromycin, erythromycin | Chest, some STIs; used in penicillin allergy |
| Sulfonamide combinations | Co-trimoxazole | Urinary, chest, PCP, some resistant skin infections |
| Nitroimidazoles | Metronidazole | Anaerobic and dental infections |
If you are allergic to penicillin, flucloxacillin is not an option and a different class is used. See the antibiotics and antimicrobials hub.
What to check before using Indo Flucloxacillin
Take it on an empty stomach — an hour before food or two hours after. This matters more than with most antibiotics. Food substantially reduces how much flucloxacillin is absorbed, and taking it with meals is a common reason a course underperforms. Take it with a full glass of water.
Finish the whole course, even once the infection looks better.
Tell your prescriber or pharmacist if:
- You are allergic to penicillin or any beta-lactam antibiotic. This is the critical question — reactions can be severe.
- You have liver disease, or have had jaundice after taking flucloxacillin before.
- You have kidney disease.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- You are over 65 or on a prolonged course, where liver effects are more likely.
- You take methotrexate, warfarin, or the contraceptive pill — vomiting or diarrhoea during a course can reduce its reliability.
A four-times-a-day schedule on an empty stomach is genuinely awkward. Ask your pharmacist to help you plan the timing around your meals before you leave — an unworkable schedule is the main reason courses go unfinished.
Follow the dispensing label. This page does not set doses.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
Liver effects deserve specific mention. Flucloxacillin can cause cholestatic hepatitis — a liver reaction that is uncommon but well documented with this particular antibiotic. It is more likely with courses beyond two weeks and in people over 65, and, unusually, it can begin up to several weeks after the course has finished. Report yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, persistent itching, or unexplained nausea and abdominal pain — even after you have stopped taking it.
Allergic reactions. Penicillin allergy ranges from a rash to anaphylaxis. Seek emergency care for swelling of the face, lips or tongue, difficulty breathing, or a widespread rash with faintness.
Diarrhoea is common. Severe, watery or bloody diarrhoea, particularly with fever, can indicate Clostridioides difficile infection and needs medical attention — during or after the course.
Thrush may follow, as the antibiotic disturbs normal bacteria.
Watch the infection itself. Improvement should be visible within two to three days. Spreading redness, worsening pain, fever, or red streaking away from the area needs urgent review.
Seek urgent medical attention for facial or throat swelling, difficulty breathing, a widespread rash, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine with pale stools, severe or bloody diarrhoea, high fever, or an infection spreading despite treatment.
Related medicine guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Indo Flucloxacillin used for? Skin and soft tissue infections — cellulitis, boils, abscesses, infected wounds — and bone and joint infections. It contains flucloxacillin.
Does “Indo” make it different? No. That is the manufacturer. The active ingredient and strength are what matter.
Why must I take it on an empty stomach? Food substantially reduces absorption. Take it an hour before eating or two hours after, with water.
How is it different from amoxicillin? Flucloxacillin resists the enzyme staphylococci use to destroy ordinary penicillin, which is why it is chosen for skin infections. Amoxicillin covers a broader range but not resistant staphylococci.
Can I take it if I am allergic to penicillin? No. Flucloxacillin is a penicillin. Tell your prescriber so a different class can be used.
My boil is not improving. Why? An antibiotic often cannot clear a collection of pus on its own, because there is little blood supply inside an abscess. Drainage is usually needed — see a doctor.