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Recarbrio: Uses, Side Effects and Dosage

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Facts
Status:
Prescription (Rx)
Strength:
500 mg / 500 mg / 250 mg
Active ingredients:
ATC code:
Similar drugs:

Source: Health Canada – Drug Product Database (DPD) and product monographs · About this document

Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Recarbrio

What RECARBRIO® is used for:

RECARBRIO® is used to treat the following infections in adults caused by certain bacteria:

  • Pneumonia that is contracted in hospital or while on a ventilator.
  • Complicated infection in the urinary tract, including an infection called pyelonephritis. It is used when other treatment options are limited or when there are no alternatives.
  • Complicated infection in the abdomen. It is used when other treatment options are limited or when there are no alternatives.

Antibacterial drugs like RECARBRIO® treat only bacterial infections. They do not treat viral infections such as the common cold.

How RECARBRIO® works:

RECARBRIO® is an antibiotic. It works by killing certain bacteria which cause serious infections.

The ingredients in RECARBRIO® are:

Medicinal ingredients: imipenem, cilastatin sodium and relebactam.

Non-medicinal ingredient: sodium bicarbonate buffer.

RECARBRIO® comes in the following dosage forms:

Sterile powder for solution: imipenem 500 mg, cilastatin 500 mg, and relebactam 250 mg.

Do not use RECARBRIO® if you:

  • Are allergic to imipenem, cilastatin or to relebactam.
  • Are allergic to any of the other ingredients in RECARBRIO® or to any part of the container.
  • Have had an allergic reaction to a type of antibiotic called a beta-lactam in the past. Talk to your healthcare professional if you are not sure.

RECARBRIO® is not approved for use in patients less than 18 years of age. It is not known if RECARBRIO® is safe and effective in these patients.

To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take RECARBRIO®. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:

  • have or have had allergies to any medicine in the past, including to an antibiotic
  • have or have had brain lesions or seizures in the past
  • have or have had diarrhea
  • have kidney problems
  • are taking the medicine valproic acid or divalproex sodium

Pregnancy

Talk to your healthcare professional before you take RECARBRIO® if you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant. It is not known if RECARBRIO® will harm your unborn baby. If you get pregnant while taking RECARBRIO®, tell your healthcare professional.

Breastfeeding

Talk to your healthcare professional before you take RECARBRIO® if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. RECARBRIO® may pass into your breast milk. Your healthcare professional will discuss with you if you should receive RECARBRIO® will you are breastfeeding.

Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.

The following may interact with RECARBRIO®:

  • Ganciclovir, used to treat some viral infections.
  • Valproic acid or divalproex sodium, used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder, or migraine.

How to take RECARBRIO®:

  • RECARBRIO® will be given to you by a healthcare professional in a healthcare setting.
  • Your healthcare professional will ensure that it is prepared correctly before it is given to you.
  • It will be infused directly into your vein.
  • It will be infused over a period of 30 minutes every 6 hours.
  • Follow all instructions given to you by your healthcare professional.
  • Although you may feel better early in treatment, RECARBRIO® should be taken exactly as directed.
  • Misuse or overuse of RECARBRIO® could lead to the growth of bacteria that will not be killed by RECARBRIO® (resistance). This means that RECARBRIO® may not work for you in the future.

Usual dose:

The usual dose is one vial of RECARBRIO® every 6 hours. Your healthcare professional will decide for how long you will receive RECARBRIO®. It will depend on your infection and how you respond to treatment.

If you have kidney problems, your healthcare professional may reduce your dose.

Overdose:

If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much RECARBRIO®, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, regional poison control centre or Health Canada’s toll-free number, 1-844 POISON-X (1-844-764-7669) immediately, even if there are no signs or symptoms.

Missed Dose:

Tell your healthcare professional right away if you think you were not given your dose of RECARBRIO®.

Possible side effects from using RECARBRIO®:

These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking RECARBRIO®. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your healthcare professional.

Side effects may include:

  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Skin redness and tenderness where the medicine was injected or along a blood vessel at the injection site.

RECARBRIO® can cause abnormal blood test results. Your healthcare professional will decide when to perform blood tests and will interpret the results.

Serious side effects and what to do about them

Frequency/Side Effect/SymptomTalk to your healthcare professionalStop taking this drug and get immediate medical help
Frequency/Side Effect/SymptomTalk to your healthcare professionalStop taking this drug and get immediate medical help
Frequency/Side Effect/SymptomTalk to your healthcare professionalStop taking this drug and get immediate medical help
Only if severeIn all cases
Only if severeIn all cases
Only if severeIn all cases
Common
Diarrhea✓
Uncommon

Allergic reactions (can be fatal): severe rash with or without high fever, with itching or hives on the skin, swelling of the face, lips,

tongue or other parts of the body,

shortness of breath, wheezing or

trouble breathing.

✓
Kidney problems: nausea, vomiting, swelling of arms or legs, feeling tired, thirst, dry skin, irritability, dark urine, increased or decreased amount of urine, blood in the urine, rash, fluid retention, loss of appetite, abnormal blood test results, drowsiness or confusion.✓
Nervous system problems: seizures, confusion, muscle twitches.✓
Unknown
Liver problems: yellowing of your skin and eyes (jaundice), abdominal pain or swelling, abnormal blood test results, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, feeling tired, confusion.✓

Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions (SCAR): severe skin reactions that may also affect other organs:

  • Skin peeling, scaling, or blistering (with or without pus) which may also affect your eyes, mouth, nose or genitals, itching, severe rash, bumps under the skin, skin pain, skin color changes (redness, yellowing, purplish)
  • Swelling and redness of eyes or face
  • Flu-like feeling, fever, chills, body aches, swollen glands, cough
  • Shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort
✓
Rare
Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) (infection of your intestines): severe diarrhea✓
(bloody or watery), stomach pain or cramping, rectal bleeding, urgency or inability to pass stool, fatigue, weight loss and fever.

If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.

Reporting side effects

You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:

  • Visiting the Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting (canada.ca/drug-device-reporting) for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax; or
  • Calling toll-free at 1-866-234-2345.

NOTE: Contact your healthcare professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice.

Storage:

  • Store the dry powder at room temperature between 15-30°C.
  • After reconstitution and dilution, the solution can be stored for 4 hours at room temperature or 24 hours under refrigeration (2 to 8°C). Do not freeze.

If you want more information about RECARBRIO®:

  • Talk to your healthcare professional.
  • Find the full product monograph that is prepared for healthcare professionals and includes the Patient Medication Information by visiting the Health Canada Drug Product Database website (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database.html); the manufacturer’s website www.merck.ca; or by calling 1-800-567-2594.

Date of Authorization: 2026-01-30

® Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. Used under license.

© 2026 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved.

About this document

Source: Health Canada – Drug Product Database (DPD) and product monographs · DIN (Drug Identification Number): 02565323

Approved according to the text: January 30, 2026

Found a mistake? Write to us via the contact page.

The information on this site does not replace the advice of a doctor or pharmacist.

Drug information for Recarbrio

Rx or OTC
Prescription (Rx)?
DIN 02565323
Schedule(s) PRESCRIPTION
Active ingredient(s) Imipenem 500 MG, Cilastatin (cilastatin sodium) 500 MG, Relebactam 250 MG
Dosage form(s) Powder For Solution
Route(s) of administration Intravenous
Drug class (WHO ATC)
  1. J Antiinfectives for systemic use
    1. J01 Antibacterials for systemic use
      1. J01D Other beta-lactam antibacterials
        1. J01DH Carbapenems
          1. J01DH56 Imipenem, cilastatin and relebactam
Company MERCK CANADA INC
Current status Marketed
Current status date May 7, 2026

Source: Health Canada – Drug Product Database (DPD) and product monographs, data as of November 1, 2026. Data from the Health Canada Drug Product Database, as published there. Not a substitute for the advice of a doctor or pharmacist.