What is vancomycin used for?

Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic medication is used to treat colitis, which is an inflammation of the colon, according to MedlinePlus. Some antibiotic drugs cause an increase of bacteria in the colon, which leads to inflammation, and Vancomycin kills these bacteria to restore homeostasis in the gut.

As its mechanism of action occurs only within the gastrointestinal tract, patients should not take vancomycin to kill bacteria outside of the colon or treat cold, flu and viral infections, explains MedlinePlus. It is important to complete the full course of a vancomycin prescription because stopping doses early can allow the infection to remain and lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.