Cefuroxime is generally well tolerated, and its side effects are usually transient. If ingested after food, this antibiotic is both better absorbed and less likely to cause its most common side effects of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headaches/migraines, dizziness, and abdominal pain compared to most antibiotics in its class.
Although a widely stated cross-allergic risk of about 10% exists between cephalosporins and penicillin, an assessment in 2006 have shown no increased risk for a cross-allergic reaction for cefuroxime and several other second-generation or later cephalosporins.