Flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml Oral Solution
Package leaflet: Information for the patient
Flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml Oral Solution
(flucloxacillin sodium)
The name of this product is Flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml Oral Solution but will be known as Flucloxacillin Oral Solution throughout the leaflet.
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking your medicine because it contains important information for you.
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
- If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist (chemist).
- This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
- If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
What is in this leaflet
What your medicine is and what it is used for
What you need to know before you take your medicine
How to take your medicine
Possible side effects
How to store your medicine
Contents of the pack and other information
1 What your medicine is and what it is used for
Flucloxacillin Oral Solution is an antibiotic used to treat infections by killing the bacteria that can cause them. It belongs to a group of antibiotics called “penicillins”.
Flucloxacillin Oral Solution is used to treat:
• chest infections • throat or nose infections
• ear infections • skin and soft tissue infections
• heart infections • bone and joint infections
• meningitis • digestive system infections
• blood infections
• kidney, bladder or urethra (the tube which carries urine from the bladder) infections.
Flucloxacillin Oral Solution can also be used to prevent infections during major surgery, particularly heart or orthopaedic surgery.
2 What you need to know before you take your medicine Do not take this medicine if:
- You are allergic to Flucloxacillin Oral Solution or any other penicillin antibiotics (see symptoms in section 4).
- You are allergic to any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
- You have suffered previously from liver problems (e.g. jaundice) after taking flucloxacillin.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine if:
- You suffer from kidney problems, as you may require a lower dose than normal
- You suffer from liver problems, as this medicine could cause them to worsen
- You are 50 years of age or older
- You have other serious illnesses (apart from the infection this medicine is treating)
- You are taking this medicine for a long time as regular tests of liver and kidney function is advised
- You have diabetes mellitus or if you have an intolerance to some sugars
- You are on a sodium restricted diet
Other medicines and Flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml Oral Solution
Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine if you are taking any other medicines, especially:
- Probenecid or sulfinpyrazone (used to treat gout)
- Methotrexate (used in rheumatoid conditions and cancer)
- The contraceptive pill as antibiotics can make these less effective (you will need to use extra precautions such as condoms while taking flucloxacillin and for a full 7 days after you finish taking it)
- Oral typhoid vaccine (antibiotics can make this less effective)
- Sugammadex (used with general anaesthetics)
- Piperacillin (an antibiotic taken by injection)
- Warfarin (medicine use to prevent blood clotting)
Some medicines may affect the way others work. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This means medicines you have bought yourself as well as medicines on prescription from a doctor.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Your medicine contains sucrose and sodium
This medicine contains approximately 2.96g of sucrose (sugar) per 5ml dose. This should be taken into account in patients with diabetes mellitus. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.
This medicine contains 24.09mg sodium per 5ml dose. This should be taken into consideration by patients on a controlled sodium diet.
3 How to take your medicine
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Their directions may differ from the information contained in this leaflet. The pharmacist's label should tell you how much to take and how often. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
Take your medicine on an empty stomach, at least thirty minutes to one hour before meals/food. It is important that you take your medicine at the right times.
Dosage: The dose will depend on the patient and will be decided by your doctor. However, the usual doses for each age group are as follows:
Adults (including the elderly)
- 250mg four times a day. This may be doubled in serious infections.
- Bone or heart infection:
Up to 8g daily, in divided doses at six to eight hours apart
- Surgical prophylaxis:
1 to 2g IV at induction of anaesthesia followed by 500mg every six hours for up to 72 hours
Use in children
Children over the age of 10: 250mg four times a day
Children (2-10 years of age): 125mg four times a day Children under 2 years of age: 62.5mg four times a day
If you take more of your medicine than you should
If you (or somebody else) take too much of your medicine, speak to your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
If you forget to take your medicine
If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember, then carry on as before. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking your medicine
Keep taking your medicine until your doctor tells you to stop. Do not stop taking it just because you feel better. If you stop taking the medicine, your infection may return or get worse. If you are still unwell after taking all the medicine, go and see your doctor.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4 Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If they occur, they are likely to be temporary, and not serious. However, some may be serious and need medical attention.
STOP taking FlucloxaciNin Oral Solution and contact your doctor if you experience:
• allergy or hypersensitivity including itchy rash, itching, sore mouth or eyes, swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue or breathing problems.
- severe skin rash with reddening, flushing, fever, blisters, peeling or ulcers
- severe, possibly bloody diarrhoea
- jaundice (yellow colour in the skin and whites of the eyes), hepatitis (liver inflammation) - sometimes these effects on the liver have been delayed for up to 2 months after finishing the treatment
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following effects:
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
• diarrhoea, stomach upset and feeling sick - should be mild and wear off after a few days.
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
• sore mouth, discolouration of the tongue
Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):
• difficulty passing water or blood in the urine (may be a sign of kidney problems)
• unusual bleeding or bruising, anaemia - may be caused by changes in the numbers of blood cells
• joint or muscle pains or fever (may develop 2 days after starting treatment).
• convulsions (may occur in patients on high doses or with severe kidney problems)
Check with your doctor if you have any problems while taking this medicine, even if you think the problems are not connected with the medicine, or are not listed in this leaflet.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the yellow card scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5 How to store your medicine
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Dry powder: Do not store above 25oC. Store in the original container in order to protect from light and moisture.
Do not open the foil pouch until ready to reconstitute the product. Once opened the foil pouch may be discarded.
Reconstituted solution: Store at 2-8oC in a refrigerator. Store in the original container in order to protect from light and moisture. Use within 7 days of preparation. Discard any unused solution after 7 days.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the label.
Return any left-over medicine to the pharmacist.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6 Contents of the pack and other information
What Flucloxacillin Oral Solution contains
Powder for reconstitution. 100ml when reconstituted.
Reconstituted solution contains flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml as flucloxacillin sodium. The other ingredients are: sodium benzoate (E211), disodium edetate, saccharin sodium, ammonium glycyrrhizinate, sodium citrate anhydrous, pineapple flavour, menthol flavour, erythrosine (E127) and sucrose.
Please see further information on sucrose in section 2.
What Flucloxacillin Oral Solution looks like and contents of the pack
Unconstituted powder: a pink granular powder with a characteristic odour of pineapple.
Reconstituted solution: a pink coloured solution with a characteristic odour of pineapple.
Flucloxacillin Oral Solution is available in 100ml bottles on reconstitution.
Procured from within the EU by PL Holder PilsCo Ltd, 10-16 Colvilles Place, East Kilbride, G75 0SN.
Manufacturer
Athlone Pharmaceuticals Limited, Ballymurray, Co. Roscommon, Ireland
PL 39467/0167 Flucloxacillin 250mg/5ml Oral Solution | POM This leaflet was last revised 12/11/2015.