Zithromax 250mg Capsules
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ZITHROMAX™ 250mg Capsules
azithromycin
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this 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.
• 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.
• The name of this medicine is Zithromax 250mg capsules but will be referred to as Zithromax through the leaflet.
What is in this leaflet:
1. What Zithromax is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Zithromax
3. How to take Zithromax
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Zithromax
6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. What Zithromax is and what it is used for
This medicine contains azithromycin, which is one of a group of antibiotics called macrolides. It is used to treat infections caused by certain bacteria and other micro-organisms, which include:
• Chest, throat or nasal infections (such as bronchitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis, sore throat (pharyngitis) and sinusitis)
• ear infections
• skin and soft tissue infections (such as an abscess or boil)
• sexually transmitted diseases caused by organisms called Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoea.
You must talk to a doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.
2. What you need to know before you take Zithromax
Do not take Zithromax:
• you are allergic to Zithromax or any other macrolide antibiotic such as erythromycin or clarithromycin or any of the ingredients listed in section 6. An allergic reaction may cause skin rash or wheezing
• you are taking any ergot derivatives such as ergotamine (used to treat migraine) as these medicines should not betaken together with Zithromax.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Zithromax if you have or have had any of the following conditions:
• kidney problems
• heart conditions
• liver problems: your doctor may need to monitor your liver function or stop the treatment
• and if you are taking any ergot derivatives such as ergotamine (used to treat migraine) as these medicines should not be taken together with Zithromax.
Tell your doctor immediately if you feel your heart beating in your chest or have an abnormal heartbeat, or get dizzy or faint or suffer from any muscle weakness when taking Zithromax.
If you develop diarrhoea or loose stools during or after treatment, tell your doctor at once. Do not take any medicine to treat your diarrhoea without first checking with your doctor. If your diarrhoea continues, please inform your doctor.
Other medicines and Zithromax
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
In particular, Zithromax may interact with the medicines listed below:
• ergot or ergotamine - see ‘Warnings and precautions’ section
• warfarin or any similar medicine to prevent blood clots
• ciclosporin (used to suppress the immune system to prevent and treat rejection of a transplanted organ or bone marrow)
• antacids (for indigestion)
• digoxin (used to treat heart failure)
• terfenadine (for hay fever or a skin allergy)
Zithromax with food and drink
You should take Zithromax either 1 hour before a meal or 2 hours after a meal.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
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. Driving and using machines Zithromax is not expected to affect your ability to drive or use machines.
Zithromax contains lactose, a type of sugar. If you have an intolerance to some sugars contact your doctor before taking Zithromax.
Zithromax contains sulphur dioxide,
which may rarely cause severe allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions and wheezing (bronchospasm).
3. How to take Zithromax
Always take Zithromax exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. The capsules should be swallowed whole.
The usual dose in adults and children over 7 stones (45 kg) is 500mg (2 capsules) taken together, once a day, for 3 days. For some diseases such as Chlamydia the dose is 1 g (4 capsules) taken all together on one day only. For gonorrhoea the recommended dose is 1g or2g of azithromycin in combination with 250 or 500mg of ceftriaxone.
Zithromax capsules should not be taken by children weighing less than 45kg.
You should tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems as your doctor may need to alter the normal dose.
Doctors sometimes prescribe different doses to these. The label on the pack will tell you which dose you should take. If you are still not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Always continue with the course even if you feel better. If your infection gets worse or you do not start to feel better within a few days or a new infection develops, go back and see your doctor.
You will find more about ZITHROMAX on the back of this leaflet
If you take more Zithromax than you should
If you take too much Zithromax you may feel unwell. Tell your doctor or contact your nearest hospital casualty department immediately.
If you forget to take Zithromax
If you forget to take Zithromax take it as soon as you can. Take your next dose at the right time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking Zithromax
If you stop taking Zithromax too soon, the infection may return. Take the capsules for the full time of treatment, even when you begin to feel better.
If you have any further questions about the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines Zithromax can cause side effects although not everybody gets them.
Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms after taking this medicine as the symptoms can be severe.
• sudden wheeziness, difficulty in breathing, swelling of eyelids, face or lips, rash or itching (especially affecting the whole body)
• severe or prolonged diarrhoea, which may have blood or mucus in it, during or after treatment with Zithromax as this may be a sign of serious bowel inflammation
• severe skin rash causing redness and flaking
• rapid or irregular heartbeat
• low blood pressure
The most common side effects that occur when taking Zithromax are listed below. These may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your doctor if any of these side effects continue to bother you.
Very common side effects (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
• stomach cramps, feeling sick, diarrhoea, wind
Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
• dizziness, headache
• numbness or pins and needles
• being sick, indigestion
• loss of appetite, taste disturbance
• visual disturbances, deafness
• skin rash and /or itching
• joint pain
• low numbers of lymphocytes (type of white blood cells), higher number of eosinophils (type of white blood cells)
• low blood bicarbonate
• tiredness or weakness
Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
• yeast infections of the mouth and vagina (thrush)
• low numbers of leukocytes (type of white blood cells), low number of neutrophils (type of white blood cells)
• allergic reactions of various severity
• blistering ofthe skin, mouth, eyes and genitals
• skin more sensitive to sunlight than normal
• feeling nervous
• reduced sense of touch or sensation (hypoesthesia)
• sleepiness or sleeplessness (insomnia)
• poor hearing or ringing in the ears
• heart palpitations, chest pain
• constipation, stomach pain associated with diarrhoea and fever
• inflammation ofthe liver (hepatitis), changes in liver enzymes
• general loss of strength
• swelling
• general discomfort
• abnormal laboratory test values (e.g. blood or liver tests).
Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
• agitation
• vertigo
• changes in liver function
Other side effects that have been reported, but frequency cannot be estimated from the available data:
• fits or fainting
• aggression or anxiety
• feeling hyperactive
• localised muscle weakness
• loss of smell or altered sense of smell, loss of taste
• tongue discolouration
• inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• inflammation of the kidney or kidney failure
• yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice) or liver failure (rarely life-threatening)
• bruising or prolonged bleeding after injury
• blistering of the skin, severe skin reaction
• abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG)
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. 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.qov.uk/vellowcard.
By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Zithromax
Keep all medicines out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not store above 30°C. Store in the original package.
Do not take this medicine after the expiry date stamped on the pack after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment.
6. Further information
What Zithromax contains
Each capsule contains 250mg azithromycin as the dihydrate.
The other ingredients are lactose, magnesium stearate, maize starch, sodium lauryl sulphate, gelatin, titanium dioxide (E171), soya lecithin, iron oxide black (E172), antifoam DC 1500, n-butyl alcohol, industrial methylated spirit 74 OP, shellac.
What Zithromax looks like and contents of the pack
Zithromax capsules are white hard gelatin capsules marked Pfizer and ZTM 250 in black ink. They come in blister packs of 6.
Manufacturer: Farmasierra Manufacturing S.L., Ctra N-1, Km 26,200.28700 San Sebastian de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain.
PL 39467/0030 |POM|
Procured from within the EU by Product Licence holder: PilsCo Ltd., 10-16 Colvilles Place, East Kilbride, G75 0SN.
This medicine has been repackaged by Cross Healthcare Ltd., Unit 2a,
Bandeath Industrial Estate, Stirling,
FK7 7NP.
Leaflet last revised: 28/04/2015
Zithromax™ is a registered trademark of Pfizer Products Inc.
Do not refrigerate.