INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS
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This leaflet answers some common questions about Selexid®. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking this medicine against the benefits it is expected to have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
Selexid® belongs to a group of medicines called antibiotics.
Selexid® is used to treat infections caused by bacteria that are killed by the antibiotic, mecillinam. The pivmecillinam in Selexid® tablets is changed into mecillinam in the body.
Selexid® is used to treat bacterial infections causing such conditions as:
Selexid® is also used to treat:
Your doctor may have prescribed Selexid® for another reason. Ask your doctor why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
This medicine is not addictive.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
This medicine is not expected to affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery.
Do not take this medicine if you have an allergy to:
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body; rash, itching or hives on the skin.
Do not take this medicine if:
Do NOT give this medicine to a child under the age of 3 months.
Do NOT take this medicine:
If it is after the expiry date or if the packaging does not look quite right, return the medicine to your pharmacist.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breast feeding.
Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may be affected by Selexid®, or may affect how well Selexid® works. You may need different amounts of your other medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.
Particular medicines that need careful consideration include:
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking Selexid®.
Carefully follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist. Their instructions may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions in this leaflet or on the pack, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
The recommended dosage depends on the condition being treated. See below for the details.
If your kidneys do not work as well as normal, your doctor may tell you to take a smaller dose of Selexid®.
The dose will be adjusted depending on how well your kidneys are working.
Treatment with Selexid® takes 3 (three) days. It is important to complete the course, even if you begin to feel better soon.
Take a dose of Selexid® 3 (three) times each day.
The first dose only is 2 (two) tablets, taken at the same time.
Each dose after that is 1 (one) tablet.
The total number of tablets taken in the 3 (three) day course is 10 (ten).(See table which follows)
TABLE: Typical dosing schedule for bladder infection.
| DAY | 1stdose | 2nddose | 3rddose |
|---|---|---|---|
| ONE | 2 tablets | 1 tablet | 1 tablet |
| TWO | 1 tablet | 1 tablet | 1 tablet |
| THREE | 1 tablet | 1 tablet | 1 tablet |
Treatment with Selexid® is for one or two weeks. It is important to continue to take Selexid® for as long as the doctor said, even if you begin to feel better.
The usual dose is 1 or 2 tablets.
Each dose of Selexid® is taken 3 (three) times daily.
Dosage is as advised by your doctor.
Swallow the Selexid® tablet(s) with at least half a glass of water.
In order to avoid possible irritation to your stomach, take your Selexid® with or immediately after a meal.
Take your medicine at about the same time each day. Taking it at the same time each day will help Selexid® have its best effect. It will also help you remember when to take it.
Carefully follow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist. Their instructions may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
Continue taking Selexid® until you finish the recommended course or pack, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
Do not stop taking this medicine before you have finished the course, even if you start to feel better. If you do not finish the course, the medicine may not kill the bacteria causing the infection.
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember. Then go back to taking your medicine as normal.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist for some hints.
Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons
Information Centre 0800 POISON (764 766) in New Zealand for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
Symptoms of an overdose may include:
If you are going to start any new medicine, tell your doctor and pharmacist.
Do not take Selexid® to treat any other illness, unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give your medicine to anyone else, even if they seem to have the same illness as you.
Do not stop taking your medicine or change the dosage without checking with your doctor.
It is important to complete your course of antibiotics.
If you take Selexid® for some time, your doctor may check your kidney and liver function by testing your blood.
As with all medicines, Selexid® can cause some side effects. Side effects not listed in this leaflet may occur in some patients.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any unpleasant effects while you are taking Selexid®, even if you are not sure that the effect is connected with Selexid®, or the effect is not listed in this leaflet.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
The above list includes the more common side effects of
Selexid®. They are usually mild and short-lived.
If any of the following happens, tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital:
These side effects are rare. They may be very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell.
Other side effects, not listed above, may also occur in some people.
Keep your tablets in the pack until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of their packaging they may not store well.
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not store Selexid®, or any other medicine, in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep Selexid® where children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Do not use Selexid® after the expiry date on the package.
If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date has passed, talk to your pharmacist about disposal of the leftover medicine.
Each Selexid® tablet is white. It has a line drawing of a lion on one side; the number 137 is on the other side. Each pack of Selexid® contains 10 tablets, enclosed in individual "blisters", in a sheet of foil wrapping. A diagram is printed on the foil sheet to show you how to remove tablets from the foil wrapping.
Each Selexid® tablet contains 200mg of pivmecillinam hydrochloride. This becomes the active ingredient mecillinam when it gets into the body.
Each Selexid® tablet also contains:
Selexid® does NOT contain lactose, sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
This is not all the information available on Selexid®. If you have any questions or are unsure about anything in this leaflet, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Selexid® is supplied in New Zealand by:
CSL (New Zealand) Limited
666 Great South Road
Central Park
Auckland
NEW ZEALAND
Ph: 0800 502 757
And manufactured by:
Leo Pharmaceutical Products
Ballerup, Denmark
This leaflet was prepared in November 2001.
Selexid® is a registered trademark of Leo Pharmaceutical Products.