PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET
ON
KLARICID TABLETS
(Clarithromycin)
Please read this leaflet carefully before you take these tablets. It gives a summary of the information available on your medicine. If you have any questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist
What's in Klaricid?
Each Klaricid tablet contains 250 mg or 500 mg of clarithromycin as the active ingredient.
Other ingredients include: Yellow colour E104, croscarmellose sodium, starch*, microcrystalline cellulose, silica gel, povidone, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, talc, hypromellose, propylene glycol, sorbitan monoleate, hydroxypropyl cellulose, titanium dioxide, vanillin, and sorbic acid
(* 250 mg tablet only).
Klaricid 250 mg tablets are available in blister packs containing 14 or 56 tablets.
Klaricid 500 mg tablets are available in blister packs containing 42 tablets or in a bottle of 100 tablets.
Klaricid is an antibiotic belonging to a group called the macrolides. Antibiotics stop the growth of bacteria (bugs) which cause infections. Its use is described below.
Product Licence Holder and Manufacturer's Name and Address
Abbott Laboratories Ltd., Queenborough, Kent, ME11 5EL
What are Klaricid tablets used for?
They are used to treat infections such as:
Before taking Klaricid tablets
Do not take Klaricid tablets if you know that you are allergic to clarithromycin or other macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin or azithromycin.
Do not take ergotamine or dihydroergotamine tablets or use ergotamine inhalers for migraine while taking Klaricid tablets.
Do not take terfenadine (Triludan) or astemizole (Hismanal) tablets for hay fever or allergies while taking Klaricid, as these drugs can interact. ConsuIt your doctor or pharmacist who can advise you on alternative medicines for allergy which you can take instead.
If you have any liver or kidney problems consult your doctor before taking these tablets.
If you develop severe or prolonged diarrhoea during or after taking Klaricid tablets, consult your doctor immediately.
If you are pregnant or breast feeding do not take Klaricid tablets without consulting your doctor first, as the safety of Klaricid tablets in pregnancy and breast feeding is not known.
Consult your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs: digoxin (heart drug), warfarin (blood thinner), ergotamine or dihydroergotamine (for migraine), carbamazepine (drug for epilepsy), theophylline (helps breathing), terfenadine or astemizole (for hay fever or allergy), or zidovudine.
Klaricid does not interact with oral contraceptives.
Taking Klaricid tablets
For chest infections, throat or sinus infections and skin and soft tissue infections:
Usual dose of Klaricid for adults and children over 12 years is 250 mg twice daily for seven days, e.g. one 250 mg tablet in the morning and one in the early evening. Your doctor may increase the dose to 500 mg twice daily in severe infections.
Do not give these tablets to children under 12 years. Your doctor will prescribe another suitable medicine for your child.
For the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection associated with duodenal ulcers:
Usual dose of Klaricid is 500 mg three times a day for 14 days. To get rid of this infection you will need to take Klaricid 500 mg tablets along with another drug called omeprazole which lowers acid levels in the stomach Your doctor will tell you what dosage of omeprazole you should take and for how long.
Do not stop taking Klaricid tablets because you feel better. It is important to take the tablets for as long as the doctor has told you to, otherwise the problem might come back.
If you forget to take a Klaricid tablet, take one as soon as you remember. Do not take more tablets in one day than your doctor has told you to.
If you accidentally take more Klaricid tablets in one day than your doctor has told you to, or if a child accidentally swallows some tablets, seek medical advice urgently. An overdose of Klaricid tablets is likely to cause vomiting and stomach pains.
What problems can Klaricid tablets cause?
Klaricid tablets can sometimes cause stomach problems such as feeling sick, vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhoea. Headache has also been reported.
If you develop severe or prolonged diarrhoea during or after taking Klaricid tablets, consult your doctor immediately.
If you have a blood test while taking Klaricid it may show raised liver enzymes. These levels usually return to normal and it is unlikely that you will show any symptoms. However, Klaricid can rarely cause jaundice and other liver disorders, so if you feel generally unwell or develop yellow skin and/or eyes, consult your doctor immediately.
Allergic reactions including rashes have been reported with Klaricid. In very rare cases, difficulty in breathing, fainting and swelling of the face and throat can occur which may need emergency treatment. Allergic rashes may range in severity from mild itchy skin eruptions to a rarer, more serious condition called Stevens-Johnson syndrome which may cause ulceration of the mouth, lips and skin.
Some people taking Klaricid notice a funny taste in their mouth or a change in their sense of taste. Sometimes the tongue darkens in colour. However these are only temporary effects and you should not stop taking the tablets because of them. There have also been reports of Klaricid sometimes causing a swollen tongue or a sore mouth.
There have also been some reports of dizziness, difficulty sleeping, hallucinations (seeing things), bad dreams, confusion and panicking. These effects are usually short-lived and soon disappear. Very rarely, mood and behavioural disorders have been reported, which in severe cases have required hospitalisation. Consult your doctor immediately if you develop any of these problems or have any other unexpected or unusual symptoms.
How should Klaricid tablets be stored?
Do not use these tablets after their use-by (exp) date which is printed on the box and indented on the blister strip. If the tablets are out of date, return them to your pharmacist and, if necessary, get a new prescription from your doctor.
Keep these tablets in a dry, safe place, protected from light, where children cannot reach them. If your doctor decides to stop your treatment with Klaricid tablets return any remaining tablets to a pharmacist.
REMEMBER these tablets are for you. NEVER give them to someone else. The tablets may harm them even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
If you have any questions about your treatment which are not answered by this leaflet, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
This leaflet applies only to Klaricid tablets and was prepared in September 1995.