This leaflet provides important information about your medicine. Please read it carefully before you start taking MINOCIN tablets. If you have any questions, or there is anything you do not understand, ask your doctor or pharmacist (chemist) and they will be able to help you.

MINOCIN tablets come in two strengths, and variety of pack sizes and presentations. Each tablet may contain either 50mg or 100mg of the active ingredient minocycline. Minocycline is one of a group of antibiotics called the tetracyclines.

MINOCIN is licensed for the following pack sizes:

1. Bottles of 50 and 100
2. Blister packs of 84

The other ingredients which are used to make MINOCIN include starch, alginic acid, sorbitol, magnesium stearate, stearic acid and ethyl cellulose. MINOCIN tablets have a film coating which makes them easier to swallow. The film coating of the 50mg tablets contains: Methocel** E15-LV premium (E464), titanium dioxide (E171), hydroxypropyl cellulose, propylene glycol, iron oxide yellow (E172), iron oxide red (E172), iron oxide black (E172) and polyethylene glycol The film coating of the 100mg tablets contains: hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose liquid paraffin. quinolone yellow aluminium lake (E104), titanium dioxide (E171), erythrosine aluminium lake (E127) and hydroxypropyl cellulose.

The Licences for MINOCIN 50mg and 100mg tablets in the UK and Eire, are held by Cyanamid of Great Britain Ltd, Fareham Road, Gosport Hampshire, England. MINOCIN tablets are manufactured by Lederle Laboratories, Fareham Road, Gosport. Hampshire.

Minocycline is a tetracycline antibiotic. It is used to treat a range of infections including chest infections, ear, nose and throat infections urinary tract infections, skin and eye infections and gonorrhoea. It is also used to treat acne.

• have you had an allergic reaction to any tetracycline antibiotic in the past ? (eg oxytetracycline, tetracycline, doxycycline or minocycline)
• are you pregnant, breastfeeding or trying for a baby?
• do you have liver or kidney disease?
• are you taking any of the following:

• are you taking any other medicines or tablets including those that you have bought without a prescription?
• is the person that the medicine has been prescribed for under the age of 12?

MINOCIN may cause some people to become dizzy, lightheaded, or unsteady Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines or do anything else that could be dangerous it you are dizzy or not alert.

If you take a contraceptive pill and get diarrhoea or sickness for ANY reason (for example, food poisoning, a bug or as an unwanted effect of a medicine), or you lose blood when you don’t expect to, your pill may not work. You should either not have intercourse or use a barrier method of contraception to make sure you don t get pregnant (eg a condom or diaphragm/cap) Please read the leaflet that came with your pill, and talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure what to do or for how long to take these precautions.

Always take your tablets exactly as your doctor tells you to. This information will also be on the pharmacist’s (chemist’s) label. If you are not sure how to take your tablets your pharmacist (chemist) will be able to help you.

The dose of MINOCIN varies from person to person depending on the individual person’s condition. It can be used as a routine antibiotic, for acne, and in gonorrhoea (inflammation of genital/urinary tract).

The usual doses for these conditions are:-

Never take more tablets than the doctor has told you to, it will not help you get better any faster and it could be harmful to you.

MINOCIN tablets should be swallowed whole with a drink of water. The tablets should be taken while you are sitting or standing. They should not be sucked or chewed. It does not matter whether you take MINOCIN tablets on an empty stomach or after food.

MINOCIN tablets should be taken at the same time(s) each day. If you have been told to take one tablet once a day (or daily) you should take one every 24 hours For example you could take one at 9am each morning

If you have been told to take one tablet twice a day, you should take one every 12 hours. For example, you could take one tablet at 9am in the morning and one at 9pm in the evening.

It is important that you keep taking the tablets for as long as the doctor has told you to, usually until the container is empty You should not stop taking the tablets until you have finished the course, even if you feel better The infection may come back if you do not finish the course.

If you still do not feel well after finishing the course you should go back to see your doctor.

MINOCIN is also used to treat acne. Acne responds quite slowly to antibiotics and it may be several weeks before you see any improvement in your acne and even longer before the full benefits are seen. For this reason it is important to finish taking all of the tablets prescribed for you by your doctor and to return to see him/her if you have been asked to do so

If you do miss a dose you should take it as soon as possible This will help to keep a constant amount of medicine in the blood or urine However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose.

If you have taken an overdose of MINOCIN tablets, that is more tablets than the doctor has told you to take you should get medical help immediately, either by calling your doctor or by going to the nearest hospital casualty department Always take the labelled medicine container with you, whether there are any MINOCIN tablets left or not.

Like all medicines MINOCIN may cause unwanted effects in some people. Most of these are mild but if you experience any symptoms that worry you or are unusual contact you doctor or pharmacist (chemist)

MINOCIN may cause some people to become dizzy, lightheaded, or unsteady Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or not alert.

The following effects only occur in a very small number of patients:

Very rarely MINOCIN may cause skin problems, these include redness, itchiness, rashes, increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight scaling or blistering. Slight blue/black colour staining of the skin, teeth and the inside of the mouth have occurred very rarely and this staining usually disappears when the tablets are stopped. Extremely rarely, MINOCIN can cause staining of the eyes, tears or sweat. MINOCIN may cause an increase in pressure inside the head causing headaches. If you have a severe or persistent headache you should contact your doctor MINOCIN may cause swelling of certain parts of the body, for example, the liver, the pancreas or the outer lining of the heart.

MINOCIN may cause hypersensitivity reactions leading to itching, flushing, fever, rashes or difficulty breathing. If you experience any of these symptoms or pain in your joints you should contact your doctor.

MINOCIN may cause problems with the blood such as anaemia.

Remember, if you do experience any symptoms with your medicine that causes you concern you should contact your doctor.

Keep your tablets in a dry place at room temperature (below 30°C). Do not remove a tablet until you are due to take it, the container protects the tablets from moisture which may spoil them, keeping the tablets out of the container means that they are more likely to be affected by moisture.

Keep all medicines in a safe place away from children

If your doctor decides to stop your treatment you should return any tablets that are left to your pharmacist (chemist) for disposal. Medicines should not be put down the sink or toilet or in the bin.

Do not use after the expiry date This date is printed on your pack.

Date of preparation or last review: January 1995

OTHER INFORMATION

Remember: this medicine is for you. Only a doctor can proscribe it for you. Do not give it to anyone else. even if they have the same symptoms as you as it may harm them.

This leaflet does not contain the complete information about your medicine If you have any questions or you are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist ( chemist ) who can give you more information. The information in this leaflet applies only to MINOCIN tablets You should keep this leaflet in case you want to look at it again.

The Product Licence Numbers in the U.K. are:

MINOCIN 50mg tablets PL 0095/0062

MINOCIN 100mg tablets PL 0095/0061

MINOCIN is distributed by: Lederle Laboratories, Cyanamid House, Fareham Road,

Gosport, Hampshire PO13 0AS.

* Registered Trademark

** Trademark of the Dow Chemical Company Ltd.

© Copyright Cyanamid of Great Britain Ltd -1994

100M 10/95 Q51908