Description
PROTIL tablet contains metronidazole as active ingredient, which belongs to the group of medicines called antibiotics. It works by killing bacteria and parasites that cause infections in your body.
Always take metronidazole exactly as your doctor has told you. It is important to finish a full course of treatment. The length of a course will depend on your needs and the illness being treated. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
- Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water, Do not crush or chew the tablets
- Take these tablets during or just after a meal, The dose of metronidazole will depend on your needs and the illness being treated
The length of your treatment will depend on the type of illness you have and how bad it is. The usual dose for adults and children is given below:
To treat bacterial infection in adults: The initial dose is 800mg, After 8 hours take another dose of 400mg and repeat this dose every 8 hours
Children: Your doctor will work out how much your child should take depending on their weight.
To prevent infections from happening after surgery:
Adults: Start taking Metronidazole tablets 24 hours before your operation. Take 400 mg of metronidazole every 8 hours. After the operation you may be given Metronidazole either through a drip into a vein or rectally as a suppository until you are able to take tablets again.
Children: Start giving your child Metronidazole tablets 1-2 hours before their operation. Your doctor will work out how much your child should take depending on their weight. After the operation your child may be given Metronidazole either through a drip into a vein or rectally as a suppository until they are able to take tablets again.
Other types of infections
For treatment of other infections caused by parasites and some bacteria your doctor will decide how much metronidazole you need to take and how often. This will depend on your illness and how bad it is. The pharmacist’s label on the packaging will tell you how many tablets to take and how often to take them.
People having kidney dialysis: Kidney dialysis removes metronidazole from your blood. If you are having kidney dialysis you must take this medicine after your dialysis treatment.
People with liver problems: Your doctor may tell you to use a lower dose or to use the medicine less often.
Other medicines and Metronidazole
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines.
In particular, tell your doctor if you are taking: anti-coagulants, such as warfarin. The dosage of warfarin may need to be reduced you are taking this drug, Lithium for mental illness. If taken at the same time as metronidazole, the kidneys may be affected, medicines used to treat epilepsy, such as phenytoin, primidone, phenobarbitone, 5 fluorouracil for cancer, Busulfan for leukaemia, Ciclosporin – to prevent the rejection of organs after transplant, Disulfram for alcoholism If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking metronidazole
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects although not everybody gets them. Stop taking Metronidazole and see a doctor or go to a hospital straight away: If you get swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, face, lips or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing. You could also notice an itchy, lumpy rash (hives) or nettle rash (urticaria).This may mean you are having an allergic reaction to Metronidazole. If you develop skin rashes with blistering, peeling or bleeding of the skin around the lips, eyes, mouth, nose and genitals. You may also have flu-like symptoms and a high temperature. These could be signs of something called ‘Steven-Johnson Syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis’. A serious but very rare side effect is a brain disease (encephalopathy). Symptoms vary but you might get a fever, stiff neck, headache, see or hear things that aren’t there. You might also have problems using your arms and legs, problems with speaking or feel confused.
Talk to your doctor straight away if you notice the following side effects: Unexpected infections, mouth ulcers, bruising, bleeding gums, or severe tiredness. This could be caused by a blood problem. Yellowing of the skin and eyes. This could be due to a liver problem (jaundice). Severe stomach pain which may reach through to your back (pancreatitis)
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following side effects:
Very rare (affects less than 1 in 10 000 people)
Mental problems such as feeling confused and seeing or hearing things that are not there, Fits, Feeling sleepy or dizzy, Problems with your eyesight such as blurred or double vision, Headache, Liver problems including life threatening liver failure, Darkening of the urine, Pains in the muscles or joints.
Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):
Feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), upset stomach, or diarrhea, Feeling depressed, Numbness, tingling, pain, or a feeling of weakness, in the arms or legs, Unpleasant taste in the mouth, Furred tongue, Loss of appetite, Fever, Pain in your eyes (optic neuritis),
A group of symptoms together including: fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, stiff neck and extreme sensitivity to bright light. This may be caused by an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), Hearing impairment/ hearing loss, Ringing in the ears (tinnitus), You get a rash or skin discoloration with or without raised areas which often reoccurs at the same location each time the drug is taken.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Metronidazole
- if you have or have ever had a liver problem
- if you are having kidney dialysis
- if you have a disease of nervous system
If you are not sure if any of the above applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking your medicine. Do this even if they have applied in the past.
Cases of severe liver toxicity/acute liver failure, including cases with a fatal outcome, in patients with Cockayne syndrome have been reported with product containing metronidazole.
If you are affected by Cockayne syndrome, your doctor should also monitor your liver function frequently while you are being treated with metronidazole and afterwards.
Tell your doctor immediately and stop taking metronidazole if you develop:
- Stomach pain, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, fever, malaise, fatigue, jaundice, dark urine, putty or mastic colored stools or itching
Metronidazole Tablets with food and drink: Do not drink any alcohol while you are taking Metronidazole and for 48 hours after finishing your course. Drinking alcohol while using Metronidazole might cause unpleasant side effects, such as feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), stomach pain, hot flushes, very fast or uneven heartbeat (palpitations) and headache.
Pregnancy and breast feeding:
Tell your doctor before using Metronidazole if:
- You are pregnant, might become pregnant or think you may be pregnant. Metronidazole should not be taken during pregnancy unless considered absolutely necessary
- You are breast-feeding. It is better not to use Metronidazole if you are breast-feeding. This is because small amounts may pass into the mother’s milk. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.
Driving and using machines: While taking Metronidazole you may feel sleepy, dizzy, confused, see or hear things that are not there (hallucinations), have fits (convulsions) or temporary eyesight problems (such as blurred or double vision). If this happens, do not drive or use any machinery or tools.
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