The name of your medicine is APO-Roxithromycin. It contains the active ingredient roxithromycin.
It is used to treat:
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
Roxithromycin is an antibiotic that belongs to a group of medicines called macrolides.
These antibiotics work by killing or stopping the growth of the bacteria that are causing your infection.
Roxithromycin, like other antibiotics, does not work against viral infections such as the flu.
There is no evidence that this medicine is addictive.
This medicine is not recommended for use in children weighing less than 40kg.
Do not take this medicine if:
Before you start taking this medicine, tell your doctor if:
1. You have allergies to:
2. You have or have had any medical conditions, especially the following:
3. You are currently pregnant or you plan to become pregnant. Do not take this medicine whilst pregnant until you and your doctor have discussed the risks and benefits involved.
4. You are currently breast-feeding or you plan to breast-feed. Do not take this medicine whilst breast-feeding until you and your doctor have discussed the risks and benefits involved.
5. You are planning to have surgery or an anaesthetic.
6. You are currently receiving or are planning to receive dental treatment.
7. You are taking or are planning to take any other medicines, This includes vitamins and supplements that are available from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may interact with roxithromycin. These include:
If you are taking any of these you may need a different dose or you may need to take different medicines.
Other medicines not listed above may also interact with roxithromycin.
Follow carefully all directions given to you by your doctor. Their instructions may be different to the information in this leaflet.
Your doctor will tell you how much of this medicine you should take. This will depend on your condition and whether you are taking any other medicines.
Do not stop taking your medicine or change your dosage without first checking with your doctor.
Adults
The recommended adult dosage is 300 mg per day, which may be taken according to one of the following dosage regimens:
However, depending on your condition and how you react to the medicine, your doctor may tell you to take a different dose.
Children
The dosage of roxithromycin given to children is dependent upon the child's weight.
The recommended dosage for children weighing 40 kg and over is 300 mg per day, taken according to the following dosage regimen:
This medicine is not recommended for use in children weighing less than 40 kg.
Swallow roxithromycin tablets whole with a glass of water.
Take this medicine at the same time each day. Taking it at the same time each day will have the best effect and will also help you remember when to take it.
Roxithromycin should be taken at least 15 minutes before food or on an empty stomach (i.e. more than 3 hours after a meal). Roxithromycin works best if you take it on an empty stomach.
Continue taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you.
Make sure you have enough to last over weekends and holidays.
For treating infections, roxithromycin is usually taken for 5 to 10 days. However, your doctor may prescribe roxithromycin for longer periods.
Check with your doctor if you are not sure how long to take this medicine for.
If it is almost time to take your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time. Otherwise take it as soon as you remember and then go back to taking your medicine as you would normally.
Do not take a double dose to make up for missed doses.
This may increase the chance of you experiencing side effects.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints to help you remember.
If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (Tel: 13 11 26 in Australia) for advice. Alternatively go to the Accident and Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.
Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
Tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine if:
If you get severe diarrhoea, tell your doctor immediately. Do this even if it occurs several weeks after you have stopped taking roxithromycin.
If the symptoms of your infection do not improve within a few days, or if they become worse, tell your doctor.
If you get severe diarrhoea tell your doctor. Do this even if it occurs several weeks after roxithromycin has been stopped.
Diarrhoea may mean that you have a serious condition affecting your bowel. You may need urgent medical attention. Do not take any diarrhoea medicine without first checking with your doctor.
If you get a sore, white mouth or tongue while taking roxithromycin or soon after stopping roxithromycin, tell your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you get vaginal itching or discharge.
This may mean you have a fungal/yeast infection called thrush. Sometimes the use of roxithromycin allows fungi/yeast to grow and the above symptoms to occur. Roxithromycin does not work against fungi/yeast.
Go to your doctor regularly for a check-up.
Tell any other doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you take this medicine.
Do not:
If you do not complete the full course prescribed by your doctor, all of the bacteria causing your infection may not be killed. These bacteria may continue to grow and multiply so that your infection may not clear completely or it may return.
Be careful when driving or operating machinery until you know how this medicine affects you.
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking roxithromycin or if you have any questions or concerns.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects. You may not experience any of them. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious but most of the time they are not.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following. Mostly, these are mild:
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the following, particularly if they occur several weeks after stopping treatment with roxithromycin.
These are serious side effects. You may have a serious condition affecting your bowel. You may need urgent medical attention.
Do not take any diarrhoea medicine without first checking with your doctor.
If you experience any of the following, stop taking your medicine and contact your doctor immediately or go to the Accident and Emergency department at your nearest hospital.
These are very serious side effects and you may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation:
Other side effects not listed above may occur in some patients.
If you think you are having an allergic reaction to roxithromycin, do not take any more of this medicine and tell your doctor immediately or go to the Accident and Emergency department at your nearest hospital.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include some or all of the following:
Keep your medicine in its original packaging until it is time to take it.
If you take your medicine out of its original packaging it may not keep well.
Keep your medicine in a cool dry place where the temperature will stay below 25°C.
Do not store your medicine, 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 this medicine 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.
If your doctor or pharmacist tells you to stop taking this medicine or they have passed their expiry date, your pharmacist can dispose of the remaining medicine safely.
White to off-white round convex, film-coated tablets
Each tablet contains 150 or 300 mg of roxithromycin as the active ingredient.
It also contains the following inactive ingredients:
This medicine is gluten-free, lactose-free, sucrose-free, tartrazine-free and free of other azo dyes.
APO-Roxithromycin 150 mg tablets (blister): AUST R 133748.
APO-Roxithromycin 300 mg tablets (blister): AUST R 133749.
* Not all strengths, pack types and/or pack sizes may be available.