amoxycillin and potassium clavulanate tablets
CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about Alphaclav Duo 500/125 and Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125.
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 they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What this medicine is used for
This medicine contains two active ingredients. One of these ingredients is a type of penicillin called amoxycillin and the other is potassium clavulanate.
It is used to treat a wide range of infections in the body caused by bacteria. These infections may affect the chest (bronchitis or pneumonia), bladder (cystitis), sinuses (sinusitis), the ears (otitis media) or the skin.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
This medicine is only available with a doctor's prescription.
There is no evidence that this medicine is addictive.
How it works
Alphaclav Duo 500/125 and Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 works by killing the bacteria that cause these infections. It will not work against infections caused by viruses such as colds or the flu.
Before you take this medicine
When you must not take it
Do not take this medicine if you have an allergy to:
amoxycillin or potassium clavulanate, the active ingredients, or similar types of antibiotics (e.g. penicillins cephalosporins, carbapenems or monobactams) or any of the inactive ingredients mentioned at the end of this leaflet, under Product Description.
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 you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:
liver problems.
Do not take this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If it has expired or is damaged, return it to the pharmacist for disposal.
If you are not sure whether you should start to take this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding.
Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits involved. Amoxycillin passes into breast milk. The effect on breastfed infants is not known.
Tell your doctor if you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:
kidney disease
liver disease
glandular fever (mononucleosis) or blood disorder.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you start taking this medicine.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor 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 and Alphaclav Duo / Alphaclav Duo Forte may interfere with each other. These include:
medicines to treat gout (probenecid or allopurinol)
oral contraceptives ("The Pill")
other antibiotics
anticoagulants
methotrexate, a medicine used to treat arthritis and some type of cancer.
These medicines may be affected by Alphaclav Duo 500/125 and Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 or may affect how well it works. You may need to use different amounts of your medicines, or take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.
Talk to your doctor about the need for an additional method of contraception while taking this medicine.
Some antibiotics may decrease the effectiveness of some birth control pills.
How to take this medicine
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how many tablets you will need to take each day. This depends on your condition and whether or not you are taking any other medicines.
If you do not understand the instructions, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to take
Your doctor will tell you how many tablets you need to take. This will depend on the type of infection you have.
Adults
Usual dose - one Alphaclav Duo 500/125 tablet every 12 hours.
For severe infections one tablet every 12 hours of Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 is used.
These dosages may vary depending on your conditions and the severity of your illness.
Children
Children weighing 40kg and more should be dosed according to adult recommendations.
Alphaclav Duo 500/125 and Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 tablets are not recommended for children weighing less than 40kg.
How and when to take it
Alphaclav Duo 500/125 and Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 tablets should be taken immediately before or with the first mouthful of food.
If you take it on an empty stomach, it may cause stomach upset.
How long to take it
Keep taking this medicine for the full time of treatment, even if you begin to feel better after a few days.
If you do not complete the full course prescribed by your doctor, the infection may not clear completely or your symptoms may return.
If you forget to take your dose
Take your dose as soon as you remember, and continue to take it as you would normally.
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed.
This may increase the chance of getting an unwanted side effect.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you take too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital, if you think you or anyone else has taken too much of this medicine. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
While you are taking this medicine
Things you must do
If the symptoms of your infection do not improve within a few days, or if they become worse, tell your doctor.
If you develop itching with swelling or skin rash or difficulty in breathing while you are taking this medicine, stop taking it and contact your doctor immediately.
If you get severe diarrhoea tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Do this even if it occurs several weeks after you have stopped taking this medicine.
Diarrhoea may mean that you have a serious condition affecting your bowel. You may need urgent medical care. Do not take any diarrhoea medicine without first checking with your doctor.
If you get a sore white mouth or tongue while taking or soon after stopping this medicine, tell your doctor. Also tell your doctor if you get vaginal itching or discharge.
This may mean you have a fungal infection called thrush. Sometimes the use of this medicine causes fungi to grow and the above symptoms to occur. Alphaclav Duo 500/125 and Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 does not work against fungi.
Do not drink alcohol while you are taking this medicine.
If you drink alcohol while taking this medicine you may not feel well.
Always follow your doctor's instructions carefully.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while taking this medicine.
If you are about to start taking a new medicine, tell your doctor and pharmacist.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking this medicine.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need urgent medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
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:
oral thrush - white, furry, sore tongue and mouth
vaginal thrush - sore and itchy vagina and/or discharge
mild diarrhoea
feeling sick or vomiting
abdominal pain or indigestion
rash and itching
dizziness
headache
inability to sleep
aching muscles, muscle tenderness or weakness
back pain
tiredness
feeling of tension or fullness in the nose, cheeks and behind your eyes, sometimes with a throbbing ache
superficial tooth discolouration
hot flushes
unusually active (hyperactive).
These are the more common side effects. Mostly, these are mild and short-lived.
If any of the following happen, stop taking this medicine and tell your doctor immediately, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital:
severe diarrhoea with blood, mucus, stomach pain and fever
severe body rash with pinkish, itchy swellings of the skin (hives or nettle rash)
frequent infections such as fever, severe chills, sore throat or mouth ulcers
yellowing of your skin or eyes (jaundice)
fits or seizures
unusual bleeding or bruising under the skin
dark urine or pale stools
shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty in breathing
severe blisters and bleeding of the lips, eyes, mouth, nose and genitals.
Rare events that have been reported include:
inflammation of the bowel (colitis)
inflammation of the live (hepatitis)
inflammation of the kidney (nephritis)
blood disorders
crystals in the urine (crystalluria)
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.
After taking this medicine
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following side effects, particularly if they occur several weeks after stopping treatment with this medicine:
severe abdominal cramps or stomach cramps
watery and severe diarrhoea, which may also be bloody
fever, in combination with one or both of the above.
These are rare but serious side effects.
You may have a serious condition affecting your bowel. Therefore, you may need urgent medical attention. However, this side effect is rare.
Do not take any diarrhoea medicine without first checking with your doctor.
Storage
Keep your medicine in the original container.
If you take the tablets out of its original container it may not keep well.
Keep the medicine in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not store Alphaclav Duo 500/125 and Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 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 it 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.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking the tablets, or the tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any that are left over.
Product description
What it looks like
Alphaclav Duo 500/125 and Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 comes in two strengths:
Alphaclav Duo 500/125 - Off-white, oval, biconvex, film-coated tablet, scored on both sides.
Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 - White to pale yellow, oblong, biconvex, film-coated tablet, scored on both sides.
Available in strip packs or blister packs of 10 tablets.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients:
Alphaclav Duo 500/125 tablets 500mg amoxycillin (as trihydrate) and 125mg clavulanic acid (as potassium clavulanate).
Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 tablets - 875mg amoxycillin (as trihydrate) and 125mg clavulanic acid (as potassium clavulanate).
Inactive Ingredients:
magnesium stearate
purified talc
povidone
croscarmellose sodium
microcrystalline cellulose
triethyl citrate
ethylcellulose
sodium lauryl sulfate
cetyl alcohol
hypromellose
titanium dioxide.
Alphaclav Duo Forte 875/125 also contains silicon dioxide.
This medicine does not contain lactose, gluten, sucrose, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
