Clarithromycin Normon 250 mg film-coated tablets EFG

Package leaflet: Information for the user

Introduction

Package leaflet: information for the user

Clarithromycin Normon 250 mg film-coated tablets EFG

Package leaflet:

1. What Claritromycin Normon is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before taking Claritromycin Normon
3. How to take Claritromycin Normon
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Claritromycin Normon
6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What Claritromicina Normon is and what it is used for

Claritromicina is an antibiotic belonging to the macrolide group and works by eliminating bacteria.

Clarithromycin Normon is used to treat infections caused by susceptible microorganisms in adults and adolescents aged 12 to 18 years:

• Infections of the upper respiratory tract, such as pharyngitis (infection of the pharynx causing sore throat), tonsillitis (infection of the tonsils), and sinusitis (infection of the paranasal sinuses located around the forehead, cheeks, and eyes).
• Infections of the lower respiratory tract, such as acute bronchitis (infection and inflammation of the bronchi), acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (worsening of long-term or recurrent lung inflammation), and bacterial pneumonia (lung inflammation caused by bacteria) (see section 2, Warnings and precautions).
• Skin and soft tissue infections, such as folliculitis (infection of one or more hair follicles), cellulitis (acute inflammation of the skin), and erysipelas (a type of skin infection) (see section 2, Warnings and precautions).
• Gastric and duodenal ulcers.
• And in the prevention and treatment of infections caused by mycobacteria.

2. What you need to know before starting to take Claritromycin Normon

Do not take Claritromycin Normon

• If you are allergic to clarithromycin, other macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin or azithromycin, or to any of the other ingredients of Claritromycin Normon (listed in section 6).
• If you have a creatinine clearance of less than 30 ml/min.
• If you have an irregular heartbeat.
• If you suffer from severe kidney or liver problems.
• If you are taking ergotamine or dihydroergotamine, or using ergotamine inhalers for migraine while taking clarithromycin. Consult your doctor for alternative medications.
• If you are taking medications called terfenadine, astemizole (medications for hay fever or allergies), cisapride or domperidone (used for stomach problems), or pimozide (a medication used to treat certain psychiatric conditions), as taking these with clarithromycin may cause serious disturbances in heart rhythm. Consult your doctor for alternative medications.
• If you are taking ticagrelor (to prevent blood clots in your veins, used in heart attacks and other heart problems), ivabradine, or ranolazine (for angina or to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction or stroke).
• If you are taking other medications known to cause serious disturbances in heart rhythm.
• If you are undergoing treatment with oral midazolam (for anxiety or to help sleep).
• If you have abnormally low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood (hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia).
• If you or a family member has a history of heart rhythm disorders (ventricular arrhythmia, including Torsade de Pointes) or abnormalities on electrocardiogram (ECG, electrical recording of the heart) known as "QT prolongation syndrome".
• If you are taking medications called lovastatin or simvastatin (to lower cholesterol levels), as combining these with clarithromycin may increase the risk of adverse effects. Consult your doctor for alternative medications.
• If you are taking colchicine (for gout).
• If you are taking a medication containing lomitapide.

Warnings and precautions

Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take Claritromycin Normon

• If you have heart, kidney, or liver problems.
• If you have or are prone to fungal infections (e.g., thrush).
• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• If you are taking medications known as colchicine, triazolam, midazolam (for anxiety or insomnia), lovastatin, or simvastatin.
• If you are diabetic and taking hypoglycemic agents (medications to lower blood sugar such as nateglinide, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, repaglinide, sulfonylureas, or insulin), as clarithromycin may excessively lower blood glucose. Careful glucose monitoring is recommended.
• If you are taking a medication called warfarin (a blood thinner).
• If you have myasthenia gravis, a condition in which your muscles become weak and tire easily.
• If you develop severe or prolonged diarrhea during or after taking clarithromycin, consult your doctor immediately.

If any of these situations apply to you, consult your doctor before taking clarithromycin.

Children and adolescents

Do not administer this medicine to children under 12 years of age.

Elderly patients

Since clarithromycin is eliminated via the liver and kidneys, caution should be exercised in patients with hepatic impairment, moderate or severe renal impairment, and in elderly patients.

Taking Claritromycin Normon with other medicines

Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken, or might need to take, any other medicines, including those obtained without a prescription.

Claritromycin Normon must not be taken with ergot alkaloids, astemizole, terfenadine, cisapride, domperidone, pimozide, ticagrelor, ranolazine, colchicine, certain medications for high cholesterol, or medicines known to cause serious disturbances in heart rhythm (see Do not take Claritromycin Normon).

This is especially important if you are taking medicines for:

• Heart problems (e.g., digoxin, verapamil, quinidine, or disopyramide).
• Blood thinning (e.g., warfarin or other anticoagulants such as dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban).
• Migraine (e.g., ergotamine or dihydroergotamine).
• Epilepsy or bipolar disorder (carbamazepine, valproate, phenobarbital, or phenytoin).
• High cholesterol (e.g., lovastatin or simvastatin).

Or if you are taking any medicine called:

• Theophylline (used in patients with breathing difficulties such as asthma).

• Triazolam, alprazolam, or midazolam (sedatives).

• Cilostazol (for poor circulation).

• Methylprednisolone (a corticosteroid).

• Ibrutinib or vinblastine (for cancer treatment).

• Cyclosporine (an immunosuppressant).

• Rifabutin (for treating certain infections).

• Tacrolimus or sirolimus (for organ transplants and severe eczema).

• Sildenafil, tadalafil, or vardenafil (to treat impotence in adult men or pulmonary arterial hypertension (high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs)).

• Zidovudine (to treat viruses).

• St. John’s wort (a herbal product used to treat depression).

• Phenobarbital (a medication for treating epilepsy).

• Nevirapine and efavirenz may reduce levels of clarithromycin.

• Rifampicin or rifapentine (for treating tuberculosis).

• Omeprazole (to treat stomach acidity and stomach or intestinal ulcers).

• Ritonavir (an antiviral medication used in the treatment of HIV infection) may increase levels of clarithromycin. Concomitant use of atazanavir, etravirine, and saquinavir (also antiviral medications used in the treatment of HIV infection) with clarithromycin may increase levels of both atazanavir (or saquinavir) and clarithromycin.

• Itraconazole (an antifungal) taken together with clarithromycin may increase levels of both medications.

• Fluconazole, another antifungal medication, may increase levels of clarithromycin.

• Tolterodine (for treating symptoms of overactive bladder syndrome). In some patients, levels of tolterodine may increase when taken with clarithromycin.

• Quetiapine (for schizophrenia or other psychiatric conditions).

• Beta-lactam antibiotics (certain penicillins and cephalosporins).

• Aminoglycosides (used as antibiotics to treat infections).

• Calcium channel blockers (medications for treating high blood pressure).

• Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine (used to treat diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, or to treat or prevent malaria). Taking these medications together with clarithromycin may increase the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and other serious adverse reactions affecting the heart.

• Corticosteroids administered orally, by injection, or by inhalation (used to suppress the immune system; this is useful in treating a wide variety of conditions).

Taking Claritromycin Normon with food and drinks

Claritromycin Normon tablets may be taken before, during, or after meals, as the presence of food in the gastrointestinal tract does not alter the drug's activity.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you might be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.

The safety of clarithromycin during pregnancy has not been established, so your doctor must carefully weigh the benefits against the potential risks, especially during the first three months of pregnancy.

Clarithromycin passes into breast milk; therefore, breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with clarithromycin.

Driving and using machines

Since clarithromycin may cause dizziness, vertigo, confusion, and disorientation, you should exercise extreme caution when driving or operating dangerous machinery during treatment with clarithromycin.

Claritromycin Normon contains sodium

This medicine contains less than 23 mg of sodium (1 mmol) per tablet; hence, it is essentially "sodium-free".

3. How to take Claritromycin Normon

Claritromycin Normon is administered orally.

Follow exactly the instructions for use of this medicine as given by your doctor or pharmacist. If in doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.

Adults and children over 12 years of age:

Patients with respiratory tract, skin, and soft tissue infections:

The usual dose is 250 mg twice daily for 7 days, although in more severe infections, the dose may be increased to 500 mg twice daily. The usual duration of treatment is 5 to 14 days, except for community-acquired pneumonia and sinusitis, which require 6 to 14 days of therapy.

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori in patients with duodenal ulcers (adults):

In patients with peptic ulcer associated with Helicobacter pylori, the recommended treatments are:

Triple therapy: two 250 mg clarithromycin tablets twice daily, together with 30 mg of lansoprazole twice daily and 1,000 mg of amoxicillin twice daily for 10 days.

Or two 250 mg clarithromycin tablets with 1,000 mg of amoxicillin and 20 mg of omeprazole, all administered twice daily, for 7 to 10 days.

Elderly patients:

Same as for adults.

Patients with mycobacterial infections:

The recommended average dose for prevention and treatment of mycobacterial infections is two 250 mg clarithromycin tablets every 12 hours. The duration of treatment should be determined by the physician.

Patients with renal impairment:

In patients with renal impairment and a creatinine clearance of less than 30 ml/min, the dose of clarithromycin should be reduced by half, i.e., 250 mg once daily, or 250 mg twice daily in more severe infections. In these patients, treatment should be discontinued after 14 days.

Follow these instructions unless your doctor has given you different advice.

Remember to take your medicine. Take the tablets at the same time each day. Your doctor will tell you how long your treatment should last.

Use in children and adolescents

There are other commercially available formulations with the same active ingredient as oral suspension granules of 25 and 50 mg/ml, suitable for children from 6 months of age and adolescents under 12 years of age.

If you take more Claritromycin Normon than you should

If you have taken more clarithromycin than you should, gastrointestinal disturbances may be expected. Contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately, as they will need to treat you to rapidly eliminate any clarithromycin not yet absorbed by your body. Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are not effective. You may also call the Toxicology Information Service (Tel. 91 562 04 20), indicating the medicine and the amount ingested.

If you forget to take Claritromycin Normon

Do not take a double dose to make up for missed doses. Take the tablet as soon as possible and continue taking it at the same time each day.

If you stop treatment with Claritromycin Normon

Do not stop treatment early, as even if you already feel better, your illness could worsen or return. If you have any further questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. Possible adverse effects

Like all medicines, Claritromycin Normon may cause adverse effects, although not everyone experiences them.

Adverse effects are classified as very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people), common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people), uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people), and frequency not known (cannot be estimated from available data).

Common and very common reactions related to treatment with clarithromycin, in both adults and children, are abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and altered taste. These adverse reactions are usually mild in intensity and consistent with the known safety profile of macrolide antibiotics (see below).

There were no significant differences in the incidence of these gastrointestinal adverse reactions during clinical trials between patient populations with or without pre-existing mycobacterial infections.

Summary of adverse effects

Adverse effects are listed in order of decreasing severity within each body system:

• Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 patients, with the intravenous injection formulation): phlebitis (vein inflammation) at the injection site.

• Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 patients) with all medicines containing clarithromycin:

  • Gastrointestinal system: diarrhoea, vomiting, gastric discomfort impairing digestion (dyspepsia), nausea, abdominal pain.
  • Nervous system: altered taste sensation, headache, taste disturbance.
  • Skin: mild skin rashes, excessive sweating.
  • Psychiatric disorders: insomnia.
  • Vascular disorders: dilation of blood vessels in the body (vasodilation).
  • Liver disorders: abnormal liver function tests.
  • Administration site reactions: pain and inflammation at the injection site (only with intravenous injection formulation).

• Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 patients):

  • Infections: cellulitis (only with intravenous injection formulation), candidiasis (fungal infection), gastroenteritis (only with prolonged-release tablets), infection (only with granules for oral suspension), vaginal infection.
  • Blood and lymphatic system disorders: decreased white blood cells, decreased neutrophils (a type of white blood cell, only with immediate-release tablets), increased platelets and, to a lesser extent, increased red and white blood cells in blood (only with granules for oral suspension), increased eosinophils (a type of white blood cell, only with immediate-release tablets).
  • Immune system disorders: anaphylactoid reaction (generalized allergic reaction, only with intravenous injection formulation), hypersensitivity (exaggerated allergic reaction to external agents).
  • Nutritional disorders: anorexia, decreased appetite.
  • Psychiatric disorders: anxiety and nervousness (the latter only with granules for oral suspension).
  • Nervous system disorders: loss of consciousness and difficulty moving (both effects, only with intravenous injection formulation), dizziness, somnolence, tremor.
  • Ear and labyrinth disorders: vertigo, hearing problems, tinnitus.
  • Cardiac disorders: cardiac arrest and heart rhythm disturbances (atrial fibrillation) (both effects, only with intravenous injection formulation), QT interval prolongation (an electrocardiogram indicator of potential ventricular arrhythmias), extrasystoles (premature heartbeat relative to normal heart rate, only with intravenous injection formulation), palpitations (irregular heartbeats).
  • Respiratory disorders: asthma (difficulty breathing, chest tightness, and nocturnal or early morning cough, only with intravenous injection formulation), epistaxis (only with prolonged-release tablets), pulmonary embolism (blockage of the pulmonary artery causing one-sided chest pain, cough, and breathing difficulty, only with intravenous injection formulation).
  • Gastrointestinal disorders: oesophagitis (only with intravenous injection formulation), gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (damage to the oesophagus causing burning sensation, chronic cough, shortness of breath, and difficulty swallowing, only with prolonged-release tablets), gastric mucosal inflammation (gastritis), anal and rectal pain (only with prolonged-release tablets), oral mucosal inflammation, tongue inflammation, abdominal distension (only with immediate-release tablets), constipation, dry mouth, belching, flatulence.
  • Liver disorders: decreased or suppressed bile flow to the intestine and liver inflammation (hepatitis) (both effects, only with immediate-release tablets), increased alanine aminotransferase (liver enzyme), aspartate aminotransferase (another liver enzyme), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (another liver enzyme, only with immediate-release tablets).
  • Skin disorders: bullous dermatitis (blistering rash, only with intravenous injection formulation), pruritus, urticaria (edematous, red, intensely itchy skin lesions), maculopapular rash (skin lesion with a papule or wart on a patch, only with granules for oral suspension).
  • Musculoskeletal disorders: muscle spasms (only with granules for oral suspension), musculoskeletal rigidity (only with intravenous injection formulation), muscle pain (only with prolonged-release tablets).
  • Renal disorders: increased serum creatinine and serum urea (both effects, indicating impaired kidney function, only with intravenous injection formulation).
  • General disorders: malaise (only with immediate-release tablets), chest pain, chills, and fatigue (the last three only with immediate-release tablets).
  • Laboratory tests: abnormal albumin-globulin ratio (only with intravenous injection formulation), increased serum alkaline phosphatase and increased blood lactate dehydrogenase (the last two only with immediate-release tablets).

• Frequency not known (frequency cannot be estimated from available data):

  • Infections: pseudomembranous colitis (diarrhoea that may be severe), erysipelas (skin redness of variable extent that may cause pain, itching, and fever).
  • Blood and lymphatic system disorders: decreased neutrophil count (a type of white blood cell), decreased platelets.
  • Immune system disorders: anaphylactic reaction (generalized allergic reaction), angioedema (swelling beneath the skin).
  • Psychiatric disorders: psychotic disorder, confusion, depersonalization, depression, disorientation, hallucinations, hypnagogic hallucinations (attenuated perception of external stimuli).
  • Nervous system disorders: convulsions, decreased or loss of taste sensation, olfactory disturbance, loss or decreased sense of smell, tingling, numbness, or pins-and-needles sensation in hands, feet, arms, or legs.
  • Ear disorders: deafness.
  • Cardiac disorders: torsades de pointes (a type of ventricular tachycardia), ventricular tachycardia (accelerated heartbeat exceeding 100 beats per minute with at least 3 consecutive irregular beats).
  • Vascular disorders: haemorrhage.
  • Digestive disorders: acute pancreatitis (acute inflammation of the pancreas), tongue discoloration, tooth discoloration.
  • Liver disorders: liver failure, hepatocellular jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).
  • Skin disorders: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (widespread rash with blisters and skin peeling, mainly affecting genital, oral, and trunk areas), acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (widespread scaly red rash with subcutaneous bumps and blisters, accompanied by fever, primarily located in skin folds, trunk, and upper limbs), toxic epidermal necrolysis (widespread rash with blisters and skin peeling, particularly around mouth, nose, eyes, and genitals, causing widespread skin shedding (more than 30% of body surface area)), drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) (flu-like symptoms with skin rash, fever, lymph node swelling, and abnormal blood tests such as increased white blood cells (eosinophilia) and elevated liver enzymes), acne. If any of these reactions occur, treatment with clarithromycin must be stopped immediately and you should consult your doctor for appropriate management.
  • Musculoskeletal disorders: rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown that may cause kidney damage), myopathy (muscle disease of multiple causes).
  • Renal disorders: kidney function failure, interstitial nephritis (inflammation of renal tubules).
  • Laboratory tests: increased international normalized ratio (INR, a calculation to detect blood coagulation), prolonged prothrombin time (indicates impaired blood coagulation), and abnormal urine colour.

Specific adverse effects

Phlebitis at the injection site, pain at the injection site, pain at the venipuncture site, and inflammation at the injection site are specific to the intravenous formulation of clarithromycin.

After marketing of the medicine, reports of central nervous system effects (e.g., somnolence and confusion) have been received with concomitant use of clarithromycin and triazolam. Patient monitoring is advised.

In some reports of rhabdomyolysis, clarithromycin was administered concomitantly with statins, fibrates, colchicine, or allopurinol (see Do not take Claritromycin Normon and Warnings and precautions).

Rarely, there have been reports of prolonged-release clarithromycin tablets appearing in faeces. Many of these cases occurred in patients with gastrointestinal anatomical disorders [including ileostomy or colostomy (surgery to divert intestinal waste artificially from the ileum or colon)] or functional disorders (conditions caused by a bodily defect) with shortened gastrointestinal transit time. In several reports, tablet residues appeared in the context of diarrhoea. It is recommended that patients who observe tablet residues in faeces and experience no improvement switch to another formulation of clarithromycin (e.g., suspension) or to another antibiotic.

Adverse effects in children and adolescents

The frequency, type, and severity of adverse reactions in children are expected to be the same as in adults.

Immunocompromised patients

In patients with AIDS and other immunocompromised patients treated with high doses of clarithromycin over long periods for mycobacterial infections, it is often difficult to distinguish adverse effects possibly associated with clarithromycin administration from those caused by the disease itself or by other conditions associated with AIDS.

In adult patients treated with total daily doses of 1,000 mg and 2,000 mg of clarithromycin, the most frequent adverse reactions were: nausea, vomiting, taste disturbance, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, skin rash, flatulence, headache, constipation, hearing disturbances, and elevated transaminases (which may indicate liver, pancreas, heart, or muscle involvement). Less frequently reported were respiratory difficulty, insomnia, and dry mouth. Incidences were similar in patients treated with 1,000 mg and 2,000 mg, but generally 3 to 4 times more frequent in those receiving a total daily dose of 4,000 mg of clarithromycin.

In these immunocompromised patients, approximately 2% to 3% receiving daily doses of 1,000 mg or 2,000 mg of clarithromycin developed severely abnormal elevations in transaminase levels, as well as abnormally low white blood cell and platelet counts. A smaller percentage of patients in both dosage groups also had increased blood urea nitrogen levels (which may indicate reduced kidney function). In patients receiving 4,000 mg daily, slightly higher incidences of abnormal values were observed for all parameters except white blood cell count.

Contact a doctor as soon as possible if you experience a severe skin reaction: a red, scaly rash with bumps under the skin and blisters (exanthematous pustulosis). The frequency of this adverse effect is considered not known (cannot be estimated from available data).

Reporting of adverse effects

If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if they are possible adverse effects not listed in this leaflet. You may also report them directly via the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Human Medicines: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting adverse effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. Storage of Clarithromycin Normon

Keep this medicine out of sight and reach of children.

No special storage conditions are required.

Do not use Clarithromycin Normon after the expiry date stated on the packaging after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of the month indicated.

Medicines must not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Dispose of unused containers and medicines at the SIGRE collection point at your pharmacy. If you have any doubts, ask your pharmacist how to properly dispose of unused containers and medicines. This will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information

Composition of Clarithromycin Normon

• The active substance is clarithromycin. Each coated tablet contains 250 mg of clarithromycin.
• The other components are: Core: croscarmellose sodium, microcrystalline cellulose (E 460), povidone, magnesium stearate, stearic acid, talc (E 553b), colloidal silica. Coating: talc, hypromellose (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), titanium dioxide (E 171), macrogol 6000, and quinoline yellow (E 104).

Appearance of the product and contents of the pack

Clarithromycin Normon 250 mg is presented as yellow, round biconvex coated tablets, in packs containing 14 coated tablets in PVC/aluminum blisters or clinical packs of 500 coated tablets.

Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer

LABORATORIOS NORMON, S.A.

Ronda de Valdecarrizo, 6 – 28760 Tres Cantos – Madrid (SPAIN)

Date of the most recent revision of this leaflet: June 2024

Detailed information on this medicinal product is available on the website of the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) http://www.aemps.gob.es/.

You can access detailed and up-to-date information on this medicinal product by scanning with your mobile phone (smartphone) the QR code included in the leaflet and packaging.

You can also access this information at the following internet address: https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/p/64824/P_64824.html.