Mupirocin
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet?
Please read this leaflet carefully before you start using BACTROBAN cream, or before helping someone else to use BACTROBAN cream.
This leaflet answers some common questions about BACTROBAN cream. It does not contain all of 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 expected benefits of you using BACTROBAN cream against the risks this medicine could have for you.
If you have any concerns about using this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What BACTROBAN cream is used for
BACTROBAN cream contains mupirocin (2% w/w) as the active ingredient.
Mupirocin belongs to a group of medicines called Antibiotics.
Antibiotics work by killing bacteria which can cause infection.
BACTROBAN cream can be used to treat small wounds which have become infected. These wounds may include small cuts and abrasions or stitches.
BACTROBAN cream is for use on your skin only.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed BACTROBAN cream for another reason.
There is no evidence that BACTROBAN cream is addictive.
Before you use BACTROBAN cream
When you must not use it
You must not use BACTROBAN cream if you have an allergy to:
any medicine containing mupirocin
any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
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 use BACTROBAN cream 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 your pharmacist for disposal.
If you are not sure whether you should start using this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you start to use it
Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives.
Tell your doctor if you are using any other medicines, including medicines you buy without a prescription.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding, pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits with you.
If you are using BACTROBAN cream on a cracked nipple, wash the nipple well before breast feeding your baby.
BACTROBAN cream should not be used to treat infections in or near the eyes, nostrils or mouth.
If BACTROBAN cream is accidentally applied to the eyes, wash the eyes thoroughly with water.
BACTROBAN cream should not be used to treat areas of skin near tubes inserted into your body for the delivery or removal of fluid (cannulae). BACTROBAN cream should not be used in combination with cannulae.
If you develop an allergic reaction (such as a rash, local pain or swelling), wipe off the cream, stop using BACTROBAN cream and tell your doctor.
Medicines like BACTROBAN cream can cause inflammation of the colon (large intestine), causing diarrhoea, usually with blood and mucus, stomach pain, fever (pseudomembranous colitis). Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you get any of these symptoms.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start using BACTROBAN cream.
Taking other medicines
Do not mix BACTROBAN cream with any other preparation. They may prevent BACTROBAN cream from working.
How to use BACTROBAN cream
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you have any questions about BACTROBAN cream and how to use it, please ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to use
Use BACTROBAN cream as directed by your doctor or pharmacist.
The usual recommendation is for a small amount to be applied to the affected area three times daily.
How to use it
Always wash your hands before and after applying BACTROBAN cream.
With a piece of clean cotton wool or a gauze swab, apply a small quantity of BACTROBAN cream to cover the affected area,
After applying the cream, you may cover the treated area with a sterile bandage or gauze dressing, unless a doctor has told you to leave it uncovered.
How long to use it
Use BACTROBAN cream for as long as your doctor or pharmacist tells you to. BACTROBAN cream treatment is usually for up to 10 days.
It is important that you take the full courses of BACTROBAN cream. Do not stop early as your symptoms may disappear before the infection is fully cleared.
If you forget to use it
If you forget an application, apply some BACTROBAN cream as soon as you can, then continue as before.
Use in children
Do not apply BACTROBAN cream to children under 2 years of age unless instructed by your doctor.
If you use too much
Immediately telephone your doctor or if you think you or anyone else may have used too much or accidentally swallowed BACTROBAN cream, even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
If you are not sure what to do, contact your doctor, pharmacist or nearest hospital.
While you are using BACTROBAN cream
Things you must do
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking BACTROBAN cream.
Tell any other doctors, dentists, and pharmacists who treat you that you are taking this medicine.
If you become pregnant while using this medicine, tell your doctor immediately.
Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not used your medicine exactly as directed.
Otherwise, your doctor may think that it was not working as it should and change your treatment unnecessarily.
Things you must not do
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.
Do not use BACTROBAN cream to treat any other complaints unless your doctor says to.
Do not stop using BACTROBAN cream, or change the dose without first checking with your doctor.
Side Effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are using BACTROBAN cream.
This medicine helps most people, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you think you are experiencing any side effects or allergic reactions due to using BACTROBAN cream, even if the problem is not listed below.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side-effects. You may not experience any of them.
The most commonly reported side effects are:
Itching
Redness
Stinging of the skin
Headache, nausea and diarrhoea have been reported in people treated with BACTROBAN cream.
Allergic reactions such as rash, hives or swelling can occur with the use of BACTROBAN cream.
If you get a skin reaction, stop using BACTROBAN cream. Wipe off any cream and tell your doctor as soon as possible.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
Swelling, itching, burning or pain in the area where BACTROBAN ointment is applied.
Wheezing, swelling of the lips/mouth, difficulty in breathing, hayfever, lumpy rash (hives) or fainting. These could be symptoms of an allergic reaction.
This is not a complete list of all possible side-effects. Others may occur in some people and there may be some side-effects not yet known.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any side effects from your medicine which are not mentioned here.
This medicine does not affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.
After using BACTROBAN cream
Storage
You should keep BACTROBAN cream in the original pack below 25°C.
Do not freeze the cream.
Do not store BACTROBAN cream 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.
Return any unused or expired medicine to your pharmacist.
Product description
What BACTROBAN cream looks like
BACTROBAN cream is a white cream supplied in 15 g tubes.
Ingredients
BACTROBAN cream contains the active ingredient mupirocin.
BACTROBAN cream also contains the following inactive ingredients: xanthan gum, liquid paraffin, cetomacrogol 1000, stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol and water.
