ceftazidime (as pentahydrate)
CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION
What is in this leaflet?
This leaflet answers some common questions about CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm.
It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you being given CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm against the benefits expected for you.
If you have any concerns about being given this medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm is used for?
CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm is used to treat a wide range of infections caused by bacteria. These infections may affect the chest (bronchitis or pneumonia), ears, nose, throat, bladder and urinary tract, skin and soft tissue, stomach or bones.
This medicine belongs to a group of medicines called cephalosporins.
It works by killing the bacteria that cause these infections.
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.
CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm is available only with a doctor's prescription.
CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm is not addictive.
Before you are given CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm
When you must not be given it
You must not be given CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm if you have ever had an allergic reaction to:
any medicine containing cephalosporins or penicillins
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.
You must not be given this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If you are not sure whether you should be given this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you are given it
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:
kidney problems
liver problems
colitis or any other stomach or bowel illness.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm is excreted in human milk in low concentrations. Therefore, it should be administered to breastfeeding women only if clearly needed.
Tell your doctor if your baby has any signs of diarrhoea or any other illness, or if you notice anything wrong.
Tell your doctor if you are prescribed some urine or blood tests or if you are going to have a blood transfusion.
The results of some tests can be altered by CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start taking CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you get without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm may interfere with each other. These include:
some antibiotics called aminoglycosides
diuretics, also called fluid or water tablets
another antibiotic called chloramphenicol, since both medicines can stop each other working
oral contraceptives ('the pill').
These medicines may be affected by CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.
How CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm is given
How much is given
CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm will always be prepared and given to you by a doctor or another healthcare professional.
Depending on the severity and type of infection, your weight, your age and how well your kidneys are working, your doctor will determine a suitable dosage.
How it is given
CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm will be injected deep into muscle tissue or into a vein. When it is injected into a vein it may be given directly or through a 'drip'.
How long it is given for
CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm should be administered for as long as recommended by your doctor.
If you are given too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have been given too much CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
While you are being given CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm
Things you must do
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are being given CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm.
Tell any other doctors, dentists and pharmacists who treat you that you are being given this medicine.
If you are about to have any blood or urine tests, tell your doctor that you are being given this medicine.
It may interfere with the results of some tests.
If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, tell your doctor immediately.
Things you must not do
Do not use CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.
Do not stop using your medicine or lower the dosage without checking with your doctor.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm affects you.
Certain side effects, such as dizziness and convulsions, have been reported with ceftazidime, which may affect some patient's ability to drive and use machines.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm.
Like other medicines, CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm may have unwanted side effects in some 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.
Do not be alarmed by the following list 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:
skin trouble such as a rash, red spots, itching, skin lumps, hives, blisters or peeling
swelling of the eyelids, face or lips
diarrhoea (even several weeks after your CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm treatment)
high temperature (fever)
difficulty breathing
bruising or bleeding
shaking or muscle twitches
wheezing, swelling of the lips/mouth, difficulty in breathing, hayfever, lumpy rash (hives) or fainting. These could be symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
pain or flaking skin where you had the injection
headache
stomach pain
dizziness
numbness or tingling
nausea (feeling of sickness) or vomiting
bad taste in mouth
sore mouth or tongue
vaginal discharge, genital itching.
The above list includes very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
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 being given CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm
Storage
Before opening:
Store in the original package at a temperature below 25°C.
Protect from light.
After reconstitution:
To reduce microbiological hazard, use as soon as practicable after reconstitution/preparation. If storage is necessary, hold at 2-8°C for not more than 24 hours.
This medicine is for single use only. Any unused solution should be discarded.
Do not store CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm 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.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop using this medicine or the expiry date has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine that is left over.
Product description
What it looks like
CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm is a white or almost white powder. The water is reconstituted with sterile water prior to injection.
Once made up the solutions should be a clear and light yellow to amber colour.
Ingredients
The active ingredient in CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm is ceftazidime pentahydrate.
each CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm 1 g vial contains 1 g of ceftazidime (as pentahydrate)
each CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm 2 g vial contains 2 g of ceftazidime (as pentahydrate).
CEFTAZIDIME Alphapharm also contains sodium carbonate anhydrous.
