Consumer Information for: SANDOZ AZITHROMYCIN

Azithromycin Tablets

To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take Sandoz Azithromycin. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:

• have a known prolonged heart cycle (interval) (QT prolongation)
• are currently taking medication known to prolong QT interval (prolong your heart cycle) such as antiarrhythmics (drugs to regulate your heartbeat such as class IA: quinidine, procainamide and class III: dofetilide, amiodarone, sotalol); antipsychotic agents; antidepressants; and fluoroquinolones (a class of antibiotics)
• have a history of life-threatening irregular heartbeat
• have constantly low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood
• have a history for heart problems such as slow heart rate, irregular heart beat or cardiac insufficiency (your heart has a hard time pumping blood to your body)
• are pregnant or think you are pregnant,
• are breast feeding or planning to breastfeed. Azithromycin is excreted in human breast milk. It is not known if Sandoz Azithromycin could affect your baby. Discuss with your doctor.
• have ever had any liver or kidney problems
• have a weak immune system
• have ever had an allergic reaction to any medicines, including antibiotics such as erythromycin
• have myasthenia gravis (a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease which causes muscle weakness)
• have hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, Lapp lactase deficiency or glucosegalactose malabsorption as this product contains lactose.

Azithromycin for Oral Suspension

• have a known prolonged heart cycle (interval) (QT prolongation)
• are currently taking medication known to prolong QT interval (prolong your heart cycle) such as antiarrhythmics (drugs to regulate your heartbeat such as class IA: quinidine, procainamide and class III: dofetilide, amiodarone, sotalol); antipsychotic agents; antidepressants; and fluoroquinolones (a class of antibiotics)
• have a history of life-threatening irregular heartbeat
• have constantly low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood
• have a history for heart problems such as slow heart rate, irregular heartbeat or cardiac insufficiency (your heart has a hard time pumping blood to your body)
• have diabetes or hereditary problems of fructose intolerance, glucose-galactose malabsorption or saccharase-isomaltase deficiency, as this product contains sucrose
• are pregnant or think you are pregnant,
• are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. Azithromycin is excreted in human breast milk. It is not known if Sandoz Azithromycin could affect a baby. Discuss with your doctor.
• have ever had any liver or kidney problems
• have a weak immune system
• have myasthenia gravis (a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease which causes muscle weakness)
• are allergic to any medicines including antibiotics such as erythromycin

Other warnings you should know about:
If your child develops diarrhea during or after treatment with Sandoz Azithromycin, tell your child’s doctor at once. Do not use any medicine to treat your child’s diarrhea without first checking with your child’s doctor.

Your child should begin to feel better within the first few days, but be sure to give Sandoz Azithromycin for the full number of days your child’s doctor prescribed. Although Sandoz Azithromycin's dosing is short and you may be able to give all the medicine to your child more easily, you should not expect Sandoz Azithromycin to work faster than other antibiotics which are dosed for up to 10 days. If you stop giving Sandoz Azithromycin to your child too soon, their infection could come back. The next infection may be worse and be more difficult to treat. If you are not able to give all the medicine to your child, tell your child’s doctor.

If your baby develops projectile vomiting or irritability during feeding, during or after treatment with Sandoz Azithromycin, contact your baby’s doctor at once.

Your child's doctor or nurse can advise you when your child should begin feeling better.

Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.