Klaricid 500mg Tablets

Clarithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic. It treats bacterial infections such as chest infections, ear infections and skin infections like cellulitis.

It is also used together with other medicines to clear H. pylori, a stomach bacterium that can cause ulcers, and to treat or prevent MAC infection in people with weak immune systems. It does not work for colds, flu or other viral infections.

Take clarithromycin exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you, at about the same times each day.

• Standard tablets and liquid can be taken with or without food.
• Take extended-release tablets with food and swallow them whole. Do not split, chew or crush them.
• Shake the liquid well before each dose.
• Keep using it for the full course, even if you feel better after a few days. Stopping early can let the infection come back and helps germs become resistant.
• If you miss a dose, take it when you remember unless the next dose is nearly due. Never take a double dose.

Common side effects include:

• Diarrhoea, feeling sick, being sick or stomach pain
• Indigestion or wind
• Changes in taste
• Headache

Get medical help straight away if you have:

• A fast or irregular heartbeat, chest pain or fainting
• Signs of a serious allergic reaction: rash or hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, wheezing, or trouble breathing or swallowing
• Blistering, peeling or shedding skin
• Watery or bloody diarrhoea, stomach cramps or fever, during treatment or up to two months or more after it ends
• Yellow skin or eyes, dark urine or pain in the upper right tummy
• Muscle weakness or double vision

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking it if you:

• Have had liver problems or jaundice with clarithromycin before
• Have a heart rhythm problem such as long QT, or low potassium or magnesium
• Have myasthenia gravis, or kidney or liver disease
• Take statins (such as simvastatin or atorvastatin), colchicine, warfarin, digoxin, carbamazepine, theophylline, ticagrelor, domperidone or midazolam
• Take St John's wort
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding

Store tablets at room temperature away from light, heat and moisture. Keep the liquid at room temperature (do not refrigerate) and throw away any left after 14 days. Keep out of the reach of children.

Clarithromycin interacts with many medicines, some seriously, so always tell your doctor and pharmacist what else you take. It can cause dizziness or confusion: do not drive until you know how it affects you. In pregnancy another antibiotic may be preferred.