Selexid® (Sell-ex-id)
Pivmecillinam hydrochloride
What is in this leaflet?
This leaflet answers some common questions about Selexid®. It does
not contain all 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 risks of
you taking this medicine against the benefits it is expected to have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or
pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
What Selexid® is used for
Selexid® belongs to a group of medicines called antibiotics.
Selexid® is used to treat infections caused by bacteria that are
killed by the antibiotic, mecillinam. The pivmecillinam in Selexid®
tablets is changed into mecillinam in the body.
Selexid® is used to treat bacterial infections causing such
conditions as:
- Infection in the urinary bladder (also known as "cystitis")
- Infection throughout the urinary tract (also known as "UTI" or sometimes
"kidney infection").
Selexid® is also used to treat:
- General bodily infection caused by bacteria such as Salmonella,
Shigella or Yersinia
- Diarrhoea caused by a type of bacteria that damages the bowel. These
bacteria are known as "Enteropathic E.coli" - Infection in the blood and throughout the body caused by bacteria that are
"Gram-negative" - Infection in the gall bladder and bile passages.
Your doctor may have prescribed Selexid® for another reason. Ask
your doctor why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
This medicine is not addictive.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
This medicine is not expected to affect your ability to drive a car or
operate machinery.
Before you take Selexid®
When you must not take it
Do not take this medicine if you have an allergy to:
- any medicine containing pivmecillinam or mecillinam
- any other similar medicines such as penicillins or cephalosporins
- any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet (see Product
description).
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 take this medicine if:
- you have a medical condition that has been diagnosed as "carnitine
deficiency" - you have narrowing or possible blockage in your food pipe, stomach or
bowel.
Do NOT give this medicine to a child under the age of 3 months.
Do NOT take this medicine:
- after the expiry date printed on the pack
- if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If it is after the expiry date or if the packaging does not look quite right,
return the medicine to your pharmacist.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to
your doctor.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are
breast feeding.
Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines,
including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy,
supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may be affected by Selexid®, or may affect how well
Selexid® works. You may need different amounts of your other
medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.
Particular medicines that need careful consideration include:
- Valproate and related compounds. eg Epilim
- Methotrexate
- Probenecid.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful
with or avoid while taking Selexid®.
How to take Selexid®
Carefully follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist.
Their instructions may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions in this leaflet or on the pack,
ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to take
The recommended dosage depends on the condition being treated. See below for
the details.
If your kidneys do not work as well as normal, your doctor may tell you to
take a smaller dose of Selexid®.
The dose will be adjusted depending on how well your kidneys are working.
- Treatment for bacterial infection in the urinary bladder (also known as
"cystitis"):
Treatment with Selexid® takes 3 (three) days. It is important to
complete the course, even if you begin to feel better soon.
Take a dose of Selexid® 3 (three) times each day.
The first dose only is 2 (two) tablets, taken at the same time.
Each dose after that is 1 (one) tablet.
The total number of tablets taken in the 3 (three) day course is 10
(ten).(See table which follows)
TABLE: Typical dosing schedule for bladder infection.
| DAY | 1stdose | 2nddose | 3rddose |
|---|---|---|---|
| ONE | 2 tablets | 1 tablet | 1 tablet |
| TWO | 1 tablet | 1 tablet | 1 tablet |
| THREE | 1 tablet | 1 tablet | 1 tablet |
- Treatment for infection throughout the urinary tract (known as UTI, or
kidney infection):
Treatment with Selexid® is for one or two weeks. It is important
to continue to take Selexid® for as long as the doctor said, even if
you begin to feel better.
The usual dose is 1 or 2 tablets.
Each dose of Selexid® is taken 3 (three) times daily.
- Other infections
Dosage is as advised by your doctor.
How to take it
Swallow the Selexid® tablet(s) with at least half a glass of
water.
When to take it
In order to avoid possible irritation to your stomach, take your Selexid®
with or immediately after a meal.
Take your medicine at about the same time each day. Taking it at the
same time each day will help Selexid® have its best effect. It will
also help you remember when to take it.
How long to take it
Carefully follow all directions given to you by your doctor and
pharmacist. Their instructions may differ from the information contained in
this leaflet.
Continue taking Selexid® until you finish the recommended
course or pack, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
Do not stop taking this medicine before you have finished the course, even if
you start to feel better. If you do not finish the course, the medicine may not
kill the bacteria causing the infection.
If you forget to take it
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take
your next dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, take it as soon as you
remember. Then go back to taking your medicine as normal.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your doctor or
pharmacist for some hints.
If you take too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons
Information Centre 0800 POISON (764 766) in New Zealand for advice, or go
to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think that you or
anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine. Do this even if there are
no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
Symptoms of an overdose may include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Indigestion.
While you are using Selexid®
Things you must do
If you are going to start any new medicine, tell your doctor and
pharmacist.
Things you must not do
Do not take Selexid® to treat any other illness, unless your
doctor tells you to.
Do not give your medicine to anyone else, even if they seem to have the
same illness as you.
Do not stop taking your medicine or change the dosage without checking
with your doctor.
It is important to complete your course of antibiotics.
Things to be careful of
If you take Selexid® for some time, your doctor may check your
kidney and liver function by testing your blood.
Side effects
As with all medicines, Selexid® can cause some side effects. Side
effects not listed in this leaflet may occur in some patients.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any unpleasant effects while
you are taking Selexid®, even if you are not sure that the effect is
connected with Selexid®, or the effect is not listed in this leaflet.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists 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:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Indigestion
- Itchy skin rash
- Diarrhoea (even if it occurs after you have finished taking
Selexid®).
The above list includes the more common side effects of
Selexid®. They are usually mild and short-lived.
If any of the following happens, tell your doctor immediately or go to
Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital:
- Difficulty breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing.
These side effects are rare. They may be 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 using Selexid®
Storage
Keep your tablets in the pack until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of their packaging they may not store well.
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below
25°C.
Do not store Selexid®, 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 Selexid® 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.
Do not use Selexid® after the expiry date on the package.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date
has passed, talk to your pharmacist about disposal of the leftover medicine.
Product description
What it looks like
Each Selexid® tablet is white. It has a line drawing of a lion on
one side; the number 137 is on the other side. Each pack of Selexid®
contains 10 tablets, enclosed in individual "blisters", in a sheet of foil
wrapping. A diagram is printed on the foil sheet to show you how to remove
tablets from the foil wrapping.
Ingredients
Each Selexid® tablet contains 200mg of pivmecillinam
hydrochloride. This becomes the active ingredient mecillinam when it gets into
the body.
Each Selexid® tablet also contains:
- Cellulose microcrystalline
- Hydroxypropyl cellulose
- Magnesium stearate
- Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose.
Selexid® does NOT contain lactose, sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or
any other azo dyes.
This is not all the information available on Selexid®. If you have
any questions or are unsure about anything in this leaflet, talk to your doctor
or pharmacist.