Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Mint-Metronidazole
What is MINT-METRONIDAZOLE used for?
MINT-METRONIDAZOLE is used to treat adults with:
- infections of the genital tract (such as trichomoniasis: a sexually transmitted infection, bacterial vaginosis: bacterial infection of the vagina).
- infections of the brain or lung.
It is also used treat adults and children with:
- Amebiasis (a parasitic infections of the liver or intestine).
- Giardiasis (a parasitic infection in the intestines).
Antibacterial drugs like MINT-METRONIDAZOLE treat only bacterial infections. They do not treat viral infections.
How does MINT-METRONIDAZOLE work?
MINT-METRONIDAZOLE belongs to a group of medicines called antibacterial - antiprotozoal.
MINT-METRONIDAZOLE works by killing bacteria and parasites (protozoans) that cause infections in your body.
What are the ingredients in MINT-METRONIDAZOLE?
Medicinal ingredient: metronidazole
Non–medicinal: Hydroxypropyl Cellulose, Hypromellose, Low Substituted Hydroxy Propyl Cellulose, Polyethylene Glycol, Powdered Cellulose, Stearic Acid and Titanium Dioxide.
MINT-METRONIDAZOLE comes in the following dosage forms:
- Tablet: 250 mg
Do not use MINT-METRONIDAZOLE if:
- you are allergic (hypersensitive) to metronidazole, nitroimidazoles (e.g. tinidazole) or any of the ingredients in MINT-METRONIDAZOLE or components of the container (see What are the ingredients in MINT-METRONIDAZOLE).
- you have a genetic disorder called Cockayne Syndrome. Severe liver damage that may be fatal has happened when people with Cockayne syndrome have taken metronidazole.
- you have a disease of the nervous system.
- you have a history of blood disorders.
- you have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) or hypoadrenalism (underactive adrenal glands).
To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take MINT-METRONIDAZOLE. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:
are pregnant, think you are pregnant, or plan to get pregnant.
- are breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed, as metronidazole is excreted in human breast milk.
- have other infections.
- have liver problems.
- have kidney problems.
- are sexually active.
- are taking MINT-METRONIDAZOLE for the first time or have any nervous system problems.
- have any blood disorder (e.g. leukemia, hemophilia, or other).
Other warnings that you should know about:
Driving and Operating Machinery:
- MINT-METRONIDAZOLE may make you experience confusion, dizziness, vertigo (spinning sensation), hallucinations, convulsions (seizures) or problems with your eyesight (blurred vision). Do not drive or operate heavy machinery while taking MINT-METRONIDAZOLE.
Medical Tests
- Your healthcare professional may order medical tests based on your medical history and how long you have been taking MINT-METRONIDAZOLE.
- MINT-METRONIDAZOLE may affect the results of certain medical tests. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking MINT-METRONIDAZOLE and you need a medical test for another health condition.
Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.
The following may interact with MINT-METRONIDAZOLE:
- Amiodarone – used to treat certain heart rhythm conditions.
- Busulfan, a medicine used to treat certain blood cancer.
- Carbamazepine – used to treat epilepsy and nerve pain.
- Corticosteroids, medicines used to treat allergies, skin problems, asthma and arthritis.
- Cyclosporin, a medicine used to prevent organ rejection after a transplant.
Disulfiram, a medicine used to treat alcoholism.
- Lithium, a medicine used as a psychiatric medication.
- Phenytoin, a medicine used to treat seizures.
- Phenobarbital, a medicine used to treat insomnia, anxiety or tension or to control seizures.
- Quinidine – used to treat malaria and certain heart rhythm conditions.
- Tacrolimus – used to help with organ transplants.
- Vecuronium, an agent used to relax muscles during surgical procedures.
- Warfarin, a blood thinner used treat heart conditions.
- 5-fluorouracil, a medicine used to treat cancer.
- Medications that may cause heart rhythm changes (QT prolongation), like certain antiarrhythmics (medicines for heart rhythm disorders), certain antibiotics, and psychotropic medicines.
Do not drink alcohol while taking MINT-METRONIDAZOLE and for at least 1 day after your last dose. Drinking alcohol while using MINT-METRONIDAZOLE might cause side effects, such as feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), stomach pain, hot flushes, very fast or uneven heartbeat (palpitations)
and headache.
How to take MINT-METRONIDAZOLE:
- You should not be left unattended for 2 hours after your first use of MINT-METRONIDAZOLE.
- Although you may feel better early in treatment, MINT-METRONIDAZOLE should be used exactly as directed.
- Misuse or overuse of MINT-METRONIDAZOLE could lead to the growth of bacteria that will not be killed by MINT-METRONIDAZOLE (resistance). This means that MINT-METRONIDAZOLE may not work for you in the future.
- Do not share your medicine.
Usual dose:
Your healthcare professional will decide how much MINT-METRONIDAZOLE you should take depending on the type of infection you have and your medical history.
Adults:
The usual dose is 250 mg to 500 mg every 8 to 12 hours for 5 to 10 days.
Children (under 18 years old):
The usual dose is 25 to 50 mg / kg / day divided into 2 to 3 doses each day for 5 to 7 days.
Overdose:
| If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much MINT-METRONIDAZOLE, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, or regional poison control centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms. |
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Missed Dose:
If you forget to take MINT-METRONIDAZOLE, take them as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not use a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
What are possible side effects from using MINT-METRONIDAZOLE?
These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking MINT-METRONIDAZOLE. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your healthcare professional.
Like all medicines, MINT-METRONIDAZOLE can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
These side effects may include:
- Constipation
- Unpleasant taste in the mouth
- Dry mouth
- Furred tongue or tongue discoloration
- Chest pain
- Feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting)
- Upset stomach
- Stomach pain
- Noise such as buzzing, ringing, or whistling heard in the ear
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling sleepy or dizzy
- Unpleasant metallic taste
- Dark urine
- Painful urination
- Flushing
- Headache
- Trouble sleeping
- Itching, hives, rash
Serious side effects and what to do about them
| Symptoms/effect | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking drug and get immediate medical help | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| Allergic reactions: swelling of the face, mouth, tongue or throat, hands, difficulty in breathing or swallowing, wheezing; drop in blood pressure, feeling sick to your stomach and throwing up, itching, rash, red spots and blisters | √ | ||
Pseudomembranous colitis (bowel inflammation): severe or persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, fever | √ | ||
| Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) (serious skin reaction that may affect more than one or more organs): fever, severe rash, peeling skin, swollen lymph glands, flu-like feeling, yellow skin or eyes, shortness of breath, dry cough, chest pain or discomfort, feel thirsty, urinating less often, less urine | √ | ||
| Hearing loss | √ | ||
Heart Problems: very fast or uneven heartbeat, chest pain, dizziness, weakness, blurred vision, fainting. This may also happen when METRONIDAZOLE is taken with drugs that can cause QT prolongation (a heart rhythm condition). | √ | ||
| Leukopenia / Neutropenia (decreased white blood cells): infections, fatigue, fever, aches, pains and flu-like symptoms | √ | ||
| Liver problems: including cases of liver failure with symptoms such as intense fatigue, yellowing of the skin and eyes | √ | ||
| (jaundice), right upper stomach area pain or swelling, nausea or vomiting, unusual dark urine, abdominal pain, unusual tiredness. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Meningitis (inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord): fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, stiff neck, extreme sensitivity to bright light, confusion, seizures, sleepiness or difficulty waking, no appetite or thirst | √ | ||
Mental health problems: irrational thoughts, feeling confused or feeling depressed and seeing hearing things that are not there (hallucinations), thoughts or actions of self-harm or suicide | √ | ||
Muscular Disorders: muscle spasms, muscle aches and pain, joint stiffness | √ | ||
| Nervous system problems: inability to coordinate voluntary movements, problems using your arms and legs, problems with speaking or feeling confused, convulsions, tingling sensation on the skin, stiff neck associated with headache, extreme sensitivity to bright light, have spinning sensations (vertigo). | √ | ||
| Eye sight problems: pain when moving the eye, blurred vision, double vision, vision loss | √ | ||
| Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas): with symptoms such as severe abdominal pain which may reach through to your back, especially associated with nausea, vomiting and fatigue. | √ | ||
| Peripheral neuropathy: Numbness, tingling, pain, or a feeling of weakness, in the arms or legs, sensitivity to touch | √ | ||
| Seizures (fit): uncontrollable shaking with or without loss of consciousness | √ | ||
| Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) (severe skin rash): redness, blistering and/or peeling of the skin and/or inside of the lips, eyes, mouth, nasal passages or | √ | ||
| genitals, accompanied by fever, chills, headache, cough, body aches or swollen glands. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Thrombophlebitis (blood clot in the vein of the leg or arm): swelling and redness along the vein which is extremely tender or painful when you touch the area | √ | ||
| Thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets): bruising or bleeding for longer than usual if you hurt yourself, fatigue and weakness | √ | ||
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) (severe skin reaction): redness, blistering and/or peeling of large areas of the body | √ | ||
Vaginal Yeast Infection: vaginal dryness, burning and discharge | √ | ||
If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.
Reporting Side Effects
You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:
NOTE: Contact your healthcare professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice. |
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Storage:
Store MINT-METRONIDAZOLE at 15°C to 30°C. Protect from light. Keep out of reach and sight of children.
If you want more information about MINT-METRONIDAZOLE:
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