KETEK Oral

Warnings
Telithromycin should not be used in patients with myasthenia gravis. It may cause the condition to become worse. There have been reports of severe (possibly fatal) breathing problems in patients with myasthenia gravis who took telithromycin.

Uses
This medication is a ketolide antibiotic used to treat a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria. It will not work for viral infections (e.g., common cold, flu). Unnecessary use or overuse of any antibiotic can lead to its decreased effectiveness.

How to use KETEK Oral
Read the Medication Guide and the Patient Information Leaflet provided by your pharmacist before you start using telithromycin and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Take this medication by mouth once daily with or without food or as directed by your doctor.
Antibiotics work best when the amount of medicine in your body is kept at a constant level. Therefore, take this drug at evenly spaced intervals.
Continue to take this medication until the full prescribed amount is finished, even if symptoms disappear after a few days. Stopping this medication too early may result in a return of the infection.
Tell your doctor if your condition persists or worsens.

Before taking telithromycin, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to macrolide antibiotics (e.g., azithromycin, clarithromycin, dirithromycin, erythromycin); or if you have any other allergies.
This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: heart problems (e.g., congenital long QT syndrome, very slow heartbeat), myasthenia gravis, previous liver problems (e.g., yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine) while taking telithromycin or a macrolide antibiotic, previous allergic reaction to telithromycin or a macrolide antibiotic.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: severe kidney disease (including dialysis), liver problems (e.g., hepatitis), low blood potassium or magnesium.
This medication may cause vision problems, dizziness, or fainting. Use caution while driving, using machinery, or doing any other activity that requires alertness or clear vision. Limit alcoholic beverages. If you faint or have vision problems, do not drive or do any other possibly dangerous activity before talking to your doctor.
During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
It is not known whether this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Overdose
If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US National Poison Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: irregular/fast heartbeat, fainting.

NOTES:
Do not share this medication with others.
This medication has been prescribed for your current condition only. Do not use it later for another infection unless told to do so by your doctor. A different medication may be necessary in that case.
Laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., liver function tests) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

MISSED DOSE:
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

STORAGE:
Store at room temperature at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Brief storage between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) is permitted. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.
Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor or pharmacist first.
This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious interactions may occur: cisapride, ergot drugs (e.g., dihydroergotamine, ergotamine), ivabradine, pimozide, rifampin, anti-seizure drugs (e.g., carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin), certain "statin" drugs for high cholesterol (atorvastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin), St John's wort.
If you are currently using any of these medications, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting telithromycin.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: digoxin, live bacterial vaccines (e.g., typhoid or cholera vaccines), metoprolol, theophylline, certain "water pills" (diuretics such as furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide), warfarin, drugs removed from your system by certain liver enzymes (CYP 3A4 substrates such as cyclosporine, eplerenone, midazolam, sildenafil, sirolimus, tacrolimus, triazolam).
Other drugs besides telithromycin that may affect the heart rhythm (QT prolongation in the EKG) include dofetilide, quinidine, sotalol, procainamide, and sparfloxacin, among others. QT prolongation can infrequently result in serious (rarely fatal) irregular heartbeats. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details, and ask for instructions about whether you need to stop any other QT-prolonging drugs you may be using.
This medication may decrease the effectiveness of certain hormonal birth control products (pill, patch, ring). This effect can result in pregnancy. If you are using a hormonal birth control product, you may need to use an additional form of reliable birth control while using this medication. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details about your product.
This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor or pharmacist first.
This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious interactions may occur: cisapride, ergot drugs (e.g., dihydroergotamine, ergotamine), ivabradine, pimozide, rifampin, anti-seizure drugs (e.g., carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin), certain "statin" drugs for high cholesterol (atorvastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin), St John's wort.
If you are currently using any of these medications, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting telithromycin.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: digoxin, live bacterial vaccines (e.g., typhoid or cholera vaccines), metoprolol, theophylline, certain "water pills" (diuretics such as furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide), warfarin, drugs removed from your system by certain liver enzymes (CYP 3A4 substrates such as cyclosporine, eplerenone, midazolam, sildenafil, sirolimus, tacrolimus, triazolam).
Other drugs besides telithromycin that may affect the heart rhythm (QT prolongation in the EKG) include dofetilide, quinidine, sotalol, procainamide, and sparfloxacin, among others. QT prolongation can infrequently result in serious (rarely fatal) irregular heartbeats. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details, and ask for instructions about whether you need to stop any other QT-prolonging drugs you may be using.
This medication may decrease the effectiveness of certain hormonal birth control products (pill, patch, ring). This effect can result in pregnancy. If you are using a hormonal birth control product, you may need to use an additional form of reliable birth control while using this medication. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for details about your product.
This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.