EPINOR belongs to a group of antibiotics called “quinolones”. It is used to treat:

urinary tract infections.
Infections of the stomach or intestines, such as traveller’s diarrhoea.
EPINOR is also used for patients who get frequent urinary tract infections. EPINOR may help stop these infections from coming back.

What you need to know about EPINOR?

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Urinary tract infections are caused by the presence of bacteria in the urinary system. The bacteria often come from the intestines where they are necessary for normal function. In women, the most common infection involves the urinary bladder and is called cystitis. In men, the infection may involve the prostate which is called prostatitis. In both men and women, the bacteria may travel up to the kidneys and infect them.
The symptoms of a urinary tract infection may include an urge to urinate frequently and in small amounts, and painful burning when passing urine. Urinary tract infections should be treated to avoid the kidneys being infected. EPINOR works by killing the bacteria causing these infections.
EPINOR is not recommended to treat urinary tract infections in children or growing adolescents, as the safety of norfloxacin has not been adequately studied in this group of patients.
Your doctor may have prescribed EPINOR for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why EPINOR has been prescribed for you.
There is no evidence that EPINOR is additive.
EPINOR is available only with a doctor’s prescription.

When you must not take EPINOR

Do not take EPINOR if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Your baby may absorb this medicine in the womb or from breast milk and, therefore, there is a possibility of harm to the baby.
Do not take EPINOR if the expiry date (Exp.) printed on the pack has passed. It may not work well if you do.
Do not take EPINOR if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.

Do not take EPINOR if you are allergic to medicines containing norfloxacin, or any of the ingredients listed at the expients section in patient information leaflet. 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.
lumpy skin rash (“hives”), hayfever or fainting.
muscle pain or tenderness, or joint pain.

Before you start to take EPINOR

Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, intend to become pregnant or breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed.

Tell your doctor if you have or have had any medical conditions, especially the following:

kidney disease.
seizures or fits or a history of them.
myasthenia gravis, a muscle disease.
any heart rhythm problems.

Taking other medicines

Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including those you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop. Some medicines may be affected by EPINOR, or may affect how well it works. These include:

nitrofurantoin, another antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections.
erythromycin, an antibiotic used to treat and, in some cases, prevent infections.
theophylline, a medicine used to treat asthma.
cyclosporin, a medicine commonly used in patients who have received organ transplants.
warfarin, a medicine used to stop blood clots.
glibenclamide, a medicine used to treat diabetes.
probenecid, a medicine used to treat gout.
amiodarone, procainamide and sotalol, medicines used to treat irregular heart beats.
cisapride, a medicine used to treat gastric reflux.
antipsychotics, a group of medicines used to treat certain mental & emotional conditions.
tricyclic antidepressants, a group of medicines used to treat depression.
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Your doctor can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines. If you are not sure whether you are taking any of these medicines, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

Some medicines may interfere with the absorption of EPINOR, These include:

iron or zinc supplements, and multivitamins containing them.
antacids used for indigestion.
sucralfate, a medicine used to treat stomach ulcers.
didanosine, a medicine used to treat HIV infection.

You can still take these medicines while you are taking EPINOR. However, you must take EPINOR at least 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking any of these medicines to make sure there is no problem with absorption. Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking EPINOR. If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you start taking EPINOR.

How to take EPINOR

Follow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist carefully. These directions may differ from the information contained in this article.

How much to take EPINOR: The usual dose of EPINOR is one tablet twice a day.

How to take EPINOR: Take the tablet with a glass of water.

When to take EPINOR: Take your EPINOR about twelve hours apart. Taking EPINOR at evenly spaced times ensures that there is a reasonably constant amount in the blood and urine. This means that the medicine will fight the infection more effectively.

Take EPINOR on an empty stomach, at least one hour before food or two hours after food. This will make sure the tablets will have a better chance of fighting the infection, because food can interfere with the absorption of norfloxacin.

Do not take EPINOR at the same time as taking iron or zinc supplements (or multivitamins containing them), antacids, sucralfate, or didanosine. Taking EPINOR at the same time or even within two hours of taking these can interfere with the absorption of norfloxacin. This would affect the chance of EPINOR fighting the infection.

How long to take EPINOR

The length of your treatment will depend on the type of infection you have and how well you respond to the treatment. Continue taking EPINOR until you finish the pack or until your doctor recommends.

For treatment of urinary tract infections: The length of treatment may vary from three to ten days. To help stop frequent urinary tract infections from coming back, you may need
to take the tablets for up to 12 weeks.
For infections of the stomach or intestines: Usually for five days.
If you forget to take EPINOR: 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 the missed dose as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking your tablets as you would normally. Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed. If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

While you are taking EPINOR – Things you must do

Before starting any new medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are taking EPINOR.
Tell all the doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking EPINOR.
Make sure to take your tablet every day and continue taking it until your doctor tells you to stop. This will ensure that all of the infection is gone and will lessen the chance of the infection coming back once you stop taking the tablets.
If you develop severe diarrhoea, tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Do this even if it occurs several weeks after EPINOR has been stopped. Diarrhoea may mean that you have a serious condition affecting your bowel. You may need urgent medical care. Do not take any diarrhoea medicine without first checking with your doctor.
Drink plenty of water or fluids while taking EPINOR. This will help to prevent crystals forming in the urine which can cause kidney problems. However, this is not a common problem.
If you become pregnant while taking EPINOR, tell your doctor immediately.
Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not taken your medicine exactly as directed. Otherwise, your doctor may think that it is not working and change your
treatment unnecessarily.

While you are taking EPINOR- Things you must not do

Do not use EPINOR to treat any other conditions unless your doctor tells you to.

Do not change the dose of your EPINOR without checking with your doctor.

Do not give EPINOR to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.

While you are taking EPINOR- Things to be careful of

Be careful driving, operating machinery or doing jobs that require you to be alert while you are taking EPINOR until you know how it affects you. EPINOR can cause dizziness or light-headedness in some people. Make sure you know how you react to EPINOR before you drive a car, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or light-headed. If you drink alcohol, dizziness or light-headedness may by worse.
Protect your skin when you are in the sun, especially between 10 am and 3 pm. EPINOR may cause your skin to be much more sensitive to sunlight than it is normally. You may get severely sunburnt even though you’ve only been in the sun for a short time. Symptoms of severe sunburn include redness, itching, pain, swelling or blistering. If outdoors, wear protective clothing and use a 15+ sunscreen. If your skin does appear to be burning, stop taking EPINOR and tell your doctor.
Be careful if you consume large amounts of caffeine while you are taking EPINOR. EPINOR may increase the chance of you getting side effects from caffeine, for example, sleeplessness, anxiety, tremor, increased heartbeat and headache. Caffeine is contained in coffee, tea, cola drinks and some tablets.

Side effects

Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking EPINOR. Like other medicines, EPINOR can cause some side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects. Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have. Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:

nausea.
headache.
dizziness.

These are the more common side effects of EPINOR, and they are usually mild. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:

severe stomach pain
symptoms of severe sunburn, such as redness, itching, pain, swelling or blistering
pain, tenderness, swelling, or redness of muscles, joints or tendons
pain, burning, tingling, numbness, and/or weakness in your arms or legs
bleeding or bruising more easily than normal, nose bleeds
signs of anaemia, such as tiredness, being short of breath and looking pale
numbness or tingling in fingers or toes
any signs of mental disturbance, such as confusion or hallucinations
worsening of myasthenia gravis symptoms
visual disturbances
changes in your hearing
decreased feeling or sensitivity, especially in the skin.

If any of the following happen after taking EPINOR, stop taking it and tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital:

watery and severe diarrhoea, which may also be bloody
swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat, which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing
sudden and severe pain or swelling of muscles, joints or tendons
a rash together with very dry eyes and dry mouth
severe and sudden onset of pinkish, itchy swellings on the skin, also called hives or nettle rash (not caused by sunburn)
convulsion
reduced urine output, pain, tenderness around kidney area.

These side effects are rare but very serious. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. After finishing EPINOR. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following problems, particularly if they occur several weeks after stopping treatment with EPINOR:

severe abdominal cramps or stomach cramps
watery and severe diarrhoea, which may also be bloody
fever, in combination with one or both of the above.

These are rare but serious side effects. EPINOR can cause bacteria, which are normally present in the bowel and normally harmless, to multiply and therefore cause the above symptoms. You may urgent medical attention. Do not take any diarrhoea medicine without first checking with your doctor.
This is not a complete list of all possible side effects. Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. Tell your doctor if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell.

Storage

Keep EPINOR 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.
Keep EPINOR in a cool, dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Keep your tablets in the blister packs until it is time to take them. If you take the tablets out of the blister pack, they may not keep well.
Do not store EPINOR or other medicines in the bathroom or near a sink.
Do not leave the tablets in the car or on window sills. Heat, light and dampness can destroy some medicines.
If your doctor tells you to stop taking EPINOR, or your tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any tablets that are left over.

N.B.This article answers some common questions about EPINOR. It does not contain all of the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking EPINOR against the benefits they expect it will have for you. If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Categories and tags: J01MA06, Norfloxacin, Fluoroquinolones, QUINOLONE ANTIBACTERIALS, ANTIBACTERIALS FOR SYSTEMIC USE, ANTIINFECTIVES FOR SYSTEMIC USE.