TRIPRIM™
Trimethoprim tablets 100mg
What Triprim is used for
Triprim contains the active ingredient trimethoprim.
Triprim is used to treat acute urinary tract (kidney and bladder) infections, and to prevent these from recurring if they are likely to do so.
Your doctor may have prescribed Triprim for another reason.
Triprim belongs to a group of medicines called antibacterial (antibiotic) agents. Triprim works by killing the bacteria in your urinary tract which are causing you uncomfortable symptoms, including a continual urge to urinate (even though often nothing is passed), pain on passing urine, and pain in the lower abdomen and/or back.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Triprim has been prescribed for you.
Before you take Triprim
When you must not take it
Do not take Triprim if:
- You have had an allergic reaction before to trimethoprim or any of the ingredients in Triprim listed at the end of this leaflet
- The packaging is torn or shows signs of interference, or the tablets look damaged or discoloured
- The expiry date on the packaging has passed. If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well. If the pharmacist has repacked the medicine for you, there may not be an expiry date on the pack
- You have kidney disease
- You have serious haematological (blood) disorders
Before you start taking Triprim
Tell your doctor if:
- You are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
It is not known if Triprim is safe for an unborn baby when taken by a pregnant woman. You should avoid becoming pregnant while taking Triprim.
If you are already pregnant, your doctor will weigh up the expected benefits of Triprim to you against its possible risks to an unborn baby.
- You are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed.
The active ingredient in Triprim, trimethoprim, passes into breast milk, so mothers taking this medicine should not breastfeed.
- You have any other health problems, especially:
- A blood disorder
- Liver disease
- Phenylketonuria (an inherited enzyme disorder)
- Porphyria (a rare disease of nerves and muscles)
- You suffer from a folate deficiency
- You are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, please do so before taking Triprim.
Taking other medicines
Some medicines may affect the way others work.
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including the oral contraceptive pill or medicines you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
If you are taking any of the following medicines, please let your doctor know before taking Triprim:
- Medicines to treat malaria
- Warfarin (Coumadin™, Marevan™), an anticoagulant for thinning the blood
- Phenytoin (Dilantin™) for epilepsy
- Cyclosporin (Sandimmun™) for preventing rejection of organ transplants
- Rifampicin (Rifadin™, Rifinah™) for some types of serious infection
- Procainamide (Procainamide™, Pronestyl™) for irregular heart rhythms
- Amantadine (Symmetrel™) for Parkinson's disease and some viral infections
- Digoxin (Lanoxin™) for heart failure
- Methotrexate (Ledertrexate™, Methoblastin™) for leukaemia.
Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to tell you more about what to do when taking Triprim with other medicines.
Taking Triprim
How much to take
Take Triprim exactly as your doctor has prescribed.
Your doctor will tell you how many Triprim tablets to take each day.
Never take more tablets than your doctor has prescribed.
In adults and children over 12 years, the usual dose for treating an acute urinary tract infection is 300mg once daily for 4 to 7 days, or as thought necessary by your doctor. The usual dose for preventing a urinary tract infection from coming back if it is likely to do so is 100mg once daily, and may sometimes need to be continued for up to 12 months.
For children up to the age of 12 years, the dose is reduced according to the weight and age of the child.
Elderly people can take Triprim but may be more prone to getting side effects, and may need a folate supplement while on treatment with this medicine.
If you need to take Triprim for a long time, your doctor may do regular blood tests to make sure Triprim is working safely and effectively for you.
How to take it
Swallow tablets whole with a glass of water once daily, preferably with food and before bedtime.
If you forget to take it
Do not take an extra dose. Wait until the next dose and take your normal dose then.
Do not try to make up for the dose that you missed by taking more than one dose at a time.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
In case of an overdose
Immediately telephone your doctor, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else has taken too much Triprim. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
Keep phone numbers for these places handy.
An overdose of Triprim can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness and confusion.
If you are not sure what to do, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
While you are taking Triprim
Things you must do
Tell all doctors and pharmacists involved in your health care that you are taking Triprim.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while taking Triprim.
Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not taken Triprim exactly as prescribed. Otherwise, your doctor may think it is not working for you and change your medicine unnecessarily.
Tell your doctor if you feel that Triprim is not helping your condition.
Tell your doctor if you develop a skin rash while taking Triprim.
Things you must not do
Do not stop taking Triprim or change the dose without first checking with your doctor, or your symptoms could return.
Do not give Triprim to anyone else even if they appear to have the same condition as you.
Do not take any other medicines whether they require a prescription or not without first asking your doctor or a pharmacist.
Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how Triprim is affecting you.
Side effects
All medicines can have unwanted side effects. Sometimes they may be serious, but often they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Be sure that your doctor or pharmacist knows as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Triprim.
If you think that Triprim is causing you to have an allergic (hypersensitivity) reaction, TELL YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. Symptoms include:
- Severe skin rash, itching or hives
- Swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Fever
- Low blood pressure (feeling faint or dizzy).
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following:
- Nausea (feeling as if you are about to vomit)
- Vomiting
- Rash/itching
- Swollen tongue
- Sore mouth
- Headache, stiff neck and/or a temperature
Do not be alarmed by this list of side effects. Most of them are uncommon, and you may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell, even if it is not listed here.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not understand something on this list.
After taking Triprim
Storage
Keep your tablets in the bottle until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of the bottle they may not keep well.
Keep Triprim in a cool dry place away from light where the temperature stays below 25°C (77°F).
Do not store Triprim or any other medicine in a bathroom or near a sink.
Do not leave it in a car or on windowsills.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep Triprim where young children cannot reach it.
A locked cupboard at least one and a half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking Triprim, or the medicine has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any tablets that are left over.
Product description
What Triprim looks like
Triprim 100mg tablets are round and white. They are engraved with a straight groove and WELLCOME O9A on one side and are plain on the other side.
Ingredients
Trimethoprim, Pregelatinised maize starch, Sodium starch glycollate, Magnesium stearate, Purified water
Further information
Your doctor is the best person to give you advice on the treatment of your infection. You may also be able to find general information about its treatment from other sources, for example, books in public libraries and on the Internet.
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