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The product code(s) for this leaflet is: PL 39307/0035 .
Aciclovir 400mg/5ml Oral Suspension
Aciclovir 400mg/5ml Oral Suspension
The name of your medicine is Aciclovir 400mg/5ml Oral Suspension but it will be referred to as Aciclovir throughout this leaflet.
1. What Aciclovir is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Aciclovir
3. How to take Aciclovir
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Aciclovir
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Aciclovir suspension contains the active substance aciclovir. This belongs to a group of medicines called antivirals. It works by stopping the growth of viruses.
Aciclovir can be used to:
You must talk to a doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.
Do not take Aciclovir if the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Aciclovir.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Aciclovir if:
If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Aciclovir.
There is no data available to support the use of this medicine in stopping cold sores and genital herpes returning after having had them and treatment of shingles in children whose immune systems work well.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines obtained without a prescription, including herbal medicines.
In particular tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines:
Food and drink should not affect the absorption of your medicine.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
The ingredients in Aciclovir can pass into breast milk. If you are breast-feeding, you must check with your doctor before you take Aciclovir.
Some side effects such as feeling drowsy or sleepy may impair your ability to concentrate and react. Make sure you are not affected before you drive or operate machinery.
Sorbitol (E420): This medicine contains 1575mg sorbitol in each 5ml which is equivalent to 315mg/ml. Sorbitol is a source of fructose. If your doctor has told you that you (or your child) have an intolerance to some sugars or if you have been diagnosed with hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI), a rare genetic disorder in which a person cannot break down fructose, talk to your doctor before you(or your child) take or receive this medicine. Sorbitol may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and mild laxative effect.
Methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218): May cause an allergic reaction (possibly delayed).
Propylene glycol (E1520): This medicine contains 5mg propylene glycol in each 5 ml which is equivalent to 1mg/ml. If your baby is less than 4 weeks old, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before giving them this medicine, in particular if the baby is given other medicines that contain propylene glycol or alcohol.
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The dose that you should take will depend on what you have been given Aciclovir for.
Your doctor will discuss this with you.
Treatment of chickenpox and shingles
Treatment of cold sores and genital herpes
Your doctor may adjust the dose of Aciclovir if it is for a child.
There is no data available to support the use of this medicine in stopping cold sores and genital herpes returning after having had them and treatment of shingles in children whose immune systems work well.
Treatment of cold sores and genital herpes:
Preventing these problems in children whose immune systems work less:
Treatment of chicken pox
It is very important while you are taking Aciclovir that you drink water regularly during the day. This will help to reduce side effects that can affect the kidney or nervous system. Your doctor will closely monitor you for signs of these. Nervous system side effects might include feeling confused or agitated, or feeling unusually sleepy or drowsy.
Talk to your doctor before taking Aciclovir if any of the above apply.
Aciclovir is not usually harmful, unless you take too much over several days. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you take too much Aciclovir. Take the medicine pack with you.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following side effects may happen with this medicine:
Allergic reactions (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
If you have an allergic reaction, stop taking Aciclovir and see a doctor straight away. The signs may include:
Other side effects include:
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme Website at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
The active substance is aciclovir.
Each 5ml of oral suspension contains 400mg aciclovir.
The other ingredients are xanthan gum (E415), sorbitol liquid (non-crystallising) (E420), methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218), orange flavour (containing propylene glycol (E1520)), vanilla flavour (containing propylene glycol (E1520)) and purified water.
A white to off-white uniform oral suspension with orange and vanilla odour. It comes in an amber glass bottle with a child-resistant plastic cap. The pack also contains a 2.5-5ml double ended measuring spoon.
This medicine is available in a bottle containing 100ml of oral suspension.
If this leaflet is hard to see or read, please call +44 (0) 208 515 3700 for help.
This medicine is authorised in the Member States of the European Economic Area and in the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) under the following names:
IE and UK (NI): Aciclovir 400mg/5ml Oral suspension
This leaflet was last revised in 08/2022.
PIL/UK/MFG108/03/SMD/v6