Probenecid
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about PRO-CID. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking PRO-CID against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.
What PRO-CID is used for
PRO-CID is used to prevent gout or gouty arthritis. It is not used to treat an acute attack of gout.
PRO-CID helps remove excess uric acid from the body which helps prevent uric acid crystals forming deposits in some joints. This will help prevent joints becoming swollen and painful.
PRO-CID can also help increase the level of certain antibiotics in the blood which helps increase the effectiveness of the antibiotics to treat an infection.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
Before you take PRO-CID
When you must not take it
Do not take PRO-CID if you have an allergy to:
- any medicine containing probenecid
- any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction are:
- shortness of breath
- wheezing or difficulty breathing
- swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
- rash, itching or hives on the skin.
Do not take this medicine if you have certain blood disorders. Your doctor will advise you.
Do not take this medicine if you currently have, or are prone to, kidney stones.
Do not take this medicine if you are taking aspirin or any medicines containing aspirin.
Do not start to take this medicine if you have an acute attack of gout. Other medication may be needed to relieve the symptoms of an acute attack of gout.
Do not give this medicine to children under the age of two years. Safety and effectiveness in children under the age of two has not been established.
You should not take this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. If it has expired or is damaged return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you start to take PRO-CID
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:
- stomach ulcers
- kidney disease.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breast-feeding. Your doctor will discuss with you the possible risks and benefits involved.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start taking PRO-CID.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket, health food shop, naturopath or herbalist.
Some medicines and PRO-CID may interfere with each other. These include:
- aspirin or any medicine containing aspirin
- pyrazinamide and rifampicin, medicines used to treat tuberculosis and other infections
- methotrexate, a medicine used to treat cancer
- allopurinol, medicines used to treat high levels of uric acid in the blood
- some antibiotics known as sulphonamides
- thiazide diuretics, medicines used to treat excess fluid
- thiopental and ketamine, medicines used for general anaesthesia
- medicines used to treat viral infections such as valaciclovir/aciclovir, ganciclovir, famciclovir/penciclovir.
- zidovudine (AZT), a medicine used to treat HIV infection
- lorazepam, a medicine used to treat anxiety
- anti-inflammatories and antipyretic medicines used to reduce pain and fever such as paracetamol and naproxen
- ciprofloxacin, a medicine used to treat antibacterial infections
- anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic and antipsychotic medicines such as midazolam and nitrazepam
- medicines used to treat diabetes
- famotidine, a medicine used to treat stomach ulcers.
These medicines may be affected by PRO-CID or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.
How to take PRO-CID
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully. This may differ from the information contained in the leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the bottle, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
How much to take
When taking PRO-CID to treat gout the standard starting dose for adults is half a tablet twice a day for a week, then one tablet twice a day thereafter.
Your doctor may have prescribed a different dose depending on the amount of uric acid in your blood or urine.
When taking PRO-CID to help antibiotics work better the dose will depend on the infection being treated and the type of antibiotic being used.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure of the correct dose for you. They will tell you exactly how much to take.
Follow the instructions they give you. If you take the wrong dose, PRO-CID may not work as well and your problem may not improve.
How to take it
Swallow the tablets whole with a full glass of water.
When to take it
Take your medicine about the same time each day. Taking it at the same time each day will have the best effect. It will also help you remember when to take it.
If you take the tablets twice a day take them about 12 hours apart.
If you take the tablets four times a day take them about every 6 hours.
How long to take it
Continue taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you. This medicine helps to control your condition but does not cure it. It is important to continue to take your medicine even if you feel well.
Continue taking your medicine if you have an acute attack of gout. Your doctor may prescribe other medicines to relieve the symptoms of the acute attack.
If you forget to take it
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 it as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking your medicine as you would normally.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the one that you missed. This may increase the chance of you getting an unwanted side effect.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you take too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (Australia) for advice, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much PRO-CID, even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
Symptoms of an overdose may include:
- stomach upset
- fits or seizures
- difficulty breathing
Refer to the Side effects section below for other side effects that may occur while taking PRO-CID.
While you are taking PRO-CID
Things you must do
Tell any other doctors, dentists, and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking PRO-CID.
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor, or pharmacist that you are taking PRO-CID.
Check with your doctor before using urine sugar tests, which contain copper sulphate, for example Clinitest. PRO-CID may cause false test results with some urine sugar tests.
Always drink plenty of fluid, especially when you first start on PRO-CID. The amount of uric acid in the kidneys is increased and this can cause kidney problems in some people. Drinking plenty of water may help prevent this.
Follow your doctor’s advice on diet and alcohol consumption. Some foods are best avoided when suffering from gout.
Things you must not do
Do not give PRO-CID to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Do not use PRO-CID to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how PRO-CID affects you. This medicine may cause dizziness in some people. If you have any of these symptoms do not drive, operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking PRO-CID. This medicine helps most people with gout, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by the following list of 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:
- headache
- nausea or vomiting
- loss of appetite
- flushing or redness of the skin
- looking pale
- dizziness or light-headedness
- frequent urge to pass water
- sore gums
- hair loss.
The above list includes the more common side effects of PRO-CID.
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the following:
- blood in the urine or other kidney problems
- severe or sharp pain in the side or lower back
- tiredness
- frequent or worrying infection such as fever, severe chills, sore throat or mouth ulcers
- bleeding or bruising more easily than usual
- nosebleeds
- yellowing of the skin and/or eyes
- unusual hair loss or thinning
- painful swollen joints.
The above list includes serious side effects that may require medical attention. Serious side effects are rare.
If any of the following happen tell your doctor immediately or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital:
- severe skin reaction which starts with large blisters and bleeding in the lips, eyes, mouth, nose and genitals
- swelling of the face lips, tongue or other parts of the body. This may cause difficulties swallowing or breathing
- shortness of breath, wheezing or trouble breathing
- rash, itching or hives on the skin
- fainting.
These may be very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. These side effects are very rare.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell. Other side effects not listed above may occur in some patients.
After taking PRO-CID
Storage
Keep your tablets in the bottle until it is time to use them. If you take the tablets out of the pack they may not keep well.
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Do not store PRO-CID or any other medicines in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep it 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.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any that is left over.
Product description
What it looks like
PRO-CID is a yellow capsule-shaped film coated tablet, bisected on one side, with no embossing.
PRO-CID is supplied in bottles of 100.
Ingredients
Each PRO-CID tablet contains 500 mg of probenecid as the active ingredient.
Each tablet also contains:
- maize starch
- microcrystalline cellulose
- sodium starch glycolate
- povidone
- stearic acid
- colloidal anhydrous silica
- magnesium stearate
- opadry yellow and opadry clear.
The medicine does not contain lactose, sucrose, gluten or tartrazine.
Supplier
PRO-CID™ is supplied in Australia by:
Phebra Pty Ltd
19 Orion Road,
Lane Cove West, NSW 2066,
Australia.
PRO-CID™ 500 mg probenecid per tablet 100 tablets
AUST R 74598
Phebra product code- TAB009
Date of most recent amendment: June 2018.
Phebra, PRO-CID and the Phi symbol are trademarks of Phebra Pty Ltd, 19 Orion Road, Lane Cove West, NSW 2066, Australia.
Published by MIMS November 2018