Meropenem
Consumer Medicine Information
NOTICE: This Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is intended for persons
living in Australia. This page contains answers to some common
questions about . It does
not contain all the information that is known about
. It does not take the
place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist. All medicines have risks
and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risk of you using this medicine
against the benefits he/she expects it will have for you. If you have
any concerns about using this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Bookmark or print this page, you may need to read it again.
What Merrem is used for
Merrem is an antibiotic used in adults and children to treat certain serious infections caused by bacteria, such as:
Infections of the lungs
Infections of the kidney or bladder (urinary tract infection)
Febrile neutropenia
Infections around the stomach or bowel
Infections of the vagina and womb
Serious skin infections
Infections in the lining of the brain (meningitis)
Infections in the blood stream (septicaemia)
Merrem belongs to a group of medicines called carbapenem antibiotics. These medicines work by killing the bacteria that are
causing your infection.
Merrem will not work against fungal or viral infections (such as colds or flu).
Merrem is given by injection and is usually only used in hospitals. It is available only with a doctor's prescription.
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.
Merrem is not addictive.
Merrem is not recommended for use in children under the age of 3 months.
Safety and effectiveness in children younger than 3 months have not been established.
Before you are given Merrem
When you must not be given it
Do not take Merrem if you have an allergy to:
any medicine containing meropenem
any of the ingredients listed at the end of this 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; rash, itching or hives on the skin.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Before you are given it
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:
Gastrointestinal or stomach problems, particularly colitis
Liver or kidney problems, including dialysis
Tell your doctor if you have an allergy to any other antibiotics such as other carbapenems, penicillins, cephalosporins or
monobactams.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breast-feeding.
Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you are given Merrem.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you get without a prescription from
your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and Merrem may interfere with each other. These include:
Probenecid - a medicine used to treat gout
Sodium valproate - a medicine used to treat epilepsy or mania
These medicines may be affected by Merrem 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 Merrem is given
Merrem is injected into your vein. It must always be given by a doctor or nurse.
Many people who get Merrem in hospital will have a drip (intravenous line). Merrem can be given directly into the vein or
the drip without any need for an injection through the skin. It is given either as a slow injection over approximately 5
minutes or as a slow drip over 15 to 30 minutes.
Your doctor will decide which is best for you.
How much will you be given
Your doctor will decide what dose of Merrem you will need depending on certain factors such as your type of infection and
your age. The usual dose is 500mg to 1g injected every 8 hours. If you have meningitis you may require more, while a lower
dose may be used for children or if you have kidney problems.
How long will you need to be given Merrem
Merrem needs to be given as a series of injections over a few days. Your doctor will decide how many days you will need to
have Merrem for.
If you take too much (overdose)
If you are concerned that you have been given too much Merrem, tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist immediately.
While you are using Merrem
Things you must do
If you develop severe diarrhoea, tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist immediately. Do this even if it occurs several weeks
after you have been given Merrem. It may mean that you have a serious bowel condition and you may need urgent medical attention.
Do not take any medicine for your diarrhoea without checking with your doctor first.
Merrem has been associated with headache, tingling or prickling skin and convulsions / seizures (fits). Any of these could
affect your ability to drive or operate machines.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Merrem.
This medicine helps most people with serious infections, but it may have unwanted side effects in some 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 lists 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 or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
Pain, swelling or redness around the injection site
Nausea and/or vomiting
Diarrhoea
Skin rash
Itchiness
The above list includes the more common side effects of your medicine. They are usually mild and short-lived.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately if you notice any of the following:
Severe diarrhoea, even if it occurs several weeks after you have been given Merrem.
Allergic reactions - symptoms may include 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.
Convulsions / seizures (fits)
Unexpected breathlessness and/or red/brown urine - this may indicate damage to your red blood cells
The above list includes serious side effects which may require medical attention. Serious side effects are rare.
Occasionally, Merrem may be associated with changes in your blood that may require your doctor to do certain blood tests.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people.
Some of these side effects can only be found when your doctor does tests from time to time to check your progress.
After using Merrem
Storage
The hospital staff will store Merrem in a safe place at a temperature below 25 degrees C. They will also check that the expiry
date has not passed.
Disposal
The hospital staff will dispose of any unused Merrem.
Product description
What it looks like
Merrem comes as a sterile white powder in a 20 and 30mL glass vial. The hospital staff then makes it into a solution ready
for intravenous use.
Ingredients
Merrem vials contain either 500mg or 1g of meropenem (as the trihydrate form) as the active ingredient. They also contain
sodium carbonate anhydrous, an inactive ingredient that helps Merrem to dissolve.
Merrem vials do not contain lactose, sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
Supplier
Merrem is supplied in Australia by:
AstraZeneca Pty Ltd
ABN 54 009 682311
Alma Road
NORTH RYDE NSW 2113
This leaflet was prepared in May 2010
Australian Registration Number
500mg (20mL vial): AUST R 54675
1g (30mL vial): AUST R 54674
Merrem is a trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies.