ICL 3 Injection
Therapy Area
Anti Infective
About leaflet
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
What is in this leaflet
1. What ICL injection is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you use ICL injection
3. How to use ICL injection
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store ICL injection
6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. What ICL injection is and what it is used for
ICL contains the active substance colistimethate sodium. Colistimethate sodium is an antibiotic. It belongs to a group of antibiotics that are called polymyxins.
ICL is given by injection to treat some types of serious infections caused by certain bacteria. ICL is used when other antibiotics are not suitable.
2. What you need to know before you use ICL injection
Do not use ICL
If you are allergic to colistimethate sodium, colistin or to other polymyxins.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before using ICL
- If you have or have had kidney problems.
- If you suffer from myasthenia gravis
- If you suffer from porphyria
- If you suffer from asthma
Children
In premature and new-born babies, special care should be taken when using ICL as the kidneys are not yet fully developed
Other medicines and ICL
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
If you are taking any of the following medicines, you may or may not be able to take ICL. Sometimes the other medicines must be stopped (if only for a while) or you may need a lower dose of ICL or you may need to be monitored while you are taking ICL. In some cases, the level of ICL in your blood may have to be measured from time to time to make sure that you are having the right dose.
medicines like antibiotics called aminoglycosides (which include gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin and netilmicin) and cephalosporins which can affect how your kidneys function. Taking such medicines at the same time as ICL can increase the risk of damage to the kidneys.
medicines like antibiotics called aminoglycosides (which include gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin and netilmicin) which can affect your nervous system. Taking such medicines at the same time as ICL can increase the risk of side effects in the ears and other parts of your nervous system.
medicines called muscle relaxants, often used during general anaesthesia. ICL can increase the effects of these medicines. If you have a general anaesthetic, let your anaesthetist know that you are having ICL.
If you suffer from myasthenia gravis and are also taking other antibiotics called macrolides (such as azithromycin, clarithromycin or erythromycin) or antibiotics called fluoroquinolones (such as ofloxacin, norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin), taking ICL further increases the risk of muscle weakness and breathing difficulties.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before using this medicine. There is no information about the safety of ICL in pregnant women. Your doctor should advise you before using ICL where benefits of the medicine exceed the risk. Colistimethate sodium may be secreted in the breast milk. Please discuss the use of ICL with your doctor.
Driving and using machines
ICL may make you feel dizzy, confused or have problems with your sight, such as blurred vision. If this happens to you, do not drive or use any tools or machines.
3. How to take ICL injection
Depending on the reason (see section 1 of this leaflet), ICL may be given by fast injection (over 5 minutes into a special kind of tube in a vein) or slow injection (infusion over about 30 to 60 minutes) into a vein. ICL may occasionally be given by injection into the brain or the spine
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
For use by infusion or injection:
ICL is given to you by your doctor as an infusion into a vein over 30 - 60 minutes.
The usual daily dose in adults is 9 million units, divided into two or three doses. If you are quite unwell, you will be given a higher dose of 9 million units once at the start of treatment
In some cases, your doctor may decide to give a higher daily dose of up to 12 million units.
The usual daily dose in children weighing up to 40 kg is 75,000 to 1,50,000 units per kilogram body weight, divided into three doses. Higher doses have occasionally been given in cystic fibrosis.
Children and adults with kidney problems, including those on dialysis, are usually given lower doses.
Your doctor will monitor your kidney function regularly while you receive ICL.
Method of administration:
ICL is given by injection mainly in hospitals. If you are to treat yourself at home, your doctor, pharmacist or nurse will show you how to dissolve the powder and inject the right dose of solution.
Duration of treatment:
Your doctor will decide how long your treatment should last, depending on the severity of the infection. When treating bacterial infections, it is important to complete the full course of treatment so as to prevent worsening of the existing infection.
If you use more ICL than you should
If you think that you have given yourself too much ICL, you should contact your doctor or nurse Immediately for advice or, if they are not available, contact or go to your nearest hospital accident and emergency department. If too much ICL is accidentally given, the side effects can be serious and can include kidney problems, muscle weakness and difficulty (or even stopping) breathing.
If you are being treated in hospital or at home by a doctor or nurse and think that you may have missed a dose or been given too much ICL, please ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist about this.
If you forget to use ICL
If you are treating yourself and have missed any doses, you should give the missed dose as soon as you remember and then give the next dose 8 hours later if using ICL three times a day, or 12 hours later if using ICL twice a day. Carry on from there as instructed. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop using ICL
Do not stop your treatment early unless your doctor says you can. Your doctor will decide how long your treatment should last.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them
Allergic reactions
When ICL is given into a vein, an allergic reaction is possible. Serious allergic reactions can happen even with the very first dose and can include rapid development of rashes, swelling of the face, tongue and neck, inability to breathe due to narrowing of the airways and loss of consciousness.
If you experience signs of an allergic reaction you should seek urgent medical attention.
Less severe allergic reactions include skin rashes that appear later during treatment.
Side effects associated with injecting ICL into a vein
Side effects that affect the nervous system are more likely to occur when the dose of ICL is too high, in people who have poor kidneys or in those who are also taking muscle relaxants or other medicines with a similar effect on how the nerves work.
The most serious of these possible side effects in the nervous system is inability to breathe because of paralysis of the chest muscles. If you experience any difficulty breathing you should seek urgent medical attention.
Other possible side effects include numbness or tingling (especially around the face), dizziness or loss of balance, rapid changes in blood pressure or blood flow (including faintness and flushing), slurred speech, problems with vision, confusion and mental problems (including loss of sense of reality). There can be reactions at the site of the injection, such as irritation.
Kidney problems may also occur. These are especially likely in people who already have poor kidneys, or who are given ICL at the same time as other medicines that can cause side effects in the kidneys or who are given a dose that is too high. These problems will normally get better if treatment is stopped or the dose of ICL is reduced.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly: Website: www.zuventus.co.in and click the tab “Safety Reporting” located on the top of the home page.
By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store ICL injection
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the vial label and the carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Do not store above 25oC. Keep the vials in the outer carton in order to protect from light.
ICL solutions for injection and for inhalation should be used immediately after preparation.
If this is not possible, talk first to your doctor or pharmacist as the solutions may be stored in a refrigerator for no longer than 24 hours. Any remaining solution should be discarded.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What ICL injection contains
The active substance is Colistimethate Sodium.
Colistimethate Sodium for Injection IP 1 Million IU
Composition:
Each vial contains:
Colistimethate Sodium IP 1,000,000 IU (IU: International Units)
Excipients q.s.
Colistimethate Sodium for Injection IP 2 Million IU
Composition:
Each vial contains:
Colistimethate Sodium IP 2,000,000 IU (IU: International Units)
Excipients q.s.
Colistimethate Sodium for Injection IP 3 Million IU
Composition:
Each vial contains:
Colistimethate Sodium IP 3,000,000 IU (IU: International Units)
Excipients q.s.
Pack size/ presentation:
1 Vial