This medicine contains azithromycin, which is one of a group of
antibiotics called macrolides. It is used to treat infections caused by
certain bacteria and other micro-organisms, which include:
• chest, throat or nasal infections (such as bronchitis, pneumonia,
tonsillitis, sore throat (pharyngitis) and sinusitis)
• ear infections
• skin and soft tissue infections (such as an abscess or boil)
• sexually transmitted diseases caused by organisms called Chlamydia
trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoea.
You must talk to a doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.

Veliza™
Do not take Veliza™:
• if you are allergic to azithromycin or any other macrolide antibiotic
such as erythromycin or clarithromycin or any of the ingredients of this
medicine (listed in section 6). An allergic reaction may cause skin rash
or wheezing.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Veliza™ if you have or
have had any of the following conditions:
• kidney problems
• heart conditions
• liver problems: your doctor may need to monitor your liver function or
stop the treatment
• myasthenia gravis (a condition that causes certain muscles to become
weak)
• or if you are taking any ergot derivatives such as ergotamine (used to
treat migraine) as these medicines should not be taken together with
Veliza™.
Tell your doctor immediately if you feel your heart beating in your chest
or have an abnormal heartbeat, or get dizzy or faint or suffer from any
muscle weakness when taking Veliza™.
If you develop diarrhoea or loose stools during or after treatment, tell
your doctor at once. Do not take any medicine to treat your diarrhoea
without first checking with your doctor. If your diarrhoea continues,
please inform your doctor.
Other medicines and Veliza™
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or
might take any other medicines.
In particular, Veliza™ may interact with the medicines listed below:
• ergot or ergotamine - see ‘Warnings and precautions’ section
• warfarin or any similar medicine to prevent blood clots
• ciclosporin (used to suppress the immune system to prevent and treat
rejection of a transplanted organ or bone marrow)
• If you/your child are taking antacids for indigestion, Veliza™ should
be taken one hour before or two hours after taking antacids.
• digoxin (used to treat heart failure)
• terfenadine (for hay fever or a skin allergy).
Veliza™ with food and drink
Veliza™ tablets can be taken with or without food.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
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.
Driving and using machines
Veliza™ is not expected to affect your ability to drive or use machines.
Veliza™ tablets contain lactose, a type of sugar. If you have been told
by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars contact your
doctor before taking this medicine.

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check
with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The recommended dose in adults and children over 45 kg is 500 mg
(1 tablet ), once a day, for 3 days. For some diseases such as Chlamydia
the recommended dose is 1 g (2 tablets) taken all together on one day
only.
For gonorrhoea the recommended dose is 1 g or 2 g of azithromycin in
combination with 250 or 500 mg of ceftriaxone.
Veliza™ tablets should not be taken by children weighing less than
45 kg.
You should tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems as
your doctor may need to alter the normal dose.
Doctors sometimes prescribe different doses to the recommended dose.
The label on the pack will tell you which dose you should take. If you
are still not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Always continue with the course even if you feel better. If your
infection gets worse or you do not start to feel better within a few days
or a new infection develops, go back and see your doctor.
If you take more Veliza™ than you should
If you take too much Veliza™ you may feel unwell. Tell your doctor or
contact your nearest hospital casualty department immediately.
If you forget to take Veliza™
If you forget to take Veliza™ take it as soon as you can. Take your next
dose at the right time.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking Veliza™
If you stop taking Veliza™ too soon, the infection may return. Take the
tablets for the full time of treatment, even when you begin to feel better.
If you have any further questions about the use of this medicine, ask
your doctor or pharmacist.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects although not
everybody gets them.
Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following
symptoms after taking this medicine as the symptoms can be severe.
• sudden wheeziness, difficulty in breathing, swelling of eyelids, face or
lips, rash or itching (especially affecting the whole body)
• severe or prolonged diarrhoea, which may have blood or mucus in it,
during or after treatment with Veliza™ as this may be a sign of serious
bowel inflammation
• severe skin rash causing redness and flaking
• rapid or irregular heartbeat
• low blood pressure
The most common side effects that occur when taking
Veliza™ are listed below. These may go away during treatment as your
body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your doctor if any of these side
effects continue to bother you.

Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people
• stomach cramps, feeling sick, diarrhoea, wind
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people
• dizziness, headache
• numbness or pins and needles
• being sick, indigestion
• loss of appetite, taste disturbance
• visual disturbances, deafness
• skin rash and /or itching
• joint pain
• low numbers of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell), higher
number of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell)
• low blood bicarbonate
• tiredness or weakness
Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people
• yeast infections of the mouth and vagina (thrush)
• low numbers of leukocytes (a type of white blood cell), low number
of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell)
• allergic reactions of various severity
• blistering of the skin, mouth, eyes and genitals
• skin more sensitive to sunlight than normal
• feeling nervous
• reduced sense of touch or sensation (hypoesthesia)
• sleepiness or sleeplessness (insomnia)
• poor hearing or ringing in the ears
• heart palpitations, chest pain
• constipation, stomach pain associated with diarrhoea and fever
• inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), changes in liver enzymes
• general loss of strength
• swelling
• general discomfort
• abnormal laboratory test values (e.g. blood or liver tests).
Rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people
• agitation • vertigo • changes in liver function
Very rare: may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people
• skin rash accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, swollen
glands and an increase of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell).
A rash appears as small, itchy red bumps.
Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available
data
• fits or fainting
• aggression or anxiety
• feeling hyperactive
• localised muscle weakness
• loss of smell or altered sense of smell, loss of taste
• tongue discolouration
• inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• inflammation of the kidney or kidney failure
• yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice) or liver failure
(rarely life-threatening)
• bruising or prolonged bleeding after injury
• blistering of the skin, severe skin reaction
• abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG)
• reduction in red blood cells which can make the skin pale and cause
weakness or breathlessness.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This
includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.
 

• Keep out of the reach and sight of children.
• Do not store above 30 OC.
• Do not use after the expiry date (EXP) which is stated on the blister
and the carton.
• Medicines should not be disposed of via waste water or household
waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer
required. This will help to protect the environment.