Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets

• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• 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 or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

1. What Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets are and what they are used for
2. What you need to know before you take Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets
3. How to take Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets
6. Contents of the pack and other information

• if you are allergic to aciclovir or valaciclovir or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).

Do not take Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets if the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets

• if you have kidney problems
• if you are over 65 years of age

If you are not sure if the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets.

It is important that you drink plenty of water while taking Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets

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.

• probenecid, used to treat gout
• cimetidine, used to treat stomach ulcers
• mycophenolate mofetil, used to stop your body rejecting transplanted organs

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.

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.

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per each tablet, that is to say essentially ‘sodium- free’.

• Take this medicine by mouth
• Dissolve the tablet in a glass of water and stir before drinking
• If you prefer, the tablet can also be swallowed whole with a little water.
• Start to take Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets as soon as possible.

The dose that you should take will depend on what you have been given Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets for. Your doctor will discuss this with you. 200 mg and 800 mg tablets are also available.

The recommended dose is:

Treatment of chickenpox and shingles

• The usual dose is two 400 mg tablets taken five times a day
• You should space each dose by 4 hours
  Suggested times are: 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and 11pm
• You should take Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets for seven days.

Treatment of cold sores and genital herpes

• The usual dose is one 200 mg tablet taken five times a day
• You should space each dose by 4 hours
  Suggested times are: 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and 11pm
• You should take Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets for five days, or longer if your doctor tells you to.

Stopping these problems returning after you have had them

• The usual dose is one 200 mg tablet taken four times a day
• You should try to space each dose by 6 hours
• You should take Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets until your doctor tells you to stop.

Stopping these problems in people whose immune systems work less well and whose bodies are less able to fight infections

• The usual dose is one 200 mg tablet taken four times a day
• You should try to space each dose by 6 hours
• You should take Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets until your doctor tells you to stop.

Your doctor may adjust the dose of Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets if:

• it is for a child
• you are over 65 years of age
• you have kidney problems. If you have kidney problems, it is important to drink plenty of water while you are being treated with Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets

Talk to your doctor before taking Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets if any of the above apply.

Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets are not usually harmful, unless you take too much over several days. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you take too much Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets. Take the medicine pack with you.

• If you forget to take Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is nearly time for your next dose, skip the missed dose.
• Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

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 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 tablet contains 400 mg of aciclovir.

The other ingredients are:

Cellulose, microcrystalline [Grade 101], sodium starch glycolate [Type - A], povidone [K - 30], silica colloidal anhydrous and magnesium stearate.

Tablet.

White to off-white, round (diameter: 11.8 mm), biconvex, uncoated tablets debossed with ‘AR and 400’ separated with breakline on one side and plain on the other side. The tablet can be divided into equal doses.

Aciclovir 400 mg Tablets are available in blister pack of 56 tablets.

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