What Timentin is and what it is used for
What Timentin is
Timentin 3.2 g (called ‘Timentin’ in this leaflet) is a penicillin antibiotic for intravenous (IV) infusion. It contains two different medicines, ticarcillin (present as ticarcillin sodium) and clavulanic acid (present as potassium clavulanate).
What Timentin is used for
Timentin is used to treat infections in different parts of the body caused by bacteria.
Before you have Timentin
Do not have Timentin if you:
- are allergic (hypersensitive) to ticarcillin, ticarcillin sodium, clavulanic add, potassium clavulanate, penicillin or cephalosporin
- have ever had an allergic (hypersensitive) reaction to any antibiotic. This can include a skin rash or swelling of the face or neck
- have kidney or liver problems
Do not have Timentin if any of the above apply. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before having Timentin.
Blood tests
If you are having any blood tests, let the doctor or nurse know that you are on Timentin. This is because Timentin can affect the results of these tests.
Taking other medicines
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines. This includes medicines that can be bought without a prescription and herbal medicines. This is because Timentin can affect the way some other medicines work.
Also some other medicines can affect the way Timentin works.
Timentin should not be taken without first discussing this with your doctor if you are also taking:
- aminoglycoside-type antibiotics such as neomycin or gentamycin
- probenecid, a medicine for gout
- methotrexate, to treat cancer or rheumatic diseases. Timentin may stop the contraceptive pill working. You will need to use extra contraceptive precautions, such as using a condom.
If you need any advice, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine if you think you might be or if you are pregnant or if you are breast-feeding.
Important information about some of the ingredients of Timentin
Timentin 3.2 g contains 359 mg of sodium per vial.
This should be considered if you are on a controlled sodium diet.
Timentin 3.2 g contains 39 mg of potassium per vial.
This should be considered if you have kidney problems or are on a controlled potassium diet.
How Timentin is given
You will never give yourself this medicine. A qualified person, like a doctor or a nurse, will give you this medicine.
The correct dose of Timentin will be decided by your doctor and depends on the type of infection, whether you are on any other antibiotics and your weight and age.
Timentin will be given by a doctor or nurse into a vein by intravenous infusion (IV). Timentin is made up by adding the following amount of Water for Injections or other suitable infusion fluid.
| Vial size | Intravenous infusion (+Water for Injection) | Intravenous infusion (+Glucose IV infusion) |
| 3.2 q | 100 ml | 100 to 150 ml |
Further detailed instructions for the doctor or nurse are given in the section for the Healthcare Professional.
Each dose will be infused over a period of 30 to 40 minutes. The usual doses are as follows.
Adults and elderly patients
3.2 g of Timentin given every 6 to 8 hours by IV infusion.
If you have a severe infection you may be prescribed 3.2 g every 4 hours.
Children (including premature babies weighing more than 2 kilograms) 80 mg of Timentin per kilogram of the childs body weight given every 8 hours by IV infusion.
The maximum dose for children is 80 mg Timentin per kilogram of the child’s body weight given every 6 hours. This should not be more than the maximum recommended dose for adults.
Premature babies weighing less than 2 kilograms 80 mg of Timentin per kilogram of the childs body weight given every 12 hours by IV infusion.
- Adults, elderly patients or children and babies with kidney problemsmay be given a different dose to the usual dose. The doctor or nurse will advise how much Timentin you will need, depending on the severity of the kidney disease your doctor will keep a close check on you and you may have more regular kidney function tests. If you are on Timentin for a long time you should have blood tests to check your potassium levels.
Thrush (a yeast infection of moist areas of the body) may develop if Timentin is used for a long time. If this occurs and you have been taking Timentin for longer than recommended, tell your doctor. If you have too much Timentin
It is unlikely you will be given too much, but if you think you have been given too much Timentin, tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse immediately. Signs might include feeling sick or being sick, diarrhoea or fits.
If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Possible side effects
Like all medicines, Timentin can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The side effects below may happen with this medicine.
Tell your doctor or nurse straight away if you notice any of the following serious side effects – they may need urgent medical treatment:
The following is rare (affects less than 1 in 1,000 people)
- high temperature (fever), chills, a sore throat or other signs of an infection or if they bruise more easily. These may be signs of a problem with your blood cells
- inflammation of the large bowel (colon) with diarrhoea sometimes containing blood, pain and fever
The following are very rare (affects less than 1 in 10,000 people)
- allergic reactions, the signs may include: skin itching or rash, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, body or breathing difficulties. These can be serious and occasionally deaths have occurred
- a skin reaction known as ‘erythema multiforme’ where you may develop: itchy reddish-purple patches on the skin especially on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet, ‘hive-like’ raised swollen areas on the skin, tender areas of the surfaces of the mouth, eyes and private parts. You may have a fever and be very tired
- rash or pinpoint flat red round spots under the skin surface or bruising of the skin. This is due to inflammation of blood vessel walls due to an allergic reaction. It can be associated with joint pain (arthritis) and kidney problems
- other severe skin reactions can include: changes in skin colour, bumps under the skin, blistering, pustules, peeling, redness, pain, itch, scaling. These may be associated with fever, headaches and body aches
- changes to your white blood cells which might make you more susceptible to infections
- a decrease in the number of red blood cells in your blood, a symptom may be tiredness
- serious liver side effects may occur.
You must tell your doctor urgently if you get:
- severe diarrhoea with bleeding
- blisters, redness or bruising of the skin
- darker urine or paler stools
- yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes (jaundice). See also anaemia below which might result in jaundice.
These can happen when having the medicine or for up to several weeks after an excessive breakdown of red blood cells causing a form of anaemia Signs include: tiredness, headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness, looking pale and yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes
If any of the above happen to you speak to your doctor or nurse straight away as your medicine should be stopped. Sometimes you may get less severe skin reactions such as:
A mildly itchy rash (round, pink-red patches), ‘hive-like’ swollen areas on forearms, legs, palms, hands, or feet. The frequency is unknown.
If you have this talk to your doctor or nurse as Timentin will need to be stopped.
The other possible side effects are:
Rare (affects less than 1 in 1,000 people)
- a lower than average amount of potassium in the blood inflammation of the bladder which may cause blood in your urine the blood may take longer to clot than it normally would. You may notice this if you have a nosebleed or cut yourself
- fits (convulsions) may be experienced in patients on high doses or with kidney problems
Frequency not known
- pain, burning, swelling or inflammation at the site of the injection
- skin rashes
- itching
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick (nausea)
- vomiting
- changes in the results of blood I tests for liver function
- false positive red blood cell status tests (Coombs or rhesus test)
If any of the side effects get serious, or if you have any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
How to store Timentin
Timentin is for use in hospital only and the expiry date and storage instructions stated on the vial label and carton are for the doctor, nurse or pharmacist’s information. The doctor, pharmacist or nurse will make up your medicine.
Further information
What Timentin contains
Timentin is available in one strength, 3.2 g. The active substance is 3 g of tlcarclllln (present as tlcarclllln sodium) and 200 mg of clavulanic acid (present as potassium clavulanate).
There are no other ingredients. However, see section 2 for further important information about some of the ingredients of Timentin, sodium and potassium.
What Timentin looks like and contents of the pack
Timentin 3.2 g is supplied as sterile powder in glass vials with a rubber bung and aluminium seal. Each individual vial is packed in a carton. These are supplied to the hospital in packs of 4. Your doctor, pharmacist or nurse will make the IV infusion up with Water for Injections or a suitable infusion fluid. When made up, Timentin becomes a pale straw colour.