WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Neurologic Disease
Peripheral neuropathy, characterized by numbness or paresthesia of an extremity has been reported in patients treated with systemic metronidazole. Although not evident in clinical trials for topical metronidazole, peripheral neuropathy has been reported with the post approval use. The appearance of abnormal neurologic signs should prompt immediate reevaluation of METROGEL therapy. Metronidazole should be administered with caution to patients with central nervous system diseases.
Blood Dyscrasias
Metronidazole is a nitroimidazole; use with care in patients with evidence of, or history of, blood dyscrasia.
Contact Dermatitis
Irritant and allergic contact dermatitis have been reported. If dermatitis occurs, patients may need to discontinue use.
Eye Irritation
Topical metronidazole has been reported to cause tearing of the eyes. Avoid contact with the eyes.
USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
Pregnancy
Teratogenic Effects: Pregnancy Category B.
There are no adequate and well-controlled studies with the use of METROGEL in pregnant women.
Metronidazole crosses the placental barrier and enters the fetal circulation rapidly. No fetotoxicity was observed after oral administration of metronidazole in rats or mice at 200 and 20 times, respectively, the expected clinical dose. However, oral metronidazole has shown carcinogenic activity in rodents. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, METROGEL should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.
Nursing Mothers
After oral administration, metronidazole is secreted in breast milk in concentrations similar to those found in the plasma. Even though blood levels taken after topical metronidazole application are significantly lower than those achieved after oral metronidazole a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother and the risk to the infant.
Pediatric Use
Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.
Geriatric Use
Sixty-six subjects aged 65 years and older were treated with metronidazole gel, 1% in the clinical study. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between these subjects and younger subjects, and other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out.
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