metronidazole [Topical]

Adult Dosing

Inflammatory papules and erythema of rosacea

Apply a thin film of lotion to affected area(s) bid or alternatively rub the cream/gel to affected area(s) qd

Note:

Cleanse affected area(s) before applying cream/lotion/gel

Pediatric Dosing

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established

Indications ⬆ ⬇

Topical treatment of inflammatory papules and erythema of rosacea

Contraindications ⬆ ⬇

Hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients of the product

Black Box Warnings ⬆ ⬇

Dosing Adjustment ⬆ ⬇

Renal Dose Adjustment

Renal impairment: No dose adjustments

Hepatic Dose Adjustment

Hepatic impairment: No dose adjustments

Warnings/Precautions ⬆ ⬇

Incidence of peripheral neuropathy, manifested by numbness or paresthesia of an extremity, reported with systemic metronidazole may also occur with the topical application; caution should be exercised in patients with CNS diseases
Avoid application to the areas close to the eyes as it may cause tearing of the eyes
Caution should be exercised in patients with a history of blood dyscrasia
May need to discontinue use in the event of irritant and allergic contact dermatitis

Interactions ⬆ ⬇

MetroCream, MetroGel, MetroLotion, Noritate interacts with :

Pregnancy/Breast Feeding ⬆ ⬇

Pregnancy Category:B

Breastfeeding: Topical metronidazole has not been studied during breastfeeding. After topical administration, blood levels are about 1% of the peak plasma levels after a 250 mg oral dose; so low risk to the breastfed infant. This information is based upon LactMed database (available at http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT last accessed 12 April 2011). As per manufacturer's data, 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.

Adverse Reactions ⬆ ⬇

DERM: Contact dermatitis, skin irritation, dry skin, transient redness, burning, stinging, pruritus
GI: Metallic taste, nausea
NEURO: Tingling or numbness of extremities

Clinical Pharmacology ⬆ ⬇

Antibacterial/antiprotozoal agents; exact mechanism of action unknown, probably enters bacterial or protozoal cell and disrupts the helical structure of the DNA inhibiting nucleic acid synthesis, resulting in cell death
Minimal systemic absorption following topical administration
Metabolism: Unknown
Excretion: Unknown
Half-life: Unknown

Brands and Availability ⬆ ⬇

US Trade Name(s)

MetroCream
MetroGel
MetroLotion
Noritate

US Availability

metronidazole (generic)

CRE: 0.75%
GEL: 0.75%
LOTN: 0.75%

MetroCream

CRE: 0.75%

MetroGel

GEL: 0.75%
GEL: 1%

MetroLotion

LOTN: 0.75%

Noritate

CRE: 1%

Canadian Trade Name(s)

MetroCream
MetroGel
MetroLotion
Noritate
Rosasol

Canadian Availability

MetroCream

CRE: 0.75%

MetroGel

GEL: 0.75%
GEL: 1%

MetroLotion

LOTN: 0.75%

Noritate, Rosasol

CRE: 1%

UK Trade Name(s)

Acea
Anabact
Metrogel
Metrosa
Metrotop
Rosiced
Rozex
Zyomet

UK Availability

Acea, Anabact, Metrosa, Metrogel, Zyomet

GEL: 0.75%

Metrotop

GEL: 0.8%

Rosiced

CRE: 7.5 mg/g

Rozex

CRE: 0.75%
GEL: 0.75%

Australian Trade Name(s)

Rozex

Australian Availability

metronidazole (generic)

GEL: 0.5%

Rozex

CRE: 7.5 mg/g
GEL: 7.5 mg/g

Classification ⬆ ⬇

Dermatologic

Dermatologic Topical Agents
Anti-Acne Agents

Dermatologic

Dermatologic Topical Agents
Antibacterial/Antiprotozoal

Antimicrobials