ZYVOX^® (linezolid)

Important Administration Instructions

Advise patients that ZYVOX may be taken with or without food.

Peripheral and Optic Neuropathy

Advise patients to inform their physician if they experience changes in vision while taking ZYVOX [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)].

Serotonin Syndrome

Advise patients to inform their physician if taking serotonergic agents, including serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or other antidepressants and opioids [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)].

Potential Interactions Producing Elevation of Blood Pressure

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Advise patients to inform their physician if they have a history of hypertension.

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Advise patients to avoid large quantities of foods or beverages with high tyramine content while taking ZYVOX. Foods high in tyramine content include those that may have undergone protein changes by aging, fermentation, pickling, or smoking to improve flavor, such as aged cheeses, fermented or air-dried meats, sauerkraut, soy sauce, tap beers, and red wines. The tyramine content of any protein-rich food may be increased if stored for long periods or improperly refrigerated.

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Advise patients to inform their physician if taking medications containing pseudoephedrine HCl or phenylpropanolamine HCl, such as cold remedies and decongestants [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6)].

Lactic Acidosis

Advise patients to inform their physician if they experience repeated episodes of nausea or vomiting while receiving ZYVOX [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7)].

Convulsions

Advise patients to inform their physician if they have a history of seizures or convulsions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8)].

Hypoglycemia

Advise patients to inform their physician if they have diabetes mellitus. Hypoglycemic reactions, such as diaphoresis and tremulousness, along with low blood glucose measurements may occur when treated with linezolid. If such reactions occur, patients should contact a physician or other health professional for proper treatment [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9)].

Hyponatremia and/or SIADH

Advise patients at risk for hyponatremia to inform their physician if they experience signs and symptoms of hyponatremia and/or SIADH, including confusion, somnolence, generalized weakness, and respiratory distress [see Warnings and Precautions (5.10)].

Phenylketonuria

Advise patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) that each 5 mL of the 100 mg/5 mL ZYVOX for Oral Suspension contains 20 mg phenylalanine. The other ZYVOX formulations do not contain phenylalanine. Phenylalanine can be harmful to patients with phenylketonuria. Contact your physician or pharmacist when prescribed with ZYVOX for Oral Suspension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.11)].

Antibacterial Resistance

Patients should be counseled that antibacterial drugs including ZYVOX should only be used to treat bacterial infections. They do not treat viral infections (e.g., the common cold). When ZYVOX is prescribed to treat a bacterial infection, patients should be told that although it is common to feel better early in the course of therapy, the medication should be taken exactly as directed. Skipping doses or not completing the full course of therapy may (1) decrease the effectiveness of the immediate treatment and (2) increase the likelihood that bacteria will develop resistance and will not be treatable by ZYVOX or other antibacterial drugs in the future.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a common problem caused by antibacterial drugs, which usually ends when the antibacterial drug is discontinued. Sometimes after starting treatment with antibacterial drugs, patients can develop watery and bloody stools (with or without stomach cramps and fever) even as late as two or more months after having taken the last dose of the antibacterial drug. If this occurs, patients should contact their physician as soon as possible [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)].

Infertility

Advise male patients that ZYVOX may reversibly impair fertility [see Use in Specific Populations (8.3)].