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Metronidazole

Medication nitroimidazole antibiotic antibiotic
Aka: Flagyl
Brands seen in Singapore: Nizole, Axcel Metronidazole, AA Pharma Metronidazole, Medazole, Rozex
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Prescribed for bacterial infections — your doctor decides
When to take
Doses spaced evenly · tablets with or just after food
Take with
Water · food eases the stomach; the liquid needs none
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Some infections are treated with a single dose (NHS)
  • Tablets may be taken with or just after food (NHS)
  • Comes as tablet, liquid, gel, cream or suppository
Cons
  • A metallic or unpleasant taste is a common effect
  • Alcohol reaction — SG advice: none for 3 days after
  • US label carries a carcinogenicity boxed warning
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (official open dataset on data.gov.sg; full 5,511-row register pulled via the datastore_search API) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Forensicclassification = "Prescription Only" for all 9 metronidazole-containing products on the register — e.g. SIN08077P NIZOLE TABLET 200 mg, SIN10509P AXCEL METRONIDAZOLE-200, SIN02391P MEDAZOLE TABLETS, SIN08453P ROZEX GEL 0.75%. No General Sale or Pharmacy Only row.”
  2. NHS Medicines A–Z — About metronidazole (brand names: Acea, Flagyl, Rozex; reviewed 31 December 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Metronidazole is a type of antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections … only available on prescription. It comes as tablets, skin gel, vaginal gel, skin cream, a liquid you drink or a suppository.”
  3. NHS Medicines A–Z — How and when to take or use metronidazole, 'Dosage' (reviewed 31 December 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Some infections can be treated with a single dose, while other infections may need a 2-week course … you'll usually take them 2 or 3 times a day.”
  4. NHS Medicines A–Z — How and when to take or use metronidazole, 'How to take tablets' and 'When to take' (reviewed 31 December 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water, with or just after you've eaten some food … Metronidazole liquid does not need to be taken with or after food … try to space the doses evenly.”
  5. NHS Medicines A–Z — Taking or using metronidazole with other medicines and herbal supplements (reviewed 31 December 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Check with a pharmacist or your doctor if you're taking any other medicines, including: warfarin … lithium … disulfiram … There's not enough information to say that complementary medicines and herbal remedies are safe to take with metronidazole.”
  6. HealthHub (MOH Singapore / Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore) — Metronidazole medication information leaflet · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Metronidazole may be taken with or after food … Avoid consuming alcohol during the course of antibiotics and for three days after completion … having a metallic or unpleasant taste in your mouth … You have liver disease, kidney disease.”
  7. FDA DailyMed — Metronidazole tablets, USP (A-S Medication Solutions), SPL effective 18 Mar 2026; retrieved via the openFDA drug label API · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “A maximum of 4 g should not be exceeded during a 24-hour period … contraindicated in patients with a prior history of hypersensitivity to metronidazole or other nitroimidazole derivatives … has been shown to be carcinogenic in mice and rats.”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.