Patient leaflet - Arlevert tablets
1. What {(invented) name} is and what it is used for
{(invented) name} contains two active ingredients. One is cinnarizine and the other one is dimenhydrinate. The two substances belong to different groups of medicines. Cinnarizine is part of a group called calcium antagonists. Dimenhydrinate belongs to a group called antihistamines.
Both substances work by reducing symptoms of vertigo (a feeling of dizziness or ’spinning’) and nausea (feeling sick). When these two substances are used together they are more effective than when each one is used on its own.
{(invented) name} is used for the treatment of various kinds of vertigo in adults. Vertigo can have a number of different causes. Taking {(invented) name} can help you carry on with daily activities that are difficult when you have vertigo.
2. What you need to know before you take {(invented) name}
Do not take {(invented) name}
- if you are under the age of 18 years
- if you are allergic to cinnarizine, dimenhydrinate or diphenhydramine or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
if you are allergic to any other antihistamines (such as astemizole,
chlorpheniramine and terfenadine, used as allergy medicines). You should not take this medicine unless you have been told to by your doctor.
- if you suffer from angle-closure glaucoma (a specific type of eye disease)
- if you have epilepsy
- if you have increased pressure in the brain (e.g. due to a tumour)
- if you suffer from alcohol abuse
- if you have prostate problems which cause difficulty in urinating
- if you suffer from liver or kidney failure.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking {(invented) name} if you suffer from:
- low or high blood pressure
- raised pressure in the eye
- obstruction in the bowels
- an enlarged prostate
- an overactive thyroid
- severe heart disease
- Parkinson’s disease.
The use of {(invented) name} may make these conditions worse. {(invented) name} may still be suitable for you but your doctor may need to take these facts into account.
Other medicines and {(invented) name}
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
{(invented) name} may interact with other medicines that you are taking.
{(invented) name} can make you tired or sleepy when taken with the medicines listed below:
- barbiturates (medicines that are often taken to calm you down)
- narcotic analgesics (strong painkillers such as morphine)
- tranquillisers (a type of medicine used to treat depression and anxiety)
- monoamine oxidase inhibitors (used to treat depression and anxiety).
{(invented) name} may increase the effects of the following medicines:
- tricyclic antidepressants (used to treat depression and anxiety)
- atropine (a medicine that relaxes muscles and is often used to examine your eye)
- ephedrine (can be used to treat cough or blocked nose)
- medicines taken to lower blood pressure.
Procarbazine (a medicine used to treat some kinds of cancer) may increase the effect of {(invented) name}.
Amino glycosides (a type of antibiotic) can damage the inner ear. If you take {(invented) name} you may not notice that this damage is happening.
You should not take {(invented) name} with drugs that are used to correct problems with your heart beat (anti-arrhythmics). {(invented) name} may also change the way your skin reacts to allergy tests.
{(invented) name} with food, drink and alcohol
{(invented) name} can cause indigestion that can be reduced by taking the tablets after meals. Do not drink alcohol while taking {(invented) name} because it may make you tired or sleepy.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Driving and using machines
{(invented) name} may make you feel sleepy. If this occurs you should not drive or operate machinery.
{(invented) name} contains sodium
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
3. How to take {(invented) name}
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The recommended dose is one tablet three times daily, with some liquid after meals. Swallow the tablet whole, do not chew.
Usually you will take {(invented) name} for up to 4 weeks. Your doctor will tell you if you need to take {(invented) name} for any longer.
If you take more {(invented) name} than you should
If you accidentally take too many tablets or if a child takes some, you should seek medical advice urgently.
If you take too much {(invented) name} you may become very tired, dizzy and shaky. Your pupils might dilate and you may not be able to urinate. Your mouth may feel dry, your face flush, you may have a faster heart rate, fever, sweat and have a headache.
If you have taken a massive amount of {(invented) name} you could have fits, hallucinations, high blood pressure, feel shaky, get excited, and find it difficult to breathe. Coma could occur.
If you forget to take {(invented) name}
If you forget to take a tablet of {(invented) name} just miss out that tablet. Take the next tablet of {(invented) name} the next time when you would usually take it. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet.
If you stop taking {(invented) name}
Do not stop taking {(invented) name} before your doctor tells you to. You are likely to have the symptoms of vertigo again (dizziness and ’spinning’) if you stop treatment too soon.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people): drowsiness, dry mouth, headache, and stomach pain. These are usually mild and disappear within a few days even if you keep taking {(invented) name}.
Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people): sweating, reddening of the skin, indigestion, nausea (feeling sick), diarrhoea, nervousness, cramps, forgetfulness, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), paraesthesia (tingling of the hands or feet), tremor (shaking).
Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1 000 people): impaired vision, allergic reactions (e.g. skin reactions), light sensitivity, and difficulty in urinating.
Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 000 people): white blood cell and platelet counts may be lowered, and red blood cells may be severely reduced, which can cause weakness, bruising or make infections more likely. If you suffer from infections with fever and serious deterioration of your general health, see your doctor and tell him about your medicine.
Other possible reactions (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data) which may occur with this type of medicine include:
weight gain, constipation, tightness of the chest, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes caused by liver or blood problems), worsening of an angle-closure glaucoma (an eye disease with increased pressure inside the eye), uncontrollable movements, unusual excitement and restlessness (especially in children), severe skin reactions.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.
You can also report side effects directly via the national reporting system listed in Appendix V . By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store {(invented) name}
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the blister and the carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What {(invented) name} contains
- The active substances are: cinnarizine (20 mg) and dimenhydrinate (40 mg).
- The other ingredients are: microcrystalline cellulose, maize starch, talc, hypromellose, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate and croscarmellose sodium.
What {(invented) name} looks like and contents of the pack
{(invented) name} are round, biconvex, white to pale yellow tablets embossed with an ’A’ on one side, with a diameter of 8 mm. They are available in packs containing 20, 24, 48, 50 or 100 tablets. Tablets are packed in PVC/PVDC/Aluminium blisters containing 20, 24 or 25 tablets, as appropriate. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer:
<[To be completed nationally]>
This medicine is authorised in the Member States of the European Economic Area and in the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) under the following names:
Austria: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg Tabletten Belgium, Luxembourg: Arlevertan 20 mg/40 mg
tabletten/comprimés/Tabletten
Bulgaria: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg таблетки Cyprus, Greece: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg δισκία Czech Republic: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg tablety Denmark, Sweden: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg tabletter Estonia: Arlevert
Finland: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg tabletit Germany: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg Tabletten;
Cinnarizin Dimenhydrinat Hennig 20 mg/40 mg Tabletten
Hungary: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg tabletta Ireland,
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland): Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg tablets Italy: Arlevertan 20 mg/40 mg compresse Latvia: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg tabletes Lithuania: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg tabletės Poland: Arlevert 20 mg + 40 mg tabletki Portugal: Arlevert 20 mg + 40 mg comprimidos Romania: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg comprimate Slovak Republic: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg tablety Slovenia: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg tablete The Netherlands: Arlevert 20 mg/40 mg tabletten