AXALID 150 MG HARD CAPSULES - patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE

. YOU TAKE AXALID

Do not take Axalid

If you are allergic to pregabalin or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).

Warnings and Precautions

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Axalid.

• Some patients taking pregabalin have reported symptoms suggesting an allergic reaction. These symptoms include swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat, as well as diffuse skin rash. Should you experience any of these reactions, you should contact your physician immediately.
• Axalid has been associated with dizziness and somnolence, which could increase the occurrence of accidental injury (fall) in elderly patients. Therefore, you should be careful until you are used to any effect the medicine might have.
• Axalid may cause blurring or loss of vision, or other changes in eyesight, many of which are temporary. You should immediately tell your doctor if you experience any changes in your vision.
• Some patients with diabetes who gain weight while taking pregabalin may need an alteration in their diabetic medicines.
• Certain side effects may be more common, such as sleepiness, because patients with spinal cord injury may be taking other medicines to treat, for example, pain or spasticity, that have similar side effects to pregabalin and the severity of these effects may be increased when taken together.
• There have been reports of heart failure in some patients when taking pregabalin; these patients were mostly elderly with cardiovascular conditions. Before taking this medicine you should tell your doctor if you have a history of heart disease.
• There have been reports of kidney failure in some patients when taking pregabalin. If while taking Axalid you notice decreased urination, you should tell your doctor as stopping the medicine may improve this.
• A small number of people being treated with anti-epileptics such as pregabalin have had thoughts of harming or killing themselves. If at any time you have these thoughts, immediately contact your doctor.
• When Axalid is taken with other medicines that may cause constipation (such as some types of pain medicines) it is possible that gastrointestinal problems may occur (for example, constipation, blocked or paralysed bowel). Tell your doctor if you experience constipation, especially if you are prone to this problem.
• Before taking this medicine you should tell your doctor if you have a history of alcoholism or drug abuse or dependence. Do not take more medicine than prescribed.
• There have been reports of convulsions when taking pregabalin or shortly after stopping pregabalin. If you experience a convulsion, contact your doctor immediately.
• There have been reports of reduction in brain function (encephalopathy) in some patients taking pregabalin when they have other conditions. Tell your doctor if you have a history of any serious medical conditions, including liver or kidney disease.
• There have been reports of breathing difficulties. If you have nervous system disorders, respiratory disorders, renal impairment, or you are older than 65, your doctor may prescribe you a different dosing regimen. Contact your doctor if you experience trouble breathing or shallow breaths.

Children and adolescents

The safety and efficacy in children and adolescents (under 18 years of age) has not been established and therefore, pregabalin should not be used in this age group.

Other medicines and Axalid

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Axalid and certain other medicines may influence each other (interaction). When taken with certain other medicines, Axalid may potentiate the side effects seen with these medicines, including respiratory failure and coma. The degree of dizziness, sleepiness and decreased concentration may be increased if Axalid is taken together with medicinal products containing:

Oxycodone – (used as a pain-killer) Lorazepam – (used for treating anxiety) Alcohol

Axalid may be taken with oral contraceptives.

Axalid with food, drink and alcohol

Axalid capsules may be taken with or without food.

It is advised not to drink alcohol while taking Axalid

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

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.

Axalid should not be taken during pregnancy or when breast-feeding, unless you are told otherwise by your doctor. Effective contraception must be used by women of child-bearing potential.

Driving and using machines

Axalid may produce dizziness, sleepiness and decreased concentration. You should not drive, operate complex machinery or engage in other potentially hazardous activities until you know whether this medicine affects your ability to perform these activities.

3. how to take axalid

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Your doctor will determine what dose is appropriate for you.

Axalid is for oral use only.

Peripheral and central neuropathic pain, epilepsy or Generalised Anxiety Disorder:

• Take the number of capsules as instructed by your doctor.
• The dose, which has been adjusted for you and your condition, will generally be between 150 mg and 600 mg each day.
• Your doctor will tell you to take Axalid either twice or three times a day. For twice a day take Axalid once in the morning and once in the evening, at about the same time each day. For three times a day take Axalid once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the evening, at about the same time each day.

If you have the impression that the effect of Axalid is too strong or too weak, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

If you are an elderly patient (over 65 years of age), you should take Axalid normally except if you have problems with your kidneys.

Your doctor may prescribe a different dosing schedule and/or dose if you have problems with your kidneys.

Swallow the capsule whole with water.

Continue taking Axalid until your doctor tells you to stop.

If you take more Axalid than you should

Call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency unit immediately. Take your box or bottle of Axalid capsules with you. You may feel sleepy, confused, agitated, or restless as a result of taking more Axalid than you should.

If you forget to take Axalid

It is important to take your Axalid capsules regularly at the same time each day. If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is time for your next dose. In that case, just carry on with the next dose as normal. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you stop taking Axalid

Do not stop taking Axalid unless your doctor tells you to. If your treatment is stopped it should be done gradually over a minimum of 1 week.

After stopping long and short-term Axalid treatment, you need to know that you may experience certain side effects. These include, trouble sleeping, headache, nausea, feeling anxious, diarrhoea, flulike symptoms, convulsions, nervousness, depression, pain, sweating, and dizziness. These symptoms may occur more commonly or severely if you have been taking Axalid for a longer period of time.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Headache

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• Increased appetite
• Feeling of extreme joy (elation), confusion, disorientation, decrease in sexual interest, irritability
• Disturbance in attention, clumsiness, memory impairment, loss of memory, tremor, difficulty with speaking, tingling feeling, numbness, sedation, lack of energy and enthusiasm (lethargy), insomnia, fatigue, feeling abnormal.
• Blurred vision, double vision.
• Vertigo or problems with balance, fall.
• Dry mouth, constipation, vomiting, flatulence, diarrhoea, nausea, swollen abdomen
• Difficulties with erection
• Swelling of the body including extremities.
• Feeling drunk, or abnormal style of walking.
• Weight gain.
• Muscle cramp, joint pain, back pain, pain in limb
• Sore throat

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• Loss of appetite, weight loss, low blood sugar, high blood sugar.
• Change in perception of self, restlessness, depression, agitation, mood swings, difficulty finding words, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things which are not there), abnormal dreams, panic attacks, apathy, aggression, elevated mood, mental impairment, difficulty with thinking, increase in sexual interest, problems with sexual functioning including inability to achieve a sexual climax, delayed ejaculation.
• Changes in eyesight, unusual eye movement, changes in vision including tunnel vision, flashes of light, jerky movements, reduced reflexes, increased activity, dizziness on standing, sensitive skin, loss of taste, burning sensation, tremor on movement, decreased consciousness, loss of consciousness, fainting, increased sensitivity to noise, feeling unwell.
• Dry eyes, eye swelling, eye pain, weak eyes, watery eyes, eye irritation.
• Heart rhythm disturbances, increased heart rate, low blood pressure, high blood pressure, changes in heartbeat, heart failure.
• Flushing, hot flushes.
• Difficulty breathing, dry nose, nasal congestion.
• Increased saliva production, heartburn, numb around mouth
• Sweating, rash, chills, fever.
• Muscle twitching, joint swelling, muscle stiffness, pain including muscle pain, neck pain.
• Breast pain.
• Difficulty with or painful urination, incontinence.
• Weakness, fall, thirst, chest tightness.
• Changes in blood and liver test results (blood creatinine phosphokinase increased, alanine amino transferase increased, aspartate aminotransferase increased, platelet count decreased, neutropenia, increase in blood creatinine, decrease in blood potassium).
• Hypersensitivity, swollen face, itchiness, hives, runny nose, nose bleed, cough, snoring.
• Painful menstrual periods.
• Coldness of hands and feet.

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

• Abnormal sense of smell, swinging vision, altered perception of depth, visual brightness, vision loss.
• Dilated pupils, cross eyes.
• Cold sweat, tightness of the throat, swollen tongue.
• Inflammation of the pancreas.
• Difficulty in swallowing.
• Slow or reduced movement of the body.
• Difficulty with writing properly.
• Increased fluid in the abdomen.
• Fluid in the lungs
• Convulsions
• Changes in the recording of electrical changes

(ECG) in the heart which correspond to heart rhythm disturbances

• Muscle damage.
• Breast discharge, abnormal breast growth, breast growth in males.
• Interrupted menstrual periods.
• Kidney failure, reduced urine volume, urinary retention.
• Decrease in white blood cell count.
• Allergic reactions (which may include difficulty breathing, inflammation of the eyes (keratitis) and a serious skin reaction characterized by rash, blisters, peeling skin and pain).
• Inappropriate behaviour.

If you experience swollen face or tongue or if your skin turns red and starts to blister or peel you should seek immediate medical advice.

The following adverse reaction has been reported in the post-marketing experience: Trouble breathing, shallow breaths.

Certain side effects may be more common, such as sleepiness, because patients with spinal cord injury may be taking other medicines to treat, for example, pain or spasticity, that have similar side effects to pregabalin and the severity of these effects may be increased when taken together.

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 yellow card scheme at. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. how to store axalid

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 carton “EXP’’. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. 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 Axalid contains

• – The active substance is pregabalin. Each hard capsule contains either 25 mg, 50 mg, 75 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg, 225 mg or 300 mg pregabalin.

• – The other ingredients are:

What Axalid looks like and contents of the pack

25 mg capsules: White hard capsules, marked with „25“ on the body.

50 mg capsules: White hard capsules, marked with „50“ on the body.

75 mg capsules: White and Swedish orange hard capsules, marked with „75“ on the body.

100 mg capsules: Swedish orange hard capsules, marked with „100“ on the body.

150 mg capsules: White hard capsules, marked with „150“ on the body.

200 mg capsules: Red hard capsules, marked with „200“ on the body.

225 mg capsules: Red and white hard capsules, marked with „225“ on the body.

300 mg capsules: White and orange hard capsules, marked with „300“ on the body.

Axalid is available in a cardboard box containing the appropriate number of PVC /aluminium foil blisters containing for:

25 mg 14 or 56 number of hard capsules

50 mg 7, 14 or 56 number of hard capsules

75 mg 14 or 56 number of hard capsules

100 mg 7, 14 or 56 number of hard capsules

150 mg 14 or 56 number of hard capsules

200 mg 14 or 56 number of hard capsules

225 mg 14 or 56 number of hard capsules 300 mg 14 or 56 number of hard capsules

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Kent Pharmaceuticals Limited,

The Bower, 4 Roundwood Avenue,

Stockley Park, Heathrow, United Kingdom, UB11 1AF.

Manufacturer:

Pharmathen International S.A.

Industrial Park Sapes, Rodopi Prefecture, Block No 5, Rodopi 69300, Greece

or

PHARMATHEN S.A.

Dervenakion 6, Pallini 15351, Attikis, Greece

This medicinal product is authorised in the Member States of the EEA under the following names:

Denmark, Cyprus, Greece, Italy: Prelynca

United Kingdom: Axalid

This leaflet was last revised in: January 2021

CP.AXA.JNTC.PHA­.V6P1