BEECHAMS COLD RELIEF ORANGE FLAVOUR EFFERVESCENT TABLETS - summary of medicine characteristics

Beechams Cold Relief Orange Flavour Effervescent Tablets

2 QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION

Each tablet contains paracetamol 500 mg and caffeine 65 mg

3 PHARMACEUTICAL FORM

Effervescent tablet.

Round, flat off-white, speckled tablets with a breakline mark on one side.

4.1 Therapeutic indications

A mild analgesic and antipyretic formulated to give extra pain relief. The soluble tablets are recommended for the relief of common symptoms of colds and influenza, for example headache, fever, sore throat and muscular aches and pains.

4.2. Posology and method of administration

The product should be dissolved in at least half a tumbler of water.

Adults and children aged 16 years and over:

Two tablets up to 4 times daily as required.

Do not exceed 8 tablets in 24 hours.

Elderly:

As for adults.

Children aged 12–15 years:

One tablet up to 4 times daily as required.

Do not exceed 4 tablets in 24 hours.

Not recommended for children under 12 years.

Method of administration

Paracetamol and caffeine 500 mg/65 mg Soluble Tablets are for oral administration on­ly.

4.3 Contraindications

Hypersensitivity to paracetamol, caffeine or any of the other constituents.

Patients with rare hereditary problems of fructose intolerance should not take this medicine.

4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use

Do not exceed the stated dose.

Contains paracetamol. Do not use with any other paracetamol containing products. The concomitant use with other products containing paracetamol may lead to an overdose.

Paracetamol overdose may cause liver failure which may require liver transplant or lead to death.

Care is advised in the administration of paracetamol to patients with renal or hepatic impairment. The hazard of overdose is greater in those with non-cirrhotic alcoholic liver disease.

Caution should be exercised in patients with glutathione depleted states, as the use of paracetamol may increase the risk of metabolic acidosis (see section 4.9).

Excessive intake of caffeine (e.g. coffee, tea and some canned drinks) should be avoided while taking this product.

This medicinal product contains 854 mg sodium per dose (2 tablets) equivalent to 42.7% of the WHO recommended maximum daily intake of 2 g sodium for an adult.

Each tablet contains sorbitol powder (E 420) at 50 mg per tablet.

Patients with hereditary fructose intolerance should not take this medicine.

If symptoms persist, medical advice must be sought.

Keep out of the sight and reach of children.

Pack Label:

Talk to a doctor at once if you take too much of this medicine, even if you feel well. Do not take anything else containing paracetamol while taking this medicine.

Patient Information Leaflet:

Talk to a doctor at once if you take too much of this medicine even if you feel well. This is because too much paracetamol can cause delayed, serious liver damage.

4.5 Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction

The speed of absorption of paracetamol may be increased by metaclopramide or domperidone and absorption reduced by colestyramine. The anticoagulant effect of warfarin and other coumarins may be enhanced by prolonged regular daily use of paracetamol with increased risk of bleeding; occasional doses have no significant effect. Caffeine may increase clearance of lithium. Concomitant use is therefore not recommended.

4.6 Pregnancy and lactation

Paracetamol-caffeine is not recommended for use during pregnancy due to the possible increased risk of lower birth weight and spontaneous abortion associated with caffeine consumption.

Caffeine in breast milk may potentially have a stimulating effect on breast fed infants.

Due to the caffeine content of this product it should not be used if you are pregnant or breast feeding.

4.7 Effects on ability to drive and use machines

None.

4.8 Undesirable effects

Adverse events from historical clinical trial data are both infrequent and from small patient exposure. Accordingly, events reported from extensive post- marketing experience at therapeutic/la­belled dose and considered attributable are tabulated below by MedDRA System Organ Class. Adverse reactions identified during postmarketing use are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, the frequency of these reactions is unknown but likely to be very rare (<1/10,000).

Post marketing data

PARACETAMOL

CAFFEINE

When the recommended paracetamol-caffeine dosing regimen is combined with dietary caffeine intake, the resulting higher dose of caffeine may increase the potential for caffeine-related adverse effects.

Reporting of suspected adverse reactions

Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App store.

4.9 Overdose

Paracetamol

Liver damage is possible in adults who have taken 10 g or more of paracetamol. Ingestion of

5g or more of paracetamol may lead to liver damage if the patient has risk factors (see below).

Risk factors

If the patient

a) Is on long term treatment with carbamazepine, phenobarbitone, phenytoin, primidone, rifampicin, St John’s Wort or other drugs that induce liver enzymes.

or

b) Regularly consumes ethanol in excess of recommended amounts.

or

c) Is likely to be glutathione deplete e.g. eating disorders, cystic fibrosis, HIV infection, starvation, cachexia.

Symptoms

Symptoms of paracetamol overdose in the first 24 hours are pallor, nausea, vomiting, anorexia and abdominal pain. Liver damage may become apparent 12 to 48 hours after ingestion. Abnormalities of glucose metabolism and metabolic acidosis may occur. In severe poisoning, hepatic failure may progress to encephalopathy, haemorrhage, hypoglycaemia, cerebral oedema and death. Acute renal failure with acute tubular necrosis, strongly suggested by loin pain, haematuria and proteinuria, may develop even in the absence of severe liver damage. Cardiac arrythmias and pancreatitis have been reported.

Management

Immediate treatment is essential in the management of paracetamol overdose.

Despite a lack of significant early symptoms, patients should be referred to hospital urgently for immediate medical attention. Symptoms may be limited to nausea or vomiting and may not reflect the severity of the overdose or the risk of organ damage. Management should be in accordance with established treatment guidelines, see BNF overdose section.

Treatment with activated charcoal should be considered if the overdose has been taken within 1 hour. Plasma paracetamol concentration should be measured at 4 hours or later after ingestion (earlier concentrations are unreliable). Treatment with N-acetylcysteine may be used up to 24 hours after ingestion of paracetamol, however, the maximum protective effect is obtained up to 8 hours post-ingestion. The effectiveness of the antidote declines sharply after this time. If required the patient should be given intravenous N-acetylcysteine, in line with the established dosage schedule. If vomiting is not a problem, oral methionine may be a suitable alternative for remote areas outside hospital. Management of patients who present with serious hepatic dysfunction beyond 24 h from ingestion should be discussed with the NPIS or a liver unit.

Caffeine

Symptoms

Overdose of caffeine may result in epigastric pain, vomitting, diuresis, tachycardia or cardia arrhythmia, CNS stimulation (insomnia, restlessness, excitement, agitation, jitteriness, tremors and convulsions).

It must be noted that for clinically significant symptoms of caffeine overdose to occur with this product, the amount ingested would be associated with serious paracetamol-related toxicity

Management

Patients should receive general supportive care (e.g. hydration and maintenance of vital signs). The administration of activated charcoal may be beneficial when performed within one hour of the overdose, but can be considered for up to four hours after the overdose. The CNS effects of overdose may be treated with intravenous sedatives.

Sodium bicarbonate

High doses of sodium bicarbonate may be expected to induce gastrointestinal symptoms including belching and nausea. In addition, high doses of sodium bicarbonate may cause hypernatraemia; electrolytes should be monitored and patients managed accordingly.

5 PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

5.1 Pharmacodynamic properties

The combination of paracetamol and caffeine is a well established analgesic combination.

5.2 Pharmacokinetic properties

Paracetamol is rapidly and almost completely absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract. It is relatively uniformly distributed throughout most body fluids and exhibits variable protein binding. Excretion is almost exclusively renal in the form of conjugated metabolites.

Caffeine is absorbed readily after oral administration, maximal plasma concentrations are achieved within one hour and the plasma half-life is about 3.5 hours. 65 –80% of administered caffeine is excreted in the urine as 1-methyluric acid and 1-methylxanine.

5.3 Preclinical safety data

There are no preclinical data of relevance to the prescriber which are additional to that already included in other sections of the SPC.

6 PHARMACEUTICAL PARTICULARS

6.1 List of excipients

Sodium hydrogen carbonate

Sorbitol

Ascorbic acid

Sodium lauril sulfate

Citric acid (anhydrous)

Sodium carbonate (anhydrous)

Povidone

Dimeticone

Acesulfame Potassium (E 950)

N & A Orange Flavour

Aspartame (E 951)

Carmine (E120)

Riboflavin sodium phosphate (E101a)

6.2 Incompati­bilities

None known

6.3 Shelf life

36 months

Tube: 12 months after opening

6.4 Special precautions for storage

Tube:

The product should be stored below 25°C.

Moisture sensitive: store the tablets in the tube, and keep the tube tightly closed.

Sachet:

The product should be stored below 30°C.

6.5 Nature and contents of container

Laminate sachets in cardboard cartons containing 4, 6, 12, 16, 18, 24 or 30 tablets.

or

Polypropylene tubes with polyethylene stoppers containing desiccant. The container/closure system is child resistant. Each tube contains 16 effervescent tablets.

*Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

6.6 Special precautions for disposal

None

7 MARKETING AUTHORISATION HOLDER

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (UK) Trading Limited, 980 Great West Road

Brentford

Middlesex

TW8 9GS

United Kingdom

8 MARKETING AUTHORISATION NUMBER(S)

PL 44673/0023

9 DATE OF FIRST AUTHORISATION/RENEWAL OF THE AUTHORISATION

First Authorisation:          03/03/2008