BRICANYL 500 MICROGRAMS TURBOHALER - patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

1. what bricanyl® turbohaler® is and what it is used for

Bricanyl® Turbohaler® is an inhaler. It contains a medicine called terbutaline. This belongs to a group of medicines called ‘beta-agonists’. These work by relaxing certain muscles and opening up the airways in the lungs.

Bricanyl® Turbohaler® is used for asthma and other breathing problems where you have a tight chest and difficulty breathing.

2. what you need to know before you use bricanyl® turbohaler®

Do not use Bricanyl® Turbohaler®:

• If you are allergic to terbutaline.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using Bricanyl® Turbohaler® if:

• You have diabetes. If so, you may need some extra blood sugar tests when you start using Bricanyl® Turbohaler®.
• You have a history of heart disease, irregular heart rhythm or angina.
• You have an overactive thyroid gland.

If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using Bricanyl® Turbohaler®.

Other medicines and Bricanyl® Turbohaler®

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines that you buy without a prescription and herbal medicines. Bricanyl® Turbohaler® can affect the way that some medicines work and some medicines can have an effect on Bricanyl® Turbohaler®.

In particular, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• Steroid medicines (such as prednisolone).
• Medicines called ‘xanthines’ (such as theophylline).
• Medicines called ‘beta-blockers’ (such as atenolol or propranolol) including eye drops (such as timolol).
• Water tablets (diuretics) such as furosemide (also known as frusemide).

If you are to undergo surgery with general anaesthetics it is important that you inform your doctor about all medicines you use, including Bricanyl® Turbohaler® to protect you from adverse effects (e.g. irregular heart beat).

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 using this medicine.
• If you become pregnant while you are using Bricanyl® Turbohaler®, talk to your doctor straight away.

Driving and using machines

Bricanyl® Turbohaler® is not likely to affect you being able to drive or use any machines.

Bricanyl® Turbohaler® contains lactose

Bricanyl® Turbohaler® contains lactose, which is a type of sugar. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine. The amount of lactose in this medicine does not normally cause problems in people who are lactose intolerant.

The lactose may contain small amounts of milk protein residues. In patients with hypersensitivity to milk proteins, these small amounts may cause allergic reactions.

3. how to use bricanyl® turbohaler®

Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. If Bricanyl® Turbohaler® is to be used by a child, make sure that they use it correctly.

How much to take

• The recommended dose is one inhalation as required.
• Do not take more than four inhalations in any 24 hour period.
• One inhalation from your Bricanyl® Turbohaler® should last for up to six hours.

Talk to your doctor straight away if:

• Your breathing is getting worse.
• You often wake at night with asthma.
• You start getting a tight chest.
• You are not getting relief from your current dose.

These are signs that your asthma is not being controlled. You may need a different or additional treatment straight away.

Preparing your new Bricanyl® Turbohaler® Inhaler

Before using your new Bricanyl® Turbohaler® for the first time, you need to prepare it for use as follows:

• Unscrew the cover and lift it off. You may hear a rattling sound.
• Hold your Bricanyl® Turbohaler® Inhaler upright with the blue grip at the bottom.
• Turn the blue grip as far as it will go in one direction. Then turn it as far as it will go in the other direction (it does not matter which way you turn it first).
• You should hear a click sound.
• Do this again, turning the blue grip in both directions.
• Your Bricanyl® Turbohaler® Inhaler is now ready for use.

Howto take an inhalation

Every time you need to take an inhalation, follow the instructions below.

Mouthpiece

Dose indicator

• 1. Unscrew the cover and lift it off. You may hear a rattling sound.

• 2. Hold your Turbohaler® upright with the blue grip at the bottom.

• 3. Do not hold the mouthpiece when you load your Turbohaler®. To load your Turbohaler® with a dose, turn the blue grip as far as it will go in one direction. Then turn it as far as it will go in the other direction (it does not matter which way you turn it first). You should hear a click sound.

  Your Turbohaler® is now loaded and ready to use. Only load your Turbohaler® when you need to use it.

  
  
  
  
  The dose indicator is marked in intervals of 10 doses. Therefore, it does not show every dose. When you first see a red mark at the edge of the indicator window, there are approximately 20 doses left. For the last 10 doses, the background of the dose indicator is red. When the ‘0’ on the red background has reached the middle of the window, you must start using your new Turbohaler®.

• 4. Hold your Turbohaler® away from your mouth. Breathe out gently (as far as is comfortable). Do not breathe out through yourTurbohaleh®.

• 5. Place the mouthpiece gently between your teeth. Close your lips. Breathe in as deeply and as hard as you can through your mouth. Do not chew or bite on the mouthpiece.

• 6. Remove your Turbohaler® from your mouth. Then breathe out gently. The amount of medicine that is inhaled is very small. This means you may not be able to taste it after inhalation. If you have followed the instructions, you can be confident that you have inhaled the dose and the medicine is now in your lungs.

• 7. If you are to take a second inhalation, repeat steps 2 to 6.

• 8. Replace the cover tightly after use.

• 9. Rinse your mouth out with water each time after taking your dose, if possible, to remove any medicine that remains in your mouth.

As with all inhalers, caregivers should ensure that children prescribed Bricanyl® Turbuhaler® use correct inhalation technique, as described above.

Do not try to remove the mouthpiece since it is fixed to your Turbohaler® and must not be taken off. The mouthpiece can be rotated but do not twist it unnecessarily. Do not use your Turbohaler® if it has been damaged or if the mouthpiece has come apart from your Turbohaler®.

Cleaning your Turbohaler®

Wipe the outside of the mouthpiece once a week with a dry tissue. Do not use water or liquids.

When to start using a new Turbohaler®

The dose indicator tells you how many doses are left in the Turbohaler®, starting with 120 doses when it is full.

Note:

• The grip will still twist and ‘click’ even when your Turbohaler® is empty.
• The sound that you hear as you shake your Turbohaler® is produced by a drying agent and not the medicine. Therefore, the sound does not tell you how much medicine is left in your Turbohaler®.
• If you load your Bricanyl® Turbohaler® more than once by mistake before taking your dose, you will still only receive one dose. However, the dose indicator will register all the loaded doses.

If you use more Bricanyl® Turbohaler® than you should

If you use more Bricanyl® Turbohaler® than you should, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

If you forget to use Bricanyl® Turbohaler®

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is nearly time for your next dose, skip the missed dose.
• Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

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.

Important side effects to look out for:

• Allergic reactions. The signs may include a swollen face, skin rash, breathing problems, low blood pressure (feeling faint) and collapse. It is not known exactly how often this happens. If this happens to you, stop using Bricanyl® Turbohaler® and see a doctor straight away.
• Sudden wheezing soon after inhaling your dose of Bricanyl® Turbohaler®. It is not known exactly how often this happens. If this happens to you, stop using Bricanyl® Turbohaler® and see a doctor straight away.

Other possible side effects:

• Headache.

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• Pounding or rapid heart beat (palpitations).
• Cramp or feeling tense.
• Low levels of potassium in your blood which may cause muscle weakness, thirst, or‘pins and needles’.

Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)

• Unusual or irregular heart beats.
• Chest pain (due to heart problems such as angina). Tell your doctor if you develop this symptom whilst receiving treatment with Bricanyl® Turbohaler®, but do not stop using this medicine unless told to.
• Feeling sick (nausea).
• Mouth and throat irritation.
• Changes in sleeping patterns and changes in behaviour, such as feeling agitated, restless or hyperactive.

Do not be concerned by this list of side effects. You may not get any of them.

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: or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. how to store bricanyl® turbohaler®

• Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
• Do not store above 30°C.
• Protect from moisture.
• Keep the cap screwed onto your Turbohaler® when you are not using it.
• Do not use Bricanyl® Turbohaler® after the expiry date printed on the packaging. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
• If your medicine becomes discoloured or shows any other signs of deterioration, consult your doctor or pharmacist who will tell you what to do.
• Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines that are no longer required. This will help to protect the environment.

6. contents of the pack and other information

What Bricanyl® Turbohaler® contains

Each actuation delivers 500 micrograms of the active ingredient terbutaline sulphate.

Bricanyl® Turbohaler® also contains lactose monohydrate (which may contain small amounts of milk proteins). See section 2 of this leaflet.

What Bricanyl® Turbohaler® looks like and the contents of the pack

Bricanyl® Turbohaler® is a breath actuated metered dose powder inhaler with a blue twist base, white plastic body and cover. A Braille code for Terbutaline sulphate is embossed on the bottom of the turning grip.

Each inhaler contains 120 doses.

Who manufactured your medicine

Manufactured by AstraZeneca AB, Forskargatan 18, S-151 85 Sodertalje, Sweden. Procured from within the EU and repackaged by Product Licence Holder: Beachcourse Limited, Unit 2–3, Townsend Industrial Estate, Waxlow Road, London, NW10 7NU.

Revision date: 25.01.2022

Bricanyl® Turbohaler® are registered trademarks of the AstraZeneca group.

Blind or partially sighted?

Is this leaflet hard to see or read? Phone Beachcourse, Tel: 020 8896 9054 f­or help.

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