Patient leaflet - Cabaser 2 mg tablets,Cabergoline 2 mg tablets
1. What Cabaser is and what it is used for
Cabaser contains the active substance cabergoline. This medicine belongs to a group of medicines called dopamine agonists.
This medicine is used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in adults.
It is used after your doctor has tried other treatments that have not worked or for people who are already taking other medicines for this illness to help control other symptoms.
Cabergoline acts in a similar way to a chemical in the body called dopamine. Patients with Parkinson’s disease do not have enough of this chemical.
You must talk to a doctor or pharmacist if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.
2. What you need to know before you take Cabaser
Do not take Cabaser:
If you are allergic to cabergoline, to other medicines called ergot
alkaloids or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
If you will be treated with Cabaser for a long period and have or
had fibrotic disorders (scar tissue) affecting your heart valves.
If you have been told you have a problem affecting your heart
valves.
If you have a history of abdominal, respiratory or cardiac fibrotic
(scar tissue) disorders.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Cabaser if you have or had any of the following conditions:
- Heart disease
- Raynaud’s syndrome (causing cold hands and feet)
- Severe chest problems (such as pleurisy)
- Liver disease
- Stomach ulcer, or bleeding from the stomach and intestines
- Mental illness, in particular psychotic disorders
Fibrotic reactions (scar tissue) affecting your heart, lungs or
abdomen. In case you are treated with Cabaser for a long period, your physician will perform checks of your heart, lungs, kidneys and blood to determine if this medicine is suitable for you.
An echocardiogram (an ultrasound test of the heart) will be taken before treatment is started and at regular intervals during treatment. If fibrotic reactions occur treatment will have to be discontinued.
Low blood pressure (postural hypotension) can occur following administration of this medicine, particularly during the first few days. Care should be taken when taking Cabaser with other drugs known to lower blood pressure.
Tell your doctor if you or your family/carer notices that you are developing urges or cravings to behave in ways that are unusual for you and you cannot resist the impulse, drive or temptation to carry out certain activities that could harm yourself or others. These are called impulse control disorders and can include behaviours such as addictive gambling, excessive eating or spending, an abnormally high sex drive or an increase in sexual thoughts or feelings. Your doctor may need to adjust or stop your dose.
Other medicines and Cabaser
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
The effectiveness of Cabaser can be reduced by some medicines, these include:
- Drugs used to treat mental illness (e.g. phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes)
- Drugs used to treat sickness (e.g. metoclopramide)
Side-effects may be increased by other medicines, these include:
- Antibiotics (e.g. erythromycin)
- Drugs used for migraines (e.g. ergotamine)
Cabaser with food and drink
See section 3 ‘How to take Cabaser’.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
Pregnancy
You are advised to use adequate contraception while you are taking this medicine.
If you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Breast-feeding
Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You should not breast-feed while taking this medicine as this medicine may affect milk production (lactation). If you need to take Cabaser you should use another method of feeding your baby.
Driving and using machines
Cabaser can cause drowsiness (somnolence) and sudden sleepy episodes, in some cases without any warning signs or awareness. Do not drive, use any tools or machines or engage in activities requiring mental alertness or coordination if you experience these symptoms until they have resolved completely.
Cabaser contains lactose
Lactose 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 medicinal product.
3. How to take Cabaser
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 usual starting dose of Cabaser is 1 mg daily, preferably taken after food to reduce the side-effects. Your doctor may then increase the dose until he finds a suitable dose to control your symptoms. Cabergoline should be taken as a single daily dose. You should not take more than 3 mg of this medicine in one day.
If you take more Cabaser than you should
If you take too many tablets, contact your doctor immediately or go to the nearest hospital A&E department. Symptoms of overdose may include nausea, vomiting, gastric complaints, low blood pressure when standing, confusion/psychosis or hallucinations.
If you forget to take Cabaser
If you forget to take your medicine at the usual time, take it as soon as you remember then continue as usual. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking Cabaser
Your doctor will advise you how long to take Cabaser. Your condition may return if you stop taking Cabaser before you are advised.
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.
Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms. These symptoms can be severe:
Very common side effect: may affect more than 1 in 10
people: heart valve and related disorders e.g. inflammation (pericarditis) or leaking of fluid in the pericardium (pericardial effusion). The early symptoms may be one or more of the following: difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, palpitations (pounding heart), feeling faint, chest pain, back pain, pelvic pain or swollen legs. These may be the first signs of a condition called fibrosis, which can affect the lungs, heart/heart valves or back.
You may experience the following side effects:
Inability to resist the impulse, drive or temptation to perform an
action that could be harmful to you or others, which may include:
Strong impulse to gamble excessively despite serious
personal or family consequences
Altered or increased sexual interest and behaviour of
significant concern to you or to others, for example, an increased sexual drive
- Uncontrollable excessive shopping or spending
Binge eating (eating large amounts of food in a short time
period) or compulsive eating (eating more food than normal and more than is needed to satisfy your hunger).
Tell your doctor if you experience any of these behaviours; they will discuss ways of managing or reducing the symptoms.
Other side-effects that may occur are:
Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people: Feeling
sick (nausea), swelling of the feet and ankles due to accumulation of fluid in the tissues
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people: Being sick
(vomiting), indigestion, stomach pain, inflamed stomach lining, constipation, involuntary or uncontrolled movements of the limbs, low blood pressure, sudden drop in blood pressure on standing, hallucinations, sleep disturbances, increased libido, confusion, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, vertigo, lack of bodily strength, weakness, chest pain (angina), difficulty breathing, abnormal blood tests for liver function, decreased haemoglobin and/or red blood cells
Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people:
Hypersensitivity reactions, rash, severe burning pain and skin redness in the hands and feet, swelling due to accumulation of fluid in the tissues (oedema), muscle spasms, fatigue, delusions, psychotic disorder, abnormal liver function
Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the
available data: Respiratory disorder, respiratory failure, pleuritis (inflammation of the linings around the lungs), chest pain, abnormal vision, suddenly falling asleep, fainting, tremor, aggressive behaviour, hair loss, leg cramps, cold hands and feet, an increase in the level of some enzymes in the blood
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly 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. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Cabaser
Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not store above 25°C.
Cabaser absorbs moisture, so you should always replace the cap after taking out your tablets. Do not remove the special granules from the cap, and do not transfer your tablets to another container.
Do not take the tablets after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and bottle labels after ‘Exp’. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
If the tablet becomes discoloured or shows any signs of deterioration, seek the advice of your pharmacist.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Cabaser contains
The active ingredient in the cabaser is cabergoline. Each tablet contains 2mg cabergoline.
The other ingredients are lactose and leucine.
What Cabaser looks like and contents of the pack
Cabaser is white, oval, concave tablet with one side scored and engraved ‘7’ on the left and ‘02’ on the right and plain on the reverse side.
Cabaser is supplied in HDPE bottle with a child-resistant polypropylene cap fitted with a desiccant canister containing silica gel.
Each bottle contains 20 tablets.
Manufactured by: Pfizer Italia S.R.L., Via del Commercio, Marino del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, Italy.
Procured from within the EU and repackaged by the Product Licence holder: B&S Healthcare, Unit 4, Bradfield Road, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 0NU, UK.
Cabaser® 2mg tablets, PL 18799/2387
Leaflet date: 20.06.2019
Cabaser is registered trademark of Pfizer Italia Srl.
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