Patient leaflet - Cinnarizine 15 mg tablets
1. What Cinnarizine is and what it is used for
Cinnarizine belongs to a group of medicines called antihistamines.
Cinnarizine is used to control problems with balance (such as Meniere’s disease) which can cause vertigo (a spinning sensation or dizziness), ringing in the ears, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick) and loss of hearing.
Cinnarizine can also help to control travel sickness.
This medicine is for use in adults and children aged over 5 years.
How to help stop motion sickness
The following tips may help you avoid travel sickness:
At sea
- Stay on deck and keep your eyes on the horizon
- Keep away from diesel and galley smells
- Do not eat rich and fatty foods while travelling
On the road
- Keep looking ahead into the distance
- Travel in daylight with a window open
- Make sure children can see out of the windscreen
- Do not read
- Do not eat rich and fatty foods while travelling
2. What you need to know before you take Cinnarizine
Do not take Cinnarizine if you:
- are allergic to cinnarizine or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). - Your child is under 5 years old
Do not take this medicine if any of the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking cinnarizine tablets.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Cinnarizine if you:
suffer from Parkinson's disease (Cinnarizine may make your symptoms worse). - need a skin allergy test, as Cinnarizine can affect the results. You will need to stop taking
Cinnarizine 4 days before the test.
- have a blood problem called porphyria.
- have problems with your liver or kidneys.
You may still be able to take Cinnarizine tablets, but you should discuss this with your doctor first.
Other medicines and Cinnarizine
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, herbal medicines, dietary supplements or vitamins.
In particular tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking medicines for:
- Anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping
- Pain
- Depression
Cinnarizine with alcohol
You should not drink alcohol during treatment as it may make you more drowsy.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
You should not take Cinnarizine if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or are trying to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while you are taking Cinnarizine you must stop taking the tablets immediately and tell your doctor. Cinnarizine may reach your baby through the breast milk. Therefore, you should not take Cinnarizine if you are 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.
Driving and using machines
This medicine occasionally causes drowsiness, especially at the start of treatment. If you feel drowsy do not drive or use machinery.
Cinnarizine contains lactose
If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
3. How to take Cinnarizine
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:
Problems with balance:
Use in adults, elderly and adolescents over 12 years - Two tablets three times a day.
Use in children 5 – 12 years old - One tablet three times a day.
Travel sickness:
Use in adults, elderly and adolescents over 12 years - Two tablets taken two hours before your journey and if necessary, one tablet taken every eight hours during your journey.
Use in children 5 – 12 years old - One tablet two hours before your journey and if necessary, half a tablet every eight hours during your journey.
Use in children under 5 years - Cinnarizine is not recommended for children under the age of 5.
These tablets may be sucked, chewed or swallowed whole with water. Take these tablets after meals.
If you take more Cinnarizine than you should
If you accidentally take too many tablets or if a young child takes this medicine by accident, contact your doctor or nearest hospital emergency department immediately. You may be sick, feel sick or have an upset tummy, be shaking, have uncontrollable muscle spasms, weakness or floppy muscles, become drowsy or lose consciousness. Young children may also experience seizures.
If you forget to take Cinnarizine
Take the next dose as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking Cinnarizine
Do not stop taking your treatment without talking to your doctor, even though you may feel better or if you feel the tablets are not working.
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.
Stop taking Cinnarizine and seek medical help immediately if you have any of the following:
Not known (cannot be estimated from the available data)
- yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, dark urine, pale stools, tiredness, fever, nausea, weakness, drowsiness or abdominal pain. These may indicate you have serious problems with your liver
- red, lumpy, itchy rash which may also have some silvery scales on areas of skin exposed to sunlight
- allergic reactions such as a rash or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, difficulty breathing
Other side effects:
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
- drowsiness
- feeling sick (nausea), indigestion
- increase in weight
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
- Hypersomnia (excessive sleeping)
- being sick
- excessive sweating
- patches of spots, red or pinkish skin, with a crust
Rare (affects less than 1 in 1,000 people)
- Indigestion
- Upper abdominal pain
Not known (cannot be estimated from the available data)
- shaking, uncontrollable twitching or twisting movements, muscle stiffness, restless legs, stiff posture with a slow shuffling walk. You may also feel depressed
- headache
- dry mouth
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 any 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 Cinnarizine
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children. This medicine does not require any special storage conditions. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton after ‘EXP’. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. 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 Cinnarizine contains
The active substance is cinnarizine.
The other ingredients are: maize starch, lactose (see section 2 ‘Cinnarizine contains lactose’), mannitol, magnesium stearate and talc.
What Cinnarizine looks like and contents of the pack
Your medicine comes as a white, flat, bevel-edged tablet and marked ‘G’ on both sides. Cinnarizine is available in blister packs or plastic bottles of 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 84 and 100 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Viatris,
Station Close,
Potters Bar,
EN6 1TL,
United Kingdom.
Manufacturer
Generics [UK] Limited
Potters Bar
Hertfordshire
EN6 1TL
United Kingdom
Gerard Laboratories
35/36, Baldoyle Industrial Estate, Grange Road, Dublin 13,
Ireland