Patient leaflet - Detrusitol 2 mg tablets, Tolterodine Tartrate 2 mg tablets
1. What Detrusitol is and what it is used for
The active substance in Detrusitol is tolterodine. Tolterodine belongs to a class of medicinal products called antimuscarinics.
Detrusitol is used for the treatment of the symptoms of overactive bladder syndrome. If you have overactive bladder syndrome, you may find that:
- you are unable to control urination,
- you need to rush to the toilet with no advance warning and/or go to the toilet frequently.
2. What you need to know before you take Detrusitol
Do not take Detrusitol if you:
- are allergic (hypersensitive) to tolterodine or any of the other ingredients in Detrusitol (listed in section 6)
- are unable to pass urine from the bladder (urinary retention)
- have an uncontrolled narrow-angle glaucoma (high pressure in the eyes with loss of eyesight that is not being adequately treated)
- suffer from myasthenia gravis (excessive weakness of the muscles)
- suffer from severe ulcerative colitis (ulceration and inflammation of the colon)
- suffer from a toxic megacolon (acute dilatation of the colon).
Warnings and precautions
- If you have difficulties in passing urine and/or a poor stream of urine
- If you have a gastro-intestinal disease that affects the passage and/or digestion of food
- If you suffer from kidney problems (renal insufficiency)
- If you have a liver condition
- If you suffer from neuronal disorders that affect your blood pressure, bowel or sexual function (any neuropathy of the autonomic nervous system)
- If you have a hiatal hernia (herniation of an abdominal organ)
- If you ever experience decreased bowel movements or suffer from severe constipation (decreased gastro-intestinal motility)
If you have a heart condition such as:
- an abnormal heart tracing (ECG);
- a slow heart rate (bradycardia);
relevant pre-existing cardiac diseases such as:
- cardiomyopathy (weak heart muscle)
- myocardial ischaemia (reduced blood flow to the heart)
- arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
- and heart failure
- If you have abnormally low levels of potassium (hypokalaemia), calcium (hypocalcaemia) or magnesium (hypomagnesaemia) in your blood.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting your treatment with Detrusitol if you think any of these might apply to you.
Other medicines and Detrusitol
Tolterodine, the active substance of Detrusitol, may interact with other medicinal products.
It is not recommended to use tolterodine in combination with:
- some antibiotics (containing e.g. erythromycin, clarithromycin)
- medicinal products used for the treatment of fungal infections (containing e.g. ketoconazole, itraconazole)
- medicinal products used for the treatment of HIV.
Detrusitol should be used with caution when taken in combination with:
- medicines that affect the passage of food (containing e.g. metoclopramide and cisapride)
- medicines for the treatment of irregular heartbeat (containing e.g. amiodarone, sotalol, quinidine, procainamide)
- other medicines with a similar mode of action to Detrusitol (antimuscarinic properties) or medicines with an opposite mode of action to Detrusitol (cholinergic properties). Ask your doctor if you are unsure.
Please tell your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
Detrusitol with food and drink
Detrusitol can be taken before, after or during a meal.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Pregnancy
You should not use Detrusitol when you are pregnant. Tell your doctor immediately if you are pregnant, think you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant.
Breast-feeding
It is not known if tolterodine, the active substance of Detrusitol, is excreted in the mother’s breast milk. Breast-feeding is not recommended during administration of Detrusitol.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.
Driving and using machines
Detrusitol may make you feel dizzy, tired or affect your sight; your ability to drive or operate machinery may be affected.
Detrusitol contains sodium
Detrusitol contains less than 1mmol sodium (23mg) per 1mg and 2mg film-coated tablets, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
3. How to take Detrusitol Dosage
Always take Detrusitol exactly as your doctor has told you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The usual dose is one 2mg tablet twice daily, except for patients who have a kidney or a liver condition or troublesome side effects in which case your doctor may reduce your dose to one 1mg tablet twice daily.
Detrusitol is not recommended for children.
The tablets are for oral use and should be swallowed whole.
Duration of treatment
Your doctor will tell you how long your treatment with Detrusitol will last. Do not stop treatment early because you do not see an immediate effect. Your bladder will need some time to adapt. Finish the course of tablets prescribed by your doctor. If you have not noticed any effect by then, talk to your doctor.
The benefit of the treatment should be re-evaluated after 2 or 3 months.
Always consult your doctor if you are thinking of stopping the treatment.
If you take more Detrusitol than you should:
If you or somebody else takes too many tablets, contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately. If you forget to take Detrusitol
If you forget to take a dose at the usual time, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for your next dose. In that case, omit the forgotten dose and follow the normal dose schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten one.
If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
You should see your doctor immediately or go to the casualty department if you experience symptoms of angioedema such as:
- swollen face, tongue or pharynx
- difficulty to swallow
- hives and difficulty in breathing
You should also seek medical attention if you experience a hypersensitivity reaction (for example itching, rash, hives, difficulty breathing). This occurs uncommonly (occurs in less than 1 in 100 patients).
Tell your doctor immediately or go to the casualty department if you notice any of the following:
- chest pain, difficulty breathing or getting tired easily (even at rest), difficulty breathing at night, swelling of the legs.
These may be symptoms of heart failure. This occurs uncommonly (occurs in less than 1 in 100 patients).
The following side effects have been observed during treatment with Detrusitol with the following frequencies.
Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people
- Dry mouth
- Headache
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people
- Bronchitis
- Dizziness, sleepiness, sensation of pins and needles in the fingers and toes
- Dry eyes, blurred vision
- Vertigo
- Palpitations
- Difficulty with digestion (dyspepsia), constipation, abdominal pain, excessive amounts of air or gases in the stomach or the intestine, vomiting
- Dry skin
- Painful or difficult urination, inability to empty the bladder
- Tiredness, chest pain, extra fluid in the body causing swelling (e.g. in the ankles)
- Increased weight
- Diarrhoea
Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people
- Allergic reactions
- Nervousness
- Increased heart rate, heart failure, irregular heartbeat
- Heart burn
- Memory impairment
Additional reactions reported include severe allergic reactions, confusion, hallucinations, flushed skin, angioedema and disorientation. There have also been reports of worsening symptoms of dementia in patients being treated for dementia.
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 Detrusitol
Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
No special precautions for storage.
Do not take the tablets after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and blister labels after ‘Exp’. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
If the tablet becomes discolored 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 Detrusitol contains
The active ingredient in the Detrusitol is tolterodine tartrate.
Each tablet contains 2mg tolterodine tartrate (equivalent to 1.37mg of tolterodine).
The other ingredients are: microcrystalline cellulose, calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, sodium starch glycollate (Type B), colloidal anhydrous silica, hypromellose, stearic acid, titanium dioxide (E171) and magnesium stearate.
What Detrusitol looks like and contents of the pack
Detrusitol is white, round, biconvex, film-coated tablets marked with arcs above and below the lettering ‘DT’ on one side and plain on the other.
Detrusitol is available in the following pack size: Blister packs containing 56 tablets.
Manufactured by: Pfizer Italia S.r.l., Località Marino del Tronto, 63100 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.
Detrusitol® 2mg tablets; PL 18799/2547
Leaflet date: 22.02.2022
Detrusitol is a registered trademark of Pfizer Health AB.
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