Patient leaflet - Olsalazine Sodium 500 mg tablets, Dipentum 500 mg tablets
1. What Dipentum is for
Dipentum belongs to a group of medicines called aminosalicylates.
Dipentum works by reducing pain and swelling (inflammation) in the intestine. It reduces the actions of substances in the body that cause inflammation.
Dipentum is used to treat an inflammation of your large intestine (colon) called ulcerative colitis. It is used for short-term (acute) attacks (called ‘flare-ups’), and at a lower dose to maintain the improvement (maintenance treatment) and keep away further ‘flare-ups’.
If untreated, a severe attack of ulcerative colitis may cause death due to dehydration and bursting of the colon (peritonitis).
2. Before you take Dipentum
Do not take if:
You are allergic to olsalazine sodium or any of
the other ingredients of Dipentum (see section
6)
You have ever had an allergic reaction to any
salicylates (e.g. aspirin and aspirin-containing products, including those bought over the counter)
- You have severe kidney disease
You are a child under 12.
If any of the above apply to you talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Take special care
Before you start taking Dipentum your doctor will do a blood test. This will be repeated every three months for the first year, every six months for the next four years and then once a year. This is to see how well your liver and kidneys are functioning.
You should also check for signs of worsening of allergies such as asthma.
Tell your doctor immediately if you develop unexplained bruising or bleeding accompanied with fever, dizziness, sore throat and mouth ulcers. You could have developed a blood disorder.
Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
Aspirin or any other aspirin-containing
medicines or salicylates
- Other drugs to treat ulcerative colitis
- Blood thinning agents such as warfarin or heparin or heparinoids
Drugs that treat irritable bowel syndrome and cancer such as thioguanine and
6 mercaptopurine
If you have recently had chickenpox vaccination
(taking Dipentum may cause a greater risk of Reye's syndrome; a life-threatening condition)
- Any other medicine, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
Taking Dipentum with food and drink Always take Dipentum with a glass of water after food.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant, or trying to become pregnant or breast-feeding, talk to your doctor before taking Dipentum.
Driving and using machines
If you experience dizziness and/or blurred vision whilst taking Dipentum do not drive or use machinery.
3. How to take Dipentum
Always use Dipentum exactly as your doctor has told you.
Important:
Your doctor will choose the dose that is right for you. Your dose will be shown clearly on the label that your pharmacist puts on your medicine. If it does not, or you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Remember: Your medicine should always be taken after food
Adults, children over 12 and the elderly
Acute flare-ups
The usual starting dose is two tablets a day
(one in the morning, one in the evening at the end of a meal).
- Your doctor may increase your dose until your condition improves.
- You must not take more than six tablets a day or more than two tablets at a time
- If a ‘flare-up’ is severe you are likely to be given additional medicines.
Maintenance treatment
- Once the ‘flare-up’ is controlled your doctor may gradually reduce your dose to one tablet twice a day (one in the morning, one in the evening at the end of a meal).
- This is to prevent further ‘flare-ups’
- You may remain on this treatment, provided it remains effective, for a long period of time.
If you take more Dipentum than you should Do not take more Dipentum than you should. If you have taken too many, immediately go to the nearest hospital casualty department or your doctor. Take your tablets and this leaflet with you. Signs of taking too many Dipentum include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
If you forget to take Dipentum
If you forget a dose take the next one as usual. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.
If you stop taking Dipentum
Do not stop taking Dipentum without first talking to your doctor even if your symptoms have improved.
Information about the ingredients
This medicine contains small amounts of ethanol (alcohol), less than 100mg per tablet. If you have any further questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines Dipentum can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Seek immediate medical help if you have any of the following symptoms (the frequency of these side effects is unknown):
Swelling of face, lips, tongue or throat which
may cause difficulty in swallowing/breathing
Blood disorders (reduced number of blood
cells) where you could have the following symptoms: bruise or bleed easily, have a persistent sore throat, mouth ulcers, dizziness and feeling tired and feverish
Pancreatitis where you could have the following
symptoms: severe stomach pain, fever, feeling sick/being sick
Liver disease where you could have the
following symptoms: feeling sick/being sick, loss of appetite, feeling generally unwell, itching and the whites of the eyes may become yellow.
Other possible side effects:
Common (affects less than 1 in 10 people):
- Headache
Diarrhoea. It does not usually last very long, but
taking your medicine at the end of a meal helps to reduce diarrhoea.
- Feeling sick
- Rash
- Joint pain
Uncommon (affects less than 1 in 100 people):
- Fever
- Being sick
- Indigestion
Raised liver enzymes (tests your doctor may
perform will show changed liver function)
- Itching and/or hives, a nettle-like rash
- Unusual hair loss
- Light sensitivity
- Increased heart rate
- Shortness of breath
- Muscle pain
- Pins and needles
- Depression
- Dizziness
The frequency of the following side effects is unknown:
Altered breakdown of blood cells in the liver
which could result in jaundice (yellowing of skin/eyes)
- Stomach pain
- Inflammation of heart muscle
- Awareness of your heartbeat
- Inflammation of sac around heart muscle
- Pain in passing urine or blood in the urine
- Difficulty in breathing
- Blurred vision
Loss of touch sensation/numbness
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 Dipentum
Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not store above 25°C.
Store in the original container.
Store in a dry place.
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 tablets become discoloured or show any signs of deterioration, seek the advice of your pharmacist.
Remember if your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine, return any unused medicine to your pharmacist for safe disposal. Only keep this medicine if your doctor tells you to.
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. Further information
What Dipentum contains
The active ingredient in Dipentum is olsalazine sodium.
Each tablet contains 500mg olsalazine sodium.
The other ingredients are magnesium stearate, colloidal silicon dioxide, polyvidone 30, crospovidone and ethanol 99.5%.
What Dipentum looks like and contents of the pack
Dipentum is yellow, capsule-shaped tablets debossed with ‘D500’ on one side and scored on the other side.
It is available in plastic bottle containing 100 tablets.
Manufactured by: Waymade plc, Sovereign House, Miles Gray Road, Basildon, Essex, SS14 3FR, UK.
Procured from within the EU and repackaged by the Product Licence holder: B&S Healthcare, Unit 4, Bradfield Road, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 0NU, UK.
Dipentum® 500mg tablets; PL 18799/3034
Leaflet date: 29.06.2018
Dipentum is the registered mark of Atnahs Pharma UK Ltd.
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