Patient leaflet - Oprymea 1.57 mg prolonged-release tablets
1. What Pramipexole Krka is and what it is used for
Pramipexole Krka contains the active substance pramipexole and belongs to a group of medicines known as dopamine agonists, which stimulate dopamine receptors in the brain. Stimulation of the dopamine receptors triggers nerve impulses in the brain that help to control body movements.
Pramipexole Krka is used to treat the symptoms of primary Parkinson’s disease in adults. It can be used alone or in
combination with levodopa (another medicine for Parkinson’s disease).
2. What you need to know before you take Pramipexole Krka
Do not take Pramipexole Krka
- if you are allergic to pramipexole or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor before taking Pramipexole Krka. Tell your doctor if you have (had) or develop any medical conditions or symptoms, especially any of the following:
- Kidney disease
- Hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling things that are not there). Most hallucinations are visual
- Dyskinesia (e.g. abnormal, uncontrolled movements of the limbs). If you have advanced Parkinson’s disease and are also taking levodopa, you might develop dyskinesia during the up-titration of Pramipexole Krka
- Dystonia (inability of keeping your body and neck straight and upright (axial dystonia)). In particular, you may experience forward flexion of the head and neck (also called antecollis), forward bending of the lower back (also called camptocormia) or sidewards bending of the back (also called pleurothotonus or Pisa Syndrome). If this happens, your doctor may want to change your medication.
- Sleepiness and episodes of suddenly falling asleep
- Psychosis (e.g. comparable with symptoms of schizophrenia)
Vision impairment. You should have regular eye examinations during treatment with Pramipexole Krka
- Severe heart or blood vessels disease. You will need to have your blood pressure checked regularly, especially at the beginning of treatment. This is to avoid postural hypotension (a fall in blood pressure on standing up). 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 preoccupation with an increase in sexual thoughts or feelings. Your doctor may need to adjust or stop your dose.
Tell your doctor if you or your family/carer notices that you are developing mania (agitation, feeling elated or over-excited) or delirium (decreased awareness, confusion or loss of reality). Your doctor may need to adjust or stop your dose.
Tell your doctor if you experience symptoms such as depression, apathy, anxiety, fatigue, sweating or pain after stopping or reducing your Pramipexole Krka treatment. If the problems persist more than a few weeks, your doctor may need to adjust your treatment.
Pramipexole Krka prolonged-release tablet is a specially designed tablet from which the active ingredient is gradually released, once the tablet has been ingested. Parts of tablets may occasionally be passed and seen in the stool (faeces) and may look like whole tablets. Inform your doctor if you find tablet pieces in your faeces.
Children and adolescents
Pramipexole Krka is not recommended for use in children or adolescents under 18 years.
Other medicines and Pramipexole Krka
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines, herbal remedies, health foods or supplements that you have obtained without a prescription. You should avoid taking Pramipexole Krka together with antipsychotic medicines.
Take care if you are taking the following medicines:
- cimetidine (to treat excess stomach acid and stomach ulcers)
- amantadine (which can be used to treat Parkinson’s disease)
- mexiletine (to treat irregular heartbeats, a condition known as ventricular arrhythmia)
- zidovudine (which can be used to treat the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), a disease of the human immune system)
- cisplatin (to treat various types of cancers)
- quinine (which can be used for the prevention of painful night-time leg cramps and for the treatment of a type of malaria known as falciparum malaria (malignant malaria))
- procainamide (to treat irregular heart beat). If you are taking levodopa, the dose of levodopa is recommended to be reduced when you start treatment with Pramipexole Krka.
Take care if you are using any medicines that calm you down (have a sedative effect) or if you are drinking alcohol. In these cases Pramipexole Krka may affect your ability to drive and operate machinery.
Pramipexole Krka with food, drink and alcohol
You should be cautious while drinking alcohol during treatment with Pramipexole Krka.
Pramipexole Krka can be taken with or without food. Pregnancy and 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. Your doctor will then discuss with you if you should continue to take Pramipexole Krka.
The effect of Pramipexole Krka on the unborn child is not known. Therefore, do not take Pramipexole Krka if you are pregnant unless your doctor tells you to do so. Pramipexole Krka should not be used during breast-feeding. Pramipexole Krka can reduce the production of breast milk. Also, it can pass into the breast milk and can reach your baby. If use of Pramipexole Krka is unavoidable, breast-feeding should be stopped. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.
Driving and using machines
Pramipexole Krka can cause hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling things that are not there). If affected, do not drive or use machines.
Pramipexole Krka has been associated with sleepiness and episodes of suddenly falling asleep, particularly in patients with Parkinson’s disease. If you experience these side effects, you must not drive or operate machinery. You should tell your doctor if this occurs.
3. How to take Pramipexole Krka
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 doctor will advise you on the right dosing.
Take Pramipexole Krka prolonged-release tablets only once a day and each day at about the same time. You can take Pramipexole Krka with or without food. Swallow the tablets whole with water.
Do not chew, divide or crush the prolonged-release tablets. If you do, there is a danger you could overdose, because the medicine may be released into your body too quickly.
During the first week, the usual daily dose is 0.26 mg pramipexole. The dose will be increased every 5-7 days as directed by your doctor until your symptoms are controlled (maintenance dose).
| Ascending dose schedule of Pramipexole Krka prolonged-release tablets | ||
| Week | Daily dose (mg) | Number of tablets |
| 1 | 0.26 | One Pramipexole Krka 0.26 mg prolonged-release tablet. |
| 2 | 0.52 | One Pramipexole Krka 0.52 mg prolonged-release tablet, OR two Pramipexole Krka 0.26 mg prolonged-release tablets. |
| 3 | 1.05 | One Pramipexole Krka 1.05 mg prolonged-release tablet, OR two Pramipexole Krka 0.52 mg prolonged-release tablets, OR four Pramipexole Krka 0.26 mg prolonged-release tablets. |
The usual maintenance dose is 1.05 mg per day. However, your dose may have to be increased even further. If necessary, your doctor may increase your dose up to a maximum of 3.15 mg of pramipexole a day. A lower maintenance dose of one Pramipexole Krka 0.26 mg prolonged-release tablet a day is also possible. Patients with kidney disease
If you have kidney disease, your doctor may advise you to take the usual starting dose of 0.26 mg prolonged-release tablets only every other day for the first week. After that, your doctor may increase the dosing frequency to one 0.26 mg prolonged-release tablet every day. If a further dose increase is necessary, your doctor may adjust it in steps of 0.26 mg pramipexole.
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If you have serious kidney problems, your doctor may need to switch you to a different pramipexole medicine. If during treatment your kidney problems get worse, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.
If you are switching from Pramipexole Krka (immediate release) tablets
Your doctor will base your dose of Pramipexole Krka prolonged-release tablets on the dose of Pramipexole Krka (immediate release) tablets you were taking.
Take your Pramipexole Krka (immediate release) tablets as normal the day before you switch. Then take your Pramipexole Krka prolonged-release tablets next morning and do not take any more Pramipexole Krka (immediate release) tablets.
If you take more Pramipexole Krka than you should
If you accidentally take too many tablets,
- Contact your doctor or nearest hospital casualty department immediately for advice.
- You may experience vomiting, restlessness, or any of the side effects as described in chapter 4 “Possible side effects”.
If you forget to take Pramipexole Krka
If you forget to take a dose of Pramipexole Krka, but remember within 12 hours of your usual time, take your tablet straightaway and then take your next tablet at the usual time.
If you forget for more than 12 hours, simply take the next single dose at the usual time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet dose.
If you stop taking Pramipexole Krka
Do not stop taking Pramipexole Krka without first talking to your doctor. If you have to stop taking this medicine, your doctor will reduce the dose gradually. This reduces the risk of worsening symptoms.
If you suffer from Parkinson’s disease you should not stop treatment with Pramipexole Krka abruptly. A sudden stop could cause you to develop a medical condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome which may represent a major health risk. The symptoms include:
- akinesia (loss of muscle movement)
- rigid muscles
- fever
- unstable blood pressure
- tachycardia (increased heart rate)
- confusion
- depressed level of consciousness (e.g. coma). If you stop or reduce Pramipexole Krka you may also develop a medical condition called dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome. The symptoms include depression, apathy, anxiety, fatigue, sweating or pain. If you experience these symptoms you should contact your physician.
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.
Evaluation of these side effects is based on the following frequencies:
Ve
| ry common | may affect more than 1 in 10 people |
Co
| mmon | may affect up to 1 in 10 people |
Un
| common | may affect up to 1 in 100 people |
Ra
| re | may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people |
Ve
| ry rare | may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people |
No
| t known | frequency cannot be estimated from the available data |
You may experience the following side effects: Very common:
- Dyskinesia (e.g. abnormal, uncontrolled movements of the limbs)
- Sleepiness
- Dizziness
- Nausea (sickness)
Common:
- Urge to behave in an unusual way
- Hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling things that are not there)
- Confusion
- Tiredness (fatigue)
- Sleeplessness (insomnia)
- Excess of fluid, usually in the legs (peripheral oedema)
- Headache
- Hypotension (low blood pressure)
- Abnormal dreams
- Constipation
- Visual impairment
- Vomiting (being sick)
Weight loss including decreased appetite
Uncommon:
- Paranoia (e.g. excessive fear for one’s own well-being)
- Delusion
- Excessive daytime sleepiness and suddenly falling asleep
- Amnesia (memory disturbance)
- Hyperkinesia (increased movements and inability to keep still)
- Weight increase
- Allergic reactions (e.g. rash, itching, hypersensitivity)
- Fainting
- Cardiac failure (heart problems which can cause shortness of breath or ankle swelling)*
- Inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion*
- Restlessness
- Dyspnoea (difficulties to breathe)
- Hiccups
- Pneumonia (infection of the lungs)
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)*
Delirium (decreased awareness, confusion, loss of reality)
Rare:
- Mania (agitation, feeling elated or over-excited)
- Spontaneous penile erection
Not known:
- After stopping or reducing your Pramipexole Krka treatment: Depression, apathy, anxiety, fatigue, sweating or pain may occur (called dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome or DAWS).
Tell your doctor if you experience any of these behaviors; he will discuss ways of managing or reducing the symptoms.
For the side effects marked with * a precise frequency estimation is not possible, since these side effects were not observed in clinical studies among 2,762 patients treated with pramipexole. The frequency category is probably not greater than »uncommon«.
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 Yellow Card Scheme,
Website: yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk 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 Pramipexole Krka
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the packaging after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Store in the original package in order to protect from moisture. This medicine does not require any special temperature storage conditions.
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 Pramipexole Krka contains
- The active substance is pramipexole. Each prolonged-release tablet contains 0.26 mg, 0.52 mg, 1.05 mg, 1.57 mg, 2.1 mg, 2.62 mg or 3.15 mg pramipexole as 0.375 mg, 0.75 mg, 1.5 mg, 2.25 mg, 3 mg, 3.75 mg or 4.5 mg pramipexole dihydrochloride monohydrate, respectively.
- The other ingredients are hypromellose, maize starch, colloidal anhydrous silica and magnesium stearate. What Pramipexole Krka looks like and contents of the pack
Pramipexole Krka 0.26 mg prolonged-release tablets are white or almost white, round (diameter 10 mm), slightly biconvex tablets engraved with P1 on one side, with bevelled edges and possible spots.
Pramipexole Krka 0.52 mg prolonged-release tablets are white or almost white, round (diameter 10 mm), slightly biconvex tablets engraved with P2 on one side, with bevelled edges and possible spots.
Pramipexole Krka 1.05 mg prolonged-release tablets are white or almost white, round (diameter 10 mm), slightly
biconvex tablets engraved with P3 on one side, with bevelled edges and possible spots.
Pramipexole Krka 1.57 mg prolonged-release tablets are white or almost white, round (diameter 10 mm), slightly biconvex tablets engraved with P12 on one side, with bevelled edges and possible spots.
Pramipexole Krka 2.1 mg prolonged-release tablets are white or almost white, round (diameter 10 mm), slightly biconvex tablets engraved with P4 on one side, with bevelled edges and possible spots.
Pramipexole Krka 2.62 mg prolonged-release tablets are white or almost white, round (diameter 10 mm), slightly biconvex tablets engraved with P13 on one side and 262 on the other side, with bevelled edges and possible spots. Pramipexole Krka 3.15 mg prolonged-release tablets are white or almost white, round (diameter 10 mm), slightly biconvex tablets engraved with P5 on one side and 315 on the other side, with bevelled edges and possible spots. Boxes of 10, 30, 90 and 100 tablets in blisters of 10 tablets are available.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder
KRKA, d.d., Novo mesto, Šmarješka cesta 6, 8501 Novo mesto, Slovenia
Manufacturer
KRKA, d.d., Novo mesto, Šmarješka cesta 6, 8501 Novo mesto, Slovenia
