TREMAPECIL 125 MG / 31.25 MG / 200 MG - patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

Tremapecil 50 mg/12.5 mg/200 mg film-coated tablets Tremapecil 75 mg/18.75 mg/200 mg film-coated tablets Tremapecil 100 mg/25 mg/200 mg film-coated tablets Tremapecil 125 mg/31.25 mg/200 mg film-coated tablets

Tremapecil

150 mg/37.5 mg/200 mg film-coated tablets Tremapecil 200 mg/50 mg/200 mg film-coated tablets

levodopa/carbi­dopa/entacapo­ne

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

• – Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.

• – If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

• – This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.

• – If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

What is in this leaflet

• 1. What Tremapecil is and what it is used for

• 2. What you need to know before you take Tremapecil

• 3. How to take Tremapecil

• 4. Possible side effects

• 5. How to store Tremapecil

• 6. Contents of the pack and other information

Tremapecil contains three active substances (levodopa, carbidopa and entacapone) in one film coated tablet. Tremapecil is used for the treatment of Parkinson’s di­sease.

Parkinson’s disease is caused by low levels of a substance called dopamine in the brain. Levodopa increases the amount of dopamine and hence reduces the symptoms of Parkinson’s di­sease.

Carbidopa and entacapone improve the antiparkinson effects of levodopa.

Do not take Tremapecil if you – are allergic to levodopa, carbidopa or entacapone, or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)

• – have narrow-angle glaucoma (an eye disorder)

• – have a tumour of the adrenal gland – are taking certain medicines for treating depression (combinations of selective MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors, or non-selective MAO-inhibitors)

• – have ever had neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS – this is a rare reaction to medicines used to treat severe mental disorders)

• – have ever had non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis (a rare muscle disorder) – have a severe liver disease.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Tremapecil if you have or have ever had:

• – a heart attack or any other diseases of the heart including cardiac arrhythmias, or of the blood vessels

• – asthma or any other disease of the lungs – a liver problem, because your dose may need to be adjusted

• – kidney or hormone-related diseases – stomach ulcers or convulsions – if you experience prolonged diarrhoea consult your doctor as it may be a sign of inflammation of the colon

• – any form of severe mental disorder like psychosis

• – chronic wide-angle glaucoma, because your dose may need to be adjusted and the pressure in your eyes may need to be monitored.

Consult your doctor if you are currently taking:

• – antipsychotics (medicines used to treat psychosis)

• – a medicine which may cause low blood pressure when rising from a chair or bed. You should be aware that Tremapecil may make these reactions worse.

Consult your doctor if during the treatment with Tremapecil you:

• – notice that your muscles get very rigid or jerk violently, or if you get tremors, agitation, confusion, fever, rapid pulse, or wide fluctuations in your blood pressure. If any of this happens, contact your doctor immediately

• – feel depressed, have suicidal thoughts, or notice unusual changes in your behaviour

• – find yourself suddenly falling asleep, or if you feel very drowsy. If this happens, you should not drive or use any tools or machines (see also section ‚Driving and using machines‘)

• – notice that uncontrolled movements begin or get worse after you started to take Tremapecil. If this happens, your doctor may need to change the dose of your antiparkinson medicine

• – experience diarrhoea: monitoring of your weight is recommended in order to avoid potentially excessive weight loss

• – experience progressive anorexia, asthenia (weakness, exhaustion) and weight decrease within a relatively short period of time. If this happens, a general medical evaluation including liver function should be considered

• – feel the need to stop using Tremapecil, see section ‚If you stop taking Tremapecil‘.

Tell your doctor if you or your family/carer notices you are developing addiction-like symptoms leading to craving for large doses of Tremapecil and other medicines used to treat Parkinson’s di­sease.

Tell your doctor if you or your family/carer notices you are developing urges or cravings to behave in ways that are unusual for you or you cannot resist the impulse, drive or temptation to carry out certain activities that could harm yourself or others. These behaviours are called impulse control disorders and can include addictive gambling, excessive eating or spending, an abnormally high sex drive or a preoccupation with an increase in sexual thoughts or feelings. Your doctor may need to review your treatments.

Your doctor may take some regular laboratory tests during a long term treatment with Tremapecil.

If you must undergo surgery, please tell your doctor that you are using Tremapecil.

Tremapecil is not recommended to be used for treatment of extrapyramidal symptoms (e.g. involuntary movements, shaking, muscle rigidity and muscle contractions) caused by other medicines.

Children and adolescents

Experience with Tremapecil in patients under 18 years is limited. Therefore, the use of Tremapecil in children is not recommended.

Other medicines and Tremapecil

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Do not take Tremapecil if you are taking certain medicines for treating depression (combinations of selective MAO A and MAO B inhibitors, or non selective MAO inhibitors).

Tremapecil may increase the effects and side effects of certain medicines.

These include:

• – medicines used to treat depression such as moclobemide, amitryptiline, desipramine, maprotiline, venlafaxine and paroxetine

• – rimiterole and isoprenaline, used to treat respiratory diseases

• – adrenaline, used for severe allergic reactions

• – noradrenaline, dopamine and dobutamine, used to treat heart diseases and low blood pressure

• – alpha-methyldopa, used to treat high blood pressure

• – apomorphine, which is used to treat Parkinson’s di­sease.

The effects of Tremapecil may be weakened by certain medicines. These include:

• – dopamine antagonists used to treat mental disorders, nausea and vomiting

• – phenytoin, used to prevent convulsions – papaverine used to relax the muscles.

Tremapecil may make it harder for you to digest iron. Therefore, do not take Tremapecil and iron supplements at the same time. After taking one of them, wait at least 2 to 3 hours before taking the other.

Tremapecil with food and drink

Tremapecil may be taken with or without food. For some patients, Tremapecil may not be well absorbed if it is taken with, or shortly after eating protein-rich food (such as meats, fish, dairy products, seeds and nuts). Consult your doctor if you think this applies to you.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility

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.

You should not breast-feed during treatment with Tremapecil.

Driving and using machines

Tremapecil may lower your blood pressure, which may make you feel light-headed or dizzy. Therefore, be particularly careful when you drive or when you use any tools or machines.

If you feel very drowsy, or if you sometimes find yourself suddenly falling asleep, wait until you feel fully awake again before driving or doing anything else that requires you to be alert. Otherwise, you may put yourself and others at risk of serious injury or death.

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

For adults and elderly:

• – Your doctor will tell you exactly how many tablets of Tremapecil to take each day.

• – The tablets are not intended to be split or broken into smaller pieces.

• – You should take only one tablet each time.

• – Depending on how you respond to treatment, your doctor may suggest a higher or lower dose.

• – If you are taking Tremapecil 50 mg/12.5 mg/200 mg, 75 mg/18.75 mg/200 mg, 100 mg/25 mg/200 mg, 125 mg/31.25 mg/200 mg or 150 mg/37.5 mg/200 mg film-coated tablets, do not take more than 10 tablets per day.

• – If you are taking Tremapecil 200 mg/50 mg/200 mg film-coated tablets, do not take more than 7 tablets of this strength per day.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you think the effect of Tremapecil is too strong or too weak, or if you experience possible side effects.

If you take more Tremapecil than you should

If you have accidentally taken more Tremapecil than you should, talk to your doctor or pharmacist immediately. In case of an overdose you may feel confused or agitated, your heart rate may be slower or faster than normal or the color of your skin, tongue, eyes or urine may change.

If you forget to take Tremapecil

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet.

If it is more than 1 hour until your next dose:

Take one tablet as soon as you remember, and the next tablet at the normal time.

If it is less than 1 hour until your next dose:

Take a tablet as soon as you remember, wait 1 hour, then take another tablet. After that carry on as normal.

Always leave at least an hour between Tremapecil, to avoid possible side effects.

If you stop taking Tremapecil

Do not stop taking Tremapecil unless your doctor tells you to. In such a case your doctor may need to adjust your other antiparkinson medicines, especially levodopa, to give sufficient control of your symptoms. If you suddenly stop taking Tremapecil and other antiparkinsonian medicines it may result in unwanted side effects.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Placement for Pharmacode no.

Placement for internal code no.

Placement for Pharmacode no.