VIMPAT 100 MG FILM-COATED TABLETS - patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

Vimpat® 100 mg film-coated tablets

(lacosamide)

Your medicine is known by the above name, but will be referred to as “Vimpat” throughout this leaflet. Please note that the leaflet also contains information about other strengths (Vimpat® 50 mg film-coated tablets, Vimpat® 150 mg film-coated tablets and Vimpat® 200 mg film-coated tablets).

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 Vimpat is and what it is used for

2. What you need to know before you take Vimpat

3. How to take Vimpat

4. Possible side effects

5. How to store Vimpat

6. Contents of the pack and other information

• 1. What Vimpat is and what it is used fo
  
  What Vimpat is

  Vimpat contains lacosamide. This belongs to a group of medicines called “antiepileptic medicines”. These medicines are used to treat epilepsy.

• ■ You have been given this medicine to lower the number of fits (seizures) you have.

What Vimpat is used for

• ■ Vimpat is used in adults, adolescents and children aged 4 years and older.

• ■ It is used:

• ■ on its own and in association with other antiepileptic medicines to treat a certain type of epilepsy characterised by the occurrence of partial-onset seizure with or without secondary generalisation. In this type of epilepsy, fits first affect only one side of your brain. However, these may then spread to larger areas on both sides of your brain;

• ■ in association with other antiepileptic medicines to treat primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures (major fits, including loss of consciousness) in patients with idiopathic generalised epilepsy (the type of epilepsy that is thought to have a genetic cause).

|2. What you need to know before you take Vimpat

Do not take Vimpat

■ if you are allergic to lacosamide, or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). If you are not sure whether you are allergic, please discuss with your doctor.

• ■ if you have a certain type of heartbeat problem called second- or third-degree AV block.

Do not take Vimpat if any of the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor before taking Vimpat if:

• ■ you have thoughts of harming or killing yourself. A small number of people being treated with antiepileptic medicinal products such as lacosamide have had thoughts of harming or killing themselves. If you have any of these thoughts at any time, tell your doctor straight away.

• ■ you have a heart problem that affects the beat of your heart and you often have

a particularly slow, fast or irregular heartbeat (such as AV block, atrial fibrillation

and atrial flutter).

• ■ you have severe heart disease such as heart failure or have had a heart attack.

• ■ you are often dizzy or fall over. Vimpat may make you dizzy – this could

increase the risk of accidental injury or a fall. This means that you should take care until you are used to the effects of this medicine.

If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Vimpat.

If you are taking Vimpat, talk to your doctor if you are experiencing a new type of seizure or worsening of existing seizures.

If you are taking Vimpat and you are experiencing symptoms of abnormal heartbeat (such as slow, rapid or irregular heartbeat, palpitations, shortness of breath, feeling lightheaded, fainting), seek medical advice immediately (see section 4).

Children under 4 years

Vimpat is not recommended for children aged under 4 years. This is because we do not yet know whether it will work and whether it is safe for children in this age group.

Other medicines and Vimpat

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

In particular, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines that affect your heart – this is because Vimpat can also affect your heart:

• ■ medicines to treat heart problems;

• ■ medicines which can increase the “PR interval” on a scan of the heart (ECG or electrocardiogram) such as medicines for epilepsy or pain called carbamazepine, lamotrigine or pregabalin;

• ■ medicines used to treat certain types of irregular heartbeat or heart failure.

If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Vimpat.

Also tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines – this is because they may increase or decrease the effect of Vimpat on your body:

• ■ medicines for fungal infections called fluconazole, itraconazole or ketoconazole;

• ■ a medicine for HIV called ritonavir;

• ■ medicines used to treat bacterial infections called clarithromycin or rifampicin;

• ■ a herbal medicine used to treat mild anxiety and depression called St. John’s wort.

If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Vimpat.

Vimpat with alcohol

As a safety precaution do not take Vimpat with alcohol.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

It is not recommended to take Vimpat if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, as the effects of Vimpat on pregnancy and the unborn baby or the new-born child are not known. Also, it is not known whether Vimpat passes into breast milk. Seek advice immediately from your doctor if you get pregnant or are planning to become pregnant. They will help you decide if you should take Vimpat or not.

Do not stop treatment without talking to your doctor first as this could increase your fits (seizures). A worsening of your disease can also harm your baby.

Driving and using machines

Do not drive, cycle or use any tools or machines until you know how this medicine affects you. This is because Vimpat may make you feel dizzy or cause blurred vision.

3. how to take vimpat

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

Taking Vimpat

• ■ Take Vimpat twice each day – once in the morning and once in the evening.

• ■ Try to take it at about the same time each day.

• ■ Swallow the Vimpat tablet with a glass of water.

• ■ You may take Vimpat with or without food.

You will usually start by taking a low dose each day and your doctor will slowly increase this over a number of weeks. When you reach the dose that works for you, this is called the “maintenance dose”, you then take the same amount each day. Vimpat is used as a long term treatment. You should continue to take Vimpat until your doctor tells you to stop.

How much to take

Listed below are the normal recommended doses of Vimpat for different age groups and weights. Your doctor may prescribe a different dose if you have problems with your kidneys or with your liver.

Adolescents and children weighing 50 kg or more and adults

When you take Vimpat on its own

The usual starting dose of Vimpat is 50 mg twice a day.

Your doctor may also prescribe a starting dose of 100 mg of Vimpat twice a day.

Your doctor may increase your twice daily dose every week by 50 mg. This will be until you reach a maintenance dose between 100 mg and 300 mg twice a day.

When you take Vimpat with other antiepileptic medicines

The usual starting dose of Vimpat is 50 mg twice a day.

Your doctor may increase your twice daily dose every week by 50 mg. This will be until you reach a maintenance dose between 100 mg and 200 mg twice a day.

If you weigh 50 kg or more, your doctor may decide to start Vimpat treatment with a single “loading” dose of 200 mg. You would then start your ongoing maintenance dose 12 hours later.

Children and adolescent weighing less than 50 kg

The dose depends on their body weight. They usually start treatment with the syrup and only change to tablets if they are able to take tablets and get the correct dose with the different tablet strengths. The doctor will prescribe the formulation that is best suited to them.

If you take more Vimpat than you should	Uncommon : may affect up to 1 in 100 children ■ Feeling sleepy or lacking in energy (lethargy).
If you have taken more Vimpat than you should, contact your doctor immediately. Do not try to drive. You may experience:	Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from available data ■ Changes in behaviour, not acting like themselves.
■ dizziness; ■ feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting); ■ fits (seizures), heartbeat problems such a slow, fast or irregular heartbeat, coma or a fall in blood pressure with rapid heartbeat and sweating.	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
If you forget to take Vimpat	directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side
■ If you have missed a dose within the first 6 hours of the scheduled dose, take it as soon as you remember. ■ If you have missed a dose beyond the first 6 hours of the scheduled dose, do not take the missed tablet anymore. Instead take Vimpat at the next time that you would normally take it. ■ Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.	effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine. 5ircowFosorevmpat ■ 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 carton and blister after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
If you stop taking Vimpat	■ This medicine does not require any special storage conditions. ■ Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your
■ Do not stop taking Vimpat without talking to your doctor, as your epilepsy may come back again or become worse. ■ If your doctor decides to stop your treatment with Vimpat, they will tell you how to decrease the dose step by step. If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.	pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment. ■ If your medicine becomes discoloured or shows signs of any deterioration, consult your doctor or pharmacist who will tell you what to do. 6BRontensofnhe­rackandOheiin­formafflon
	What Vimpat contains
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.	■ The active substance is lacosamide. One tablet of Vimpat contains 100 mg lacosamide.
Nervous system side effects such as dizziness may be higher after a single “loading” dose.	■ The other ingredients are: Tablet core : microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl­cellulose, hydroxypropyl­cellulose (low substituted), colloidal anhydrous silica,
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you get any of the following:	crospovidone (polyplasdone XL-10 Pharmaceutical Grade), magnesium stearate.
Very common : may affect more than 1 in 10 people ■ Headache; ■ Feeling dizzy or sick (nausea); ■ Double vision (diplopia).	Film-coat : polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, talc, titanium dioxide (E171), colourants. The colourants are: yellow iron oxide (E172).
Common : may affect up to 1 in 10 people ■ Short jerks of a muscle or group of muscles (myoclonic seizures); ■ Difficulties in coordinating your movements or walking; ■ Problems in keeping your balance, shaking (tremor), tingling (paresthesia) or muscle spasms, falling easily and getting bruises; ■ Troubles with your memory, thinking or finding words, confusion; ■ Rapid and uncontrollable movements of the eyes (nystagmus), blurred vision; ■ A spinning sensation (vertigo), feeling drunk; ■ Being sick (vomiting), dry mouth, constipation, indigestion, excessive gas in the stomach or bowel, diarrhoea; ■ Decreased feeling or sensitivity, difficulty in articulating words, disturbance in attention; ■ Noise in the ear such as buzzing, ringing or whistling; ■ Irritability, trouble sleeping, depression; ■ Sleepiness, tiredness or weakness (asthenia); ■ Itching, rash.	What Vimpat looks like and contentsof the pack ■ Vimpat are dark yellow, oval film-coated tablets of approximately 13.2 mm x 6.1 mm with a debossed ‘SP’ on one side and ‘100’ on the other side. Vimpat is available in packs of 14 and 56 film-coated tablets. PLGB: 15814/1641 |POM| Manufacturer: UCB Pharma S.A., Chemin du Foriest, B-1420 Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium OR Aesica Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Alfred-Nobel Strasse 10, D-40789 Monheim am Rhein, Germany. Procured from within the EU and repackaged by the Product Licence holder: O.P.D. Laboratories Ltd., Colonial Way, Watford, Herts WD24 4PR. Leaflet revision and issue date (Ref.): 16.02.2022
Uncommon : may affect up to 1 in 100 people ■ Slow heart rate, palpitations, irregular pulse or other changes in the electrical activity of your heart (conduction disorder); ■ Exaggerated feeling of wellbeing, seeing and/or hearing things which are not there; ■ Allergic reaction to medicine intake, hives; ■ Blood tests may show abnormal liver function, liver injury; ■ Thoughts of harming or killing yourself or attempting suicide: tell your doctor straight away; ■ Feeling angry or agitated; ■ Abnormal thinking or losing touch with reality; ■ Serious allergic reaction which causes swelling of the face, throat, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs; ■ Fainting; ■ Abnormal involuntary movements (dyskinesia).	To request a copy of this leaflet in Braille, large print or audio please call 01923 332 796.

Not known : frequency cannot be estimated from available data

• ■ Abnormal rapid heartbeat (ventricular tachyarrhythmia);

• ■ A sore throat, high temperature and getting more infections than usual. Blood tests may show a severe decrease in a specific class of white blood cells (agranulocytosis);

• ■ A serious skin reaction which may include a high temperature and other flu-like symptoms, a rash on the face, extended rash, swollen glands (enlarged lymph nodes). Blood tests may show increased levels of liver enzymes and a type of white blood cell (eosinophilia);

• ■ A widespread rash with blisters and peeling skin, particularly around the mouth, nose, eyes and genitals (Stevens-Johnson syndrome), and a more severe form causing skin peeling in more than 30 % of the body surface (toxic epidermal necrolysis);

• ■ Convulsion.

Additional side effects in children

Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 children

• ■ Runny nose (nasopharyngitis);

• ■ Fever (pyrexia);

• ■ Sore throat (pharyngitis);

• ■ Eating less than usual.