Patient Information Leaflet

Boots Herbal Flu Relief Sachets

Echinacea purpurea root extract, Vitamin C, Zinc

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you take this product because it contains important information you need to know.

This product is available without prescription, however, you still need to use this product carefully to get the best results from it. Keep this leaflet as you may need to read it again. Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice.

1. What is this product and what is it used for?

This product contains Echinacea purpurea root extract as the active ingredient. It also contains vitamin C and zinc.

This product is a traditional herbal medicine used to relieve the symptoms of the common cold and flu type infections based on traditional use only.

The sachets are sugar free.

•    auto-immune diseases such as inflammation of the connective tissue (collagenosis) or multiple sclerosis.

•    conditions which decrease your natural response to infection (eg HIV infection or AIDS).

•    are on therapy to reduce your natural response to infection (immunosuppression eg: chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer; history of organ or bone marrow transplant).

•    blood disorders involving the white blood cell system such as low white cell count due to bone marrow disorders (agranulocytosis) or blood cell cancer (leukemias).

or if you are already taking immunosuppressant

medication such as ciclosporin or methotrexate.

Take special care with this product:

° If there is a family history of allergic reactions.

° Because Echinacea can trigger auto-immune diseases.

2. Before you take this product

This product is not suitable for children

under 12 years of age.

Do not take this product if you are allergic to:

•    Echinacea or products from the same family: (Asteraceae / Compositae) such as daisies, marigolds or artichokes.

•    any of the other ingredients of this product.

(See section 6 further information).

Or if you suffer from:

•    frequent allergic reactions such as hives (urticaria), eczema, asthma.

•    the infection: tuberculosis.

•    connective tissue disease with formation of clumps of cells (sarcoidosis) mainly occurring in the lymph nodes, lungs and liver.

Please see your doctor or pharmacist before taking this product if you:

• suffer with phenylketonuria, a rare, inherited metabolic disorder

Pregnancy and breast feeding Do not take this product if you are pregnant or breast feeding, because there is no evidence it is safe to do so.

Information about some of the ingredients in this product:

Contains aspartame (E951), a source of phenylalanine equivalent to 45 mg per sachet.

May be harmful for people with phenylketonuria.

Contains 104 mg sodium per sachet. To be

taken into consideration by patients on a controlled sodium diet.

Please turn over h

3.    How to take this product

Pour the contents of one sachet into a mug. Fill it with hot, not boiling, water and stir until dissolved and drink.

At the first sign of a cold or flu:

Adults, the elderly and children over 12 years:

Take 1 sachet 3 times a day as required.

Do not give to children under 12 years.

Do not exceed the stated dose.

If your symptoms persist for more than 10 days, or worsen, stop taking this medicine and see a doctor or pharmacist.

If you take too many sachets by mistake, contact your doctor or pharmacist straight away.

4.    Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this product can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The frequency of the side effects is not known.

The possible side effects include:

•    allergic reactions such as swelling, hives, or rashes.

•    swelling of this skin due to fluid.

•    swelling of the facial area (Quincke edema)

•    shrinking of the airways of the lungs with obstruction (bronchospasm).

•    asthma and life threatening reactions (anaphylactic shock).

Echinacea can trigger allergic reactions in patients who have a tendency to allergic reactions.

Association with auto-immune diseases has been reported such as:

•    inflammation of the brain and spinal cord (disseminated encephalitis).

•    painful lumps on the shins (erythema nodosum).

•    low blood platelet count (immunothrombocytopenia).

•    destruction of blood cells by antibodies (Evans Syndrome).

•    dryness in the mouth and eye with kidney tubular dysfunction (Sjogren syndrome).

A decrease in the number of white blood cells (leucopenia) may occur in long term use (more than 8 weeks).

Stop taking this product immediately if you experience any allergic reaction.

If you are concerned about any side effect, if a side effect becomes serious, or you notice a side effect not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor, or healthcare practitioner.

You can help to make medicines safer by reporting any side-effects to the Yellow Card Scheme at www.yellowcard.gov.uk. Alternatively you can get a paper Yellow Card form from your GP's surgery or pharmacy, or call freephone 0808 100 3352 (available 10am-2pm Monday - Friday).

5.    How to store this product

Keep all medicines out of the reach and sight of children.

Do not use these sachets after the expiry date printed on the pack. This product does not require any special storage conditions.

6.    What is in this medicine?

Each 4 g sachet of off-white powder for oral solution contains the active ingredients: 71.5 mg of extract (dry extract) from Echinacea purpurea root (6-7:1) (equivalent to 429 - 500 mg Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, root), ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) 60 mg and zinc 5 mg.

Also contains: silica, maltodextrin, sodium citrate, citric acid, acesulfame K, aspartame (E951), quinoline yellow (E104), lemon flavour.

This product is available in a pack size of 5 or 10 sachets.

7.    Who makes this medicine?

The Traditional Registration Holder and manufacturer is Perrigo,

Braunton, Devon, EX33 2DL, U.K.

Text revised: February 2010.

THR 12063/0010    0000000 certification mark