Chloractil 100mg
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Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine.
- 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.
Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
- If any side effects become serious please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER
CHLORACTIL
10 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg & 100 mg TABLETS
CHLORPROMAZINE HYDROCHLORIDE
^ THIS LEAFLET CONTAINS
1. What Chloractil is for
2. Before you take Chloractil
3. How to take Chloractil
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Chloractil
6. Further information
1. WHAT CHLORACTIL IS FOR
The name of your medicine is Chloractil. It contains the active ingredient chlorpromazine hydrochloride. This belongs to a group of medicines called phenothiazines.
Chloractil acts on the brain to calm your emotions.
Chloractil can be used to treat:
• schizophrenia
• feeling or being sick, when you have a terminal illness
• persistent hiccups
• schizophrenia and autism in children
• or to calm your emotions particularly if you feel anxious, agitated, over-excited, violent or dangerously impulsive.
Chloractil can also be used to prevent shivering.
If you are not sure why you have been prescribed this medicine then please ask your doctor.
2. BEFORE YOU TAKE CHLORACTIL
Do not take Chloractil and tell your doctor if you:
• are allergic to chlorpromazine, other phenothiazines (such as prochlorperazine or trifluoperazine) or any other ingredient in Chloractil tablets (listed in section 6). The signs of an allergic reaction can include a rash, itching or shortness of breath
• have a history of blood problems
• have dulled senses such as feeling sleepy or uncoordinated, have blurred vision, slurred speech or are less aware of your surroundings (CNS depression).
Do not take this medicine if any of the above apply to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Chloractil.
Take special care with Chloractil
Tell your doctor before you take this medicine if you:
• have heart problems including unusual heart beats, heart disease or heart failure
• have lung and breathing problems
• have liver or kidney problems
• have Parkinson's disease
• have or have had in the past narrow angle glaucoma (this is abnormal pressure in the eye accompanied by pain and blurred vision)
• have an enlarged prostate gland
• have epilepsy or have had fits (seizures) in the past
• have a condition that causes muscle weakness with tiredness, called myasthenia gravis
• have a tumour of your adrenal gland that causes high blood pressure (phaeochromocytoma)
• have an underactive thyroid gland
• are feeling depressed
• have had a stroke or have any of the following that can increase your risk of having a stroke:
- a heart attack
- a TIA (transient ischaemic attack). This is a type of stroke where symptoms last less than 24 hours
- an artificial heart valve
- uncontrolled high blood pressure
- diabetes
- high cholesterol
- a family history of strokes
- you smoke or drink excess alcohol
• you or someone else in your family has a history of blood clots, as medicines like Chloractil have been associated with formation of blood clots.
• The elderly should take Chloractil with caution in very hot or cold weather. This is because this medicine may cause a higher body temperature than usual in hot weather (hyperthermia) and a lower body temperature in cold weather (hypothermia)
• If you are going to be given an anaesthetic, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking Chloractil.
Other important information to take into account before you take this medicine:
• if you or members of your family have heart problems (including heart failure, heart attack or uneven heart beats) or you have low levels of calcium, potassium or magnesium in your blood, your doctor may do some tests on your heart and blood before giving you this medicine
• your doctor may also want to give you regular blood tests in the first few months of your treatment
• do not go into direct sunlight if you are taking high doses of this medicine. This is because you may become more sensitive to strong sunlight while taking this medicine
• do not put this medicine in contact with your skin as it may cause a skin problem called dermatitis (a skin rash with itching). If the medicine does have contact with your skin, wash the area thoroughly.
If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Chloractil.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines bought without a prescription. This is because Chloractil can affect the way some other medicines work. Also some medicines can affect the way Chloractil works.
In particular, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:
• heart medicines such as quinidine, disopyramide, procainamide, amiodarone, sotalol, dofetilide, calcium channel blockers such as verapamil, ACE inhibitors such as captopril
• medicines to treat high blood pressure such as propranolol, guanethidine, methyldopa, minoxidil, clonidine
• medicines that control your emotions such as anxiety medicines, antidepressants (such as amitriptyline), pimozide, sertindole, haloperidol, lithium, trazodone
• medicines that help you sleep such as sedatives or hypnotics such as temazepam
• medicines to treat epilepsy such as barbiturates, phenytoin, primidone, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, ethosuximide, valproate
• medicines to treat malaria such as quinine, artemether and lumefantrine
• antibiotics such as sparfloxacin, moxifloxacin and intravenous erythromycin
• medicines to treat Parkinson's disease such as levodopa, bromocriptine, amantadine and pergolide
• medicines to treat allergies such as hayfever (antihistamines) for example terfenadine and astemizole
• medicines to treat stomach problems such as cimetidine or cisapride
• medicines to treat diabetes such as gliclazide or tolbutamide
• strong painkillers such as codeine or methadone
• medicines to treat cancer
• tetrabenazine to treat disorders that cause unnatural movements
• medicines that help the body get rid of water and affect electrolyte balance (diuretics) such as furosemide
• metoclopramide or droperidol to treat nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting
• atomoxetine, amphetamine or dexamfetamine to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
• adrenaline to treat allergic reactions or cardiac arrest
• ritonavir to treat viral infections
• pentamidine isetionate to treat lung infections
• sibutramine to help you lose weight
• antacids to treat indigestion or heartburn. You should take these at least two hours after taking Chloractil.
Taking Chloractil with food and drink
You must not drink alcohol whilst taking this medicine. This is because this medicine may make you feel drowsy and drinking alcohol will make you even more drowsy. Drinking alcohol may also cause serious breathing problems.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Talk to your doctor before taking this medicine if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or are breast-feeding. You should not use this medicine if you are pregnant or breast-feeding unless your doctor feels it is absolutely necessary.
The following symptoms may occur in newborn babies, of mothers that have used chlorpromazine in the last trimester (last three months of their pregnancy); shaking, muscle stiffness and/or weakness, sleepiness, agitation, breathing problems, and difficulty in feeding. If your baby develops any of these symptoms you may need to contact your doctor.