Montelukast 10 Mg Film-Coated Tablets
a :ord
Children and adolescents
Package leaflet: Information for the user
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
(Montelukast)
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 or nurse.
• 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 or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
What is in this leaflet:
1. What Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are and what they are used for
2. What you need to know before you take Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
3. How to take Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. What Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are and what they are used for
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are leukotriene receptor antagonist that blocks substances called leukotrienes. Leukotrienes cause narrowing and swelling of airways in the lungs and also cause allergy symptoms. By blocking leukotrienes, Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets improves asthma symptoms, helps control asthma and improves seasonal allergy symptoms (also known as hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis).
Your doctor has prescribed Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets to treat asthma, preventing your asthma symptoms during the day and night.
• Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are used for the treatment of patients who are not adequately controlled on their medication and need additional therapy.
• Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets also helps prevent the narrowing of airways triggered by exercise.
• In those asthmatic patients in whom Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are indicated in asthma, Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets can also provide symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Your doctor will determine how Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets should be used depending on the symptoms and severity of your asthma.
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are indicated for patients 15 years of age and older.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a long-term disease.
Asthma includes:
• difficulty breathing because of narrowed airways. This narrowing of airways worsens and improves in response to various conditions.
• sensitive airways that react to many things, such as cigarette smoke, pollen, cold air, or exercise.
• swelling (inflammation) in the lining of the airways.
Symptoms of asthma include: Coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness.
What are seasonal allergies?
Seasonal allergies (also known as hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis) are an allergic response often caused by airborne pollens from trees, grasses and weeds. The symptoms of seasonal allergies typically may include: stuffy, runny, itchy nose; sneezing; watery, swollen, red, itchy eyes.
2. What you need before you take Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
Tell your doctor about any medical problems or
allergies you have now or have had.
Do not take Montelukast 10 mg film-coated
tablets:
• if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to montelukast or any of the other ingredients of Montelukast
10 mg film-coated tablets (see section 6.).
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist or nurse before
taking Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
• If your asthma or breathing gets worse, tell your doctor immediately.
• Oral Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are not meant to treat acute asthma attacks. If an attack occurs, follow the instructions your doctor has given you. Always have your inhaled rescue medicine for asthma attacks with you.
• It is important that you or your child take all asthma medications prescribed by your doctor. Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets should not be substituted for other asthma medications your doctor has prescribed for you.
• Any patient on anti-asthma medicines should be aware that if you develop a combination of symptoms such as a flu-like illness, pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs, worsening of pulmonary symptoms, and/or rash, you should consult your doctor.
• You should not take acetyl-salicylic acid (aspirin) or anti-inflammatory medicines (also known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs) if they make your asthma worse.
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are not recommended for use in children and adolescents under the age of 15.
For children 2 to 5 years old, Montelukast Paediatric 4 mg chewable tablets are available. For children and adolescents 6 to 14 years old, Montelukast Paediatric 5 mg chewable tablets are available.
Other medicines and Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
Some medicines may affect how Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets works or Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets may affect how other medicines work.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
Tell your doctor if you are taking the following medicines before starting Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets:
• phenobarbital (used for treatment of epilepsy)
• phenytoin (used for treatment of epilepsy)
• rifampicin (used to treat tuberculosis and some other infections)
• gemfibrozil (used for treatment of high lipid levels in plasma)
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets with food, drink and alcohol
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets may be taken with or without food.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Use in pregnancy
Women who are pregnant or intend to become pregnant should consult their doctor before taking Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets. Your doctor will assess whether you can take Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets during this time.
Use in breast-feeding
It is unknown whether montelukast is excreted in human milk. You should consult your doctor before taking Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets if you are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.
Driving and using machines
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets has minor or moderate influence on the ability to drive and use machines. Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are not expected to affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. However, individual responses to medication may vary. Certain side effects (such as dizziness and drowsiness) that have been reported very rarely with Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets may affect some patients' ability to drive or operate machinery.
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets contains lactose
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets contains lactose. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.
3. How to take Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
• You should take only one tablet of Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets once a day as prescribed by your doctor.
• It should be taken even when you have no symptoms or have an acute asthma attack.
• Always take Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets as your doctor has told you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
• To be taken by mouth.
For adults and adolescents 15 years of age and older:
One 10 mg tablet to be taken daily in the evening. Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets may be taken with or without food.
If you are taking Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets, be sure that you do not take any other products that contain the same active ingredient, montelukast.
If you take more Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets than you should
Contact your doctor immediately for advice.
There were no side effects reported in the majority of overdose reports. The most frequently occurring symptoms reported with overdose in adults and children included abdominal pain, sleepiness, thirst, headache, vomiting, and hyperactivity.
If you forget to take Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
Try to take Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets as prescribed. However, if you miss a dose, just resume the usual schedule of one tablet once daily.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets can treat your asthma only if you continue to take it.
It is important to continue taking Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets for as long as your doctor prescribes. It will help control your asthma.
If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
In asthmatic patients treated with montelukast, very rare cases of a combination of symptoms such as flu-like illness, pins and needles or numbness of arms and legs, worsening of pulmonary symptoms and/or rash (Churg-Strauss syndrome) have been reported. You must tell your doctor right away if you get one or more of these symptoms.
In clinical studies with Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets, the most commonly reported side effects (occurring in at least 1 of 100 patients and less than 1 of 10 patients treated) thought to be related to Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets were:
• abdominal pain
• headache
What Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets looks like and contents of the pack
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are 7.9 x 7.9 mm beige coloured, rounded square, biconvex, film coated tablet debossed “M10” on one side and plain on other side.
Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets are available in OPA-Al-PVC/Al blister pack of 7, 10 14, 20, 28, 30, 50, 56, 84, 90, 98, 100, 140 and 200 tablets.
(Not all pack sizes may be marketed).
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
Accord Healthcare Limited,
Sage house, 319, Pinner Road,
North Harrow, Middlesex HA1 4HF,
United Kingdom
This leaflet was last revised in 06/2014.
These were usually mild and occurred at a greater frequency in patients treated with Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets than placebo (a pill containing no medication).
If any of the following happens, stop taking Montelukast 10 mg and contact a doctor or go to the nearest hospital straight away, as you may need urgent medical attention:
• allergic reactions including rash, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat which may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing
• tender red lumps under the skin most commonly on your shins (erythema nodosum), severe skin reactions (erythema multiforme) that may occur without warning
Additionally, while the medicine has been on the market, the following have been reported:
Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people
• upper respiratory infection
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people
• diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting
• rash
• fever
Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people
• behaviour and mood related changes [dream abnormalities, including nightmares, trouble sleeping, sleep walking, irritability, feeling anxious, restlessness, agitation including aggressive behaviour or hostility, depression]
• dizziness, drowsiness, pins and needles/numbness, seizure
• nosebleed
• dry mouth, indigestion
• bruising, itching, hives
• joint or muscle pain, muscle cramps
• weakness/tiredness, feeling unwell, swelling
• tremor
Rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people
• increased bleeding tendency
• disturbance in attention, memory impairment
• palpitations
Very rare: may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people
• hallucinations, disorientation, suicidal thoughts and actions
• hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
For UK - You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard
For Malta- ADR Reporting The Medicines Authority Post-Licensing Directorate 203 Level 3, Rue D'Argens GZR-1368 Gzira
Website: www.medicinesauthority.gov.mt e-mail: postlicensing.medicinesauthority@gov.mt
5. How to store Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets
• Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
• Do not use Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets after the expiry date which is stated on the label or carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
• Store in the original package in order to protect from light and moisture.
• Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets contains
The active substance is Montelukast. Each film-coated tablet contains 10 mg of montelukast.
The other ingredients are:
Tablet core: Lactose monohydrate, cellulose microcrystalline, low substituted hydroxypropylcellulose (LH-11) (E 463), croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate. Film coat: Hydroxypropylcellulose (LF) (E 463), hypromellose 6CPS (A), titanium dioxide (E 171), macrogol 6000, iron oxide yellow and iron oxide red (E172) (see section 2 for Important information about some of the ingredients of Montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets).