Mysoline 250mg Tablets
1. What Primidone is and what it is used for
2. Before you use Primidone
3. How to use Primidone
PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER Primidone Serb 250mg Tablets/ Mysoline® 250mg Tablets
(primidone)
This product is available in the above names and strength, but will be referred to as Primidone throughout the remainder of this leaflet. This product is available in multiple strengths and all strengths will be referred to throughout this leaflet.
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using 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 of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
In this leaflet:
1. What Primidone is and what it is used for
2. Before you use Primidone
3. How to use Primidone
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Primidone
6. Further information
Primidone contains primidone as the active ingredient; this belongs to a group of medicines used to treat seizures.
Primidone is used for the treatment of certain types of epilepsy, seizures (fits) or shaking attacks (essential tremor).
Do not take Primidone if you:
• are allergic (hypersensitive) to primidone, a substance called phenobarbitone, or to any of the other ingredients of Primidone (these are listed in Section 6: Further information)
• have porphyria (a rare inherited disorder of metabolism) or anyone in your family has it.
Take special care with Primidone if you:
• have ever had problems with your breathing, kidneys or liver
• are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant (see beneath for further information).
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Ask your doctor for advice before taking any medicine.
The use of Primidone in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of abnormalities in babies. Therefore, you must tell your doctor if you are pregnant, or trying to become pregnant because Primidone has the potential to harm your unborn child.
Pregnant women can have reduced folic acid in their blood whilst taking Primidone. In addition, the new born child may develop withdrawal symptoms if the mother has taken Primidone in the late stages of pregnancy. Blood clotting problems have occurred occasionally in children born to women who were previously taking anticonvulsant drugs.
Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding because Primidone may cause your baby to be very sleepy.
Driving and using machines
Primidone can make you feel sleepy. If so, do not drive or operate machinery.
Always take Primidone exactly as your doctor has told you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water.
Primidone is normally taken twice a day. T ry to take your tablets at the same time each day.
Epilepsy
At first, your dose may be as little as 125mg (half a 250mg tablet). This will be adjusted by your doctor until your condition is controlled. Typical maintenance doses are as follows:
|
Age group |
Daily dose (milligrams) |
|
Adults and children over 9 years |
750 to 1500 |
|
Children 6 to 9 years |
750 to 1000 |
|
Children 2 to 5 years |
500 to 750 |
|
Children up to 2 years |
250 to 500 |
If you go into hospital, tell the medical staff that you are taking Elderly / Patients with low physical strength
Primidone. Lower doses may be prescribed.
4. Possible side effects
A small number of people being treated with anti-epileptics such as primidone have had thoughts of harming or killing themselves. If at any time you have these thoughts, immediately contact your doctor.
Taking other medicines
Please tell your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription. This is important because some medicines may affect the way Primidone works, or Primidone may affect the way other medicines work.
In particular, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following:
• Other medicines used to treat epilepsy and other types of seizures (such as phenytoin, felbamate, sodium valproate, carbamazepine, ethosuxamide, oxcarbazepine, tiagabine, topiramate, zonisamide)
• Anticoagulants to prevent blood clots (such as warfarin)
• Barbiturates (such as sleeping tablets)
• Methadone (used to treat severe pain, cough, or as a substitute for morphine addiction)
• Herbal remedies containing St John's Wort
• Antibiotics (such as chloramphenicol, metronidazole, doxycycline)
• Antiviral medicines (such as nelfinavir)
• Asthma medicines (such as theophylline, montelukast)
• Hormone containing medicines (such as the oral contraceptive pill)
• Medicines used to treat high blood pressure or heart conditions (such as beta-blockers, digitoxin, losartan, nimodipine, quinidine)
• Cyclosporin (used to prevent rejection of an organ transplant and also for other diseases of the body's immune system)
• Medicines used to treat mental health problems or depression (such as clozapine, lamotrigine, mianserin, tricyclic antidepressants)
• Steroid-containing medicines
• Medicines used to treat cancer (such as cyclophosphamide, etoposide)
• Granisetron (used to treat severe nausea and vomiting)
• Medicines used during an anesthetic for surgery (such as rocuronium, vecuronium)
• Medicines containing morphine, or similar medicines called opiates
Primidone may increase the toxic effect on the liver of an overdose
of paracetamol.
Taking Primidone with food and drink
Alcohol can react with Primidone. Ask your doctor for advice if you
want to drink alcohol.
Shaking attacks (essential tremor)
Your starting dose may be 50mg. This will be adjusted by your doctor until your condition is controlled. The maximum daily dose for shaking attacks (essential tremor) is 750mg.
If you take more Primidone than you should
If you take more than your normal dose, contact your doctor or nearest hospital.
If you forget to take Primidone
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet.
If you stop taking Primidone
Do not stop taking your Primidone, even if you are feeling well, unless your doctor tells you to. You may have become dependent on Primidone, and therefore you could get a withdrawal reaction if you stop treatment too quickly. Primidone treatment should be reduced gradually to prevent this.
If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, Primidone can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
When first taking Primidone, drowsiness and lack of energy may occur; these usually pass.
There have been reports of bone disorders including osteopenia and osteoporosis (thinning of the bone) and fractures. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are on long-term anti-epileptic medication, have a history of osteoporosis, or take steroids.
Common side effects
(affecting fewer than 1 in every 10 people)
• disturbances of vision
• dizziness
• jerky movements
• rolling of the eyes.
Uncommon side effects
(affecting fewer than 1 in every 100 people)
• nausea and vomiting
• headache
• skin rash.
