Package leaflet: Information for the user

Phospho-soda    solution

Sodium Dihydrogen Phosphate Dihydrate / Disodium Phosphate Dodecahydrate

What is in this leaflet:

1.    What Phospho-soda is and what it is used for    4.    Possible side effects

2.    What you need to know before you take Phospho-soda    5.    How to store Phospho-soda

3.    How to take Phospho-soda    6.    Contents of the pack and    other information

1.    What Phospho-soda is and what    it    is    used for

Phospho-soda is a bowel cleanser that acts by increasing the water content of your stools. It is a solution which you take by mouth and it comes in packs containing two 45 ml bottles. Each bottle contains one dose which must be diluted with water before use (see Section 3).

You need to take Phospho-soda in order to clean your bowel (also called large intestine or colon) before your endoscopy, bowel surgery or X-ray examination. It is important that your bowel is completely empty so that the doctors can see it clearly.

Phospho-soda is not a treatment for constipation.

2.    What you need to know before you take Phospho-soda

Do not take Phospho-soda if you:

•    are allergic to disodium phosphate dodecahydrate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6);

•    are under the age of 18 years;

•    feel sick or are vomiting, or are suffering from abdominal pains;

•    have kidney failure;

•    suffer from congestive heart failure;

•    have an abnormal build up of fluid in the space between the lining of the abdomen and the abdominal organs;

•    know or suspect you have an obstruction, perforation or paralysis of your bowels;

•    have inherited or acquired enlargement of the large intestine (megacolon);

•    suffer from active inflammatory bowel disease;

•    have overactive parathyroid glands (hyperparathyroidism).

Do not take Phospho-soda in combination with any other laxative products containing sodium phosphate.

Check with your doctor if you think any of the above could apply to you. Your doctor will then decide if Phospho-soda is suitable for you.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor , pharmacist or nurse before taking Phospho-soda

Take special care with Phospho-soda if you:

•    are frail or elderly (65 years old or more);

•    have a heart or kidney condition;

•    suffer from changes to levels of salts in your body (electrolyte imbalances) or are at risk of such changes, for example if you are dehydrated;

•    have low blood pressure or reduced movement in part or all of your intestines;

•    have had a colostomy or an ileostomy;

•    have had any other kind of operation or surgery on your stomach or intestines;

•    are on a low-sodium (low-salt) diet (See also section “Important information about some of the ingredients of Phospho-soda”).

Please consult your doctor, if you think any of the statements above are applicable to you now or at any time in the past. Phospho-soda could slightly alter the rhythm of the heart as a result of electrolyte imbalances, so you may need closer medical supervision during your treatment. After taking Phospho-soda you should expect to produce frequent, liquid stools. You should drink as much clear liquid (see Section 3) as possible so that you do not become dehydrated.

This product usually works within 30 minutes to 6 hours. If you have no bowel movement within 6 hours of taking either the first or the second dose, contact a doctor immediately because you could become dehydrated.

Other medicines and Phospho-soda

Before taking Phospho-soda you must tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription, especially:

•    medicines for the treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension) or angina (calcium channel blockers);

•    medicines for emptying the bladder (diuretics);

•    non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin;

•    certain medicines for mental disorders (containing lithium);

•    any other medicines that could make you dehydrated or change various salt levels (potassium, sodium, phosphate or water) in your body (your electrolyte balance);

•    medicines that alter the rhythm of your heart;

•    parathyroid hormone medicines;

•    medicines regularly taken by mouth: for example, oral contraceptives, and medicines for epilepsy or diabetes or antibiotics, because Phospho-soda may delay or completely prevent the absorption of these oral medicines, making them less effective or ineffective.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist, if you are unsure.

Phospho-soda with food and drink

Please see Section 3 of this leaflet.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking Phospho-soda. You should not use this medicine during pregnancy unless your doctor considers it necessary. If you are breast-feeding, you should not breast-feed your child for 24 hours after taking the second dose of Phospho-soda.

Frail people and the elderly (65 years of age and over):

Please pay special attention to the advice given in the sub-sections Take special care with Phospho-soda and Taking other medicines (above) as well as to the instructions on How to take this medicine in Section 3 (below). It may be that you will need special medical supervision.

Driving and using machines

Do not drive, use machinery or tools if you feel tired or dizzy, or think you may be dehydrated, after taking Phospho-soda. You should also stay within easy reach of toilet facilities after taking this medicine.

Phospho-soda contains sodium

Phospho-soda contains 5.0 g sodium in each 45 ml dose. Consideration should therefore be given to the potential harm to patients requiring a low-sodium (low-salt) diet. This medicinal product also contains a very small amount of ethanol (alcohol), less than 100 mg per dose.

3.    How to take Phospho-soda

Always take this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor or pharmacist have told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

•    Before you first start taking Phospho-soda up until after your examination, it is important that you drink only “clear liquid.” Do not eat any solid food.

•    “Clear liquid” means water; clear soup, or soup that has been strained to remove any solids; fruit juices without pulp (but not red or purple juices); black tea or black coffee and clear fizzy/non fizzy drinks e.g. lemonade.

•    To help prevent you feeling sick while taking this medicine, you should drink as much clear liquid as you can.

•    Phospho-soda may cause a number of diarrhoea-like bowel movements. It often starts to work within 30 minutes and may go on working for up to 6 hours. Please stay within easy reach of a toilet until your bowel movements have stopped.

If you have had no bowel movement within 6 hours of taking either the first dose or the second dose, you must contact a doctor immediately, because you could become dehydrated.

You must start taking Phospho-soda the day before your hospital appointment.

How to take your first or second dose

To do this, dilute the contents of one bottle (45 ml) of Phospho-soda in half a glass (120 ml) of cold water. Drink this and follow it with at least one full glass (240 ml) of cold water. Drink as much clear liquid as possible to replace the fluids lost during bowel movements.

When to take your first or second dose

Please refer to the two boxes below, depending on the time of your hospital appointment.

If you do not follow these instructions completely, it may not be possible to proceed with your examination or surgery.

After your hospital appointment, make sure you drink plenty of fluid to replace fluid lost when you were taking Phospho-soda.

If you take more Phospho-soda than you should

If you may have taken more Phospho-soda than you should, talk to a doctor or pharmacist immediately, because you may be dehydrated, have problems with your heart and circulation, have breathing difficulties, feel anxious or have colic pain.

If you forget to take Phospho-soda

Please consult your doctor for advice. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Very rarely, Phospho-soda can cause serious allergic reactions with or without a rash. Tell your doctor immediately or contact the emergency department of your nearest hospital if your hands, face, lips, throat or tongue start to swell, or if you have difficulty in breathing or swallowing. Other possible side effects with Phospho-soda:

Very common (affects more than 1 user in 10):

feeling sick, abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea, chills, weakness and dizziness.

Common (affects 1 to 10 users in 100):

Vomiting, chest pain and headache.

Uncommon (affects 1 to 10 users in 1,000):

Dehydration

Rare (affects 1 to 10 users in 10,000):

A build up of calcium in the kidneys Very rare (affects less than 1 user in 10,000):

Heart attack, palpitations, low blood pressure, changes in the amounts of salts (electrolytes) in the blood (which may lead to twitches and spasms), muscle cramps, pins and needles, loss of consciousness, and kidney failure.

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.

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 directly via the national reporting system listed in www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. How to store Phospho-soda

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 pack after ‘EXP'. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

Do not store above 25°C.

Once opened, use immediately. Discard any unused solution.

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help to protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information

What Phospho-soda contains

The active substances are Sodium Dihydrogen Phosphate Dihydrate 24.4 g and Disodium Phosphate Dodecahydrate 10.8 g in each 45 ml dose. The other ingredients are: Sodium Benzoate (E211); Sodium Saccharin; Glycerol; Purified Water and Ginger Lemon flavour comprising of Oleoresin Ginger; Alcohol; Oil Lemon; Partially Deterpinated Oil Lemon; Citric Acid and Purified Water.

What Phospho-soda looks like and contents of the pack

Phospho-soda is a clear colourless oral solution with a ginger-lemon odour, which comes in packs containing 2 or 100 45 ml bottles with screw caps. Each bottle contains one dose. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Casen Recordati, S.L. Autovia de Logrono, km 13,300. 50180 Utebo, Zaragoza, Spain.

If you have any questions or comments about this product, please contact us on: enquiries@casenrecordati.com

This medicinal product is authorised in the Member States of the EEA under the following names:

Denmark: Phosphoral oral oplosning Finland: Phosphoral oraaliliuos France:    Phosphoral, solution buvable

Germany: Phospho-soda Losung zum Einnehmen Greece: Phospho-soda Ireland:    Phospho-soda oral solution

This leaflet was last revised in January 2016.

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