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Physeptone Sf Mixture

Document: leaflet MAH BRAND_PL 00156-0030 change

PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER    C99930


Physeptone Mixture SF


Methadone Hydrochloride


(This medicine will be referred to as Physeptone Mixture SF in this leaflet)


Read all this leaflet carefully before you take Physeptone Mixture SF

   Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again

   If you have any further questions, please ask your doctor or pharmacist

   This medicine has been prescribed for you personally and you should 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 get serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist


In this leaflet:

1.    What Physeptone Mixture SF is and what it is used for

2.    Before you take Physeptone Mixture SF

3.    How to take Physeptone Mixture SF

4.    Possible side effects

5.    Storing Physeptone Mixture SF

6.    Further information

This leaflet contains a summary of the information available for this medicine. You should ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure about any aspect of this medicine.

1.    What Physeptone Mixture SF is and what it is used for

The active ingredient of this medicine, Methadone Hydrochloride, is a synthetic opiate (a morphine-like drug) used in the treatment of addiction in order to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

2.    Before you take Physeptone Mixture SF

Do not take Physeptone Mixture SF if:

   you are allergic (hypersensitive) to methadone or any of the ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)

   you have a head injury and the pressure inside your brain is higher than it should be (check this with your doctor). You might be getting bad headaches

•    you are suffering from alcoholism

   you are in labour

•    you are taking, or have recently stopped taking, a type of medicine called Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) which are used to treat depression

•    you are at risk of developing an obstruction of the intestine

   you have any problems with your breathing or any chronic lung disease

   you are having an asthma attack. Do not take your dose until you have completely recovered.

Physeptone Mixture SF is not suitable for children.

Take special care with Physeptone Mixture SF Tell your doctor if:

   you have history of asthma or breathing difficulties

   you have bowel problems

   you have liver or kidney problems

   you have a history of convulsions, fits or epilepsy


   you have a history of low blood pressure

   you have a history of under-active thyroid gland, or problems with your adrenal glands

   you have a history of enlarged prostate gland

   you have condition that causes severe muscle weakness and fatigue (myasthenia gravis)

   you are in shock.

If any of the conditions above apply to you, please consult your doctor.

Methadone may affect the electrical signals which control your heart contractions, particularly at high doses.

Tell your doctor if:

   you have a history of heart problems

   you have liver disease

   you have any blood abnormalities such as low levels of potassium or magnesium

   you have a history of sudden death in the family.

Taking other medicines

Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.

Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following:

   medicines used to treat addiction e.g. naltrexone and buprenorphine

   cimetidine (a medicine used to treat stomach ulcers)

   drugs used to treat epilepsy (e.g. phenytoin and carbamazepine)

•    naloxone (a medicine used to treat an overdose of opioid medicines

   antibiotics (medicines used to treat bacterial infections)

•    antifungals (medicines used to treat fungal infections)

•    medicines that make urine more acidic e.g. ammonium chloride

•    antiviral drugs including some medicines used to treat HIV e.g. nevirapine, zidovudine, efavirenz, nelfinavir, ritonavir and abacavir

•    metoclopramide or domperidone (medicines used to stop you feeling and being sick)

•    mexiletine (a drug used to treat heart irregularities)

•    medicines used to treat depression including fluvoxamine, tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline and imipramine, or MAOIs including moclobemide

   CNS depressants (medicines that act on the brain and cause drowsiness or sleepiness)

   other opioid type drugs e.g. morphine

   pentazocine (a pain killer)

   medicines used to help you relax (tranquillisers)

   medicines used to help you to sleep (sedatives).

Other medicines you may be taking can also affect the heart. You must tell your doctor about any other medicines that you are taking as they may be dangerous if they are taken with methadone. In these situations your doctor may decide that it is necessary to monitor your heart with an electrocardiogram (ECG) at the start of treatment to ensure that these effects do not occur.

Continued overleaf


Taking Physeptone Mixture SF with food and drink You

must not drink alcohol whilst you are taking Physeptone Mixture SF as this could cause serious side effects.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and labour

Physeptone Mixture SF should not be taken during labour. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding you should discuss this with your doctor before taking Physeptone Mixture SF.

Driving and using machinery

The ability to drive or use machinery may be severely affected during and after treatment with methadone. You must not drive or use machinery until you are told that you can do so by your doctor.

Important information about some of the ingredients

Physeptone Mixture SF contains:

   Colouring agent E110 which may cause an allergic reaction.

3. How to take Physeptone Mixture SF

You must only take Physeptone Mixture SF by mouth. Under no circumstances should you inject this product as injection may cause serious and permanent damage to your body with possibly fatal consequences.

Your doctor will tell you how much Physeptone Mixture SF you need to take, and how often you need to take it. It is important that you do not take more than the dose agreed with your doctor. You can become dependant on Physeptone Mixture SF.

Adults:

The usual initial dose is 10-20mg a day. The dose will be slowly increased until you show no signs of withdrawal or intoxication.

Elderly or ill:

If you are elderly or ill, your doctor will only prescribe repeated doses with caution.

Children:

Not recommended. There is a serious risk of poisoning. Remember to keep your medicine safely where children can not get it.

If you forget to take Physeptone Mixture SF

During a course of treatment it is important that, should you miss a dose, you take the dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for you to take your next dose, miss the dose and wait until the next scheduled dose.

DO NOT TAKE A DOUBLE DOSE.

If you take more Physeptone Mixture SF than you should

If you take too much Physeptone Mixture SF, you can experience the following:

   difficulty in breathing

   extreme sleepiness, fainting or coma

   pin point pupils

   muscle weakness

   cold and clammy skin

   slow heartbeat, low blood pressure, heart attack or shock. in severe cases death may occur.

In the event of overdose you should seek medical assistance immediately even if you feel well as you may be suffering methadone poisoning.


4.    Possible side effects

Like all medicines, Physeptone Mixture SF can cause side effects, though not everybody gets them.

Side effects which may occur include:

   dizziness (including vertigo), drowsiness, hallucinations

   nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting (being sick), constipation, a dry mouth

   headaches, raised pressure in the brain

   rashes or itching

   sweating

   reduced blood pressure (you may feel dizzy on standing up)

   pin point pupils

   confusion, mood changes

•    fast or slow beating of the heart, a feeling of trembling in the heart

   facial flushing

   spasms of the tubes from the gall bladder or urinary bladder

   difficulty in passing water

   a reduction in sex drive

   a reduction in body temperature

   dependence on methadone.

If any of the side effects get serious or you notice side effects not listed in this leaflet please contact your doctor or pharmacist.

5.    Storing Physeptone Mixture SF

Keep out of the reach and sight of children.

This product has an expiry date on the bottle label. This will have been checked by your pharmacist or doctor. If you have a product that has passed the given expiry date, return it to your pharmacist or doctor for safe disposal. Once you have opened the bottle you are advised to dispose of it after 4 weeks.

Store below 25°C.

6.    Further information

What Physeptone Mixture SF contains:

The active ingredient is Methadone Hydrochloride 1mg in 1ml. The other ingredients are Lycasin(r) 80/55, potassium sorbate, purified water and colours E110 (sunset yellow FCF), E142 (green S) and quinoline yellow.

What Physeptone Mixture SF looks like and the contents of the pack:

Physeptone Mixture SF is a bright green liquid, supplied in amber glass bottles, each containing 500, 100, 50 or 30ml of the solution.

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer:

Martindale Pharmaceuticals, Bampton Road, Harold Hill,

Essex RM3 8UG, UK

Product licence number:    PL 00156/0030

Date of last Revision:    08/2008

© Martindale Pharmaceuticals

If this leaflet is difficult to see or read, please contact the marketing authorisation holder for help.


MARTINDALE

Pharmaceuticals


Bampton Road, Harold Hill, Romford, RM3 8UG, United Kingdom


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