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Package leaflet: Information for the patient Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide 80 mg/25 mg tablets

Telmisartan / Hydrochlorothiazide

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.

-    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. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

What is in this leaflet

1.    What Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide is and what it is used for

2.    What you need to know before you take Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide

3.    How to take Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide

4.    Possible side effects

5.    How to store Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide

6.    Contents of the pack and other information

1.    What Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide is and what it is used for

Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide is a combination of two active substances, telmisartan and hydrochlorothiazide in one tablet. Both of these substances help to control high blood pressure.

-    Telmisartan belongs to a group of medicines called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Angiotensin-II is a substance produced in your body which causes your blood vessels to narrow thus increasing your blood pressure. Telmisartan blocks the effect of angiotensin II so that the blood vessels relax, and your blood pressure is lowered.

-    Hydrochlorothiazide belongs to a group of medicines called thiazide diuretics, which cause your urine output to increase, leading to a lowering of your blood pressure.

High blood pressure, if not treated, can damage blood vessels in several organs, which could lead sometimes to heart attack, heart or kidney failure, stroke, or blindness. There are usually no symptoms of high blood pressure before damage occurs. Thus it is important to regularly measure blood pressure to verify if it is within the normal range.

Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide is used to treat high blood pressure (essential hypertension) in adults whose blood pressure is not controlled enough when telmisartan is used alone.

2.    What you need to know before you take Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide

Do not take Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide:

•    if you are allergic to telmisartan or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).

•    if you are allergic to hydrochlorothiazide or to any other sulfonamide-derived medicines.

•    if you are more than 3 months pregnant. (It is also better to avoid this medicine in early pregnancy see pregnancy section.)

•    if you have severe liver problems such as cholestasis or biliary obstruction (problems with drainage of the bile from the gall bladder) or any other severe liver disease.

•    if you have severe kidney disease.

•    if your doctor determines that you have low potassium levels or high calcium levels in your blood that do not get better with treatment.

•    if you have diabetes or impaired kidney function and you are treated with a blood pressure lowering medicine containing aliskiren.

If any of the above applies to you, do not take the tablets and tell your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor if you are suffering or have ever suffered from any of the following conditions or illnesses:

•    Low blood pressure (hypotension), likely to occur ifyou are dehydrated (excessive loss of body water) or have salt deficiency due to diuretic therapy (water tablets), low-salt diet, diarrhoea, vomiting, or haemodialysis.

•    Kidney disease or kidney transplant.

•    Renal artery stenosis (narrowing of the blood vessels to one or both kidneys).

•    Liver disease.

•    Heart trouble.

•    Diabetes.

•    Gout.

•    Raised aldosterone levels (water and salt retention in the body along with imbalance of various blood minerals).

•    Systemic lupus erythematosus (also called “lupus” or “SLE”) a disease where the body's immune system attacks the body.

•    The active ingredient hydrochlorothiazide can cause an unusual reaction, resulting in a decrease in vision and eye pain. These could be symptoms of an increase of pressure in your eye and can happen within hours to weeks of taking Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide. This can lead to permanent vision loss, if not treated.

Talk to your doctor before taking Telmisartan/ Hydrochlorothiazide:

•    if you are taking any of the following medicines used to treat high blood pressure:

-    an ACE-inhibitor (for example enalapril, lisinopril, ramipril), in particular if you have diabetes-related kidney problems.

-    aliskiren.

Your doctor may check your kidney function, blood pressure, and the amount of electrolytes (e.g. potassium) in your blood at regular intervals. See also information under the heading “Do not take Telmisartan/ Hydrochlorothiazide”

•    ifyou are taking digoxin.

You must tell your doctor if you think you are (or might become) pregnant. Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide is not recommended in early pregnancy, and must not be taken if you are more than 3 months pregnant, as it may cause serious harm to your baby if used at that stage (see pregnancy section).

Hydrochlorothiazide may cause dry mouth, weakness, lethargy, drowsiness, restlessness, muscle pain or cramps, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting, tired muscles, and an abnormally fast heart rate (faster than 100 beats per minute). Hydrochlorothiazide might also cause decrease in vision and eye pain (possible signs of acute-angle closure glaucoma). If you experience any of these you should tell your doctor.

You should also tell your doctor, if you experience an increased sensitivity of the skin to the sun with symptoms of sunburn (such as redness, itching, swelling, blistering) occurring more quickly than normal.

If you are going to have an operation tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine.

These tablets may be less effective in lowering the blood pressure in black patients.

Children and adolescents

This medicine is not recommended in children and adolescents up to the age of 18 years.

Other medicines and Telmisartan/ Hydrochlorothiazide:

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. Your doctor may need to change the dose of these other medications or take other precautions. In some cases you may have to stop taking one of the medicines. This applies especially to the medicines listed below taken at the same time with Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide:

•    Lithium containing medicines to treat some types of depression.

•    Medicines associated with low blood potassium (hypokalaemia) such as other diuretics, ('water tablets'), laxatives (e.g. castor oil), corticosteroids (e.g. prednisone), ACTH (a hormone), amphotericin (an antifungal medicine), carbenoxolone (used to treat mouth ulcers), penicillin G sodium (an antibiotic), and salicylic acid and derivatives.

•    Potassium-sparing diuretics, potassium supplements, salt substitutes containing potassium, ACE inhibitors that may increase blood potassium levels.

•    Heart medicines (e.g. digoxin) or medicines to control the rhythm of your heart (e.g. quinidine, disopyramide).

•    Medicines used for mental disorders (e.g. thioridazine, chlorpromazine, levomepromazine).

•    Other medicines used to treat high blood pressure

•    Steroids

•    Painkillers

•    Medicines to treat cancer, gout, or arthritis

•    Vitamin D supplements.

•    If you are taking an ACE-inhibitor or aliskiren (see also information under the headings “Do not take Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide” and “Warnings and precautions”).

•    Digoxin.

Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide may increase the blood pressure lowering effect of other medicines and you should consult with your doctor if you need to adjust the dose of your other medicine while taking Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide.

The effect of Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide may be reduced when you take NSAIDs (non steroidal antiinflammatory medicines, e.g. aspirin or ibuprofen). Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility

Pregnancy

You must tell your doctor if you think you are (or might become) pregnant. Your doctor will normally advise you to stop taking this medicine before you become pregnant or as soon as you know you are pregnant and will advise you to take another medicine instead. These tablets are not recommended during pregnancy, and must not be taken when more than 3 months pregnant, as it may cause serious harm to your baby if used after the third month of pregnancy.

Breast-feeding

Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding or about to start breast-feeding. These tablets are not recommended for mothers who are breast-feeding, and your doctor may choose another treatment for you if you wish to breastfeed.

Driving and using machines

Some people feel dizzy or tired when taking Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide If you feel dizzy or tired, do not drive or operate machinery. Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide contains milk sugar (lactose)

If you are intolerant to some sugars, consult your doctor before taking this medicine.

3. How to take Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist ifyou are not sure.

Dosage

The recommended dose is one tablet a day.

Try to take a tablet at the same time each day.

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You can take the tablets with or without food. They should be swallowed with some water or other non-alcoholic drink.

It is important that you take the tablets every day until your doctor tells you otherwise.

If your liver is not working properly, the usual dose should not exceed 40 mg/12.5 mg once a day.

If you take more Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide than you should

If you accidentally take too many tablets contact your doctor, pharmacist, or your nearest hospital emergency department immediately.

If you forget to take Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide Ifyou forget to take a dose, do not worry. Take it as soon as you remember then carry on as before. If you do not take your tablet on one day, take your normal dose on the next day. Do not take a double dose to make up for forgotten individual doses.

If you have further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. Possible side effects

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

Some side effects can be serious and need immediate medical attention:

You should see your doctor immediately if you think you have blood poisoning (sepsis).This is a severe infection with whole-body inflammatory response, rapid swelling of the skin and mucosa (angioedema). It is a rare side effect (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) but extremely serious and patients should stop taking the medicine and see their doctor immediately. If untreated it could be fatal. Possible side effects of Telmisartan/ Hydrochlorothiazide:

Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

•    Dizziness

Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 to 100 people):

•    Decreased blood potassium levels

•    Anxiety, fainting (syncope)

•    Sensation oftingling, pins and needles (paraesthesia)

•    Feeling of spinning (vertigo)

•    Fast heart beat (tachycardia), heart rhythm disorders

•    Low blood pressure or a sudden fall in blood pressure when you stand up

•    Shortness of breath (dyspnoea)

•    Diarrhoea, flatulence

•    Dry mouth

•    Back pain, muscle spasm, muscle pain, chest pain

•    Erectile dysfunction (inability to get or keep an erection)

•    Increased blood uric acid levels.

Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):

•    Inflammation of the lung (bronchitis)

•    Activation or worsening of systemic lupus erythematosus (a disease where the body's immune system attacks the body, which causes joint pain, skin rashes and fever)

•    Sore throat, inflamed sinuses

•    Feeling sad (depression)

•    Difficulty falling asleep (insomnia)

•    Impaired vision

•    Difficulty breathing

•    Abdominal pain, constipation, bloating (dyspepsia), feeling sick

•    Inflammation of the stomach (gastritis)

•    Abnormal liver function (Japanese patients are more likely to experience this side effect)

•    Rapid swelling of the skin and mucosa which can also lead to death (angioedema also with fatal outcome)

•    Redness of the skin (erythema)

•    Allergic reactions such as itching or rash •Increased sweating

•    Hives (urticaria)

•Joint pain (arthralgia) and pain in extremities

•    Muscle cramps

•    Flu-like-illness

•    Pain

•    Increased levels of uric acid

•    Low levels of sodium

•    Increased levels of creatinine, liver enzymes or creatine phosphokinase in the blood.

Adverse reactions reported with one of the individual components of this medicine may be potential adverse reactions with Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide, even if not observed in clinical trials with this product.

Possible side effects of Telmisartan alone:

In patients taking telmisartan alone the following additional side effects have been reported:

Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 to 100 people):

•    Upper respiratory tract infection (e.g. sore throat, inflamed sinuses, common cold)

•    Urinary tract infections

•    Deficiency in red blood cells (anaemia), high potassium levels in blood

•    Slow heart rate (bradycardia)

•    Kidney impairment including acute kidney failure

•    Weakness

•    Cough.

Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):

•    Sepsis* (often called "blood poisoning", is a severe infection with whole-body inflammatory response which can lead to death), low blood platelet count (thrombocytopenia), increase in certain white blood cells (eosinophilia)

•    Serious allergic reaction (e.g. hypersensitivity, anaphylactic reaction, drug rash)

•    Low blood sugar levels (in diabetic patients), upset stomach, eczema (a skin disorder)

•    Joint pain (arthrosis)

•    Inflammation of the tendons

•    Decreased haemoglobin (a blood protein)

•    Somnolence.

Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):

•    Progressive scarring of lung tissue (interstitial lung disease)**

•    The event may have happened by chance or could be related to a mechanism currently not known.

**Cases of progressive scarring of lung tissue have been reported during intake of telmisartan.

However, it is not known whether telmisartan was the cause.

Possible side effects of Hydrochlorothiazide alone:

In patients taking hydrochlorothiazide alone the following additional side effects have been reported:

Side effects of unknown frequency (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):

•    Inflammation of the salivary gland

•    Decreases in the number of cells in the blood, including low red and white blood cell count, low platelet count (thrombocytopenia)

•    Serious allergic reactions (e.g. hypersensitivity, anaphylactic reaction)

•    Decreased or loss of appetite

•    Restlessness, light-headedness

•    Blurred or yellowing of vision, decrease in vision and eye pain (possible signs of acute-angle closure glaucoma)

•    Inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis necrotising), inflamed pancreas, upset stomach

•    Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)

•    Lupus-like syndrome (a condition mimicking a disease called systemic lupus erythematosus where the body's immune system attacks the body)

•    Skin disorders such as inflamed blood vessels in the skin, increased sensitivity to sunlight, or blistering and peeling of the top layer of skin (toxic epidermal necrolysis)

•    Weakness

•    Kidney inflammation or impaired kidney function

•    Glucose in the urine (glycosuria)

•    Fever

•    Impaired electrolyte balance

•    High blood cholesterol levels

•    Decreased blood volume

•    Increased levels of glucose or fat in the blood.

If you get any of the side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any side effects not listed in this leaflet.

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 Yellow Card Scheme website 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 Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide

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 carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

You should store your medicine in the original package in order to protect the tablets from moisture.

Do not use this medicine if you notice that the tablets are discoloured.

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 protect the environment.

6.    Contents of the pack and other information What Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide contains

The active substances are telmisartan and hydrochlorothiazide.

Each tablet contains 80 mg telmisartan and 25 mg hydrochlorothiazide.

The other ingredients are crospovidone (type A), hypromellose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, mannitol, meglumine, povidone, colloidal anhydrous silica, sodium hydroxide, sodium stearyl fumarate, talc, iron oxide red (E172), iron oxide yellow (E172).

What Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide looks like and contents of the pack

Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide 80 mg/25 mg tablets are biconvex, two-layered, capsule shaped uncoated tablets wherein the hydrochlorothiazide layer is light yellow, debossed with “425” and the telmisartan layer is mottled orange to reddish brown, without debossing. The hydrochlorothiazide layer may contain reddish brown specks.

Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets are available in blisters packs containing 14, 28, 30, 56, 90 or 98 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be available in your country. Marketing Authorisation Holder Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Europe Limited Laxmi House, 2B Draycott Avenue,

Kenton, Middlesex, HA3 0BU.

United Kingdom

Manufacturer

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Europe Limited

Building 2, Croxley Green Business Park, Croxley Green,

Hertfordshire, WD18 8YA

United Kingdom

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals s.r.o.

Fibfchova 143, 566 17 Vysoke Myto

Czech Republic

Tillomed Laboratories Limited,

3 Howard Road, Eaton Socon, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE198ET United Kingdom

This leaflet was last revised in 10/2014.

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