CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION ... - Generic Health

CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATIONProchlorperazine GHProchlorperazine maleateWhat is in this leaflet?This leaflet answers somecommon questions aboutProchlorperazine GH.It does not contain all theavailable information that isknown aboutProchlorperazine GH.It does not take the place oftalking to your doctor orpharmacist.All medicines have risks andbenefits. Your doctor hasweighed the risks of you usingthis medicine against the benefitshe/she expects it will have foryou.If you have any concerns abouttaking this medicine, ask yourdoctor or pharmacist.Keep this leaflet with themedicine. You may need to readit again.What ProchlorperazineGH is used forProchlorperazine GH belongs to agroup of medicines calledphenothiazines. It helps tocorrect chemical imbalances inthe brain, allowing it to functioncorrectly. These chemicals mayalso affect the parts of the brainwhich control nausea (feelingsick) and vomiting.Prochlorperazine GH is used totreat nausea, vomiting anddizziness due to various causes,including migraine (severeheadache).Your doctor may have prescribedProchlorperazine GH for anotherreason.Ask your doctor if you haveany questions about whyProchlorperazine GH has beenprescribed for you.This medicine is available onlywith a doctor's prescription.Prochlorperazine GH is notrecommended for use in children(under the age of 2 years orchildren under 10 kg in weight).Before you takeProchlorperazine GHWhen you must not take itDo not take ProchlorperazineGH if you have an allergy to: prochlorperazine; the group of medicines calledphenothiazines; any of the ingredients listed atthe end of this leaflet.Symptoms of an allergic reactionto Prochlorperazine GH mayinclude: shortness of breath, wheezingor difficulty in breathing; swelling of the face, lips,tongue or other parts of thebody; rash, itching or hives on theskin;You should not takeProchlorperazine GH if youhave any of the followingmedical conditions: shock; disease of the blood with a lownumber of blood cells; yellowing of the skin and/oreye, also called jaundice.Prochlorperazine GH must notbe given to anyone who isunconscious or in a coma.Do not take any medicines thatcause drowsiness while youare taking ProchlorperazineGH.Do not take ProchlorperazineGH after the expiry date (EXP)printed on the pack.If you take this medicine after theexpiry date has passed, it maynot work as well.Do not take ProchlorperazineGH if the packaging is torn orshows signs of tampering.If you are not sure whether youshould start takingProchlorperazine GH, talk toyour doctor or pharmacist.Before you start to take itTell your doctor or pharmacistif you have allergies to: any other medicines; any other substances, such asfoods, preservatives or dyes.Tell your doctor if you arepregnant or intend to becomepregnant.Like most phenothiazinemedicines, Prochlorperazine GHis not recommended for useduring pregnancy. If there is aneed to take ProchlorperazineGH during your pregnancy, yourdoctor will discuss with you thebenefits and risks of using it.Tell your doctor or pharmacistif you are breastfeeding or planto breastfeed. It isrecommended that you do notbreastfeed while takingProchlorperazine GH, as it is notknown whether ProchlorperazineGH passes into breast milk.Prochlorperazine GH Page 1 of 5

Tell your doctor or pharmacistif you have or have had anymedical conditions, especiallythe following: Pheochromocytoma, a raretumour of the adrenal glandswhich sit near the kidneys. Parkinson's disease, adisease of the brain affectingmovement which causestrembling, rigid posture, slowmovement and a shuffling,unbalanced walk. Myasthenia gravis, a diseaseof the muscles causingdrooping eyelids, doublevision, difficulty in speakingand swallowing andsometimes muscle weaknessin the arms or legs. Kidney problems. Heart and blood vesselproblems, low blood pressure,blood clots. Liver disease. Prostate problems. Epilepsy, seizures or fits. Low blood calcium levels. An overactive thyroid gland. Glaucoma, a condition inwhich there is a build-up offluid in the eye. Neuroleptic MalignantSyndrome, a reaction to somemedicines with a suddenincrease in body temperature,extremely high blood pressureand severe convulsions. A reaction to some medicineswith uncontrollable twitching orjerking movements of the armsand legs. Dementia. High blood sugar levels.Tell your doctor if you areabout to have any surgerywhich requires a generalanaesthetic.If you have not told your doctoror pharmacist about any of theabove, tell them before youstart taking ProchlorperazineGH.Taking other medicinesTell your doctor or pharmacistif you are taking any othermedicines, including any thatyou buy without a prescriptionfrom your pharmacy,supermarket or health foodshop.Some medicines andProchlorperazine GH mayinterfere with each other. Theseinclude: Some medicines used tocontrol depression or moodswings. Alcohol. Desferrioxamine, a drug usedin iron overdose. Procarbazine, an anticancerdrug. Some medicines used tocontrol epilepsy. Medicines used to treatParkinson’s Disease. Anticholinergic medicineswhich are used to relievestomach cramps, spasms andtravel sickness. Atropine, a medicine whichmay be used in some eyedrops or cough and coldpreparations. Some oral medicines used toprevent your blood fromclotting. Medicines used to treat highblood pressure and fluid buildupin your body. Other medications such asbepridil, cisapride, sultopride,thioridazine, methadone,erythromycin injection,vincamine injection,halofantine, pentamidine,sparfloxacin, amphotericin B,glucocorticoids ortetracosactides. Anitpsychotics. Certain laxatives.These medicines may be affectedby Prochlorperazine GH or mayaffect how well it works.You may need different amountsof your medicine or may need totake different medicines.Your doctor will advise you.Your doctor and pharmacist mayhave more information onmedicines to be careful with oravoid while takingProchlorperazine GH.How to takeProchlorperazine GHFollow all directions given toyou by your doctor andpharmacist carefully.They may differ from theinformation contained in thisleaflet.If you do not understand theinstructions on the pack, ask yourdoctor or pharmacist for help.How much to takeYour doctor or pharmacist will tellyou how much ProchlorperazineGH you will need to take eachday. This depends on yourcondition and whether or not youare taking any other medicines.The usual recommended dose fornausea and vomiting is 1 or 2tablets three to four times daily.The usual recommended dose fordizziness is 1 or 2 tablets three tofour times daily.How to take itSwallow Prochlorperazine GHtablets whole with a glass ofwater. Do not chew the tablets.When to take itIt does not matter if you takeProchlorperazine GH before orafter food.If you are not sure what to do,ask your doctor or pharmacist.If you have troubleremembering to take yourProchlorperazine GH Page 2 of 5

medicine, ask your pharmacistfor some hints.How long to take itContinue takingProchlorperazine GH for aslong as your doctor tells you.If you take too much(overdose)Do not try to vomit.Immediately telephone yourdoctor or pharmacist or thePoisons Information Centre (1311 26) or go to Accident andEmergency at your nearesthospital if you think that you,or anyone else, has taken toomuch Prochlorperazine GH. Dothis even if there are no signsof discomfort or poisoning.You may need urgent medicalattention.Symptoms of overdose mayinclude the following: Coma. Restlessness, shaking, muscletwitching, muscle weakness,spasm. Confusion. Excitement or agitation. Low blood pressure. Fast heart beat. Decrease in bodytemperature. Small pupils in the eye. Difficulty in swallowing orbreathing. Blue skin.Your doctor or pharmacist hasinformation on how to recogniseand treat an overdose. Ask yourdoctor or pharmacist if you haveany concerns.While you are takingProchlorperazine GHThings you must doTell your doctor immediately ifyou notice any uncontrolledmovements of the tongue, face,mouth or jaw, such as puffingof the cheeks, puckering of themouth or chewing movements.These are symptoms of a veryrare condition called TardiveDyskinesia, which may develop inpeople taking phenothiazinemedicine, includingProchlorperazine GH.The condition is more likely tooccur during long term treatmentwith Prochlorperazine GH,especially in elderly women. Invery rare cases, this may bepermanent.Tell any other doctors, dentistsand pharmacists who aretreating you that you are takingProchlorperazine GH.If you are about to be startedon any new medicines, tell yourdoctor, dentist or pharmacistthat you are takingProchlorperazine GH.If you plan to have surgery thatneeds a general anaesthetic,tell you doctor or dentist thatyou are takingProchlorperazine GH.If you become pregnant whiletaking Prochlorperazine GH,tell your doctor immediately.Things you must not doDo not give ProchlorperazineGH to anyone else, even if theyhave the same condition asyou.Do not take ProchlorperazineGH to treat any othercomplaints unless your doctoror pharmacist tells you to.Do not stop takingProchlorperazine GH, or lowerthe dosage, even if you arefeeling better, without checkingwith your doctor.If you stop takingProchlorperazine GH suddenly,your condition may worsen oryour chance of getting anunwanted side effect mayincrease. To prevent this, yourdoctor may gradually reduce theamount of Prochlorperazine GHyou take each day beforestopping completely.Things to be careful ofBe careful driving or operatingmachinery until you know howProchlorperazine GH affectsyou.As with other medicines,Prochlorperazine GH may causedizziness, lightheadedness,tiredness, drowsiness in somepeople. Make sure you knowhow you react toProchlorperazine GH before youdrive a car, operate machinery, ordo anything else that could bedangerous if you are dizzy orlight-headed. If this occurs do notdrive. If you drink alcohol,dizziness or lightheadedness maybe worse.If Prochlorperazine GH makesyou feel light-headed, dizzy orfaint, be careful when gettingup from a sitting or lyingposition. Getting up slowlymay help. Be careful whendrinking alcohol while takingProchlorperazine GH.Combining ProchlorperazineGH and alcohol can make youmore sleepy, dizzy orlightheaded.Your doctor may suggest youavoid alcohol while you are beingtreated withProchlorperazine GH.If outdoors, wear protectiveclothing and use at least a 15+sunscreen. ProchlorperazineGH may cause your skin to bemuch more sensitive to sunlightthan it is normally. Exposure toProchlorperazine GH Page 3 of 5

sunlight may cause a skin rash,itching, redness or even severesunburn. If your skin doesappear to be burning, tell yourdoctor.Make sure you keep cool in hotweather and keep warm in coolweather.Prochlorperazine GH may affectthe way your body reacts totemperature changes.Side effectsTell your doctor or pharmacistas soon as possible if you donot feel well while you aretaking Prochlorperazine GH.Prochlorperazine GH helps mostpeople with nausea, vomiting anddizziness, but it may haveunwanted side effects in a fewpeople.All medicines can have sideeffects.Sometimes they are serious,most of the time they are not.You may need medical treatmentif you get some of the sideeffects. If you are over 65 yearsof age you may have anincreased chance of getting sideeffects.Ask your doctor or pharmacistto answer any questions youmay have.If you get any side effects, donot stop takingProchlorperazine GH withoutfirst talking to your doctor orpharmacist.Tell your doctor or pharmacistif you notice any of thefollowing and they worry you: Constipation. Dry mouth. Drowsiness. Restlessness. Trembling, rigid posture,mask-like face, slowmovements and a shufflingunbalanced walk. Twitching. Blurred vision.The following side effects are lesscommon: Low blood pressure. Changes in heart beats. Swelling of the hands, anklesor feet. Skin rash. For females, unusual secretionof breast milk, irregularperiods. For males, breastenlargement, difficulty inejaculating. Severe pain in the stomachwith bloating, cramps andvomiting. Difficulty passing urine. Yellowing of the skin and/oreyes. Headache. Insomnia. Seizures. Difficulty in breathing. High blood sugar levels.If any of the following happen,tell your doctor or pharmacistimmediately or go to Accidentand Emergency at your nearesthospital: Unusual muscle tone orspasms causing distortion ofthe body in children.These are very serious sideeffects.You may need urgent medicalattention or hospitalization.All of these side effects are veryrare.Other side effects not listedabove may occur in somepatients. Tell your doctor orpharmacist if you noticeanything that is making youfeel unwell.Do not be alarmed by this listof possible side effects.You may not experience any ofthem.After usingProchlorperazine GHStorageKeep Prochlorperazine GHtablets in a cool dry placewhere the temperature staysbelow 25 o C. Protect from light.Keep your ProchlorperazineGH in the pack until it is time totake them.If you take the tablets out of thepack, they may not keep well.Do not store ProchlorperazineGH or any other medicine inthe bathroom or near a sink.Do not leave it in the car on hotdays or on window sills. Heatand dampness can destroy somemedicines.Keep it where children cannotreach it. A locked cupboard atleast one and- a-half metresabove the ground is a good placeto store medicines.DisposalIf your doctor or pharmacisttells you to stop takingProchlorperazine GH, or themedicine has passed its expirydate, ask your pharmacist whatto do with any that are left over.Product descriptionWhat it looks likeProchlorperazine GH tablets arewhite, round and marked with "5"on one side.Prochlorperazine GH areavailable in packs of 25 tablets.IngredientsProchlorperazine GH Page 4 of 5

Active Ingredient:Each tablet containsprochlorperazine maleate 5 mg.Inactive Ingredients: Lactose monohydrate Starch-maize Purified water Silica colloidal anhydrous Magnesium stearate.SponsorProchlorperazine GH is suppliedin Australia by:Generic Health Pty LtdSuite 1, 1175 Toorak RoadCamberwell VIC 3124Australian RegistrationNumbersProchlorperazine GH - AUST R172126This leaflet was prepared in May2011.Prochlorperazine GH Page 5 of 5