Lioresal 25mg Tablets 100

  Information General Information Consumer Medicine InformationWhat is in this leafletThis leaflet answers some common questions about Lioresal.It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Lioresal against the benefits they expect it will have for you.If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.What Lioresal is used forLioresal belongs to a group of medicines called muscle relaxants. This medicine is used to reduce excess tension in your muscles which causes spasms. These spasms happen in various illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and diseases or injuries of the spinal cord.Because this medicine reduces spasms and the pain that goes with them, it helps to make you more mobile and better able to manage your daily activities.Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Lioresal has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed it for another purpose.Lioresal is only available with a doctor's prescription.Before you take LioresalWhen you must not take itDo not take Lioresal if you have ever had an allergic reaction after taking:baclofen (the active ingredient in Lioresal) any of the other ingredients listed at the end of this leafletSome of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body; rash, itching or hives on the skin.Do not take Lioresal after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. In that case, return it to your pharmacist.If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.Before you start to take itTell your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant or you are breast-feeding. There is very little information on the use of this medicine in pregnancy or while breast-feeding. Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.Tell your doctor if you have, or have ever had, any of the following medical conditions:a mental illness seizures (fits) from any cause stomach ulcers stroke or other blood vessel disease heart disease kidney disease liver disease lung problems which make breathing difficult diabetes porphyria, a rare disturbance in the production of porphyrin, a pigment important for liver function and blood formation alcoholism high blood pressureYour doctor may want to take special precautions if you have any of the above conditions.If you have not told your doctor about any of these things, tell him/her before you take Lioresal.Taking other medicinesTell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.Some medicines and Lioresal may interfere with each other. These include:any medicine that tends to make you sleepy, such as medicines used to help you sleep or calm you down, pain relievers and medicines for colds or allergies medicines used to treat depression, including tricyclic antidepressants, lithium and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) medicines used to treat diabetes medicines for high blood pressure medicines used to treat Parkinson's disease, including selegiline and levodopa + carbidopaYou may need to take different amounts of your medicines or you may need to take different medicines.Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking Lioresal.Tell your doctor if you have an intolerance to gluten. This medicine contains wheat starch.How to take LioresalFollow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist carefully. These directions may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.If you do not understand the instructions on the label, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.How much to takeTreatment is usually started in hospital with small doses of Lioresal. The dose is then gradually increased to an amount that works best for you. For example, Lioresal may be started at a dose of 15 mg a day, then increased slowly to anywhere from 30 to 75 mg a day. Sometimes, doses up to 100 mg a day may be needed.If you are under the age of 16 or over 65 or you have kidney disease, your doctor may start you on a lower dose and increase it more gradually to prevent unwanted side effects.How to take itSwallow the tablets during meals with a little liquid. Lioresal is usually taken in at least 3 divided doses throughout the day. But your doctor may tell you to take it more or less often, depending on your situation.If you forget to take itIf it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take the next dose when you are meant to.Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember and then go back to taking it as you would normally.Do not take a double dose to make up for the one that you missed. This may increase the chance of you getting an unwanted side effect.If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.If you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.How long to take itContinue taking Lioresal for as long as your doctor recommends. Your doctor will check your progress to make sure the medicine is working and will discuss with you how long your treatment should continue.If you take too much (Overdose)Immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you think that you may have taken too much Lioresal, even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. Some of the symptoms of an overdose may include drowsiness, confusion, unusual muscle weakness, blurred vision, vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive saliva, breathing problems, slow or irregular heart beat, fainting or seizures (fits).While you are taking LioresalThings you must doIf you become pregnant while taking Lioresal, tell your doctor immediately. Your doctor can discuss with you the risks of taking it while you are pregnant.Be sure to keep all of your doctor's appointments so that your progress can be checked. To help prevent unwanted side effects from happening, your doctor may want to do some tests from time to time during the course of your treatment.If your muscle spasms come back, tell your doctor. Your doctor may be able to change the dose of Lioresal to make it work better for you.If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Lioresal.Tell any other doctor, dentist or pharmacist who treats you that you are taking Lioresal.Things you must not doDo not stop taking Lioresal suddenly. This medicine is not habit-forming but stopping it suddenly may bring on severe spasms and other unwanted symptoms. If Lioresal must be stopped, your doctor will reduce the dose gradually over a period of 1 to 2 weeks so that these unwanted effects are avoided.Do not use Lioresal to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem to be similar to yours.Things to be careful ofBe careful driving, operating machinery or doing jobs that require you to be alert while you are taking Lioresal until you know how it affects you. This medicine may cause sleepiness and decreased alertness in some people, especially at the start of treatment.Be careful when drinking alcohol while you are taking Lioresal. The combination may make you feel more sleepy and less alert than usual.Side effectsTell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Lioresal. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.Side effects happen mainly at the start of treatment or if the dose is too high or is increased too rapidly.They can often be relieved by lowering the dose.If you are over 65 years old, you should be especially careful while taking this medicine. Report any side effects promptly to your doctor. As people grow older, they are more likely to get side effects from medicines.Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:daytime sleepiness or drowsiness lack of energy, feeling exhausted dizziness or lightheadedness spinning sensation (vertigo) mental confusion headache difficulty sleeping or nightmares nausea (feeling sick), retching or vomiting constipation, stomach cramps or diarrhoea loss of appetite stuffy or blocked nose dry mouth change in sense of taste numbness or tingling in hands and feet muscle weakness, spasms or pain problems with coordination and balance difficulty in speaking swelling of ankles due to fluid buildup blurred or double vision ringing in the ears frequent urination or bed wetting excessive sweating weight gain impotence or inability to ejaculateTell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:signs of allergy such as rash, itching or hives on the skin; swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body; shortness of breath or wheezing slow or difficult breathing fast or irregular heart beat chest pain uncontrollable muscle spasms affecting the eyes, head, neck or body fainting or seizures (fits) depression or other severe mood or mental changes hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not there) being unable to urinate or pain when urinating; blood in the urineThe above side effects could be serious. You may need medical attention.Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell. Other side effects not listed above may happen in some people.After using LioresalStorageKeep your tablets in the original container until it is time to take them Store the tablets in a cool dry place Do not store Lioresal or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink Do not leave it in the car or on window sills.Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines. Lioresal will keep well if it is cool and dry.Keep the tablets where young children cannot reach them. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.DisposalIf your doctor tells you to stop taking Lioresal or the expiry date on the medicine has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any tablets you have left over.Product descriptionWhat it looks likeLioresal 10 mg: white, round, flat tablets marked with KJ and a score line on one side and CG on the other side: packs of 100 tablets.Lioresal 25 mg: white, round, flat tablets marked with UR and a score line on one side and CG on the other side: packs of 100 tablets.IngredientsLioresal tablets contain either 10 mg or 25 mg of baclofen, the active ingredient. They also contain:colloidal anhydrous silica microcrystalline cellulose magnesium stearate povidone wheat starchLioresal tablets do not contain lactose, sucrose, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.SponsorLioresal is supplied in Australia by:NOVARTIS Pharmaceuticals Australia Pty LimitedABN 18 004 244 16054 Waterloo RoadNorth Ryde NSW 2113Telephone 1 800 671 203® = Registered TrademarkThis leaflet was prepared in September 2006(lrst260906c.doc) based on PI (lrst260906i.doc)Australian Registration NumberLioresal 10 mg bottle: AUST R 11038Lioresal 25 mg bottle: AUST R 11039Lioresal 25 mg blister: AUST R 68365 Miscellaneous Drug Interactions Warnings Common Uses Ingredients Directions Indications