Patient Information Leaflet
What you should know about Neostigmine Bromide Tablets
Please read this leaflet carefully before you start to take these tablets (or give them to your child). It may not contain all the information about this medicine that you would like to know, so please ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you have any questions. This leaflet has been written for the patient, but of course if the tablets are for your child then the warnings and instructions should be read accordingly.
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What is in your medicine?
Your medicine is called Neostigmine Bromide, which is also the name of the active ingredient. Each tablet contains 15 mg of Neostigmine Bromide Ph.Eur, and also the inactive ingredients lactose, maize starch, talc and magnesium stearate. These inactive ingredients are included to aid the manufacture of the tablets and to help them disperse in your stomach. Each tablet is imprinted CL 15 on one side with a break line on the reverse. Each full bottle of Neostigmine Bromide contains 140 tablets.
Neostigmine Bromide blocks the action of an enzyme in the body which “switches off” nerve impulses to muscles. By stopping this enzyme from working, Neostigmine Bromide can increase muscle strength, but only in certain conditions.
The holder of the product licence for this medicine is
Lifehealth Limited
23 Winkfield Road
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 4BA
The tablets are made by
Dales Pharmaceuticals Limited
Snaygill Industrial Estate
Keighley Road
Skipton
North Yorkshire
BD23 2RW
and distributed in the United Kingdom by
Cambridge Laboratories Limited
Deltic House
Kingfisher Way
Silverlink Business Park
Wallsend
Tyne & Wear
NE28 9NX
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What are Neostigmine Bromide Tablets for?
Neostigmine Bromide Tablets are used mainly for the treatment of myasthenia gravis, a disease in which the muscles are weak and tire easily. They are also used when the normal movements of the intestine are absent and for the treatment of urinary retention after surgery.
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Before taking your medicine
Make sure that it is safe for you to take Neostigmine Bromide. If you answer YES to any of the following questions, or are not sure, tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist:
- Have you ever had a rash or other allergic reaction to neostigmine or to bromides?
- Do you have a blockage in your intestine?
- Do you have any difficulty passing water?
- Are you, or could you be, pregnant?
- Are you breast-feeding?
- Do you suffer from asthma?
- Do you have any heart problem or low blood pressure?
- Do you have a stomach ulcer?
- Do you suffer from epilepsy or Parkinson`s disease
Neostigmine Bromide should not be used at the same time as some anaesthetics and certain drugs used to produce muscle relaxation during surgery, such as suxamethonium. Please ask your doctor if you would like more information about this.
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Taking your medicine
Always take the tablets as your doctor tells you to. The dose required for myasthenia gravis varies from person to person, usually between 5 and 20 tablets per day are needed for an adult or teenager with one or two tablets being taken at a time. Children usually start with half a tablet if they are under 6 and one tablet if they are aged 6-12 years, with the total daily dose being 1-6 tablets.
For other uses the dose is usually 1 or 2 tablets for adults and a quarter to 1 tablet for children.
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take double doses.
If you swallow too many tablets or someone else accidentally takes your medicine, contact your doctor, pharmacist or nearest hospital straight away.
While taking your medicine
Like all medicines, Neostigmine Bromide Tablets may cause side-effects. These are usually mild, but may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, increased salivation and diarrhoea. If you experience these effects you should contact your doctor in case a lower dosage would suit you better.
If you think you have any other side-effects from taking this medicine, please tell your pharmacist or doctor.
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How to store your medicine
- Do not take the tablets after the expiry date on the label.
- Keep the tablets in their original container, at room temperature and away from direct light.
- Keep all medicines out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard or medicine cabinet.
Date of revision of this leaflet: January 2001
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