INFORMATION FOR THE USER

Eppinix® XL 2 mg prolonged-release tablets Eppinix® XL 3 mg prolonged-release tablets Eppinix® XL 4 mg prolonged-release tablets Eppinix® XL 6 mg prolonged-release tablets Eppinix® XL 8 mg prolonged-release tablets Ropinirole

What is in this leaflet

1.    What Eppinix® XL is and what it is used for

2.    What you need to know before you take Eppinix® XL

3.    How to take Eppinix® XL

4.    Possible side effects

5.    How to store Eppinix® XL

6.    Contents of the pack and other information

The active ingredient in Eppinix® XL is ropinirole, which belongs to a group of medicines called dopamine agonists. Dopamine agonists affect the brain in a similar way to a natural substance called dopamine.

Eppinix® XL is used to treat Parkinson's disease. People with Parkinson's disease have low levels of dopamine in some parts of their brains. Ropinirole has effects similar to those of natural dopamine, so it helps to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Do not take Eppinix® XL

-    if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to ropinirole or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)

-    if you have a serious kidney disease

-    if you have a liver disease

Tell your doctor if you think any of these may apply to you.

Warnings and precautions

Take special care with Eppinix® XL if you:

-    are pregnant or think you may be pregnant

-    are breast-feeding

-    are under 18 years old

-    have a serious heart complaint

-    have a serious mental health problem

-    have an intolerance to some sugars (such as lactose).

Tell your doctor if you think any of these may apply to you. Your doctor may decide that Eppinix® XL is not suitable for you, or that you need extra check-ups while you are taking it.

While you are taking Eppinix® XL

Tell your doctor if you or your family/carer notices that you are developing urges or cravings to behave in ways that are unusual for you and you cannot resist the impulse, drive or temptation to carry out certain activities that could harm yourself or others. These are called impulse control disorders and can include behaviours such as addictive gambling, excessive eating or spending, an abnormally high sex drive or an increase in sexual thoughts or feelings. Your doctor may need to adjust or stop your dose.

Smoking and Eppinix® XL

Tell your doctor if you start smoking, or give up smoking, while you are taking Eppinix® XL. Your doctor may need to adjust your dose.

Other medicines and Eppinix® XL

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription. Also remember to tell your doctor or pharmacist if you begin taking a new medicine while you are taking Eppinix® XL.

Some medicines can affect the way Eppinix® XL works, or make it more likely that you will have side effects. Eppinix® XL can also affect the way some other medicines work.

These include:

-    the anti-depressant fluvoxamine

-    medication for other mental health problems, for example sulpiride

-    HRT (hormone replacement therapy)

-    metoclopramide, which is used to treat nausea and heartburn

-    the antibiotics ciprofloxacin or enoxacin

-    any other medicine for Parkinson's disease.

Tell your doctor if you are taking, or have recently taken, any of these.

Eppinix® XL with food and drink

You can take Eppinix® XL with or without food, as you prefer.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Eppinix® XL is not recommended if you are pregnant, unless your doctor advises that the benefit to you of taking Eppinix® XL is greater than the risk to your unborn baby.

Your doctor will also advise you if you are breast-feeding or planning to do so. Eppinix® XL is not recommended if you are breast-feeding, as it can affect your milk production. Your doctor may advise you to stop taking Eppinix® XL.

Driving and using machines

Eppinix® XL can make you feel drowsy. It can make people feel extremely sleepy, and it sometimes makes people fall asleep very suddenly without warning.

If you could be affected: do not drive, do not operate machines and do not put yourself in any situation where feeling sleepy or falling asleep could put you (or other people) at risk of serious injury or death. Do not take part in these activities until you are no longer affected.

Eppinix® XL contain lactose and castor oil

Eppinix® XL contains a type of sugar called lactose. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking Eppinix® XL.

Eppinix® XL contains castor oil. May cause stomach upset and diarrhoea.

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

Use in children and adolescents

Do not give Eppinix® XL to children. Eppinix® XL is not normally prescribed for people under 18 years of age.

You may be given Eppinix® XL on its own to treat the symptoms of your Parkinson's disease. You may also be given Eppinix® XL with another medicine called L-dopa (also called levodopa). If you are taking L-dopa you may experience some uncontrolled jerky movements when you first start taking Eppinix® XL. Tell your doctor if this happens, as your doctor may need to adjust the dose of L-dopa you are taking.

How much Eppinix® XL will you need to take?

It may take a while to find out the best dose of Eppinix® XL for you.

The recommended starting dose of Eppinix® XL is 2 mg once daily for the first week. Your doctor may increase your dose to 4 mg of Eppinix® XL once daily, from the second week of treatment. If you are very elderly, your doctor may increase your dose more slowly. After that, the doctor may adjust your dose until you are taking the dose that is best for you.

Some people take up to 24 mg of Eppinix® XL each day.

If at the start of your treatment you experience side effects that you find difficult to tolerate, speak to your doctor. Your doctor may advise you to switch to a lower dose of ropinirole film-coated (immediate-release) tablets which you will take three times a day.

It may take a few weeks for Eppinix® XL to work for you. Do not take any more Eppinix® XL than your doctor has recommended.

Method of administration

Take Eppinix® XL once a day, at the same time each day.

Swallow your Eppinix® XL tablet(s) whole, with a glass of water. Do not break, chew or crush them. If you do so, there is a danger you could overdose, because the medicine will be released into your body too quickly.

If you are switching from ropinirole film-coated (immediate-release) tablets

Your doctor will base your dose of Eppinix® XL on the dose of ropinirole film-coated (immediate-release) tablets you were taking.

Take your ropinirole film-coated (immediate-release) tablets as normal the day before you switch. Then take your Eppinix® XL the next morning and do not take any more ropinirole film-coated (immediate-release) tablets.

If you take more Eppinix® XL than you should

Contact a doctor or pharmacist immediately. If possible, show them the Eppinix® XL pack.

Someone who has taken an overdose of Eppinix® XL may have any of these symptoms: feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), dizziness (a spinning sensation), feeling drowsy, mental or physical tiredness, fainting, hallucinations.

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If you forget to take Eppinix® XL

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet.

If you have missed taking Eppinix® XL for one day or more, ask your doctor for advice on how to start taking it again.

If you stop taking Eppinix® XL

Do not stop taking Eppinix® XL without advice. Take Eppinix® XL for as long as your doctor recommends.

Do not stop unless your doctor advises you to. If you suddenly stop taking Eppinix® XL, your Parkinson's disease symptoms may quickly get much worse.

If you need to stop taking Eppinix® XL, your doctor will reduce your dose gradually.

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

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

The side effects of Eppinix® XL are more likely to happen when you first start taking it, or when your dose has just been increased. They are usually mild, and may become less troublesome after you have taken the dose for a while. If you are worried about side effects, talk to your doctor.

Very common: (affects more than 1 user in 10)

-    fainting

-    feeling drowsy

-    feeling sick (nausea).

Common: (affects 1 to 10 users in 100)

-    hallucinations ("seeing" things that are not really there)

-    being sick (vomiting)

-    feeling dizzy (a spinning sensation)

-    heartburn

-    stomach pain

-    constipation

-    swelling of the legs, feet or hands.

Uncommon: (affects 1 to 10 users in 1,000)

-    feeling dizzy or faint, especially when you stand up suddenly (this is caused by a drop in blood pressure)

-    feeling very sleepy during the day (extreme somnolence)

-    falling asleep very suddenly without feeling sleepy first (sudden sleep onset episodes)

-    mental problems such as delirium (severe confusion), delusions (unreasonable ideas) or paranoia (unreasonable suspicions).

Not known: (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)

-    changes in liver function, which have shown up in blood tests.

-    hypersensitivity reactions including itchy skin rash, swollen face, lips, throat or tongue which may cause difficulty swallowing or breathing, rash and itching.

You may experience the following side effects:

Inability to resist the impulse, drive or temptation to perform an action that could be harmful to you or others, which may include:

-    Strong impulse to gamble excessively despite serious personal or family consequences.

-    Altered or increased sexual interest and behaviour of significant concern to you or to others, for example, an increased sexual drive.

-    Uncontrollable excessive shopping or spending

-    Binge eating (eating large amounts of food in a short time period) or compulsive eating (eating more food than normal and more than is needed to satisfy your hunger).

Tell your doctor if you experience any of these behaviours; they will discuss ways of managing or reducing the symptoms.

If you are taking Eppinix® XL with L-dopa

People who are taking Eppinix® XL with L-dopa may develop other side effects over time:

-    uncontrolled jerky movements are a very common side effect. If you are taking L-dopa you may experience some uncontrollable movements when you first start taking Eppinix® XL. Tell your doctor if this happens, as your doctor may need to adjust the doses of the medicines you are taking.

-    feeling confused is a common side effect.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine

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 and blister foil after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

Do not store above 30°C.

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.

What Eppinix® XL contains

-    The active substance is ropinirole. Each prolonged-release tablet contains 2 mg, 3 mg, 4 mg, 6 mg or 8 mg of ropinirole (as hydrochloride).

-    The other ingredients are: hypromellose, croscarmellose sodium, maltodextrin; lactose monohydrate, hydrogenated castor oil, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate; pigment blend :

2    mg tablets: iron oxide red (E172), iron oxide yellow (E172), lactose monohydrate,

3    mg tablets: lactose monohydrate, indigo carmine aluminium lake (E132), carmine (E120),

4    mg & 8 mg tablets: iron oxide red (E172), iron oxide yellow (E172), lactose monohydrate, iron oxide black (E172).

6 mg tablets: do not contain pigment blend.

What Eppinix® XL looks like and contents of the pack

Eppinix® XL 2 mg prolonged-release tablets are pink, mottled and oval with 2x debossed on one side.

Eppinix® XL 3 mg prolonged-release tablets are purple, mottled and oval with 3x debossed on one side.

Eppinix® XL 4 mg prolonged-release tablets are brown, mottled and oval with 4x debossed on one side.

Eppinix® XL 6 mg prolonged-release tablets are white and oval with 6x debossed on one side.

Eppinix® XL 8 mg prolonged-release tablets are dark pink, mottled and oval with 8x debossed on one side.

Pack sizes:

Eppinix® XL prolonged-release tablets are available in blister packs of 21, 28, 30, 42, 56, 84 and 90 prolonged release tablets.

Not all pack sizes may be available.

Marketing Authorisation Holder

DB Ashbourne Limited

The Rectory, Braybrooke Road, Arthingworth, Market Harborough LE16 8JT United Kingdom

Manufacturer

Actavis Ltd

BLB 016 Bulebel Industrial Estate,

Zejtun ZTN 3000,

Malta

this leaflet was last revised in 09/2014.

Ropinirole (Eppinix® XL) 2mg, 3mg, 4mg, 6mg and 8mg PIL - UK Dimensions: 190mm x 380mm Proof Date: 02/10/14