Metoclopramide 10mg Tablets
PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER
METOCLOPRAMIDE 10 mg TABLETS
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine.
- 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 Metoclopramide is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Metoclopramide
3. How to take Metoclopramide
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Metoclopramide
6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. What Metoclopramide is and what it is used
Metoclopramide is an antiemetic. It contains the active ingredient Metoclopramide Hydrochloride.
It works on a part of your brain that prevents you from feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting).
Adult population
Metoclopramide is used in adults:
• to prevent delayed nausea and vomiting that may occur after chemotherapy
• to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by radiotherapy
• to treat nausea and vomiting including nausea and vomiting which may occur with a migraine.
Metoclopramide can be taken with oral painkillers in case of migraine to help painkillers work more effectively.
Paediatric population
Metoclopramide is indicated in children (aged 1-18 years) if other treatment does not work or cannot be used to prevent delayed nausea and vomiting that may occur after chemotherapy.
2. What you need to know before you take Metoclopramide
Do not take Metoclopramide if:
• you are allergic to Metoclopramide or any of the other ingredients in the tablets (listed in section 6)
• you have bleeding, obstruction or a tear in your stomach or gut
• you have or may have a rare tumour of the adrenal gland, which sits near the kidney (pheochromocytoma)
• you have ever had involuntary muscle spasms (tardive dyskinesia), when you have been treated with a medicine
• you have epilepsy
• you have Parkinson’s disease
• you are taking levodopa (a medicine for Parkinson’s disease) or dopaminergic agonists (see below “Other medicines and Metoclopramide”)
• you have ever had abnormal blood pigment levels (methaemoglobinemia) or NADH cytochrome-b5 deficiency.
Do not give Metoclopramide to a child less than 1 year of
age (see below “Children and adolescents”)
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking
Metoclopramide tablets if:
• you have a history of abnormal heart beats (QT interval prolongation) or any other heart problems
• you have problems with the levels of salts in your blood, such as potassium, sodium and magnesium
• you are using other medicines known to affect the way your heart beats
• you have any neurological (brain) problems
• you have liver or kidney problems. The dose may be reduced (see section 3).
Your doctor may perform blood tests to check your blood pigment levels. In cases of abnormal levels (methaemoglobinemia), the treatment should be immediately and permanently stopped.
You must wait at least 6 hours between each metoclopramide dose, even in case of vomiting and rejection of the dose, in order to avoid overdose.
Do not exceed 3-month treatment because of the risk of involuntary muscle spasms.
Children and adolescents
Uncontrollable movements (extrapyramidal disorders) may occur in children and young adults. This medicine must not be used in children below 1 year of age because of the increased risk of the uncontrollable movements (see above “Do not take Metoclopramide if).
Other medicines and Metoclopramide
Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are taking or have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This is because some medicines can affect the way Metoclopramide works or Metoclopramide can affect how other medicines work.
These medicines include the following:
• levodopa or other medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease (see above “Do not take Metoclopramide if”)
• anticholinergics (medicines used to relieve stomach cramps or spasms)
• morphine derivatives (medicines used to treat severe pain)
• sedative medicines
• any medicines used to treat mental health problems
• digoxin (medicine used to treat heart failure)
• cyclosporine (medicine used to treat certain problems with the immune system)
• mivacurium and suxamethonium (medicines used to relax muscles)
• fluoxetine and paroxetine (medicine used to treat depression).
Metoclopramide with alcohol
Alcohol should not be consumed during treatment with metoclopramide because it increases the sedative effect of Metoclopramide tablets.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before being given this medicine. If necessary, Metoclopramide may be taken during pregnancy. Your doctor will decide whether or not you should be given this medicine. Metoclopramide is not recommended if you are breast-feeding because metoclopramide passes into breast milk and may affect your baby.
Driving and using machines
You may feel drowsy, dizzy or have uncontrollable twitching, jerking or writhing movements and unusual muscle tone causing distortion of the body after taking Metoclopramide. This may affect your vision and also interfere with your ability to drive and use machines.
Important information about some of the ingredients of Metoclopramide tablets
This medicine contains lactose (a type of sugar). If you know you have an intolerance to some sugars contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
3. How to take Metoclopramide
Always take Metoclopramide tablets exactly as your doctor has told you. Swallow the tablets with a glass of water.
The usual doses are given below. These may be changed by your doctor:
Adult patients
The recommended single dose is 10 mg, repeated up to three times daily.
The maximum recommended dose per day is 30 mg or 0.5 mg/kg body weight.
The maximum recommended treatment duration is 5 days.
To prevent delayed nausea and vomiting that may occur after chemotherapy (children aged 1-18 years).
The recommended dose is 0.1 to 0.15 mg/kg body weight, repeated up to 3 times daily, taken by mouth (oral route).
The maximum dose in 24 hours is 0.5 mg/kg body weight.
Dosing table
|
Age |
Body Weight |
Dose |
Frequency |
|
1-3 years |
10-14 kg |
1 mg |
Up to 3 times daily |
|
3-5 years |
15-19 kg |
2 mg |
Up to 3 times daily |
|
5-9 years |
20-29 kg |
2.5 mg |
Up to 3 times daily |
|
9-18 years |
30-60 kg |
5 mg |
Up to 3 times daily |
|
15-18 years |
Over 60 kg |
10 mg |
Up to 3 times daily |
You should not take this medicine for more than 5 days to prevent delayed nausea and vomiting that may occur after chemotherapy.
Metoclopramide is not suitable for use in children weighing less than 61 kg.
Other pharmaceutical forms/strengths may be more appropriate for administration.
Method of administration
You must wait at least 6 hours between each metoclopramide dose, even in case of vomiting and rejection of the dose, in order to avoid overdose.
Older people
The dose may need to be reduced depending on kidney problems, liver problems and overall health.
Adults with liver or kidney problems
Talk to your doctor if you have liver or kidney problems. The dose should be reduced if you have severe liver or kidney problems.
Children and adolescents
Metoclopramide must not be used in children aged less than 1 year (see section 2).
If you take more Metoclopramide than you should
Contact your doctor or pharmacist straight away.
You may experience uncontrollable movements (extrapyramidal disorders), feel drowsy, have some troubles of consciousness, be confused, have hallucination and heart problems. Your doctor may prescribe you a treatment for these signs if necessary.
If you forget to take Metoclopramide
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
If you stop taking Metoclopramide
DO NOT STOP taking this medicine unless your doctor tells you to. The symptoms may come back if treatment is stopped too early.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects,
although not everybody gets them.
Stop the treatment and talk straight away to your
doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you experience one of
the following signs while having this medicine:
• uncontrollable movements (often involving head or neck). These may occur in children or young adults and particularly when high doses are used. These signs usually occur at the beginning of treatment and may even occur after one single administration.
These movements will stop when treated appropriately
• high fever, high blood pressure, convulsions, sweating, production of saliva. These may be signs of a condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome
• itching or skin rashes, swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty in breathing. These may be signs of an allergic reaction, which may be severe.
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
• feeling drowsy.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
• depression
• uncontrollable movements such as tics, shaking, twisting movements or muscle contracture (stiffness, rigidity)
• symptoms similar to Parkinson disease (rigidity, tremor)
• feel restless
• blood pressure decrease (particularly with intravenous route)
• diarrhoea
• feeling weak.
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
• raised levels of a hormone called prolactin in the blood which may cause: milk production in men, and women who are not breast-feeding
• irregular periods
• hallucination
• decreased level of consciousness
• slow heartbeat (particularly with intravenous route)
• allergy.
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
• confusional state
• convulsion (especially in patients with epilepsy).
Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)
• abnormal blood pigment levels: which may change the colour of your skin
• abnormal development of breasts (gynaecomastia)
• involuntary muscle spasms after prolonged use, particularly in elderly patients
• high fever, high blood pressure, convulsions, sweating, production of saliva. These may be signs of a condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome
• changes in heart beat, which may be shown on an ECG test
• cardiac arrest (particularly with injection route)
• shock (severe decrease of heart pressure)
(particularly with injection route)
• fainting (particularly with intravenous route)
• allergic reaction which may be severe (particularly with intravenous route)
• very high blood pressure.
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 at: 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 Metoclopramide
Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not store above 25°C. Store in the original container and keep the container tightly closed.
Do not use these tablets after the expiry date, which is stated on the container. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Metoclopramide tablets contain
The active ingredient in Metoclopramide 10 mg tablets is metoclopramide hydrochloride. The other ingredients are lactose, anhydrous lactose, pregelatinised starch, colloidal anhydrous silica and magnesium stearate.
What Metoclopramide tablets look like and contents of the pack
Metoclopramide 10 mg tablets are round white tablets with the marking MP34 on one side and a break line engraved on the other.
The tablets come in containers of 28, 30, 50, 56, 60, 84, 100, 250, 500 and 1000 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Genethics Europe Limited
41 - 43 Klimentos, Klimentos Tower,
Nicosia 1061, Cyprus
Manufacturer
DDSA Pharmaceuticals Limited,
310 Old Brompton Road,
London SW5 9JQ
For more information about this product, please contact the Marketing Authorisation Holder.
This leaflet was last revised in 07/2016.
GE0021/O/PIL/GE1