Movicol
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MOVICOL® SACHETS
Patient Information Leaflet
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This is product is known by the above name but will usually be referred to as Movicol throughout this leaflet.
Please read all of this leaflet carefully before taking your 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. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
• If any of the side effects become serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
In this leaflet:
1. What is Movicol and what is it used for?
2. Before you take Movicol
3. How to take Movicol
4. Possible side effects
5. Storing Movicol
6. Further information
1. What is Movicol and what is it used for?
The name of this medicine is Movicol sachet. It is a laxative for the treatment of constipation in adults, adolescents and elderly. It is not recommended for children below 12 years of age.
Movicol helps you to have a comfortable bowel movement even if you have been constipated for a long time. Movicol also works in very bad constipation called faecal impaction.
2. Before you take Movicol
Do not take Movicol if your doctor has told you that you have:
• a blockage in your intestine (gut obstruction, ileus)
• a perforated gut wall
• severe inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or toxic megacolon
• an allergy to the active substances or any of the other ingredients of Movicol
Heart conditions
Follow the special instructions in section 3 if you are taking Movicol for faecal impaction.
Pregnancy and breast feeding
Movicol can be taken during pregnancy and whilst breast feeding. If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breast feeding, ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice before taking Movicol.
Driving and using machines
Movicol does not affect your ability to drive or use machines.
Taking other medicines
Some medicines, e.g. anti-epileptics, may not work as effectively during use with Movicol.
Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, or have recently taken, any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
3. How to take Movicol
This medicine can be taken at any time with or without food or drink.
Constipation:
A dose of Movicol is 1 sachet.
Take this 1-3 times a day according to the severity of your constipation.
Faecal impaction:
A dose of 8 sachets a day of Movicol is needed for the treatment of faecal impaction. The 8 sachets should be taken within 6 hours for up to 3 days if required. If you have a heart condition do not take more than 2 sachets in any one hour.
How to mix
Open the sachet and pour the contents into a glass. Add about 125ml or 1/4 pint of water to the glass. Stir well until all the powder has dissolved and the Movicol solution is clear or slightly hazy, then drink it. If you are taking Movicol for faecal impaction it may be easier to dissolve 8 sachets in 1 litre of water.
Duration of treatment Constipation:
Treatment with Movicol usually lasts for about 2 weeks.
If you need to take Movicol for longer, please see your doctor.
If your constipation is caused by an illness such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis (MS), or if you take medicines that cause constipation your doctor may recommend that you take Movicol for longer than 2 weeks.
Usually for long term treatment the dose can be lowered to either 1 or 2 sachets a day.
Faecal impaction:
Treatment with Movicol can be for up to 3 days.
If you take more Movicol than you should
You may develop excessive diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration. If this occurs, stop taking Movicol and drink plenty of fluids.
If you are worried contact your doctor or pharmacist.
If you forget to take Movicol
Take the dose as soon as you remember to take it.
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4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, Movicol can have side effects.
Tell your doctor immediately and stop taking Movicol if you:
• Get a serious allergic reaction which causes difficulty in breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.
Other side effects include:
Allergic reactions which may cause a skin rash, itching, reddening of the skin or a nettle rash, swollen hands, feet or ankles, headaches and high and low levels of potassium in the blood.
Sometimes you may have indigestion, stomach ache or rumbles. You may also feel bloated, suffer from wind, feel sick or vomit, may also experience soreness of the anus (bottom) and may have mild diarrhoea when starting to take Movicol. These side effects generally get better if you reduce the amount Movicol you take.
If any of the above are troublesome or last more than a few days or if you notice any side effects not mentioned in this leaflet, please inform your doctor or pharmacist.
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.
5. Storing Movicol
• Do not use after the expiry date printed on the carton, carton label or sachet.
• Movicol sachets should be stored below 25°C.
The solution: store refrigerated (2-8°C) and covered. Discard any solution not used within 6 hours.
• Keep all medicines out of the sight and reach of children.
• If your doctor tells you to stop taking the sachets, please take them back to the pharmacist for safe disposal. Only keep the sachets if your doctor tells you to.
• If the sachets become discoloured or show any other signs of deterioration, you should seek the advice of your pharmacist before taking them.
• 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. Further information
Your medicine is called Movicol sachets.
Each 13.8gram sachet contains 13.125 grams of macrogol 3350, 0.3507 grams of sodium chloride, 0.1785 grams of sodium bicarbonate and 0.0466 grams of potassium chloride in a white granular powder for oral solution.
When it is made into a drink with 125 millilitres of water, each sachet gives the equivalent of:
|
sodium |
65 |
millimoles/litre |
|
chloride |
53 |
millimoles/litre |
|
bicarbonate |
17 |
millimoles/litre |
|
potassium |
5.4 |
millimoles/litre |
Movicol sachets also contain the following ingredients:
Lime and lemon flavour and potassium acesulfame as a sweetener.
Movicol sachets are available as packs of 20 or 30 sachets. Each sachet contains 13.8 grams of Movicol powder. Dissolve the contents of the sachet in 125ml of water then drink it.
[p] PL No: 6464/1042
This product is manufactured by Laboratorios Macors, Rue de Caillotes, Z.I. de la Plaine des Isles, 89000 Auxerre, France, or, Sophartex, 21, rue du Pressoir, 28500 Vernouillet, France and is procured from within the EU and repackaged by the Product Licence holder:
Waymade plc, Miles Gray Road, Basildon, Essex SS14 3FR
Leaflet revision and issue date (Ref.) 29.10.2013
Movicol is a registered trademark of Edra AG.
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