Nicorandil 20 Mg Tablets
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
• 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.
Package leaflet: Information for the patient
Nicorandil 20 mg Tablets
nicorandil
• if you have other heart problems such as heart failure.
• if you have glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency.
During treatment
Stop taking nicorandil straight away and talk to your doctor if you experience any of the following:
• Nicorandil may cause injuries to your gastrointestinal tract such as ulcers. This can develop problems such as bleeding, fistula, holes, abscess, especially if you have diverticular disease (a digestive condition affecting the large intestine).
• If your eyes become red, itchy or swollen. You may have eye injuries, stop taking Nicorandil and contact your doctor immediately.
These side effects can occur at the beginning of treatment or latter in the treatment course. The only possible treatment is to stop nicorandil. Do not take aspirin or any medicines for inflammation (corticosteroids).
Children
Nicorandil is not recommended in children.
Other medicines and Nicorandil
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This is because Nicorandil may affect the way some other medicines work. Also some medicines may affect the way Nicorandil works.
Do not take this medicine and talk to your doctor if you are taking the following:
• Medicine for impotence such as sildenafil, tadalafil or vardenafil.
• Medicines to treat pulmonary hypertension such as riociguat.
Tell your doctor, if you are taking any of the following:
• Medicines to treat high blood pressure.
• Medicines that widen the blood vessels.
• Medicines that increase blood potassium levels.
• Dapoxetine, a medicine used to treat premature ejaculation.
• Medicines for inflammation (corticosteroids, non-inflammatory steroidal drugs such as ibuprofen).
• Medicines for depression.
• Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid).
Nicorandil with alcohol
Nicorandil may lower your blood pressure.
If you drink alcohol while you are treated with Nicorandil, your blood pressure may be decreased even further.
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.
You should avoid taking this medicine while you are pregnant.
It is not known whether nicorandil passes in human milk. You should not breast-feed while you are taking this medicine.
Driving and using machines
Nicorandil may cause dizziness or weakness.
If this happens, do not drive or use any tools or machines.
3. How to take Nicorandil
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The recommended dose is:
• The usual starting dose is 10 mg twice daily.
• In case you are particularly prone to headache, a lower dose of 5 mg twice daily might be prescribed by your doctor, for the first few days (2 to 7 days).
What is in this leaflet
1. What Nicorandil is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Nicorandil
3. How to take Nicorandil
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Nicorandil
6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. What Nicorandil is and what it is used for
Nicorandil 20 mg tablets contain a medicine called nicorandil. This belongs to a group of medicines called "potassium channel activators” It works by increasing the blood flow through the blood vessels of the heart. It improves the blood and oxygen supply of your heart muscle and reduces its workload. Nicorandil is used to prevent or reduce painful, straining symptoms (angina pectoris) of your heart disease. It is used in adult patients who do not tolerate or cannot take heart medicines called beta-blockers and/or calcium antagonists.
2. What you need to know before you take Nicorandil
Do not take Nicorandil
• if you are allergic to nicorandil or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
• if you have severe low blood pressure (hypotension).
• if you have heart problems such as cardiogenic shock, or left ventricular failure with low filling pressure or cardiac decompensation or shock.
• if you are taking medicines to treat erectile dysfunction such as sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil (phosphodiesterase inhibitors) or medicines to treat pulmonary hypertension such as riociguat (guanylate cyclase stimulators). This may seriously affect your blood pressure.
• if you have a low blood volume.
• if you have a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary oedema).
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Nicorandil.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Nicorandil:
• if you have low blood pressure.
• if you have low blood potassium level and your doctor has prescribed potassium supplements, or if you are suffering from renal impairment or taking other medical products that may increase potassium levels.
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
• Your doctor may increase the dose up to 20 mg twice daily depending on your needs, response to treatment and tolerance.
Preferably take one dose in the morning and one in the evening. Swallow the tablet (oral use). Do not take out or separate tablet from the blister strip until intake.
The tablet of 10 mg can be divided into equal doses.
For the tablet of 20 mg, the score line is only there to help you break the tablet if you have difficulty swallowing it whole.
If you take more Nicorandil than you should
If you take more tablets than you should, or if a child has swallowed any of your tablets, tell a doctor or go to a hospital casualty department straight away. Take the medicine pack with you. You may feel blood pressure lowering effect such as dizziness, feeling of weakness. You may also feel your heart is beating irregularly and faster.
If you forget to take Nicorandil
If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is nearly time for your next dose.
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 or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Stop taking Nicorandil and talk straight away to your doctor or, if serious, go to the nearest hospital emergency department if you experience any of the following:
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
• Bleeding from the back passage (rectal bleeding).
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
• Swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing.
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
• Nicorandil may cause injuries to your gastrointestinal tract such as ulcers in the mouth, tongue, stomach, guts (small and large), back passage. This can cause problems such as blood in your vomit, fistula (abnormal tube-like passage from one body cavity to another or to the skin), holes, abscess, weight loss. Ulcers can occur at other sites such as: skin, genital tract and nasal passages or around a stoma (in those with an artificial opening for waste removal such as a colostomy or ileostomy).
Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
• Nicorandil may also cause injuries to your eyes such as ulcers or infection (conjunctivitis). This can cause red, itchy, painful or swollen eyes.
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes, light coloured bowel motions, dark coloured urine - This may be signs of liver problems.
Other side effects include:
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
• Headache - This especially occurs during the first few days of treatment. Your doctor may progressively increase the dose to reduce the frequency of headaches.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
• Dizziness
• Very fast heart-beat
• Flushing of the skin
• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Being sick (vomiting)
• Feeling of weakness.
• Decrease in blood pressure.
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
• Rash
• Itching
• Uneven or forceful heart-beat (palpitations)
• Aching muscles not caused by exercise (myalgia).
Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
• High potassium levels in the blood (hyperkalaemia)
• Stomach aches.
Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)
• Double vision (diplopia).
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 Nicorandil
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 label, carton and blister after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Do not store above 25°C.
Store in the original package, in order to protect from moisture.
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.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Nicorandil contains
• The active substance is nicorandil. Each tablet contains 20 mg nicorandil.
• The other ingredients are sodium starch glycolate (type A), stearic acid, mannitol.
What Nicorandil looks like and contents of the pack
Nicorandil tablets are white to off-white round and flat. They are supplied in blisters of 20, 30 or 60 tablets.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed. Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Mylan,
Potters Bar,
Hertfordshire,
EN6 1TL,
United Kingdom
Manufacturer
Bluepharma Industria Farmaceutica,
S:A. Cimo de Fala - S. Martinho do Bispo
3045-016 Coimbra
Portugal
This leaflet was last revised in 08/2015.
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