PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER

SZ00000LT000

Pantoprazole 20 mg Gastro-resistant Tablets

Pantoprazole

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.

What is in this leaflet:

1.    What Pantoprazole 20 mg is and what it is used for

2.    What you need to know before you take

Pantoprazole 20 mg    A SANDOZ

3.    How to take Pantoprazole 20 mg

4.    Possible side effects

5.    How to store Pantoprazole 20 mg

6.    Contents of the pack and other information

1. WHAT PANTOPRAZOLE 20 MG IS AND WHAT IT IS USED FOR

Pantoprazole 20 mg is a selective "proton pump inhibitor”, a medicine which reduces the amount of acid produced in your stomach. It is used for treating acid-related diseases of the stomach and intestine.

Pantoprazole 20 mg is used for:

Adults and adolescents 12 years of age and above:

• Treating symptoms (e.g. heartburn, acid regurgitation, pain on swallowing) associated to gastro esophageal reflux disease caused by reflux of acid from the stomach.

•    Long-term management of reflux oesophagitis (inflammation of the oesophagus accompanied by the regurgitation of stomach acid) and preventing its return.

Adults:

•    Preventing duodenal and stomach ulcers caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, for example, ibuprofen) in patients at risk who need to take NSAIDs continuously.

2. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU TAKE PANTOPRAZOLE 20 MG

Do not take Pantoprazole 20 mg

•    If you are allergic (hypersensitive) to pantoprazole or to any of the other ingredients of Pantoprazole 20 mg (see section 6 "What Pantoprazole 20 mg contains”).

•    If you are allergic to medicines containing other proton pump inhibitors.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Pantoprazole 20 mg:

•    If you have severe liver problems. Please tell your doctor if you have ever had problems with your liver. He will check your liver enzymes more frequently, especially when you are taking Pantoprazole 20 mg as a long-term treatment.

In the case of a rise of liver enzymes the treatment should be stopped.

•    If you need to take medicines called NSAIDs continuously and receive Pantoprazole 20 mg because you have an increased risk of developing stomach and intestinal complications. Any increased risk will be assessed according to your own personal risk factors such as your age (65 years old or more), a history of stomach or duodenal ulcers or of stomach or intestinal bleeding.

•    If you have reduced body stores or risk factors for reduced vitamin B12 and receive pantoprazole long-term treatment. As with all acid reducing agents, pantoprazole may lead to a reduced absorption of vitamin B12.

•    If you are taking a medicine containing atazanavir (for the treatment of HIV-infection) at the same time as pantoprazole, ask your doctor for specific advice.

Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following symptoms:

•    an unintentional loss of weight

•    repeated vomiting

•    difficulty in swallowing

•    vomiting blood

•    you look pale and feel weak (anaemia)

•    you notice blood in your stools

•    severe and/or persistent diarrhoea, as Pantoprazole 20 mg has been associated with a small increase in infectious diarrhoea.

Your doctor may decide that you need some tests to rule out malignant disease because pantoprazole also alleviates the symptoms of cancer and could cause delay in diagnosing it. If your symptoms continue in spite of your treatment, further investigations will be considered.

If you take Pantoprazole 20 mg on a long-term basis (longer than 1 year) your doctor will probably keep you under regular surveillance. You should report any new and exceptional symptoms and circumstances whenever you see your doctor.

Other medicines and Pantoprazole 20 mg

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.

Pantoprazole 20 mg may influence the effectiveness of other medicines, so tell your doctor if your are taking

•    Medicines such as ketoconazole, itraconazole and posaconazole (used to treat fungal infections) or erlotinib (used for certain types of cancer) because Pantoprazole 20 mg may stop these and other medicines from working properly.

•    Warfarin and phenprocoumon, which affect the thickening, or thinning of the blood. You may need further checks.

•    Atazanavir (used to treat HIV-infection).

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

There are no adequate data from the use of pantoprazole in pregnant women. Excretion into human milk has been reported. If you are pregnant, or think you may be pregnant, or if you are breast-feeding, you should use this medicine only if your doctor considers the benefit for you greater than the potential risk for your unborn child or baby.

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

Driving and using machines

If you experience side effects like dizziness or disturbed vision, you should not drive or operate machines.

Pantoprazole 20 mg contains the colouring agent Ponceau 4R aluminium lake (E124):

It may cause allergic reactions.

3. HOW TO TAKE PANTOPRAZOLE 20 MG

Always take Pantoprazole 20 mg exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

When and how should you take Pantoprazole 20 mg?

Take the tablets 1 hour before a meal without chewing or breaking them and swallow them whole with some water.

Unless told otherwise by your doctor, the usual dose is:

Adults and adolescents 12 years of age and above:

To treat symptoms (e.g. heartburn, acid regurgitation, pain on swallowing) associated to gastro esophageal reflux disease

The usual dose is one tablet a day. This dose usually brings relief within 2 - 4 weeks - at most after another 4 weeks. Your doctor will tell you how long to continue taking the medicine. After this any recurring symptoms can be controlled by taking one tablet daily, when required.

For long-term management and for preventing the return of reflux oesophagitis

The usual dose is one tablet a day. If the illness returns, your doctor can double the dose, in which case you can use Pantoprazole 40 mg tablets instead, one a day. After healing, you can reduce the dose back again to one tablet 20 mg a day.

Adults:

To prevent duodenal and stomach ulcers in patients who need to take NSAIDs continuously

The usual dose is one tablet a day.

Special patient groups:

•    If you suffer from severe liver problems, you should not take more than one 20 mg tablet a day.

•    Children below 12 years. These tablets are not recommended for use in children below 12 years.

If you take more Pantoprazole 20 mg than you should

Tell your doctor or pharmacist. There are no known symptoms of overdose.

If you forget to take Pantoprazole 20 mg

Do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten dose. Take your next normal dose at the usual time.

If you stop taking Pantoprazole 20 mg

Do not stop taking these tablets without first talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

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.

If you get any of the following side effects, stop taking these tablets and tell your doctor immediately, or contact the casualty department at your nearest hospital:

•    Serious allergic reactions (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people): swelling of the tongue and/or throat, difficulty in swallowing, hives (nettle rash), difficulties in breathing, allergic facial swelling (Quincke’s oedema/ angioedema), severe dizziness with very fast heartbeat and heavy sweating.

•    Serious skin conditions (frequency can not be estimated from the available data):

blistering of the skin and rapid deterioration of your general condition, erosion (including slight bleeding) of eyes, nose, mouth/lips or genitals (Stevens-Johnson-Syndrome, Lyell-Syndrome, Erythema multiforme) and sensitivity to light.

•    Other serious conditions (frequency can not be estimated from the available data):

yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (severe damage to liver cells, jaundice) or fever, rash, and enlarged kidneys sometimes with painful urination and lower back pain (serious inflammation of the kidneys).

Other possible side effects are:

•    Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people): headache; dizziness; diarrhoea; feeling sick, vomiting; bloating and flatulence (wind); constipation; dry mouth; abdominal pain and discomfort; skin rash, exanthema, eruption; itching; feeling weak, exhausted or generally unwell; sleep disorders.

Taking a proton pump inhibitor like Pantoprazole 20 mg, especially over a period of more than one year, may slightly increase your risk of fracture in the hip, wrist or spine. Tell your doctor if you have osteoporosis or if you are taking corticosteroids (which can increase the risk of osteoporosis).

•    Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people): distortion or complete lack of the sense of taste; disturbances in vision such as blurred vision; hives; pain in the joints; muscle pains; weight changes; raised body temperature; swelling of the extremities (peripheral oedema); allergic reactions; depression; breast enlargement in males.

•    Very Rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):

disorientation.

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

Hallucination, confusion (especially in patients with a history of these symptoms); decreased sodium level in blood.

If you are on Pantoprazole 20 mg for more than three months it is possible that the levels of magnesium in your blood may fall. Low levels of magnesium can be seen as fatigue, involuntary muscle contractions, disorientation, convulsions, dizziness, increased heart rate. If you get any of these symptoms, please tell your doctor promptly. Low levels of magnesium can also lead to a reduction in potassium or calcium levels in the blood. Your doctor may decide to perform regular blood tests to monitor your levels of magnesium.

Side effects identified through blood tests:

•    Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people): an increase in liver enzymes.

•    Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people): an increase in bilirubin; increased fats in the blood; sharp drop in circulating granular white blood cells, associated with high fever.

•    Very Rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):

a reduction in the number of blood platelets, which may cause you to bleed or bruise more than normal; a reduction in the number of white blood cells, which may lead to more frequent infections; coexisting abnormal reduction in the number of white and red blood cells, as well as platelets.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or

pharmacist. This includes any possible side

effects not listed in this leaflet.

5. HOW TO STORE PANTOPRAZOLE 20 MG

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and the blister or bottle after “EXP”. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

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 to protect the environment.

6. CONTENTS OF THE PACK AND OTHER INFORMATION

What Pantoprazole 20 mg contains

The active substance is pantoprazole. Each gastro-resistant tablet contains 20 mg pantoprazole (as pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate).

The other ingredients are Tablet core: calcium stearate; cellulose microcrystalline; crospovidone;

hydroxypropylcellulose (type EXF); sodium carbonate, anhydrous; silica, colloidal anhydrous.

Coating: hypromellose, iron oxide yellow (E172), macrogol 400,

methacrylic acid - ethyl acrylate copolymer (1:1), polysorbate 80,

ponceau 4R aluminium lake (E124), quinoline yellow aluminium lake (E104), sodium lauryl sulphate, titanium dioxide (E171), triethyl citrate.

Printing ink: macrogol 600, shellac, povidone,

iron oxide black (E172), iron oxide red (E172), iron oxide yellow (E172).

What Pantoprazole 20 mg looks like and contents of the pack

Pantoprazole 20 mg gastro-resistant tablets are yellow, oval tablets (coated with a special layer), with a black imprinted “20” and available in blister packs of 7, 10, 14, 15, 20, 28, 30, 50, 56, 56x1, 60, 84, 90, 98, 100, 100x1, 140, 168 tablets and containers of 14, 28, 56, 98, 100, 250, 500 tablets.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Sandoz Ltd,

Frimley Business Park,

Frimley,

Camberley,

Surrey,

GU16 7SR,

UK.

Manufacturer

Salutas Pharma GmbH,

Otto-von-Guericke-Allee 1,

D-39179 Barleben,

Germany

or

Lek Spolka Akcyjna, ul. Domaniewska 50 C,

02-672 Warsaw,

Poland

or

Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d.,

Verovskova 57,

1000 Ljubljana,

Slovenia

or

Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d.,

Trimlini 2 D,

9220 Lendava,

Slovenia

or

Sandoz S.R.L.,

Str. Livezeni nr. 7A,

540472 Targu-Mures,

Romania.

This leaflet was last approved in 05/2012 (to be

amended after approval).