Trifluoperazine 1mg/5ml Syrup
PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET Stelazine® 1mg/5ml Syrup
Trifluoperazine
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. 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 Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup is and what it is used for
2. Before you take Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup
3. How to take Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup
6. Further information
1. WHAT STELAZINE 1mg/5ml SYRUP IS AND WHAT IT IS USED FOR
Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup contains the active ingredient trifluoperazine hydrochloride, which belongs to a class of drugs called phenothiazine tranquilisers, also referred to as a neuroleptic drug . It influences the activity of certain brain cells by decreasing the effect of dopamine, a natural chemical in the brain.
• At a low dose, Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup is used to manage anxiety and depression. It is used in this way for short periods of time. Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup may also be used to treat nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting (being sick).
• At high doses, Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup is used to treat and prevent relapses of schizophrenia (a serious mental illness). It can also be used for short periods of time to treat bad agitation or dangerous behaviour.
2. BEFORE YOU TAKE STELAZINE 1mg/5ml SYRUP
DO NOT take Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup if:
• You know that you are allergic to trifluoperazine hydrochloride or any of the other ingredients of Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup (see section 6 of this leaflet).
• You are suffering from liver problems, blood disease, inability of the heart to maintain adequate circulation causing breathlessness and swelling of the ankles.
• If you have previously had to stop taking other medicines for psychiatric problems like stelazine (known as phenothiazines) because they have affected your blood cells or caused jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). Ask your doctor about this.
Take special care with Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup and tell your doctor if you are:
• suffering from any disease involving the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease) including chest pain (angina) and irregular heart beats
• suffering from a brain disorder causing tremors, rigidity and slowing of movement (Parkinson’s disease)
• suffering from fits (epilepsy)
• suffering from an eye disease called narrow angle glaucoma which causes increased pressure inside the eye,
• suffering from abnormal muscle weakness (Myasthenia gravis)
• suffering from an enlargement of prostate gland
• exposed to extremes in temperature as this medicine can affect body temperature control
• an elderly person
• if you suffer from loss of cognitive (memory, language, intelligence) ability - dementia.
• if you or someone else in your family has a history of blood clots, as medicines like these have been associated with formation of blood clots.
• If you have had a stroke or have any of the following that can increase your risk of having a stroke (e.g. heart attack, uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, family history of strokes, you smoke or drink excess alcohol). Even though some of the above may appear obvious, it is important that your doctor is aware if any of them apply to you.
Taking other medicines
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
The effects of these medicines may change, especially if you are taking:
• sleeping tablets,
• strong pain killers (e.g. codeine)
• medicines which result in lowering of blood pressure (e.g. guanethidine)
• anticholinergic medicines used to reduce saliva and lung secretions (e.g.atropine, procyclidine)
• antidepressants (e.g. other phenothiazines, lithium)
• medicines for fits (anticonvulsants)
• medicines for Parkinson’s disease (e.g. levodopa)
• blood thinning medicines (anticoagulants such as warfarin)
• medicines used to treat iron poisoning (desferrioxamine)
• antacids used to treat indigestion.
• medicines for psychiatric conditions (neuroleptics)
• heart medicines which prolong the QT interval (e.g quinidine, disopyramide, procainamide, amiodarone, sotalol)
• drugs causing electrolyte imbalances (e.g diuretics)
You should tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking Stelazine before being given an anaesthetic.
Taking Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup with food and drink
You should not drink alcohol whilst you are taking this medicine. Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup can be taken with or without food.
Pregnancy and breast feeding
Do not take Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, or while breast feeding, unless your doctor decides that treatment is essential. It is particularly important not to take Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup during the first three months of pregnancy. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.
The following symptoms may occur in newborn babies, of mothers that have used Trifluoperazine in the last trimester (last three months of their pregnancy): shaking, muscle stiffness and/or weakness, sleepiness, agitation, breathing problems and difficulty in feeding. If your baby develops any of these symptoms you may need to contact your doctor.
Driving and using machines
Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup may make you feel drowsy or dizzy or give you blurred vision. You should not drive or use machines when you first start to take this medicine until you are certain that you are not getting these side effects. If in any doubt, speak to your doctor before you drive or use machines.
Important information about some of the ingredients of Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup
This medicine also contains: Sorbitol (E420), which is a sugar. If you have been told by your doctor that you are intolerant to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine. Sorbitol can also cause stomach upset and diarrhoea in some patients. Sunset yellow (E110) which may cause allergic reactions. Sodium benzoate which may increase the risk of jaundice in newborn babies. This medicinal product contains 55.22 mmol sodium per dose. To be taken into consideration for patients on a controlled sodium diet.
3. HOW TO TAKE STELAZINE 1mg/5ml SYRUP
Always take Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup exactly as your doctor has told you. The pharmacist’s label on your pack will tell you how much and how often you should take your Syrup. Please read the label carefully. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Do not take more than your doctor has recommended. Your doctor will decide on a suitable dose depending on your condition. The usual dose is shown in the table below. You will usually need to take your medicine twice or three times a day, depending on the dose your doctor has chosen for you.
Remember each 5ml spoonful of syrup contains 1mg of “Trifluoperazine”
|
Patient Type |
Low dosage For the treatment of anxiety or nausea and vomiting |
High dosage For the control of schizophrenia and related conditions |
|
Adults |
The usual dose is 2 mg to 6mg a day |
High dose in adults is 5-25mg a day in divided doses |
|
Elderly (over 65 years of age) |
The starting dose of syrup should be no more than half that of adult patients |
The starting dose of syrup should be no more than half that of adult patients |
|
Children |
For children aged 3-5 |
High dose in children |
|
years, the dose is no |
(aged 6-12 years) is | |
|
more than 1mg a day. For children aged 6-12 years the dose is no more than 4mg a day. |
5mg in divided doses. |
During treatment your doctor should regularly check you for physical side effects, changes in your blood counts or liver function, and any heart problem, especially if you taking this medicine for a long time or are also taking other medicines.
If you stop taking Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup
Continue to take Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup even if you no longer feel ill. Do not stop taking this medicine without talking with your doctor first, especially if you have taken large doses for a long time. When the time comes to stop your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually as stopping the Syrup suddenly may cause ill-effects such as nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick), sweating and difficulty in sleeping. For mood disorders and schizophrenia, it may take several weeks for you to feel the full benefit of this medicine. If you stop taking this medicine suddenly, your symptoms may come back.
If you take more Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup than you should:
If you think that you, or any other person, have taken too much Syrup, contact your doctor or hospital casualty department immediately. Take this leaflet and any remaining Syrup with you so that the medical staff know exactly what you have taken.
If you forget to take your Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup:
If you miss a dose, wait until your next dose. Do not take the dose you have missed. You can then carry on as before. Do not take more than one dose at a time.
4. POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS
Blood clots in the veins especially in the legs (symptoms include swelling, pain and redness in the leg), which may travel through blood vessels to the lungs causing chest pain and difficulty in breathing. If you notice any of these symptoms seek medical advice immediately.
Like all medicines, Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup can sometimes cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
• Very rarely, patients may experience a fast or irregular heartbeat, constipation, difficulty or inability to pass urine or a high temperature.
• Rarely, Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup can affect certain types of breast cancers or lead to breast enlargement in men or to inappropriate milk production or altered menstrual cycle (e.g. periods stop).
• Rarely patients may develop Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome. This causes a high temperature, rigid muscles, drowsiness, occasional loss of consciousness, and requires emergency admission to hospital for treatment.
• If you have chest pain (angina) and your pain is getting worse.
• Very occasionally, medicines such as Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup can have effects on muscle control. If this happens, symptoms can include slurred speech, odd movements of the face, particularly of the tongue, eyes, head or neck (such as twisting of the neck which causes an unnatural positioning of the head, rigid muscles, tremors or restlessness and difficulty in sitting still). Some patients (especially on high doses of this medicine) experience problems with muscle control which may continue for years. Such patients may experience constant chewing or tongue movements or other gentle movements of the neck, head or trunk.
Uncontrollable movements of the arms and legs have also been reported in these patients.
• Occasionally, some patients have complained of feeling slowed down, whilst
• Rarely, jaundice (yellowing of skin and whites of eyes), eye problems, skin colouring (pigmentation) and blood problems.
• if you suffer from a sore throat, high fever, feel very tired, become pale, develop bruises and nose bleeds. These may indicate blood problems developing as a result of using this medicine.
• In elderly people with dementia, a small increase in the number of deaths has been reported for patients taking antipsychotics compared with those not receiving antipsychotics.
Some patients may also experience weakness, drowsiness, dizziness, restlessness, difficulty in sleeping, dry mouth, blurred vision, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, faintness on standing up, skin rashes (including increased sensitivity to the sun), weight gain, water retention causing swelling or confusion.
Your doctor should check your progress regularly if you are on Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup to make sure no unwanted effects are developing. 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.
5. HOW TO STORE STELAZINE 1mg/5ml SYRUP
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup after the expiry date which is stated on the box. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. If your Syrup is out of date, take it to your pharmacist who will get rid of it safely.
Do not store above 25°C. Store in the original package.
6. FURTHER INFORMATION
The active substance in Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup is trifluoperazine hydrochloride. Each 5ml spoonful of Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup contains 1mg trifluoperazine present as hydrochloride. Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup also contains sodium saccharin, sodium benzoate (E211), anhydrous citric acid (E330), sodium citrate, sorbitol (E420), quinolone yellow (E104), sunset yellow (E110), peach flavour and purified water.
What Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup looks like and contents of the pack
Stelazine 1mg/5ml Syrup is a clear pale yellow, peach flavoured syrup and comes in amber glass bottles, containing 200ml syrup.
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Mercury Pharmaceuticals Ltd.,
Capital House, 85 King William Street, London EC4N 7BL, UK
Manufacturer
Laleham Health and Beauty Limited.,
Fairfield, Bradshaw Lane, Greenhalgh, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 3JA This leaflet was last revised in January 2015.
Stelazine is a registered trade mark of Mercury Pharma Group Limited.
100046/LF/7