Losec MUPS Tablets 10mg, 20mg & 40mg

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.

What is in this leaflet

1. What Losec is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Losec
3. How to take Losec
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Losec
6. Contents of the pack and other information

Do not take Losec:

• If you are allergic to omeprazole or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
• If you are allergic to medicines containing other proton pump inhibitors (e.g. pantoprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, esomeprazole).
• If you are taking a medicine containing nelfinavir (for HIV infection).

Do not take Losec if any of the above apply to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Losec.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Losec.

Losec may hide the symptoms of other diseases. Therefore, if any of the following happen to you before you start taking Losec or while you are taking it, talk to your doctor straight away:

• You lose a lot of weight for no reason and have problems swallowing.
• You get stomach pain or indigestion.
• You begin to vomit food or blood.
• You pass black stools (blood-stained faeces).
• You experience severe or persistent diarrhoea, as omeprazole has been associated with a small increase in infectious diarrhoea.
• You have severe liver problems.
• You have ever had a skin reaction after treatment with a medicine similar to Losec that reduces stomach acid.
• You are due to have a specific blood test (Chromogranin A).

If you take Losec 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.

Taking a proton pump inhibitor like Losec, 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).

If you get a rash on your skin, especially in areas exposed to the sun tell your doctor as soon as you can, as you may need to stop your treatment with Losec. Remember to also mention any other ill-effects like pain in your joints.

Children

Some children with chronic illnesses may require long-term treatment although it is not recommended. Do not give this medicine to children under 1 year of age or < 10 kg.

Other medicines and Losec

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines that you buy without a prescription. This is because Losec can affect the way some medicines work and some medicines can have an effect on Losec.

Do not take Losec if you are taking a medicine containing nelfinavir (used to treat HIV infection).

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• Ketoconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole or voriconazole (used to treat infections caused by a fungus)
• Digoxin (used to treat heart problems)
• Diazepam (used to treat anxiety, relax muscles or in epilepsy)
• Phenytoin (used in epilepsy). If you are taking phenytoin, your doctor will need to monitor you when you start or stop taking Losec
• Medicines that are used to thin your blood, such as warfarin or other vitamin K blockers. Your doctor may need to monitor you when you start or stop taking Losec
• Rifampicin (used to treat tuberculosis)
• Atazanavir (used to treat HIV infections)
• Tacrolimus (in cases of organ transplantation)
• St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) (used to treat mild depression)
• Cilostazol (used to treat intermittent claudication)
• Saquinavir (used to treat HIV infection)
• Clopidogrel (used to prevent blood clots (thrombi))
• Erlotinib (used to treat cancer)
• Methotrexate (a chemotherapy medicine used in high doses to treat cancer) – if you are taking a high dose of methotrexate, your doctor may temporarily stop your Losec treatment.

If your doctor has prescribed the antibiotics amoxicillin and clarithromycin as well as Losec to treat ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection, it is very important that you tell your doctor about any other medicines you are taking.

Losec with food and drink

See section 3.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility

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.

Omeprazole is excreted in breast milk but is not likely to influence the child when therapeutic doses are used. Your doctor will decide whether you can take Losec if you are breast-feeding.

Driving and using machines

Losec is not likely to affect your ability to drive or use any tools or machines. Side effects such as dizziness and visual disturbances may occur (see section 4). If affected, you should not drive or operate machinery.

Losec tablets contain sucrose

Losec gastro-resistant tablets contain sucrose. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.

Taking this medicine

• It is recommended that you take your tablets in the morning.
• You can take your tablets with food or on an empty stomach.
• Swallow your tablets whole with half a glass of water. Do not chew or crush the tablets. This is because the tablets contain coated pellets which stop the medicine from being broken down by the acid in your stomach. It is important not to damage the pellets.

What to do if you or your child have trouble swallowing the tablets

• If you or your child have trouble swallowing the tablets:
  • Break the tablet and disperse it in a spoonful of water (non-fizzy), any acidic fruit juice (e.g. apple, orange or pineapple) or apple sauce.
  • Always stir the mixture just before drinking (the mixture will not be clear). Then drink the mixture straight away or within 30 minutes.
  • To make sure that you have drunk all of the medicine, rinse the glass very well with half a glass of water and drink it. Do not use milk or fizzy water. The solid pieces contain the medicine - do not chew or crush them.

If you take more Losec than you should

If you take more Losec than prescribed by your doctor, talk to your doctor or pharmacist straight away.

If you forget to take Losec

If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you stop taking Losec

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

If you notice any of the following rare but serious side effects, stop taking Losec and contact a doctor immediately:

• Sudden wheezing, swelling of your lips, tongue and throat or body, rash, fainting or difficulties in swallowing (severe allergic reaction).
• Reddening of the skin with blisters or peeling. There may also be severe blisters and bleeding in the lips, eyes, mouth, nose and genitals. This could be ‘Stevens-Johnson syndrome’ or ‘toxic epidermal necrolysis’.
• Yellow skin, dark urine and tiredness which can be symptoms of liver problems.

Other side effects include:

Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• Headache.
• Effects on your stomach or gut: diarrhoea, stomach pain, constipation, wind (flatulence).
• Feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting).
• Benign polyps in the stomach.

Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• Swelling of the feet and ankles.
• Disturbed sleep (insomnia).
• Dizziness, tingling feelings such as “pins and needles”, feeling sleepy.
• Spinning feeling (vertigo).
• Changes in blood tests that check how the liver is working.
• Skin rash, lumpy rash (hives) and itchy skin.
• Generally feeling unwell and lacking energy.

Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

• Blood problems such as a reduced number of white cells or platelets. This can cause weakness, bruising or make infections more likely.
• Allergic reactions, sometimes very severe, including swelling of the lips, tongue and throat, fever, wheezing.
• Low levels of sodium in the blood. This may cause weakness, being sick (vomiting) and cramps.
• Feeling agitated, confused or depressed.
• Taste changes.
• Eyesight problems such as blurred vision.
• Suddenly feeling wheezy or short of breath (bronchospasm).
• Dry mouth.
• An inflammation of the inside of the mouth.
• An infection called “thrush” which can affect the gut and is caused by a fungus.
• Liver problems, including jaundice which can cause yellow skin, dark urine, and tiredness.
• Hair loss (alopecia).
• Skin rash on exposure to sunshine.
• Joint pains (arthralgia) or muscle pains (myalgia).
• Severe kidney problems (interstitial nephritis).
• Increased sweating.

Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)

• Changes in blood count including agranulocytosis (lack of white blood cells).
• Aggression.
• Seeing, feeling or hearing things that are not there (hallucinations).
• Severe liver problems leading to liver failure and inflammation of the brain.
• Sudden onset of a severe rash or blistering or peeling skin. This may be associated with a high fever and joint pains (Erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis).
• Muscle weakness.
• Enlarged breasts in men.

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

• Inflammation in the gut (leading to diarrhoea).
• If you are on Losec 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 or 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.
• Rash, possibly with pain in the joints.

Losec may in very rare cases affect the white blood cells leading to immune deficiency. If you have an infection with symptoms such as fever with a severely reduced general condition or fever with symptoms of a local infection such as pain in the neck, throat or mouth or difficulties in urinating, you must consult your doctor as soon as possible so that a lack of white blood cells (agranulocytosis) can be ruled out by a blood test. It is important for you to give information about your medicine at this time.

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.

What Losec contains

• The active substance is omeprazole. Each gastro-resistant tablet contains omeprazole magnesium corresponding to 10 mg, 20 mg or 40 mg omeprazole.
• The other ingredients are cellulose microcrystalline, glycerol monostearate 40-55, hydroxypropylcellulose, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, methacrylic acid – ethyl acrylate copolymer (1:1) dispersion 30 per cent, sugar spheres, synthetic paraffin (NF), macrogol (polyethylene glycol 6000), polysorbate 80, crospovidone, sodium hydroxide (for pH-adjustment), sodium stearyl fumarate, talc, triethyl citrate, iron oxide E172, titanium dioxide E171. (See section 2, “Losec tablets contain sucrose”.)

What Losec looks like and contents of the pack

• Losec 10 mg gastro-resistant tablets are light-pink with on one side and 10 mg on the other side.
• Losec 20 mg gastro-resistant tablets are pink with on one side and 20 mg on the other side.
• Losec 40 mg gastro-resistant tablets are dark red-brown with on one side and 40 mg on the other side.

Pack sizes:

• 10 mg:
  • HDPE bottles of 7, 14, 15, 28, 30, 50, 100, 100 (2x50) tablets; hospital pack of 140 tablets.
  • Blisters of 5, 7, 10, 14, 15, 25, 28, 30, 50, 56, 60, 84, 90, 100 tablets; hospital pack of 560 tablets.
  • Perforated unit dose blisters (hospital packs) of 25 x 1, 28 x 1, 50 x 1, 56 x 1 tablets.
• 20 mg:
  • HDPE bottles of 7, 14, 15, 28, 30, 50, 56, 100, 100 (2x50) tablets; hospital packs of 140, 200, 280 tablets.
  • Blisters of 5, 7, 14, 15, 25, 28, 30, 50, 56, 60, 84, 90, 98, 100 tablets; hospital pack of 560 tablets.
  • Perforated unit dose blisters (hospital packs) of 25 x 1, 28 x 1, 50 x 1, 56 x 1, 100 x 1 tablets.
• 40 mg:
  • HDPE bottles of 7, 14, 15, 28, 30, 100 tablets.
  • Blisters of 5, 7, 14, 15, 25, 28, 30, 50, 56, 60, 100 tablets; hospital pack of 560 tablets.
  • Perforated unit dose blisters (hospital packs) of 25 x 1, 28 x 1, 50 x 1 tablets.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

The Marketing Authorisations for Losec MUPS are held by

Losec MUPS are manufactured by

or

To listen to or request a copy of this leaflet in Braille, large print or audio please call, free of charge:

0800 198 5000 (UK only)

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Product name Reference number

Losec MUPS 10 mg 17901/0137

Losec MUPS 20 mg 17901/0138

Losec MUPS 40 mg 17901/0139

This is a service provided by the Royal National Institute of Blind People.

This medicinal product is authorised in the Member States of the EEA under the following names:

Member State Name of medicinal product

Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxemburg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, United Kingdom Losec

Germany Antra