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The product code(s) for this leaflet is: PL 44095/0040.
Heparin Sodium 1,000 IU per ml and 5,000 IU per ml
Heparin sodium 1,000 and 5,000 IU/mL solution for injection or concentrate for solution for infusion
1. What heparin is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you use heparin
3. How to use heparin
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store heparin
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Heparin belongs to a group of medicines called anticoagulants.
Heparin changes the way your blood clots. This means your blood keeps flowing smoothly inside your blood vessels. These are the tubes that carry blood around your body and are called arteries and veins.
Heparin is therefore used to treat:
It is also used during heart and lung operations and during kidney dialysis.
You must remind your doctor that you are having heparin infusion before you receive any anaesthetic.
If you are pregnant please also read the section of this leaflet “Pregnancy and breast-feeding”.
After you have the anaesthetic your doctor or nurse will make regular checks. This is to check if you are getting any major bleeding or bruising around your spine. This may cause paralysis that could be permanent. Any signs this may be happening to you include tingling, weakness or numbness in your lower legs or body, back pain or problems in going to the toilet. This happens very rarely.
After you have the anaesthetic your doctor will tell you when you can take your medicine again.
Talk to your doctor before heparin infusion is given to you:
Your doctor may take a blood test before you start having this medicine, and while you are having it. This is so the doctor can check you are having the right dose. This is also to check the level of the clotting cells (platelets) and potassium in your blood.
This medicine may make you bleed more easily. The doctor or nurse should take care when giving you any other injections or procedures.
Please tell your doctor or nurse if you are taking, or have recently taken any other medicines. This includes any medicines which you have bought without a prescription.
You must tell your doctor or nurse if you are taking any of the following medicines:
If you need one of the above medicines your doctor may decide to alter the dose of heparin infusion or the other medication.
Tobacco smoke can also interfere with the working of heparin. You should inform your doctor if you smoke.
The presence of heparin in the blood can affect the results of some blood tests such as thyroid tests and the levels of calcium or some antibiotics (e.g. gentamicin) in the blood.
If you are pregnant or might be pregnant, wish to become pregnant or have a history of, or known risk to miscarriage, tell your doctor before you are given Heparin infusion.
If you become pregnant while having this medicine, tell your doctor.
If you are being given heparin, bleeding may be a problem during pregnancy or after delivery. Your bones may get thinner if you receive heparin for a long time during pregnancy.
If you are pregnant and are going to have an epidural anaesthetic, you should stop having your medicine. Ask your doctor for advice.
If you are breast-feeding, ask your doctor for advice before having Heparin infusion.
Heparin infusion has not been reported to affect ability to drive or operate machines.
This medicine contains:
Heparin sodium 1,000 IU/mL solution for injection or concentrate for solution for infusion
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per vial, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
Heparin sodium 5,000 IU/mL solution for injection or concentrate for solution for infusion
This medicine contains 34 mg sodium (main component of cooking/table salt) in each vial. This is equivalent to 1.7 % of the recommended maximum daily dietary intake of sodium for an adult.
Heparin infusion will be given to you by a doctor or a nurse. It will be injected into a vein either all at once or over a longer period of time, usually via a drip.
Your doctor will prescribe the right dose for you.
To TREAT blood clots in leg veins (deep vein thrombosis), blood clots in the lung, (pulmonary embolism), chest pains (unstable angina pectoris) and severe blood clots in the arteries (acute peripheral arterial occlusion)
The usual dose in adults is 5,000 units injected into a vein. This is followed by:
1,000-2,000 units/hour injected slowly into a vein or
5,000-10,000 units 4 hourly injected all at once into a vein
Lower doses may be used in the elderly.
The usual dose is 50 units/kg body weight injected into a vein followed by:
15-25 units/kg body weight/hour injected slowly into a vein or
100 units/kg body weight 4 hourly injected all at once into a vein. You will have blood tests every day to check the effects of your heparin.
Initially you will be given 300 units/kg per body weight. This will be changed according to the results of your blood tests.
Initially you will be given 1,000-5,000 units per hour. This will be changed according to the results of your blood tests.
You may start to haemorrhage (bleed severely). Please read section 4 so you can spot any signs this may be happening to you.
You may be given another injection of a medicine called protamine sulphate.
Like all medicines, Heparin infusion can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Important side effects to look out for include:
You must get urgent medical help if you have any of the above symptoms. You may be having an allergic reaction.
After having an epidural or spinal anaesthetic, you must get urgent medical help if you have any of the following symptoms. You may be developing paralysis:
If you are concerned about unusual bleeding you must tell your doctor or nurse immediately as heparin may need to be stopped.
Signs that you are bleeding more easily include:
Thrombocytopenia may result in the formation of dangerous blood clots causing chest pains, shortness of breath, coughing, feeling, faint, dizziness or loss of consciousness.
If thrombocytopenia develops, heparin treatment should be stopped immediately.
Thrombocytopenia can occur up to several weeks after the end of your heparin treatment. As such, your doctor may take a blood test in that time.
Common side effects (probably affect up to 1 in 10 people)
Uncommon side effects (probably affect less than 1 in 100 people)
Rare side effects (probably affect less than 1 in 1,000 people)
Very rare side effects (probably affect less than 1 in 10,000 people)
If any of the side effects become serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, tell your doctor or pharmacist.
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 or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use the medicine after the expiry date on the vial. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Shelf-life: 4 years
This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.
Do not freeze.
Chemical and physical in use stability has been demonstrated for 28 days at 25°C.
From a microbiological point of view, once opened, the product may be stored for a maximum of 28 days at 25°C. Other in use storage times and conditions are the responsibility of the user.
Shelf-life after dilution
The stability of mixtures of Heparin Sodium 1000 IU/ml and Heparin Sodium 5000 IU/ml at a concentration of 47.6 IU/ml and 455 IU/ml at 25ºC ± 2ºC for 72 hours with glucose diluents at 5 % or 0.9% NaCl.
Medicines should not be thrown away in waste water or in household waste. Please ask your pharmacist how to throw away any medicine you do not need anymore. If you do this you will help protect the environment.
Each multidose vial should be restricted to use in a single patient.
You can find important information about some of the ingredients near the end of section 2, just before section 3.
Heparin is a clear, colourless to yellowish liquid.
This medicine comes in glass vials containing 5 ml.
There are 1, 5 and 10 vials of heparin 1,000 and 5,000 IU/ml in a carton.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
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This leaflet was last revised in 01/2025.