Longtec 40 mg Prolonged Release Tablets

• 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.

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

• are allergic (hypersensitive) to oxycodone, or any of the other ingredients of the tablets (listed in section 6 of this leaflet);
• have breathing problems, such as severe chronic obstructive lung disease, severe bronchial asthma or severe respiratory depression. Your doctor will have told you if you have any of these conditions. Symptoms may include breathlessness, coughing or breathing more slowly or weakly than expected;
• have a condition where the small bowel does not work properly (paralytic ileus), your stomach empties more slowly than it should (delayed gastric emptying) or you have severe pain in your abdomen;
• have a heart problem after long-term lung disease (cor pulmonale);
• have increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood. Symptoms may include dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, shortness of breath and headache;
• have moderate to severe liver problems. If you have other long-term liver problems you should only take these tablets if recommended by your doctor;
• have ongoing problems with constipation;
• have a rare hereditary problem of galactose intolerance, total lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption;
• are under 18 years of age.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking these tablets if you:

• or anyone in your family are or have ever been addicted to opioids, alcohol, prescription medicines or illegal drugs;
• have previously suffered from withdrawal symptoms such as agitation, anxiety, shaking or sweating, when you have stopped taking alcohol or drugs;
• feel you need to take more tablets to get the same level of pain relief, this may mean you are becoming tolerant to the effects of this medicine or are becoming addicted to it. Speak to your prescriber who will discuss your treatment and may change your dose or switch you to an alternative pain reliever;
• are elderly or weakened;
• have an under-active thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), as you may need a lower dose;
• have myxoedema (a thyroid disorder associated with dryness, coldness and swelling or puffiness of the skin affecting the face and limbs);
• know you are suffering from a brain injury or tumour, or you have a head injury, severe headache or feel sick, as this may indicate that the pressure in your skull is increased;
• have low blood pressure (hypotension);
• have low blood volume (hypovolaemia). This can occur due to severe external or internal bleeding, severe burns, excessive sweating, severe diarrhoea or vomiting;
• feel very lightheaded or faint;
• have a mental disorder following use of certain medicines (toxic psychosis);
• have inflammation of the pancreas (which causes severe pain in the abdomen and back);
• have problems with your gall bladder or bile duct;
• have inflammatory bowel disease;
• have an enlarged prostate gland, which causes difficulty in passing urine (in men);
• have poor adrenal gland function (your adrenal gland is not working properly which may cause symptoms including weakness, weight loss, dizziness, feeling or being sick), for example due to Addison’s disease;
• have severely impaired lung function. Symptoms may include breathlessness and coughing;
• have long term pain unrelated to cancer;
• have a condition where your breathing stops for short periods whilst you are asleep, known as sleep apnoea;
• have kidney or liver problems.

If you are going to have an operation, or have just had an operation, please tell the doctor at the hospital that you are taking these tablets. Your doctor may adjust your treatment. These tablets should not be used for short-term pain after an operation owing to the increased risk of dependence and breathlessness.

You may experience hormonal changes while taking these tablets. Your doctor may want to monitor these changes.

Contact your doctor if you experience severe upper abdominal pain possibly radiating to the back, nausea, vomiting or fever as this could be symptoms associated with inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) and the biliary tract system.

Sleep-related breathing disorders

Longtec tablets can cause sleep-related breathing disorders such as sleep apnoea (breathing pauses during sleep) and sleep related hypoxemia (low oxygen level in the blood). The symptoms can include breathing pauses during sleep, night awakening due to shortness of breath, difficulties to maintain sleep or excessive drowsiness during the day. If you or another person observe these symptoms, contact your doctor. A dose reduction may be considered by your doctor.

Tolerance, dependence and addiction

This medicine contains oxycodone, which is an opioid. It can cause dependence and/or addiction.

This medicine contains oxycodone which is an opioid medicine. Repeated use of opioid painkillers can result in the drug being less effective (you become accustomed to it, known as tolerance).

Repeated use of Longtec tablets can also lead to dependence, abuse, and addiction, which may result in life-threatening overdose. The risk of these side effects can increase with a higher dose and longer duration of use.

If you have concerns that you may become dependent on Longtec tablets, it is important that you consult your doctor. Your doctor should have explained how long you will be using it for and when it is appropriate to stop, how to do this safely.

Dependence or addiction can make you feel that you are no longer in control of how much medicine you need to take or how often you need to take it. You might feel that you need to carry on taking your medicine, even when it doesn’t help to relieve your pain

Rarely, increasing the dose of this medicine can make you more sensitive to pain. If this happens, you need to speak to your doctor about your treatment.

The risk of becoming dependent or addicted varies from person to person. You may have a greater risk of becoming dependent or addicted to Longtec tablets if:

• You or anyone in your family have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines or illegal drugs (“addiction”).
• You are a smoker.
• You have ever had problems with your mood (depression, anxiety or a personality disorder) or have been treated by a psychiatrist for other mental illnesses.

If you notice any of the following signs whilst taking Longtec tablets, it could be a sign that you have become dependent or addicted:

• You need to take the medicine for longer than advised by your doctor
• You need to take more than the recommended dose
• You are using the medicine for reasons other than prescribed, for instance, ‘to stay calm’ or ‘help you sleep’
• You have made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to quit or control the use of the medicine
• When you stop taking the medicine you feel unwell, and you feel better once taking the medicine again (‘withdrawal effects’)

If you notice any of these signs it is important you talk to your doctor.

Withdrawal

Addiction can cause withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking this medicine. Withdrawal symptoms can include restlessness, difficulty sleeping, irritability, agitation, anxiety, feeling your heartbeat (palpitations), increased blood pressure, feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, shaking, shivering or sweating. If you notice any of these signs, speak to your doctor to discuss the best treatment pathway for you, including when it is appropriate to stop and how to stop safely (See section 3, If you stop taking Longtec tablets).

Opioids should only be used by those they are prescribed for. Do not give your medicine to anyone else. Taking higher doses or more frequent doses of opioid may increase the risk of addiction.

Overuse and misuse can lead to overdose and/or death.

Do not inject Longtec tablets. This can cause serious side effects including tissue death at the site of injection, infection, inflammation of the lungs and damage to the heart which may be fatal.

Taking Longtec tablets at the same time as other medicines that slow down the central nervous system can cause slow or difficulty breathing (respiratory depression), severe sleepiness, loss of consciousness and death. These medicines include:

• other medicines used to treat pain known as opioids (such as codeine or morphine);
• medicines used to treat epilepsy (gabapentinoids) such as pregabalin;
• medicines used to treat anxiety;
• medicines used to make you feel sleepy (such as benzodiazepines);
• medicines used to treat psychiatric or mental disorders (such as phenothiazines);
• anaesthetics;
• muscle relaxants;
• medicines used to treat high blood pressure;
• a type of medicine used to treat depression known as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as tranylcypromine, phenelzine and isocarboxazid. You should not take Longtec tablets if you are currently taking this type of medicine, or have taken this medicine in the last two weeks.

Because of this, your doctor will only prescribe Longtec tablets where there are no other treatment options, and only in small doses for short periods of time. If you or your friends, family or caregivers notice that you are having difficulty breathing or that you have become very sleepy or lost consciousness you (or they) should inform your doctor immediately.

Taking Longtec tablets with medicines used to treat depression known as Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) or Serotonin Norepinephrine Re-uptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) can cause a condition known as serotonin toxicity. The symptoms of this include agitation, seeing or hearing things that aren’t real (hallucinations), loss of consciousness, a fast heartbeat, blood pressure changes, increased body temperature, muscle twitching, lack of coordination, stiffness, feeling or being sick, or diarrhoea. If you are taking SSRI or SNRI medicines such as citalopram, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline or venlafaxine your doctor may reduce your dose of Longtec tablets.

Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines, as they may need to adjust your dose:

• a type of medicine used to treat depression known as tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, clomipramine, imipramine, lofepramine or nortriptyline;
• medicines used to treat allergies, such as cetirizine, fexofenadine or chlorphenamine;
• medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease;
• antibiotics such as clarithromycin, erythromycin or telithromycin;
• antifungal medicines such as ketoconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole and posaconazole;
• medicines used to treat HIV known as protease inhibitors, such as boceprevir, ritonavir, indinavir, nelfinavir or saquinavir;
• cimetidine, a medicine used to treat stomach ulcers;
• rifampicin, a medicine used to treat tuberculosis;
• medicines used to treat seizures, fits or convulsions such as carbamazepine and phenytoin;
• a herbal remedy used to treat depression known as St. John’s Wort (also known as Hypericum perforatum);
• quinidine, a medicine used to treat an irregular heartbeat.

Drinking alcohol during your treatment with this medicine may make you feel more sleepy or increase the risk of serious side effects such as shallow breathing with a risk of stopping breathing, and loss of consciousness. It is recommended that you do not drink alcohol while you are taking Longtec tablets.

You should avoid drinking grapefruit juice during your treatment with this medicine.

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

Pregnancy

Do not take Longtec tablets if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant unless you have discussed this with your doctor and the benefits of treatment are considered to outweigh the potential harm to the baby. If you take Longtec tablets during pregnancy your baby may become dependent and experience withdrawal symptoms after the birth which may need to be treated.

Breast-feeding

Do not take Longtec tablets while you are breastfeeding as oxycodone passes into breast milk and will affect your baby.

These tablets may cause a number of side effects such as drowsiness or dizziness which could affect your ability to drive or use machinery (see section 4 ‘Possible side effects’ for a full list of side effects). These are usually most noticeable when you first start taking the tablets, or when changing to a higher dose.

• Do not drive while taking this medicine until you know how it affects you.
• It is an offence to drive if this medicine affects your ability to drive.
• However you would not be committing an offence if:
  • The medicine has been prescribed to treat a medical or dental problem and;
  • You have taken it according to the instructions given by the prescriber or in the information provided with the medicine and;
  • It was not affecting your ability to drive safely.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure whether it is safe for you to drive while taking this medicine.

These tablets contain lactose which is a form of sugar. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking these tablets.

The usual starting dose is one 10 mg tablet every 12 hours. However, your doctor will prescribe the dose required to treat your pain. If you find that you are still in pain whilst taking these tablets, discuss this with your doctor.

Do not exceed the dose recommended by your doctor. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Swallow your tablets whole with water. Do not crush, dissolve, or chew them.

Longtec tablets are designed to work properly over 12 hours when swallowed whole. If a tablet is broken, crushed, dissolved or chewed, the entire 12-hour dose may be absorbed rapidly into your body. This can be dangerous, causing serious problems such as an overdose, which may be fatal.

You should take your tablets every 12 hours. For instance, if you take a tablet at 8 o’clock in the morning, you should take your next tablet at 8 o’clock in the evening.

You must only take the tablets by mouth. The tablets should never be crushed or injected as this may lead to serious side effects, which may be fatal (see section 2 ‘Warnings and precautions’).

Children and adolescents under 18 years of age should not take the tablets.

Please tell your doctor if you suffer from kidney or liver problems as they may prescribe a lower dose depending on your condition.

Call your doctor or hospital immediately. People who have taken an overdose may feel very sleepy, sick or dizzy, or have hallucinations. They may also have breathing difficulties leading to unconsciousness or even death and may need emergency treatment in hospital. An overdose may result in a brain disorder (known as toxic leukoencephalopathy). When seeking medical attention make sure that you take this leaflet and any remaining tablets with you to show to the doctor.

If you remember within 4 hours of the time your tablet was due, take your tablet straight away. Take your next tablet at your normal time. If you are more than 4 hours late, please call your doctor or pharmacist for advice. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet.

Do not suddenly stop taking this medicine. If you want to stop taking this medicine discuss this with your doctor first. They will tell you how to do this, usually by reducing the dose gradually so that any unpleasant withdrawal effects are kept to a minimum. Withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, difficulty sleeping, irritability, agitation, anxiety, feeling your heartbeat (palpitations), increased blood pressure, feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, shaking, shivering or sweating may occur if you suddenly stop taking this medicine.

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

The active ingredient is oxycodone hydrochloride. Each tablet contains 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg or 120 mg of oxycodone hydrochloride.

The other ingredients are lactose monohydrate, povidone, ammoniomethacrylate co-polymer, sorbic acid, triacetin, stearyl alcohol, talc, magnesium stearate, hypromellose (E464), titanium dioxide (E171) and macrogol.

In addition, the tablet coatings contain the following:

5 mg - brilliant blue (E133)

10 mg - hydroxypropylcellulose

15 mg - iron oxide (E172)

20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg and 120 mg - polysorbate 80 (E433), and iron oxide (E172)

80 mg - hydroxypropylcellulose, iron oxide (E172), and indigo carmine (E132).

The tablets are marked OC on one side and the strength on the other (5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80 or 120). All strengths are round, bi-convex, film coated tablets.

The tablets are all film coated in the following colours: 5 mg - light blue, 10 mg - white, 15 mg – grey, 20 mg - pink, 30 mg - brown, 40 mg - yellow, 60 mg - red, 80 mg - green, 120 mg - purple.

In each box there are 28, 56 or 112 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.