Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup

1. What Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup
3. How to take Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup
6. Contents of the pack and other information

The name of your medicine is Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v SyrupPotassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup. In this leaflet your medicine will be referred to as Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup.

Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup contains a medicine called potassium chloride and is a potassium supplement. Potassium chloride is a type of salt which your body needs to be healthy.

Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup is used to treat or to stop low levels of potassium in you body. If the level of potassium in your body is low, you will feel unwell.

Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup works by increasing the store of potassium in you body to the right levels.

• you are allergic to potassium chloride or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in Section 6). An allergic reaction may include rash, itching, difficulty breathing or swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue.
• you have a severe kidney disorder with little or no urine production.
• you suffer from uncontrolled Addison's disease (where the adrenal glands do not produce enough of a hormone called cortisol).
• you are dehydrated. You may feel thirsty or have a dry mouth.
• you have high potassium levels in your blood.
• you have recently had serious burns.
• you have crush injuries (which usually result from major trauma e.g. major road traffic injuries with damage to the chest).

Do not take Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup if any of the above apply to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup.

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup if:

• you have ever had a stomach ulcer.
• you have any problems with your food pipe (oesophagus), stomach or bowel.
• you have problems with your kidneys or liver.
• you have heart disease or are taking digitalis (a drug for heart failure).
• you are elderly (over 65 years)
• you are taking any medicine that may increase the levels of potassium in your blood, such as diuretics (medicines that help you to pass urine), ACE inhibitors (medicines for high blood pressure or heart problems), ciclosporin, tacrolimus or digoxin.
• you have a build-up of acid in your blood.
• you have stiff muscles (myotonia congenita).
• you have severe breakdown of red blood cells.
• you have high blood pressure - your treatment may lower it.

This medicine contains 1mmol potassium per ml. This should be taken into consideration if you have reduced kidney function or on a controlled potassium diet.

If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup.

Periodic blood tests and electrocardiograph (ECG) should be performed while you are taking Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. Some medicines can affect the levels of potassium in your blood stream. These include ACE inhibitors (such as enalapril), aldosterone antagonists (such as spironolactone), angiotensin II receptor antagonists (such as losartan), ciclosporin, potassium sparing diuretics (such as amiloride) and tacrolimus. The risk of developing high levels of potassium in your blood stream is increased if you are taking potassium supplements and a medicine called digoxin (particularly if you take too much digoxin) or if you have kidney problems.

If you are taking any of these medicines (or you are not sure) talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup.

Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby unless your doctor advises it is essential.

Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup is not likely to affect you being able to drive or use tools or machines. However, if you feel unwell do not drive or use any tools or machines.

Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per dose. This means that it is essentially ‘sodium free’

This medicine contains 400 mg sorbitol in each ml of syrup.

Sorbitol is a source of fructose. If your doctor has told you that you (or your child) have an intolerance to some sugars or if you have been diagnosed with hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI), a rare genetic disorder in which a person cannot break down fructose, talk to your doctor before you (or your child) take or receive this medicine. Sorbitol may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and mild laxative effect. This medicine contains carmoisine (E122) which may cause allergic reactions. This medicine contains methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218), ethyl parahydroxybenzoate (E214) and propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216) which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed).

This medicine contains 1 mg benzoate salt in each ml of syrup. Benzoate salt may increase jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) in newborn babies (up to 4 weeks old).

This medicine contains 10 mg propylene glycol in each ml of syrup.

If your baby is less than 4 weeks old, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before giving them this medicine, in particular if the baby is given other medicines that contain propylene glycol or alcohol.

• Always take your medicine after food.
• Always take the dose exactly as it written on the label.

Your doctor will decide how much medicine you should take and for how long you should take it.

This will depend on a number of things such as:

• how low your potassium level is.
• the reason that it is low.
• the length of time it has been low.

Adults, the elderly (over 65 years) and children aged 12 years and over

• The usual dose is 10 to 50 ml a day.
• Spread this out during the day as instructed by your doctor.
• If you are elderly and have kidney problems, your doctor may decide to give you less. This depends on the level of potassium in your blood. You may need to have regular blood tests to monitor this.

Use in babies (up to 1 year of age), infants and children (age 1 to 12 years)

• For babies (up to 1 year of age) the usual dose is 0.5 to 0.75 ml per kg of body weight a day.
• For infants and children (age 1 to 12 years) the usual dose is 0.5 to 1.0 ml per kg of body weight a day.
• For children who weigh over 50 kg, the adult dose is usually given (see above).

Spread this out during the day as instructed by your doctor. Use the syringe or spoon supplied by your pharmacist to help you give the right dose.

If you or someone else takes more Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup than you should, talk to a doctor or nurse or go to a hospital straight away. Take the medicine pack with you. You may:

• feel sick or confused
• feel weak or have a lack of energy
• feel numb or tingling
• have an uneven heartbeat

If you forget a dose, do not worry. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. Take your next dose as usual.

Talk to your doctor before you stop taking Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup. If you stop taking Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup before you have finished your course of treatment, your symptoms may return.

• any sudden wheeziness
• difficulty in breathing
• swelling of the eyelids, face or lips
• rash or itching (especially affecting your whole body)

• abdominal (tummy) discomfort
• diarrhoea
• nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting
• stomach irritation – this is rare and can be reduced by taking Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup with food.

If these side effects trouble you, your doctor may lower your dose or tell you to stop taking Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup.

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 (see below). By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

United Kingdom

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Potassium Chloride 7.5% w/v Syrup is a clear, red, slightly sticky and thick liquid which comes in 150ml or 500ml bottle.