What is a Patient Information Leaflet and why is it useful?

The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine. It is possible that the leaflet in your medicine pack may differ from this version because it may have been updated since your medicine was packaged.

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Below is a text only representation of the Patient Information Leaflet. The original leaflet can be viewed using the link above.

The text only version may be available in large print, Braille or audio CD. For further information call emc accessibility on 0800 198 5000. The product code(s) for this leaflet is: PL 12406/0013 .

Chlorphenamine injection

Package leaflet: Information for the patient

Chlorphenamine 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection

(Chlorphenamine Maleate)

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 nurse.
  • If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

What is in this leaflet:

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

1. What Chlorphenamine is and what it is used for

Chlorphenamine 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection contains the active ingredient chlorphenamine maleate which is an antihistamine.

Chlorphenamine is indicated in adults and children (aged 1 month to 18 years) for the treatment of acute allergic reactions.

These medicines inhibit the release of histamine into the body that occurs during an allergic reaction. This product relieves some of the main symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.

2. What you need to know before Chlorphenamine is given

You MUST NOT be given Chlorphenamine:

  • if you are allergic to chlorphenamine maleate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
  • if you have had monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) antidepressive treatment within the past 14 days.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or nurse before you are given this medicine if you:

  • are being treated for an overactive thyroid or enlarged prostate gland
  • have epilepsy, raised blood pressure within the eye or glaucoma, very high blood pressure, heart, liver, asthma or other chest diseases.

Children and the elderly are more likely to experience certain side effects (see section 4).

Other medicines and Chlorphenamine

Tell your doctor if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

The following affect the way Chlorphenamine works:

  • MAOIs – these must not be given with Chlorphenamine.

Chlorphenamine may increase the effects of the following:

  • drugs that treat anxiety or help you to sleep
  • psychotropic drugs (that change perception or behaviour)
  • atropine (used as eye drops to dilate the pupils, or given as an injection to treat low heart rate in emergencies)
  • phenytoin (used to treat epilepsy).

Chlorphenamine with alcohol

Do not consume alcohol whilst being treated with Chlorphenamine. It may cause the effects of the medicine to be increased, making you more drowsy. It may also cause the effect of the alcohol to be increased.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before you are given this medicine.

Chlorphenamine must not be given during pregnancy or breastfeeding unless your doctor believes it is essential.

Driving and using machines

Chlorphenamine may cause drowsiness and make you sleepy. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this product affects you.

Chlorphenamine contains sodium

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per 1 ml, that is to say essentially 'sodium-free'.

3. How Chlorphenamine is given

This injection is usually given to you by your doctor or someone else trained to give it to you. You will be given the injection beneath your skin, into a muscle, or directly into a vein.

Adults: the usual dose is 10 mg – 20 mg (1 or 2 ampoules), up to a maximum of 40 mg (4 ampoules) in 24 hours.

Children: the dose will be calculated by the doctor, according to the child’s age or body weight:

Dose: Age 1 month to 1 year, 0.25 mg/kg Age 1 year to 5 years, 2.5 mg to 5 mg or 0.20 mg/kg Age 6 to 12 years, 5 mg to 10 mg or 0.20 mg/kg Age 12 to 18 years, 10 mg to 20 mg or 0.20 mg/kg

The doctor may dilute Chlorphenamine with sodium chloride 0.9% to make it easier to measure and inject the small amounts required for children.

When administered into a vein, the injection should be given slowly over a period of one minute to avoid a fall in blood pressure (hypotension) or central nervous system stimulation (giddiness).

If you are given more Chlorphenamine than you should

This product will be given to you under medical supervision. It is therefore unlikely that you will be given too much. However, if you feel unwell, you should tell your doctor immediately.

Symptoms of overdose include sedation, seizures, stopping of breathing (apnoea), convulsions, abnormal and sustained muscle contractions (dystonic reactions) and heart failure (cardiovascular collapse).

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or nurse.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

The most common side effect is sedation, which can range from slight drowsiness to deep sleep.

The following side effects have been reported:

Frequency Not Known (cannot be estimated from the available data)

  • allergic reactions (skin reactions, including redness and scaling of the skin, itching of raised bumps on the skin, sensitivity to light)
  • a stinging or burning feeling at the site of injection
  • giddiness or drowsiness if the drug is injected too quickly into a vein (this usually passes)
  • nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea
  • feeling dizzy, weak, tired, unable to concentrate
  • fall in blood pressure
  • dryness of the mouth, thickening of the phlegm in the airways (this may make it more difficult to cough up phlegm), headache, loss of appetite, indigestion, liver problems including jaundice (this can cause yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), difficulty passing urine
  • muscular twitching, weakness and incoordination, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, irritability, depression, nightmares
  • blood abnormalities.

Children and the elderly are more likely to experience the side effects which relate to the nervous system (these may affect the mind, nerves, muscles, and the senses). Elderly people may become confused and children may become agitated or excitable.

Reporting of side effects

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.

Website: 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.

5. How to store Chlorphenamine

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Store below 25ºC. Keep the ampoules in the outer carton in order to protect from light.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the ampoule label and carton after ‘EXP’.

Once opened this medicine should be used immediately.

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

6. CONTENTS OF THE PACK AND OTHER INFORMATION

What Chlorphenamine contains

The active substance is: chlorphenamine maleate (also known as chlorpheniramine maleate). Each 1 ml ampoule contains 10 mg of chlorphenamine maleate.

The other ingredients are: sodium chloride and water for injections (see end of section 2).

What Chlorphenamine looks like and contents of the pack

Chlorphenamine is a clear, colourless, sterile solution for injection supplied in glass ampoules.

Contents: 5 or 100 glass ampoules per box. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Kyowa Kirin Ltd.
Galabank Business Park
Galashiels
TD1 1QH
United Kingdom

Manufacturer

Haupt Pharma Wülfing GmbH
Bethelner Landstraße 18
31028 Gronau
Germany

This leaflet was last revised: 12/2017