Nu-Seals 75 Gastro-resistant Tablets

Patient Leaflet Updated 03-Aug-2022 | Alliance Pharmaceuticals

Nu-Seals 75

PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET

Nu-Seals® 75

aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

Always take this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor or pharmacist has told you.

  • Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
  • Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice.
  • 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 Nu-Seals 75 is and what it is taken for
2. What you need to know before you take Nu-Seals 75
3. How to take Nu-Seals 75
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Nu-Seals 75
6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What Nu-Seals 75 is and what it is taken for

Nu-Seals 75 contains aspirin. Aspirin is used:

  • to prevent recurrence of heart attacks or strokes by thinning the blood. If someone who has previously had a heart attack or stroke takes Nu-Seals 75 regularly, it reduces the risk of a blood clot occurring in the heart or brain. This can prevent further heart attacks or strokes.

If you take aspirin in high doses or over a long period of time, it can irritate your stomach lining. To prevent stomach irritation, these tablets have a special coating (called enteric) so that the aspirin is not released until it has passed through the stomach.

Aspirin is released slowly from these tablets, so Nu-Seals 75 is not suitable for the short-term relief of pain, such as headaches or toothache.

2. What you need to know before you take Nu-Seals 75
Do not take Nu-Seals 75:
  • if you are allergic to aspirin or any of the other ingredients in this medicine (listed in section 6)
  • if you have ever had a problem with your blood not clotting properly or suffer from any bleeding problems
  • if you have had a cerebral haemorrhage (a type of stroke caused by bleeding in your brain)
  • if you are in your last 3 months of pregnancy or are breastfeeding
  • if you have ever had an ulcer in your stomach or small intestine.

Warnings and precautions

Before you take Nu-Seals 75 tell your doctor if you:

  • think you may be dehydrated (you may feel thirsty with a dry mouth)
  • have trouble with your kidneys or liver
  • have high blood pressure
  • have been told you have a lack of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)
  • are asthmatic, aspirin may induce an asthma attack
  • have ever had inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis)
  • have or have had gout.

Children

When given to children aspirin may cause Reye’s syndrome. Reye’s syndrome is a very rare disease, which can be fatal. For this reason, aspirin should not be given to children aged under 16 years, unless on the advice of a doctor.

If any of the above applies to you, or if you are not sure, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before you take Nu-Seals 75.

Other medicines and Nu-Seals 75

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. The effect of treatment may be influenced if aspirin is taken at the same time as some other medicines for:

  • thinning of the blood/prevention of clots (e.g. warfarin)
  • organ rejection after transplantation (e.g. ciclosporin, tacrolimus)
  • high blood pressure (e.g. diuretics and ACE-inhibitors)
  • pain and inflammation (e.g. anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen, or steroids)
  • gout (e.g. probenecid)
  • cancer or rheumatoid arthritis (e.g. methotrexate).
  • Metamizole (substance to decrease pain and fever) may reduce the effect of acetylsalicylic acid on platelet aggregation (blood cells sticking together and forming a blood clot), when taken concomitantly. Therefore, this combination should be used with caution in patients taking low dose aspirin for cardioprotection.

These other medicines may also affect, or be affected by aspirin:

  • insulin or any other drug to treat diabetes
  • corticosteroids (used as hormone replacement therapy when the adrenal glands or pituitary gland have been destroyed or removed, or to treat inflammation, including rheumatic diseases and inflammation of the intestines)
  • phenytoin or sodium valproate (used to control epilepsy)
  • sulphonamides (a type of antibiotic) such as sulfamethoxazole
  • medicines such as acetazolamide used to treat glaucoma
  • an anaesthetic called thiopental
  • gold, which is sometimes used in rheumatic conditions
  • antiplatelet drugs (such as clopidogrel and dipyridamole)
  • selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for depression such as sertraline or paroxetine
  • antacids (indigestion medicine). Do not take antacids just before or after taking Nu-Seals 75 as they may cause the aspirin to be released too soon.

Nu-seals with alcohol

If you consume excessive amounts of alcohol whilst taking Nu-Seals 75, you may increase the risk of causing bleeding in your stomach or intestines.

Tell your doctor that you are taking Nu-Seals 75 if you are to have a urine test, as it can sometimes interfere with the results.

Before using aspirin, you should inform a healthcare professional about the medicines you are taking. If you are using aspirin regularly you should seek advice before taking any other medicine (including other medicines you may have bought).

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility

Pregnant women should not take aspirin during pregnancy unless advised by their doctor. You must not take Nu-Seals 75 tablets if you are in the last 3 months of pregnancy. Regular or high dose aspirin therapy during late pregnancy can cause serious complications in the mother or baby.

Do not take Nu-Seals 75 if you are breast-feeding because some of the aspirin may be in your breast milk and could harm your baby.

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.

Nu-seals 75 contains benzyl alcohol

This medicine contains 0.128 mg benzyl alcohol in each tablet.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you have a liver or kidney disease. This is because large amounts of benzyl alcohol can build-up in your body and may cause side effects (called “metabolic acidosis”).

Benzyl alcohol may cause allergic reactions.

3. How to take Nu-Seals 75

Always take Nu-Seals 75 exactly as your doctor has told you to. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

  • Prevention of heart attacks, angina or mini-strokes:
    For your first dose - your doctor will tell you to chew two 75mg tablets. Chewing the tablets will help the aspirin start to work quickly.
    After this first dose - The usual dose is one or two 75mg tablets each day. Sometimes your doctor may tell you to take a higher dose.

Apart from the first dose of Nu-Seals 75, swallow the tablets whole with water. Do not cut, crush or chew them as this will damage the special coating. If the coating is damaged the tablets are more likely to irritate your stomach.

If you may be taking this medicine for a long time, you should talk to your doctor about it.

If you take more Nu-Seals 75 than you should

If you have taken too many tablets, you should go to your nearest accident and emergency department or contact your doctor immediately. Take any leftover medicines or the empty packet to the doctor to show what you have taken.

The following effects may occur; nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, dehydration, ringing in ears or deafness, loss of balance, sweating, headache, tiredness, confusion, warm hands/feet with a fast heart rate, unusually fast or deep breathing.

Less common effects include; vomiting blood, high fever, bleeding or bruising, increased hunger, increased thirst, trembling/shakiness, muscle weakness, twitching, abnormal heart rhythm, difficulty concentrating, swollen ankles/hands/feet, blood in urine/reduced production of urine, severe breathlessness, seizures, coma, cessation of breathing or heartbeat.

If you forget to take Nu-Seals 75

Do not worry. If you miss a dose, wait until it is time for your next dose, then go on as normal. DO NOT take a double dose.

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

4. Possible Side Effects

Like all medicines, Nu-Seals 75 can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

Aspirin may cause allergic reactions and you must STOP taking this medicine and tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:

  • skin rashes or itching or wheezing or coughing or difficulty breathing.

When taking Nu-Seals 75, you may suffer some more serious side effects; STOP taking this medicine and tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:

  • vomiting blood
  • blood in your urine
  • bruising with purple spots
  • coughing up blood (however small the amount)
  • any swellings
  • black stools
  • reduction in red blood cells which can make the skin pale and cause weakness or breathlessness
  • kidney stones (which can cause severe stomach or back pains).

Aspirin may sometimes cause asthma or bronchospasm (narrowing of the airways that causes wheezing or difficulty breathing).

Aspirin may cause bleeding, and you must STOP taking this medicine and immediately tell your doctor if you experience any unusual bleeding.

Other side effects of aspirin include:

  • nausea and vomiting
  • ringing in your ears
  • pain or discomfort in your stomach or lower chest after eating
  • liver problems with symptoms that may include a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice), dark yellow urine and fatigue.

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 internet 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.

5. How to store Nu-Seals 75

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

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and blister. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

Do not store above 25°C. Do not take Nu-Seals 75 if you notice the appearance has changed in any way.

Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist on how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Nu-Seals 75 contains

The active ingredient in this medicine is aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). Each tablet of Nu-Seals 75 contains 75 milligrams (mg) of aspirin.

The other ingredients are maize starch, hypromellose, talc, methacrylic acid-ethyl acrylate (1:1) copolymer dispersion 30 percent, polyethylene glycol 3350, propylene glycol, benzyl alcohol, emulsion silicone. Printing ink containing shellac, iron oxide (E172), isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, propylene glycol, ammonium hydroxide (E527) and simeticone.

What Nu-Seals 75 looks like and contents of the pack

Nu-Seals 75 is a white tablet, with 75 on it in red. Nu-Seals 75 comes in boxes of 56 tablets.

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

The product licence holder is:

Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited
Avonbridge House
Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN15 2BB
UK

Nu-Seals 75 is manufactured by

Chanelle Medical
Loughrea
Co Galway
Ireland

The information in this leaflet applies only to Nu-Seals 75. If you have any questions or you are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or a pharmacist.

This leaflet was last revised in March 2022

Nu-Seals is a trademark of Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited.

Alliance, Alliance Pharmaceuticals and associated devices are registered Trademarks

© Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited 2022

Nu-Seals 75 PIL UK 011

Company Contact Details
Alliance Pharmaceuticals
Address

Avonbridge House, Bath Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 2BB

Telephone

+44 (0)1249 466 966

Medical Information e-mail
WWW

http://www.alliancepharma.co.uk

Fax

+44 (0)1249 466 977