Product Details

What you need to know before you take Gabapentin Oral Solution

Do not take Gabapentin Oral Solution: • if you are allergic to gabapentin or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). Warnings and Precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Gabapentin Oral Solution: • if you suffer from kidney problems your doctor may prescribe a different dosing schedule. • if you have a history of abuse or dependence, cases of abuse and dependence have been reported for gabapentin from the post-marketing experience. • if you have nervous system disorders, respiratory disorders, or you are more than 65 years old, your doctor may prescribe you a different dosing regimen. 2 Important information about potentially serious reactions • If you are on haemodialysis (to remove waste products because of kidney failure), tell your doctor if you develop muscle pain and/or weakness. • If you develop signs such as persistent stomach pain, feeling sick and being sick contact your doctor immediately as these may be symptoms of acute pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas). • A small number of people taking gabapentin get an allergic reaction or potentially serious skin reaction, which may develop into more serious problems if they are not treated. You need to know the symptoms to look out for while you are taking Gabapentin Oral Solution, which are listed in section 4. Side effects under Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms after taking this medicine as they can be serious. • If you experience any of the following signs or symptoms, please contact your doctor immediately: Muscle weakness, tenderness or pain and particularly, if at the same time, you feel unwell or have a high temperature because it may be caused by an abnormal muscle breakdown which can be lifethreatening and lead to kidney problems. You may also experience discolouration of your urine, and a change in blood test results (notably blood creatine phosphokinase increased). • If you have thoughts of harming or killing yourself: A small number of people being treated with antiepileptics such as this medicine have had suicidal thoughts. If at any time you have these thoughts, contact your doctor immediately. Laboratory Tests • If you require a urine test tell your doctor or hospital you are taking this medicine because it may affect some laboratory test results. Children Gabapentin Oral Solution is not recommended for use in children under 6 years of age. Other medicines and Gabapentin Oral Solution Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines obtained without a prescription, including herbal medicines. This is because gabapentin can affect the way some other medicines work. Also some other medicines can affect the way gabapentin works. In particular you must tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have been recently taking: • Any medicines for convulsions, sleeping disorders, depression, anxiety, or any other neurological or psychiatric problems. • Medicines containing opioids such as morphine because they can increase the effect of gabapentin and may cause symptoms like sleepiness, sedation, decrease in breathing, or death. • Antacids for indigestion because if the antacids contain aluminium or magnesium and are taken at the same time, absorption of gabapentin from the stomach may be reduced making it less effective. It is therefore recommended that Gabapentin Oral Solution is taken at least two hours after taking an antacid. Gabapentin Oral Solution does not normally affect: • the oral contraceptive pill. Gabapentin Oral Solution with food Gabapentin Oral Solution can be taken with or without food. Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility 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. Pregnancy Gabapentin Oral Solution should not be taken during pregnancy, unless you are told otherwise by your doctor. Effective contraception must be used by women of child-bearing potential. 3 There have been no studies specifically looking at the use of gabapentin in pregnant women, but other medications used to treat seizures have reported an increased risk of harm to the developing baby, particularly when more than one medicine to control seizures is taken at the same time. Therefore, whenever possible, you should try to take only one seizure medication during pregnancy and only under the advice of your doctor. • Contact your doctor immediately if you become pregnant, think you might be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant while taking this medicine. • Do not suddenly stop taking this medicine as this may lead to a breakthrough seizure, which could have serious consequences for you and your baby. Breast-feeding The active ingredient in this medicine, gabapentin, is passed into breast milk. Breast-feeding is not recommended while you are taking Gabapentin Oral Solution because the effect on the baby is unknown. Fertility There is no effect on fertility in animal studies. Driving and using machines • Gabapentin Oral Solution can make you feel dizzy, drowsy and tired, especially when you start this treatment or if your dose is increased. • You should not drive, operate complex machinery or take part in other potentially hazardous activities until you know whether this medicine affects your ability to carry out these activities safely. • If you experience side effects which may affect your ability to do these activities safely, then do not drive or operate machinery until the effects have completely disappeared. Gabapentin Oral Solution contains: • parahydroxybenzoates which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed) • small amounts of ethanol (alcohol), less than 100mg per ml