REMINYL™
What Reminyl is used for
Reminyl is used to treat dementia in Alzheimer's disease.
The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include confusion, memory loss or other changes in behaviour. As the disease progresses, patients find it more and more difficult to carry out their normal daily activities.
The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are thought to be due to a lack of acetylcholine, a substance which transmits messages between brain cells. Reminyl increases the amount of this substance to help improve or stabilise the symptoms and therefore slow the progress of Alzheimer's disease.
Your doctor may have prescribed Reminyl for another reason. Ask you doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Before you take Reminyl
Do not take Reminyl if you:
- know you are allergic to any of the ingredients. (See the last section of this leaflet for a list of ingredients). Signs of allergy include a skin rash, itching, shortness of breath and/or a swollen face.
- have severe liver and/or kidney disease.
Do not use Reminyl if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. Do not use Reminyl beyond the expiry date (month and year) printed on the pack.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Alzheimer's disease may reduce your ability to drive or operate machines.
Reminyl may cause dizziness or drowsiness in some people, especially during initial treatment.
Discuss with your doctor whether it is safe for you to drive or operate machinery.
General
You must tell your doctor if you are:
- pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- breast feeding or wish to breastfeed
- planning to undergo surgery which will require anaesthesia.
You must also tell your doctor if you have, or have had any of the following health problems:
- liver and/or kidney disease
- heart problems
- stomach ulcers
- brain disorders, such as fits
- breathing disorders, such as asthma
- recent gut or bladder surgery
- difficulties in passing urine
- attacks of sudden abdominal pain.
- If you have not told your doctor or pharmacist about any of the above, tell them before you start taking or are given Reminyl.
Your doctor will advise you whether or not to take Reminyl or if you need to adjust the dose, or adapt your treatment.
Other medicines and alcohol
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines you can buy from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
In particular, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:
- anticholinergic drugs (used to prevent travel sickness, relieve stomach cramps, spasms or diarrhoea)
- cholinergic medicines (e.g. bethanecol and certain medicines used during surgery)
- medicines used to treat Parkinson's disease
- medicines for certain heart problems (such as digoxin, quinidine) or to help lower blood pressure (such as a class of medicine called beta blockers)
- medicines used for breathing problems
- certain medicines used to treat fungal infections (such as ketoconazole) or bacterial infections (such as erythromycin)
- certain medicines used to treat depression (such as paroxetine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine).
There may also be some other medicines that may cause problems if used together with Reminyl. So, make a point of telling your doctor or pharmacist which medicines you are using at the moment, and before you start taking any new medicines. They will tell you which medicines should not be taken or what other measures (for example, a change of dose) are necessary.
Taking Reminyl
How much to take
Adults
The dose of Reminyl is gradually increased to the most suitable dose. The necessary dosage steps should be determined by your doctor to suit your needs.
The following scheme is an example of how your doctor may increase the dose:
- Start with 4 mg twice a day
- After four weeks of treatment, raise the dose to 8 mg twice a day
- After at least another four weeks of treatment, raise the dose to 12 mg twice a day
For long term treatment, up to 12 mg twice a day is usually suitable but your doctor will determine the dose that is best for you.
If treatment is discontinued for more than several days, tell your doctor. Your doctor will need to re-start your treatment at the lowest dose. This will minimise the chance of experiencing side effects.
Children
Reminyl is not recommended for children.
How to take it
Reminyl should be taken twice a day, preferably with the morning and evening meals.
If you do not understand the instructions provided with this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
If you forget to take a dose
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.
Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking it as you would normally.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed.
If you have missed more than one dose, or are not sure what to do, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you have taken too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor or go to the Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital immediately if you think you or anybody else has taken too much Reminyl.
Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
If you take too much Reminyl, you may experience vomiting or a feeling that you want to vomit, stomach cramps, excessive production of saliva, tears or sweat, loss of control of your bladder or bowels, a slow heart beat, low blood pressure, dizziness, light-headedness, muscle weakness or twitching, fits, breathing difficulties or you may collapse.
While you are taking Reminyl
Things you must do
Always follow your doctor's instructions carefully.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while taking Reminyl.
If you are about to start taking a new medicine, tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Reminyl.
Things you must not do
Do not use Reminyl to treat any other complaint unless your doctor says so.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.
Side Effects
All medicines have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some side effects. Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following:
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain or discomfort, indigestion
- loss of appetite, weight loss
- drowsiness, dizziness, tiredness, confusion, trouble sleeping, headache
- falling (sometimes resulting in injury)
- runny or blocked nose
- urinary tract infection
Some of these side effects occur mainly during the early stages of treatment, or when the dose of Reminyl is increased. They usually disappear gradually over time. For example, nausea and vomiting tend to pass after a few days.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following as you may need urgent medical care:
- a slow heart beat
- fainting
- shaking
These are rare side effects.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people. Tell your doctor if you notice any other effects.
STOP taking Reminyl and tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you have an allergic reaction to Reminyl (allergy can be recognised, for instance, by skin rash, itching, shortness of breath and/or a swollen face)
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people. Do not hesitate to report any other side effects to your doctor or pharmacist.
After taking Reminyl
Storage
Keep Reminyl in the pack until it is time to take them.
Keep Reminyl in a cool dry place where the temperature is below 30°C 86°F.
Keep your medicines where children cannot reach them. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres (1.5 m) above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Do not store Reminyl, or any medicine, in the bathroom or near a sink. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking Reminyl, or your medicine has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any which may be left over.
Product Description
What it looks like
There are 3 different types of Reminyl tablets. Each tablet contains a different amount of active ingredient.
Each box of Reminyl tablet contains 56 tablets in blister pack.
Reminyl 4 mg tablets
Round, off-white tablets marked with 'JANSSEN' on one side and 'G4' on the other side.
Reminyl 8 mg tablets
Round, pink tablets marked with 'JANSSEN' on one side and 'G8' on the other side.
Reminyl 12 mg tablets
Round, orange-brown tablets marked with 'JANSSEN' on one side and 'G12' on the other side.
Ingredients
The active ingredient of Reminyl tablets is galantamine hydrobromide.
Reminyl tablets contain either 4 mg, 8 mg or 12 mg of galantamine.
All tablets also contain
- colloidal anhydrous silica
- crospovidone
- hypromellose
- lactose
- magnesium stearate
- microcrystalline cellulose
- propylene glycol
- talc
- titanium dioxide (171).
In addition, the 4 mg tablets contain yellow ferric oxide (172), the 8 mg tablets contain red ferric oxide (172), the 12 mg tablets contain red ferric oxide (172) and orange yellow S aluminium lake (110).
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