RENVELA 2.4 g Powder for oral suspension
sevelamer carbonate
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine.
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
- If you have further questions, ask your doctor or your pharmacist.
- This medicine has been prescribed for you. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
- If any of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
In this leaflet
- 1. What Renvela is and what it is used for
- 2. Before you take Renvela
- 3. How to take Renvela
- 4. Possible side effects
- 5. How to store Renvela
- 6. Further information
What Renvela Is And What It Is Used For
Renvela contains sevelamer carbonate as the active ingredient. It binds phosphate from food in the digestive tract and so reduces serum phosphorus levels in the blood.
Patients who have kidneys that do not work properly are not able to control the level of serum phosphorus in their blood. The amount of phosphate then rises (your doctor will call this hyperphosphataemia). Increased levels of serum phosphorus can lead to hard deposits in your body called calcification. These deposits can stiffen your blood vessels and make it harder for blood to be pumped around the body. Increased serum phosphorus can also lead to itchy skin, red eyes, bone pain and fractures.
Before You Take Renvela
Do not take Renvela if:
- you have low levels of phosphate in your blood (your doctor will check this for you)
- you have bowel obstruction
- you are allergic (hypersensitive) to the active substance or to any of the other ingredients of the product (see Section 6).
Take special care with Renvela
If any of the following applies to you, please consult your doctor before taking Renvela:
- swallowing problems
- problems with motility (movement) in your stomach and bowel
- being sick frequently
- active inflammation of the bowel
- have undergone major surgery on your stomach or bowel.
The safety and efficacy in children (below the age of 18 years) has not been established.
Therefore Renvela is not recommended for use in children.
Additional treatments:
Due to either your kidney condition or your dialysis treatment you may:
- develop low or high levels of calcium in your blood. Since Renvela does not contain calcium your doctor might prescribe additional calcium tablets.
- have a low amount of vitamin D in your blood. Therefore, your doctor may monitor the levels of vitamin D in your blood and prescribe additional vitamin D as necessary. If you do not take multivitamin supplements you may also develop low levels of vitamins A, E, K and folic acid in your blood and therefore your doctor may monitor these levels and prescribe supplemental vitamins as necessary.
Special note for patients on peritoneal dialysis:
You may develop peritonitis (infection of your abdominal fluid) associated with your peritoneal dialysis. This risk can be reduced by careful adherence to sterile techniques during bag changes. You should tell your doctor immediately if you experience any new signs or symptoms of abdominal distress, abdominal swelling, abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness, or abdominal rigidity, constipation, fever, chills, nausea or vomiting.
You should expect to be monitored more carefully for problems with low levels of vitamins A, D, E, K and folic acid.
Taking other medicines
Please tell your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines including medicines obtained without a prescription.
Renvela should not be taken at the same time as ciprofloxacin (an antibiotic).
If you are taking medicines for heart rhythm problems or for epilepsy, you should consult your doctor when taking Renvela.
The effects of medicines such as ciclosporin, mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus (medicines used to suppress the immune system) may be reduced by Renvela. Your doctor will advise you if you are taking these medicines.
Thyroid hormone deficiency may uncommonly be observed in certain people taking levothyroxine (used to treat low thyroid hormone levels) and Renvela. Therefore your doctor may monitor the levels of thyroid stimulating hormone in your blood more closely.
Your doctor will check for interactions between Renvela and other medicines on a regular basis.
Taking Renvela with food and drink
You must take Renvela powder with meals.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. It is unknown whether Renvela has any affect on unborn babies.
Tell your doctor if you wish to breast-feed your baby. It is unknown whether Renvela may pass through breast milk and affect your baby.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.
Driving and using machines
No studies on the effects on the ability to drive and use machines has been performed. If you are affected, do not drive and do not use any tools or machines.
How To Take Renvela
You must take Renvela as prescribed by your doctor. They will base the dose on your serum phosphorus level.
The 2.4 g powder for oral suspension should be dispersed in 60 ml of water per sachet. Drink within 30 minutes of being prepared. It is important to drink all of the liquid and it may be necessary to rinse the glass with water and drink this as well to ensure that all of the powder is swallowed.
The recommended starting dose of Renvela powder for oral suspension, for adults and the elderly (> 65 years) is one 2.4 g sachet with each meal, 3 times a day.
In some cases where Renvela should be taken at the same time as another medicine. Your doctor may advise you to take this medicine 1 hour before or 3 hours after Renvela intake, or they may consider monitoring the blood levels of that medicine.
Your doctor will check the levels of phosphorus in your blood periodically and they may adjust the dose of Renvela when necessary to reach an adequate phosphate level.
If you take more Renvela than you should
There are no reported overdoses in patients.
In the event of a possible overdose you should contact your doctor immediately.
If you forget to take Renvela
If you have missed one dose, this dose should be omitted and the next dose should be taken at the usual time with a meal. Do not a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
Possible Side Effects
Like all medicines, Renvela can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
The following side effects have been reported in patients taking Renvela:
Very common (affects more than 1 user in 10):
vomiting, constipation, upper abdominal pain, nausea
Common (affects 1 to 10 users in 100):
diarrhoea, abdominal pain, indigestion, flatulence
Very rare (affects less than 1 user in 10,000):
blockage in your intestine
Since constipation may be an early symptom of a blockage in your intestine, please inform your doctor or pharmacist.
If any of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
How To Store Renvela
Keep out of the reach and sight of children.
Do not use Renvela after the expiry date stated on the sachet after the letters "EXP". The reconstituted suspension must be administered within 30 minutes of reconstitution.
The medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment.
Further Information
What Renvela contains
- The active substance is sevelamer carbonate. Each Renvela sachet will contain 2.4 g of sevelamer carbonate as indicated on the sachet.
- The other ingredients are propylene glycol alginate, citrus cream flavour, sodium chloride, sucralose and ferric oxide (E172).
What Renvela looks like and contents of the pack
Renvela powder for oral suspension is a pale yellow powder supplied in a foil sachet with a heat seal. The foil sachets are packaged in an outer carton.
Pack sizes:
60 sachets per carton
90 sachets per carton
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
Marketing authorisation holder:
Manufacturer:
For any information about this medicine, please contact the local representative of the Marketing Authorisation holder.
United Kingdom/Ireland
This leaflet was last approved in 07/2009
Detailed information on this medicine is available on the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) web site: http://www.emea.europa.eu.
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