INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS
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This leaflet answers some of the common questions people ask about Cosudex. It does not contain all the information that is known about Cosudex.
It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor will have weighed the risks of you taking Cosudex against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.
Cosudex 50 mg is used to treat prostate cancer.
Cosudex is an anti-androgen medicine. Androgens are natural male sex hormones. In some types of prostate cancer, androgens may help the cancer cells to grow. By blocking these hormones, Cosudex may slow or stop the growth of cancer cells.
Cosudex 50 mg will be used in combination with other medicines to treat your cancer.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor. They may differ from the information in this leaflet.
Your doctor may prescribe this medicine for another use. Ask your doctor if you want more information.
Cosudex is not addictive.
Cosudex must not be taken by women, including pregnant women or mothers who are breast feeding.
Do not give Cosudex to children. There is no experience of its use in children.
Do not take Cosudex after the use by (expiry) date printed on the pack. It may have no effect at all or an unexpected effect if you take it after the expiry date.
Do not use Cosudex if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
Do not use it to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.
You must tell your doctor if:
If you have an allergic reaction, you may get a skin rash, hayfever, difficulty breathing or feel faint.
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including:
These medicines may affect the way Cosudex works.
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines.
If you have not told your doctor about any of these things, tell them before you take any Cosudex.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the box, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
Start taking Cosudex at the same time as the other drugs you are taking to treat your prostate cancer.
The usual adult dose is one 50 mg tablet taken each day.
Swallow your Cosudex tablet whole with a full glass of water.
Take Cosudex at about the same time each day.
It does not matter if you take Cosudex before, with or after food.
Keep taking Cosudex for as long as your doctor or pharmacist tells you.
If you miss a dose take it as soon as you remember, as long as it is 12 hours or more before the next dose is due.
If it is less than 12 hours to the next dose do not take the dose you have missed.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
Telephone your doctor or the National Poisons and Hazardous Chemicals Information Centre Ph: 0800 POISON (0800 764 766)or go to Accident & Emergency at your nearest hospital immediately if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Cosudex. Even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
Be sure to keep all your appointments with your doctor so your progress can be checked.
Tell any other doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking Cosudex.
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, tell your doctor, dentist or pharmacist that you are taking Cosudex.
If you go into hospital, please let the medical staff know you are taking Cosudex.
Do not give Cosudex to anyone else, even if they have the same condition
as you.
Do not take Cosudex to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you
to.
Do not stop taking Cosudex, or change the dosage, without checking with your doctor.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Cosudex.
Cosudex helps most people with prostate cancer, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
Occasionally Cosudex may be associated with changes in your blood which may require your doctor to do certain blood tests.
These are possible side effects of Cosudex.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything that is making you
feel unwell.
Some people may get other effects while taking Cosudex.
Important: This leaflet alerts you to some of the situations when you should call your doctor. Other situations, which cannot be predicted, may arise. Nothing in this leaflet should stop you from calling your doctor or pharmacist with any questions or concerns you have about using Cosudex.
Keep your tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them. If you take Cosudex out of the blister pack it will not keep well.
Keep the tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Do not store it or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep it where young children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Do not leave it in the car on hot days.
Ask your pharmacist what to do with any tablets you have left over if your doctor tells you to stop taking them, or you find that the expiry date has passed.
Cosudex 50 mg tablets are white, round film-coated tablets. One side of the tablet is marked CDX 50 and the other side has an arrow shape.
Cosudex tablets are packed in blister foils of 28 tablets.
Each Cosudex 50 mg tablet contains 50mg of bicalutamide as the active ingredient, plus
Cosudex does not contain added sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
AstraZeneca Limited
P O Box 1301, Auckland.
Ph: (09) 623 6300 or
0800 363 200.
Trademarks herein are the property of the AstraZeneca group.
8 August 2002
Copyright - No part may be reproduced by any process without the prior written permission of AstraZeneca Limited.