INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS
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This leaflet answers some common questions about ACUPAN tablets. However it does not contain all the available information. Your doctor and pharmacist have more information about this medicine. If you have any questions about ACUPAN that are not answered by this leaflet, please ask your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of your taking ACUPAN against the benefits before prescribing it for you. If you are worried about taking this medicine please talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Keep this leaflet with your medicine as you may want to read it again.
The name of your medicine is ACUPAN. It contains nefopam hydrochloride. Nefopam hydrochloride is an analgesic. It acts in the central nervous system to produce its pain relieving effects. ACUPAN is different from other centrally acting analgesics such as morphine, codeine, pentazocine and propoxyphene. Unlike the narcotic agents, ACUPAN has been shown to not cause respiratory depression. There is no evidence from pre-clinical research of habituation occurring with ACUPAN. Your doctor may have prescribed ACUPAN for another purpose. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Do not give this medicine to a child under the age of 12 years. Safety and effectiveness in children younger than 12 years have not been established.
If you are not sure whether to start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket of health-food shop.
You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines. Your doctor or pharmacist has more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking ACUPAN.
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 bottle ask you doctor or pharmacist for help.
The usual dose of ACUPAN in adults is one to three tablets three times a day. The recommended starting dose is two tablets three times daily. ACUPAN may be taken with or without food. Your doctor will prescribe the correct dose for you. Take ACUPAN tablets only as directed by your doctor or pharmacist. Do not change the dose unless your doctor tells you to do so.
If you miss a dose of this medicine and remember within an hour or so of the missed dose, take it right away. If you do not remember until later, skip the missed dose and go back to taking it as you would normally. Do not double doses.
Tell all doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking ACUPAN. If you become pregnant while taking this medicine tell your doctor immediately. ACUPAN may impair the ability of the patient to engage in potentially hazardous activities. Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how the medicine affects you.
ACUPAN may cause some people to have blurred vision or to become drowsy, dizzy, light-headed, faint, or less alert than they are normally. If you have any of these symptoms do not drive or operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous.
ACUPAN may cause dryness of the mouth. For temporary relief use sugarless gum or sweets, melt some ice in your mouth or use a saliva substitute. If dry mouth continues, speak to your dentist. Continued dryness of the mouth can increase the chance of dental disease, including tooth decay, gum disease and fungal infections.
ACUPAN is a prescription medicine and has been prescribed for you only. Do not give it to anyone else even if they have the same condition as you. Do not take ACUPAN to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
All medicines can cause unwanted side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not.
Less common: Vomiting, blurred vision, drowsiness, sweating,
insomnia, headache, confusion, hallucinations, tachycardia and aggravation of
angina have been reported. Rarely a temporary harmless pink discolouration of
the urine has occurred.
Rare: hypersensitivity reactions including a skin rash called erythema
multiforme have been reported.
The following side effects usually do not need medical attention and may go away
during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Speak to your
doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:
More common: dry mouth and nausea.
Less common or rare: nervousness, lightheadedness and urinary retention
may occur.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If
you notice any side effects that are not listed here tell your doctor or
pharmacist.
Do not take more than the recommended dose unless your doctor tells you to. If you or someone else has taken too much ACUPAN contact your doctor or pharmacist, or the poisons information centre (in Australia call 131126; in New Zealand call 0800 POISON or 0800 746 766), or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention. Symptoms of an overdose include agitation, seeing feeling or hearing things that are not there, fits or seizures and fast heart rate.
Keep this medicine in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C. Do not store it or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car. Keep all medicines where children cannot reach them. A locked cupboard at least 1.5 metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine, or if it has passed its 'Use By' date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any tablets that are left over.
ACUPAN are white, round tablets with APN marked on one side.
Each ACUPAN tablet contains 30mg nefopam hydrochloride.
ACUPAN also contains:
This medicine tablet formulation is colour-free, preservative-free, sugar-free, and does not contain gluten or lactose.
ACUPAN is distributed in New Zealand by
iNova Pharmaceuticals (New Zealand) Limited
c/o Simpson Grierson
Level 27
88 Shortland Street
AUCKLAND
This leaflet was prepared in February 2003
Acupan CMI001