Acarbose Aurovitas

Package Leaflet: Information for the User

Acarbose Aurovitas, 50 mg, tablets

Acarbose Aurovitas, 100 mg, tablets

Acarbosum

Read the package leaflet carefully before taking the medicine, as it contains important information for the patient.

• Keep this leaflet, you may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
• If you experience any side effects, including those not listed in this leaflet, please inform your doctor or pharmacist. See section 4.

Table of Contents of the Leaflet

• 1. What is Acarbose Aurovitas and what is it used for
• 2. Important information before taking Acarbose Aurovitas
• 3. How to take Acarbose Aurovitas
• 4. Possible side effects
• 5. How to store Acarbose Aurovitas
• 6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What is Acarbose Aurovitas and what is it used for

The active substance of this medicine is acarbose, which belongs to a group of medicines called alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. It is used to treat adults with non-insulin-dependent diabetes (type 2 diabetes).
Your doctor may prescribe Acarbose Aurovitas when diet and exercise alone are not enough to control blood sugar levels. Acarbose Aurovitas works by slowing down the digestion of carbohydrates (complex sugars) after each meal, which reduces blood sugar levels.

2. Important information before taking Acarbose Aurovitas

When not to take Acarbose Aurovitas

• if you are allergic to Acarbose Aurovitas or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6),
• if you have a chronic intestinal disease that causes problems with digestion or absorption of food,
• if you have a disease that may worsen due to the accumulation of gases in the intestines, such as Roemheld syndrome, intestinal hernia, narrowing and ulceration of the intestine,
• if you have inflammation or ulceration of the intestine,
• if you have intestinal obstruction or there is a risk that it may occur,
• if you have severe kidney failure,
• if you have severe liver problems.

Warnings and precautions

If you have had stomach surgery before taking Acarbose Aurovitas, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist. It is possible that Acarbose Aurovitas may work faster. It is unlikely to cause problems, but if you feel unwell after taking Acarbose Aurovitas, you should contact your doctor.

During treatment

If you experience fatigue, nervousness, and tremors, as well as rapid heartbeat, cold sweats, or hunger attacks while taking this medicine, you may have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
You should take glucose as soon as possible to prevent your condition from getting worse. If your blood sugar level continues to drop, you may experience severe disorientation (confusion), seizures, loss of self-control, shallow breathing, slow heartbeat, and even loss of consciousness. Since Acarbose Aurovitas delays the absorption of sucrose, you should not take sucrose or artificial sweeteners. You can buy glucose tablets, syrup, or sweets at the pharmacy.
If you have persistent constipation, decreased appetite, bloating, and vomiting, you may have intestinal obstruction. You should contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.
You should regularly check your blood and urine sugar levels.
Your doctor may need to regularly check your liver function, especially during the first 6-12 months of treatment.
You should continue to follow any dietary recommendations given to you by your doctor and make sure you eat carbohydrates regularly throughout the day.

Children and adolescents

Acarbose Aurovitas should not be used in patients under 18 years of age, as there is not enough information available on the effects and tolerance of Acarbose Aurovitas in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Acarbose Aurovitas with other medicines

You should tell your doctor or pharmacist about all the medicines you are taking or have recently taken.
Acarbose Aurovitas may change the effect of other medicines or, conversely, some medicines may change the effect of Acarbose Aurovitas:

• other anti-diabetic medicines, such as insulin, metformin, sulfonylurea derivatives; their dose may need to be adjusted;
• intestinal adsorbents, such as activated charcoal;
• digestive enzyme products (including antacids, amylase, pancreatin);
• medicines used to treat high cholesterol (cholestyramine);
• digoxin (medicines used to treat heart failure);
• medicines used to treat high blood pressure or fluid retention (thiazides or diuretics);
• medicines that reduce inflammation (corticosteroids);
• thyroid medicines;
• female sex hormone (estrogens), oral contraceptives;
• medicines used to treat spasms or schizophrenia (phenytoin, phenothiazines);
• medicines used to lower elevated fat levels in the blood (nicotinic acid);
• medicines used to treat high blood pressure or heart disease (calcium channel blockers);
• medicines that accelerate heart rate (sympathomimetics);
• medicines used to treat tuberculosis (isoniazid);
• neomycin, an antibiotic.

Acarbose Aurovitas with food and drink

Sucrose (sugar) and foods containing sucrose may cause stomach discomfort, and even diarrhea, due to carbohydrate fermentation in the colon during treatment with Acarbose Aurovitas.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to have a child, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Acarbose Aurovitas should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
It is not known whether Acarbose Aurovitas passes into breast milk.

Driving and using machines

Taking Acarbose Aurovitas alone (monotherapy) does not cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and therefore does not affect the ability to drive or use machines.
Taking Acarbose Aurovitas in combination with sulfonylurea, insulin, or metformin for the treatment of diabetes may cause low blood sugar, and thus affect the ability to drive or use machines or work safely. Do not drive or use machines if you do not feel well.

3. How to take Acarbose Aurovitas

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, the recommended dose is:

Adults:

Take one Acarbose Aurovitas 50 mg tablet three times a day (equivalent to 150 mg per day).
To reduce the likelihood of stomach upset, some patients may start with one Acarbose Aurovitas 50 mg tablet once or twice a day (equivalent to 50 mg to 100 mg per day). If necessary, your doctor may gradually increase the dose to 2 Acarbose Aurovitas 50 mg tablets or 1 Acarbose Aurovitas 100 mg tablet three times a day (equivalent to 300 mg per day).
The maximum recommended dose is 2 Acarbose Aurovitas 100 mg tablets three times a day (equivalent to 600 mg per day).
Swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water, immediatelybefore a meal or chew with the first bite of food.

Taking a higher dose of Acarbose Aurovitas than recommended

If you take Acarbose Aurovitas with drinks or foods containing carbohydrates, you may experience side effects such as stomach swelling, severe bloating, or diarrhea. In this case, do not eat or drink carbohydrates for 4 to 6 hours. You should see a doctor or go to the nearest hospital immediately.
Take the packaging and any remaining tablets with you.

Missing a dose of Acarbose Aurovitas

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. Take the next dose with the next meal.

Stopping treatment with Acarbose Aurovitas

If you stop taking Acarbose Aurovitas suddenly, your blood sugar levels may rise. Before stopping this medicine, consult your doctor.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

If you experience any of the following side effects, stop taking this medicine and contact your doctor or go to the nearest hospital immediately:

• yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin (jaundice) (rare, may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people);

• inflammation of the liver. You may feel sick, be sick, lose your appetite, have a fever, feel itchy, have jaundice (see above), pale stools, or dark urine (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data);
• persistent constipation, decreased appetite, stomach swelling, and nausea (vomiting) (intestinal obstruction) (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data);
• allergic reactions, such as rash, skin redness, skin eruptions, or skin itching.

Other side effects

Very common(may affect more than 1 in 10 people)

• gas;
• rumbling in the stomach;
• feeling of bloating.

Common(may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• diarrhea;
• stomach or intestinal pain.

These side effects may occur after a meal containing sugar (sucrose). Symptoms can be alleviated by avoiding foods and drinks containing sugar (sucrose, sugar). If diarrhea does not improve, your doctor may reduce the dose or, in some cases, stop treatment. Do not take medicines for indigestion to treat these side effects, as they may worsen symptoms.
Uncommon(may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• nausea;
• vomiting;
• indigestion;
• increased liver enzyme activity, which can be seen in blood tests.

Rare(may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

• skin swelling (edema).

Not known(frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)

• unexplained bruising or bleeding that lasts longer than usual. These may be signs of a low platelet count;
• constipation;
• gas-filled cysts in the intestinal wall (Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis);
• rash with blisters and (or) pus-filled blisters (acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis).

Additionally, side effects such as liver function disorders, abnormal liver function, and liver damage have been reported, particularly in Japan. In Japan, there have been single reports of rapid and fatal liver disease, although it is not clear whether they are due to Acarbose Aurovitas.

Reporting side effects

If you experience any side effects, including those not listed in this leaflet, please inform your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. You can report side effects directly to the Department of Drug Safety Monitoring of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products, Al. Jerozolimskie 181C, 02-222 Warsaw
Phone: +48 22 49 21 301
Fax: +48 22 49 21 309
Website: https://smz.ezdrowie.gov.pl
You can also report side effects to the marketing authorization holder.
By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. How to store Acarbose Aurovitas

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the carton and blister after “EXP”. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Store in a temperature below 30°C.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. This will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information

What Acarbose Aurovitas contains

The active substance is acarbose.
Each tablet contains 50 mg or 100 mg of acarbose.
The other ingredients are:

• Microcrystalline cellulose (type 102), corn starch, colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate.

What Acarbose Aurovitas looks like and contents of the pack

Tablet.
Acarbose Aurovitas, 50 mg, tablets
White or almost white, round, uncoated tablets with the inscription “AC” on one side and “50” on the other side.
Acarbose Aurovitas, 100 mg, tablets
White or almost white, uncoated, oblong tablets with the letters “A” and “C” separated by a score line on one side and the number “100” with a score line on the other side. The tablet can be divided into equal doses.
Acarbose Aurovitas is available in blisters, packaged in cartons.

Pack sizes:

50 mg: 30, 40, 90, and 270 tablets.
100 mg: 30, 40, 90, 120, and 270 tablets.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing authorization holder and manufacturer

Marketing authorization holder:

Aurovitas Pharma Polska Sp. z o.o.
ul. Sokratesa 13D lokal 27
01-909 Warsaw

Manufacturer/Importer:

APL Swift Services (Malta) Ltd.

HF26, Hal Far Industrial Estate, Hal Far
Birzebbugia, BBG 3000
Malta

Generis Farmacêutica, S.A.

Rua João de Deus, 19
2700-487 Amadora
Portugal

Arrow Génériques- Lyon

26 avenue Tony Garnier
69007 Lyon
France

This medicinal product is authorized in the Member States of the European Economic Area under the following names:

Czech Republic:

Akarbosa Aurovitas

France:

Acarbose Arrow 50 mg comprimé
Acarbose Arrow 100 mg comprimé sécable

Portugal:

Acarbose Generis Phar

Italy:

Acarbosio Aurobindo

Poland:

Acarbose Aurovitas

Date of last revision of the leaflet: