Alprazolam Grindeks

Leaflet attached to the packaging: patient information

Alprazolam Grindeks, 0.25 mg, tablets

Alprazolam Grindeks, 0.5 mg, tablets

Alprazolam Grindeks, 1 mg, tablets

Alprazolam

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

• Keep this leaflet, so you can read it again if you need to.
• If you have any doubts, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed specifically for you. Do not pass it on to others. The medicine may harm another person, even if their symptoms are the same.
• If the patient experiences any side effects, including any side effects not listed in this leaflet, they should tell their doctor or pharmacist. See section 4.

Table of contents of the leaflet

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

1. What is Alprazolam Grindeks and what is it used for

Alprazolam Grindeks has a calming effect and belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines.
Alprazolam Grindeks is used to treat symptoms of anxiety disorders in adults, in situations where symptoms are severe, interfere with normal functioning, or are very troublesome for the patient. This medicine is intended for short-term use only.

2. Important information before taking Alprazolam Grindeks

When not to take Alprazolam Grindeks

Warnings and precautions

Before starting treatment with Alprazolam Grindeks, discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist:

Dependence
Taking Alprazolam Grindeks can lead to physical and psychological dependence on this medicine. The risk of dependence increases with the dose and duration of treatment. Therefore, treatment should be as short as possible. This medicine should be taken in the dose recommended by the doctor (see section 3). Psychological dependence is characterized by a lack of desire to stop taking the medicine. Physical dependence means the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms after sudden cessation of treatment with this medicine. The risk of dependence is also higher in patients who abuse or have abused alcohol or medicines (see section 3, "Stopping Alprazolam Grindeks"). Medication abuse is a common risk factor associated with Alprazolam Grindeks. Abuse of this medicine can lead to overdose and death. This medicine should always be taken in the dose recommended by the doctor. The medicine may be sought after by people who abuse prescription medicines and should be stored in a place inaccessible to others.
Memory disorders
During treatment with alprazolam, memory may deteriorate. This usually occurs a few hours after taking the medicine. If such a symptom occurs, you should contact your doctor. To reduce the risk, make sure the patient has uninterrupted nighttime sleep (for 7-8 hours) while taking this medicine.
Psychiatric disorders (psychosis)
If the patient has psychosis, a serious mental disorder affecting behavior, actions, and self-control, Alprazolam Grindeks is not recommended.
Mood effects
Taking alprazolam may increase the risk of episodes of hypomania (a milder form of mania) and mania (a state of mental overexcitement, excessive excitement, and increased energy) in patients with depression. If symptoms of hypomania or mania occur, you should contact your doctor immediately.
Depression, thoughts of self-harm or suicide
In patients with depression, treatment with alprazolam may increase the risk of thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Before starting treatment with alprazolam, consult your doctor.
If treatment with alprazolam is necessary and the patient has depression or has had thoughts of self-harm or suicidal thoughts in the past, the doctor should carefully monitor the patient's condition.
You should immediatelycontact your doctor or go to the hospital if you experience any thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Elderly patients
Particular caution should be exercised when taking alprazolam in elderly patients, as it may cause excessive fatigue and/or muscle weakness, which can increase the risk of falls.

Children and adolescents

This medicine should not be used in children and adolescents under 18 years of age, as its safety and efficacy have not been established.

Alprazolam Grindeks and other medicines

Tell your doctor or pharmacist about all medicines you are taking, have recently taken, or plan to take.
The effectiveness of treatment may change if Alprazolam Grindeks is used with other medicines used to treat the mentioned conditions. In this case, the doctor may adjust the dosage.

• Mental problems (antipsychotic medicines, including clozapine)
• Sleep disorders (sleeping pills)
• Allergies or hay fever (some antihistamine medicines)
• Planned major surgery (anesthetics)
• Severe pain (strong painkillers, e.g., dextropropoxyphene)
• Drug addiction therapy (substitution therapy)
• Problems such as anxiety disorders or depression, including some antidepressants containing fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, nefazodone, or imipramine
• Heart failure (digoxin)
• Infections (antibiotics containing erythromycin, clarithromycin, and telithromycin)
• Fungal infections (itraconazole, fluconazole, ketoconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole)
• Medicines used to treat angina and high blood pressure, such as diltiazem
• HIV and AIDS (medicines called HIV protease inhibitors, such as ritonavir)
• Heartburn and stomach ulcers, medicines such as cimetidine or omeprazole
• Asthma and bronchitis, medicines such as theophylline
• Epilepsy, medicines such as carbamazepine
• Muscle relaxants. Concurrent use of such medicines with alprazolam may enhance muscle relaxant effects and increase the risk of falls

Concomitant use of Alprazolam Grindeks and opioids (strong painkillers, substitution therapy medicines, and some cough medicines) increases the risk of drowsiness, breathing difficulties (respiratory depression), coma, and can be life-threatening. Therefore, concomitant use should only be considered when other treatment options are not possible.
However, if the doctor prescribes Alprazolam Grindeks with opioids, they should limit the dose and duration of concomitant treatment.
Tell your doctor about all opioid medicines you are taking and strictly follow the dose of the medicine prescribed by the doctor. It may be helpful to inform friends or relatives so that they are aware of the above symptoms. If such symptoms occur, contact your doctor.
The therapeutic effect of alprazolam may also be affected by concomitant use of any of the following medicines: "the pill" (combined oral contraceptive pill), rifampicin (used to treat infections), or St. John's Wort (a herbal preparation).

Alprazolam Grindeks with alcohol

Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Alprazolam Grindeks, as alcohol may change and enhance the effect of Alprazolam Grindeks in an unpredictable way.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to have a baby, consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.
Pregnancy
If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, inform your doctor immediately.
Observations in humans indicate that taking alprazolam may be harmful to the fetus (increased risk of birth defects, such as cleft palate). During pregnancy, alprazolam should only be used when the doctor determines that the benefits of treatment outweigh the risk to the unborn child and that the medicine is suitable for the patient. If you take Alprazolam Grindeks until the day of delivery, inform your doctor, as the newborn may experience some withdrawal symptoms.
Breastfeeding
Do not take Alprazolam Grindeks while breastfeeding. Alprazolam passes into breast milk. If the doctor decides that you should take this medicine, you should stop breastfeeding.

Driving and using machines

Even when taken as recommended, Alprazolam Grindeks may affect reaction speed to the extent that it impairs the ability to drive vehicles and operate machines.
This risk is particularly high at the beginning of treatment, after increasing the dose, in case of insufficient sleep, or after consuming alcohol or taking other substances that act on the central nervous system. Therefore, you should completely avoid driving, operating machines, or engaging in other hazardous activities, at least during the first few days of treatment. The decision in each individual case is made by the attending physician.

Alprazolam Grindeks contains lactose, sodium, and sodium benzoate (E 211)

Lactose:
If you have been diagnosed with intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking the medicine.
Sodium:
The medicine contains less than 1 mmol of sodium (23 mg) per dose, which means the medicine is considered "sodium-free".
Sodium benzoate:
The medicine contains 0.12 mg of sodium benzoate in each tablet.

3. How to take Alprazolam Grindeks

This medicine should always be taken exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If you are unsure, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Unless the doctor has prescribed otherwise, the following dosage guidelines apply

Initial dose: the usual dose at the start of treatment is 0.25 to 0.5 mg of alprazolam three times a day.
Maintenance dose: if clinically justified, the doctor may increase the dose to 3 to 4 mg in small intervals, divided into several single doses.
Elderly patients, particularly sensitive or weakened patients
Elderly patients and particularly sensitive patients who require a lower dose usually start treatment with a dose of 0.25 mg two to three times a day. This dose may be slowly increased if necessary and if no side effects occur.
Patients with kidney or liver function disorders
In case of kidney or liver problems, the doctor will adjust the dose of the medicine.

Use in children and adolescents

Alprazolam Grindeks should not be used in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Method of administration

Alprazolam Grindeks is intended for oral use. The tablets should be taken with a small amount of liquid (e.g., half a glass of water). The tablets have a dividing line and can be divided into equal doses.

Duration of treatment

The risk of dependence and abuse may increase with the dose and duration of treatment. Therefore, the doctor will prescribe the lowest effective dose and duration of treatment and will frequently assess the need to continue treatment.
The maximum duration of treatment should not exceed 2-4 weeks. Long-term treatment is not recommended. If the medicine is used for more than a few weeks, the effect of the medicine may weaken.

Taking a higher dose of Alprazolam Grindeks than recommended

If you have taken too much Alprazolam Grindeks, contact your doctor or go to the hospital immediately.
Symptoms of (mild) overdose may include drowsiness, dizziness, vision disturbances, slurred speech, low blood pressure, unsteady gait/movements, and muscle weakness. In case of severe poisoning, deep sleep, loss of consciousness, breathing difficulties, and circulatory collapse may occur. It is necessary to monitor the patient's condition in the intensive care unit.
The doctor will assess the degree of poisoning and decide on the measures to be taken to treat it.

Missing a dose of Alprazolam Grindeks

Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. If you miss a dose, skip the missed dose and continue taking Alprazolam Grindeks as prescribed by your doctor.

Stopping Alprazolam Grindeks

Before stopping Alprazolam Grindeks, always consult your doctor, as the dose should be gradually reduced. If you stop taking the tablets or suddenly reduce the dose, you may experience rebound effects, which can cause a temporary increase in anxiety or insomnia. In some people, withdrawal symptoms may also occur (see section 4, "Dependence and withdrawal symptoms").
These symptoms will disappear when your body readjusts. If you are concerned, your doctor can provide more information. The doctor will then gradually reduce the dose after completing treatment.
The reduction in dose is done according to individual needs, as the gradual withdrawal of the medicine depends on several factors (e.g., duration of treatment and daily dose). Ask your doctor about the method of gradual dose reduction.
If you have any further doubts about taking this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

4. Possible side effects

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

Reasons to contact your doctor immediately

If you experience any of the following symptoms, contact your doctor immediately, as treatment may need to be discontinued. The doctor will inform you how to discontinue treatment.

• Treatment with alprazolam may cause serious behavioral or psychiatric effects - such as feelings of agitation, anxiety, aggression, irritability, violent anger, false beliefs, nightmares, and hallucinations or other inappropriate behavior.
• Sudden wheezing, difficulty swallowing or breathing, swelling of the eyelids, face, or lips, rash, or itching (especially all over the body).

Reasons to contact your doctor as soon as possible

You should contact your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any of the following symptoms, as the dose or treatment may need to be changed:

• Memory loss (amnesia).
• Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice).

Dependence and withdrawal symptoms

It is possible to become dependent on medicines like alprazolam when taking them, which increases the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms after stopping treatment. Withdrawal symptoms occur more frequently if the patient:

• stops treatment suddenly,
• takes high doses,
• takes the medicine for a long time,
• has abused alcohol or medicines in the past.

This can cause symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain, severe anxiety, tension, restlessness, confusion, mood swings, sleep disturbances, and irritability.
In severe cases of withdrawal, the following symptoms may also occur: nausea (vomiting), vomiting, sweating, stomach cramps, muscle cramps, feelings of detachment or separation, exceptional sensitivity to sound, light, or physical contact, numbness and tingling of the feet and hands, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that do not exist), tremors, or seizures.
Inform your doctor if withdrawal symptoms worsen or do not improve.

Other side effects that may occur:

Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people

• Depression
• Drowsiness and lethargy
• Sudden, uncoordinated movements
• Inability to remember pieces of information
• Slurred speech
• Dizziness, feeling of emptiness in the head
• Headaches
• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue
• Irritability

Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people

• Lack of appetite
• Confusion and disorientation
• Changes in sex drive (men and women)
• Nervousness, feeling of anxiety or agitation
• Insomnia (inability to sleep or sleep disturbances)
• Problems with balance and instability (similar to a feeling of intoxication), especially during the day
• Lack of alertness or concentration
• Inability to stay awake, feeling of drowsiness
• Shakiness or tremors
• Double or blurred vision
• Nausea
• Skin reactions
• Weight changes

Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people

• Feeling of excitement or overstimulation, which causes unusual behavior
• Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that do not exist)
• Feeling of agitation or anger
• Vomiting
• Muscle cramps or weakness
• Urinary incontinence
• Severe back pain and leg pain, which may indicate menstrual disorders
• Dependence on the medicine
• Withdrawal syndrome

Frequency not known: cannot be estimated from the available data

• In women, irregular periods or excessive production of prolactin (a hormone that stimulates milk production)
• Feeling of hostility or aggression
• Disturbed thoughts
• Jerky and sudden movements
• Overexcitement
• Upset stomach
• Liver function disorders (visible in blood tests), hepatitis
• Imbalance of the nervous system. Symptoms may include: rapid heartbeat and unstable blood pressure (dizziness, feeling of emptiness in the head or fainting)
• Severe allergic reaction causing swelling of the face or throat
• Swelling of the ankles, feet, or fingers
• Skin reaction caused by sensitivity to sunlight
• Difficulty urinating or problems with bladder control
• Increased intraocular pressure, which can also affect vision
• Abuse of the medicine

Reporting side effects

If you experience any side effects, including any side effects not listed in this leaflet, tell your doctor or pharmacist. Side effects can be reported directly to the Department of Monitoring of Adverse Reactions to Medicinal Products 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.
By reporting side effects, you can help gather more information on the safety of the medicine.
Side effects can also be reported to the marketing authorization holder.

5. How to store Alprazolam Grindeks

Keep the medicine out of sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the carton and blister pack after "EXP". The expiry date refers to the last day of the month.
Do not store above 25°C.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines that are no longer needed. This will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information

What Alprazolam Grindeks contains

The active substance of the medicine is alprazolam.

• Alprazolam Grindeks, 0.25 mg, tablets Each tablet contains 0.25 mg of alprazolam.
• Alprazolam Grindeks, 0.5 mg, tablets

Each tablet contains 0.5 mg of alprazolam.

• Alprazolam Grindeks, 1 mg, tablets Each tablet contains 1 mg of alprazolam.

Other ingredients are: lactose monohydrate; microcrystalline cellulose (E 460); maize starch, pre-gelatinized; sodium docusate; sodium benzoate (E 211); magnesium stearate (E 572); colloidal anhydrous silica (E 551); iron oxide red (E 172) (only 0.5 mg tablets); indigo carmine, lake (E 132) (only 1 mg tablets).

What Alprazolam Grindeks looks like and contents of the pack

Alprazolam Grindeks, 0.25 mg, is a white or almost white, oval tablet (10 mm x 5 mm) with a dividing line on one side and the inscription "0.25" on the other side.
Alprazolam Grindeks, 0.5 mg, is a light pink to pink, oval tablet (10 mm x 5 mm) with a dividing line on one side and the inscription "0.5" on the other side.
Alprazolam Grindeks, 1 mg, is a light blue to blue, oval (10 mm x 5 mm) tablet with a dividing line on one side and the inscription "1" on the other side.
Alprazolam Grindeks is available in blisters of OPA/Aluminum/PVC//Aluminum foil containing 10, 20, 30, 50, 60, or 100 tablets in a cardboard box.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing authorization holder and manufacturer

AS GRINDEKS
Krustpils iela 53, Rīga, LV-1057, Latvia
Phone: +371 67083205
Fax: +371 67083505
Email: [email protected]

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

Date of last revision of the leaflet: