Fenistil
Ask a doctor about a prescription for Fenistil
How to use Fenistil
Leaflet attached to the packaging: patient information
Warning! Keep the leaflet! Information on the immediate packaging in a foreign language.
Fenistil, 1 mg/ml, oral drops, solution
Dimetindene maleate
You should carefully read the contents of the leaflet before using the medicine, as it contains important information for the patient.
This medicine should always be used exactly as described in this patient leaflet or as directed by your doctor or pharmacist.
- You should keep this leaflet, so you can read it again if you need to.
- If you need advice or additional information, you should consult a pharmacist.
- 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.
- If after 7 days there is no improvement or the patient feels worse, they should contact their doctor.
Table of contents of the leaflet:
- 1. What is Fenistil and what is it used for
- 2. Important information before using Fenistil
- 3. How to use Fenistil
- 4. Possible side effects
- 5. How to store Fenistil
- 6. Contents of the packaging and other information
1. What is Fenistil and what is it used for
Fenistil contains dimetindene maleate, which belongs to a group of antihistamine medicines. It inhibits the action of histamine - a substance responsible for allergic reactions. It relieves itching and irritation caused by skin rash, reduces swelling, and also relieves symptoms of allergic rhinitis, such as runny nose (cold), sneezing, nasal itching, and eye itching and tearing.
After oral administration, the effect of the medicine starts within 30-60 minutes and lasts for 8 to 12 hours.
Fenistil is used to treat symptoms of allergic diseases:
- skin: urticaria, itching in atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, endogenous eczema,
- respiratory system: seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and chronic allergic rhinitis (e.g., house dust allergy, pet hair, feathers). The medicine is used to treat symptomatic food and drug allergies, as well as itching accompanying infectious diseases (e.g., chickenpox). It can be used to relieve symptoms after insect bites and to prevent allergic reactions during desensitization treatment.
2. Important information before using Fenistil
When not to use Fenistil in the form of oral drops:
- if the patient has been diagnosed with hypersensitivity (allergy) to dimetindene maleate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine,
- in newborns up to the age of one month, especially premature babies.
Warnings and precautions
Before starting to use Fenistil, you should discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist, or nurse.
You should consult a doctor before using this medicine in patients:
- with glaucoma,
- with urinary retention caused by, for example, prostate enlargement,
- with epilepsy,
- in the elderly.
Elderly patients should contact their doctor before using this medicine, as they are more susceptible to the side effects of this medicine, such as excitement and fatigue.
The medicine should not be used in elderly patients with disorientation.
Children and adolescents
Antihistamines in small children can cause excitement.
The use of Fenistil in infants from 1 month to 1 year of age and in children under 6 years of age should be done on the advice of a doctor.
The medicine should not be used in children under 1 month of age.
A higher dose than recommended should not be used.
The medicine should be stored in a place invisible and inaccessible to children.
Fenistil and other medicines
You should tell your doctor about all medicines you are currently taking or have recently taken, including those that are available without a prescription.
Without a doctor's recommendation, you should not use Fenistil if you are taking any of the following medicines:
- antidepressants,
- anticholinergic medicines, such as: bronchodilators (medicines used to treat asthma and bronchospasm), medicines used to treat spasms in the abdominal cavity (medicines used to prevent stomach and intestinal cramps), medicines that dilate the pupils, urological antispasmodic medicines (medicines used to treat symptoms of urinary incontinence and excessive bladder activity),
- sleeping pills, sedatives,
- anticonvulsant medicines (medicines used to treat epilepsy),
- opioid painkillers,
- antihistamines (medicines used to treat common cold, cough, or other allergies),
- antiemetic medicines,
- procarbazine (a medicine used to treat certain types of cancer),
- scopolamine (a medicine used to prevent motion sickness),
- alcohol.
Using Fenistil with alcohol
Like other antihistamines, Fenistil may enhance the effect of alcohol.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to have a child, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.
Fenistil should not be used during pregnancy, unless the benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risk to the fetus. The medicine may only be used under medical supervision.
Fenistil should not be used in breastfeeding women.
Driving and using machines
As with other antihistamines, Fenistil may impair psychophysical performance in some patients. Therefore, people taking Fenistil in the form of oral drops should be cautious when driving vehicles or operating machinery.
Fenistil contains benzonic acid (E 210), propylene glycol (E 1520), and sodium
The medicine contains 2 mg of benzonic acid per dose (40 drops), which corresponds to 1 mg/ml.
Benzonic acid may increase the risk of jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) in newborns (up to 4 weeks of age).
The medicine contains 200 mg of propylene glycol per dose (40 drops), which corresponds to 100 mg/ml.
Before administering the medicine to a child under 4 weeks of age, you should consult a doctor or pharmacist, especially if the child is taking other medicines containing propylene glycol or alcohol.
The medicine contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) of sodium per dose (40 drops), which means the medicine is considered "sodium-free".
3. How to use Fenistil
Fenistil should always be used as directed by your doctor.
In case of doubt, you should contact your doctor or pharmacist again.
You should not exceed the recommended dose.
The use of Fenistil in infants from 1 month to 1 year of age and in children under 6 years of age should be done on the advice of a doctor.
The medicine should not be used in children under 1 month of age.
Adults and children over 6 years of age:
The medicine should not be used for more than 7 days.
If after 7 days there is no improvement or the patient feels worse, they should contact their doctor.
Adults and children over 12 years of age
The daily dose is 3-6 mg of dimetindene, administered in 3 equal divided doses.
It is recommended to use 20-40 drops 3 times a day.
In patients with a tendency to drowsiness, 40 drops should be used before bedtime and 20 drops in the morning, during breakfast.
Children under 12 years of age
The recommended daily dose is 0.1 mg/kg body weight/day, which is 2 drops per kg body weight per day, administered in 3 divided doses, for example:
6 drops 3 times a day in the case of an 8-month-old infant weighing 9 kg.
8 drops 3 times a day in the case of a 2-year-old child weighing 12 kg.
You should not exceed the maximum daily dose, which is:
- Age
- Maximum daily dose
- 1 month - 1 year
- 1.5 mg
- 30 drops
- 1-3 years
- 2.25 mg
- 45 drops
- 3-12 years
- 3 mg
- 60 drops
20 drops = 1 ml = 1 mg of dimetindene
Infants from 1 month to 1 year of age and children under 6 years of age:
The use of Fenistil in infants from 1 month to 1 year of age and in children under 6 years of age should be done on the advice of a doctor.
Fenistil should not be exposed to high temperatures.
If the infant is bottle-fed, the medicine should be added to the bottle with warm food immediately before feeding.
If the infant is spoon-fed, the drops can be given undiluted, on a small teaspoon.
Elderly patients
Elderly patients should contact their doctor before using this medicine.
Using a higher dose of Fenistil than recommended
In case of using a higher dose of Fenistil than recommended, you should immediately contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Symptoms of overdose are: drowsiness (mainly in adults), central nervous system stimulation (mainly in children and the elderly), including excitement, coordination disorders, hallucinations, tremors, convulsions, as well as urinary retention and fever.
There may be a decrease in blood pressure, coma, and cardio-respiratory collapse.
Missing a dose of Fenistil
In case of missing a dose, you should take it as soon as possible, unless there is less than 2 hours left before the next dose.
In this case, you should take the medicine at the usual time.
You should not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose.
In case of doubts related to the use of the medicine, you should contact your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, Fenistil can cause side effects, although they may not occur in everyone.
You should STOPusing the medicine and immediately contact your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms, which may be signs of an allergic reaction:
- difficulty breathing or swallowing,
- swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat,
- severe itching of the skin with red rash or increasing blisters, muscle cramps.
These symptoms occur very rarely(may occur less often than in 1 in 10,000 people).
Other side effects that may occur are usually mild and temporary.
The most common side effects occur especially at the beginning of treatment.
Very common(may occur in more than 1 in 10 people using the medicine): fatigue.
Common(occur in less than 1 in 10 people using the medicine): drowsiness, nervousness.
Rare(may occur in less than 1 in 1,000 people using the medicine): excitement, headaches, dizziness, gastrointestinal disorders, nausea, dry mouth, dry throat.
If any of the side effects worsen or if you experience any side effects not listed in this leaflet, you should inform your doctor or pharmacist.
Reporting side effects
If you experience any side effects, including any side effects not listed in this leaflet, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Side effects can be reported directly to the Department of Monitoring of Adverse Reactions to Medicinal Products, Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products, Al. Jerozolimskie 181C, 02-222 Warsaw, tel.: +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.
5. How to store Fenistil
Store in a temperature below 25°C.
Do not store in the refrigerator or freeze.
Store in the original packaging.
The medicine should be stored in a place invisible and inaccessible to children.
You should not use the medicine after the expiry date stated on the packaging.
The expiry date refers to the last day of the specified month.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste containers.
You should ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines that are no longer needed.
This will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the packaging and other information
What Fenistil contains
- The active substance of the medicine is dimetindene maleate.
- One milliliter of Fenistil contains 1 mg of dimetindene maleate.
- Other ingredients of the medicine are: propylene glycol (E 1520), benzonic acid (E 210), disodium edetate, disodium phosphate dodecahydrate, citric acid monohydrate, sodium saccharin, purified water.
What Fenistil looks like and what the packaging contains
Fenistil is a clear, colorless to slightly yellowish-brown solution, in a brown glass bottle type III with a polyethylene dropper and a white polypropylene cap, or a polypropylene cap with a child-resistant closure, placed in a cardboard box.
Available packaging:20 ml.
To obtain more detailed information, you should contact the marketing authorization holder or the parallel importer.
Marketing authorization holder in the Netherlands, the country of export:
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare B.V.
Van Asch van Wijckstraat 55G
3811 LP Amersfoort, Netherlands
Manufacturer:
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare S.A
Apollo Site, Avenue Pascal, 2-4-6
1300 Wavre, Belgium
Parallel importer:
InPharm Sp. z o.o.
ul. Strumykowa 28/11
03-138 Warsaw
Repackaged by:
InPharm Sp. z o.o. Services sp. k.
ul. Chełmżyńska 249
04-458 Warsaw
Netherlands marketing authorization number, country of export:RVG 01528
Parallel import authorization number:46/14
Date of leaflet approval: 25.01.2024
[Information about the trademark]
- Country of registration
- Active substance
- Prescription requiredNo
- Marketing authorisation holder (MAH)GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare B.V.
- This information is for reference only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a licensed doctor before taking any medication. Oladoctor is not responsible for medical decisions based on this content.
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