DONEPEZIL ALTER 10 mg FILM-COATED TABLETS

Introduction

PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER

Donepezil Alter 10 mg film-coated tablets EFG

Donepezil hydrochloride

Read the entire package leaflet carefully before starting to use the medicine, as it contains important information for you.

• Keep this package leaflet, as 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, as it may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
• If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, even if they are not listed in this package leaflet.

Contents of the package leaflet:

1. What is Donepezil Alter and what is it used for
2. What you need to know before taking Donepezil Alter
3. How to take Donepezil Alter
4. Possible side effects
5. Storage of Donepezil Alter
6. Contents of the pack and further information

1. What is Donepezil Alter and what is it used for

Donepezil Alter belongs to a group of medicines called acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Donepezil hydrochloride increases the levels in the brain of a substance related to memory (acetylcholine) by reducing the breakdown of this substance.

It is used to treat the symptoms of mild to moderately severe Alzheimer's disease. The symptoms include increased memory loss, confusion, and changes in behavior.

2. What you need to know before taking Donepezil Alter

Do not takeDonepezil Alter:

If you are allergic to donepezil hydrochloride, piperidine derivatives, or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor before starting to take Donepezil Alter if you have or have had:

? a history of stomach or duodenal ulcers

? heart disease (such as irregular or slow heartbeats, heart failure, myocardial infarction)

? a heart condition called "prolonged QT interval" or a history of certain abnormal heart rhythms called torsades de pointes, or if a family member has "prolonged QT interval"

? low levels of magnesium or potassium in the blood

? seizures

? asthma or chronic pulmonary disease

? difficulty urinating or mild kidney disease.

You should avoid taking Donepezil Alter with other acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and other agonists or antagonists of the cholinergic system.

Other medicines and Donepezil Alter:

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used, or might use any other medicines, especially if you are taking any of the following:

• medicines for heart rhythm problems, such as amiodarone or sotalol
• medicines for depression, such as citalopram, escitalopram, amitriptyline, fluoxetine
• medicines for psychosis, such as pimozide, sertindole, or ziprasidone
• medicines for bacterial infections, such as clarithromycin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, rifampicin
• antifungal medicines, such as ketoconazole
• other medicines for Alzheimer's disease, such as galantamine
• analgesics or treatments for arthritis, such as aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or diclofenac sodium
• quinidine and beta-blockers for treating irregular heartbeats, such as propranolol and atenolol
• phenytoin and carbamazepine (for treating epilepsy)
• cholinergic agonists and medicines with anticholinergic activity (acting on the central nervous system) such as tolterodine.
• succinylcholine, diazepam, and other neuromuscular blockers (for producing muscle relaxation)
• general anesthetics

In case of surgical intervention with general anesthesia, you should inform your doctor that you are taking Donepezil Alter, as this may affect the amount of anesthetic needed.

Donepezil Alter can be used in patients with mild to moderate kidney or liver disease. Inform your doctor if you have any kidney or liver problems. Patients with severe liver disease should not take Donepezil Alter.

TakingDonepezil Alterwith food, drinks, and alcohol:

This medicine should be taken with a little water.

Donepezil Alter should not be taken with alcohol, as alcohol may alter the effect of this medicine.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

You should not take Donepezil Alter if you are breastfeeding.

Driving and using machines:

Your illness may affect your ability to drive or use machines, and you should not carry out these activities unless your doctor tells you it is safe to do so. Donepezil Alter may cause fatigue, dizziness, somnolence, and muscle cramps, mainly at the start of treatment or when increasing the dose. If you experience these effects, do not drive or use machines.

This medicine contains lactose. If your doctor has told you that you have an intolerance to some sugars, consult them before taking this medicine.

3. How to take Donepezil Alter

Follow exactly the administration instructions of donepezil indicated by your doctor. In case of doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.

Donepezil is administered orally.

Treatment with donepezil starts with one 5 mg tablet, taken once daily with a little water, at night immediately before bedtime. After one month of treatment, your doctor may instruct you to increase the dose to 10 mg, once daily, and at night. The maximum recommended dose is 10 mg per day.

If you have abnormal dreams, nightmares, or difficulty sleeping (see section 4), your doctor may recommend that you take donepezil in the morning.

If you have mild to moderate liver or kidney disease, you can take donepezil. Inform your doctor before starting treatment if you have liver or kidney problems. Patients with severe liver disease should not take donepezil.

Use in children

Donepezil is not recommended for use in children.

If you take moreDonepezil Alterthan you should:

If you have taken more donepezil than you should, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or call the Toxicology Information Service, phone: 91 562 04 20, indicating the medicine and the amount used.

Symptoms of overdose may include nausea, vomiting, drooling, sweating, decreased heart rate, low blood pressure, breathing problems, loss of consciousness, and seizures.

If you forget to takeDonepezil Alter:

Do not take a double dose to make up for forgotten doses.

If you stop taking Donepezil Alter

Do not stop taking donepezil unless your doctor tells you to. If you stop taking donepezil, the benefits of treatment will gradually disappear.

If you have any further questions on the use of donepezil, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, Donepezil Alter can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

The following side effects have been reported by people taking Donepezil Alter.

Tell your doctor if you have any of these side effects during treatment with Donepezil Alter.

Serious side effects:

You should tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following serious side effects, as you may need urgent medical treatment.

? Liver damage, such as hepatitis. The symptoms of hepatitis are nausea or vomiting, loss of appetite, general malaise, fever, itching, yellowing of the skin and eyes, and dark urine (affecting between 1 and 10 in 10,000).

? Ulcers in the stomach or duodenum. The symptoms of ulcers are stomach pain and discomfort (indigestion) between the navel and the sternum (affecting between 1 and 10 in 1,000).

? Bleeding in the stomach or intestine. This can cause you to have black, tarry stools or visible blood from the rectum (affecting between 1 and 10 in 1,000).

? Dizziness (fits) or seizures (affecting between 1 and 10 in 1,000).

? Fever with muscle stiffness, sweating, decreased level of consciousness (which can be symptoms of a condition called "Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome") (affecting less than 1 in 10,000 patients).

• Weakness, sensitivity, or muscle pain, especially if you feel unwell, have a fever, or your urine is dark. This can be due to abnormal muscle destruction, which can be fatal and cause kidney problems (a disease called rhabdomyolysis).

The estimated frequency of side effects is as follows:

Very common:may affect more than 1 in 10 patients:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Headache

Common: may affect between 1 and 10 in 100 patients:

• Cold
• Loss of appetite
• Hallucinations
• Agitation
• Aggressive behavior
• Abnormal dreams and nightmares
• Fainting
• Dizziness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Vomiting
• Abdominal discomfort
• Urinary incontinence
• Rash
• Itching

• Muscle cramps
• Fatigue
• Pain
• Accidents (patients may be more prone to falls and accidental injuries)

Uncommon: may affect between 1 and 10 in 1,000 patients:

• Seizures
• Decreased heart rate (bradycardia)
• Gastrointestinal bleeding, stomach and duodenal ulcers
• Increased levels of a type of enzyme (creatine kinase) in the blood

Rare: may affect between 1 and 10 in 10,000 patients:

• Extrapyramidal symptoms (such as tremor or rigidity of the hands or legs)
• Changes in heart conduction
• Changes in liver function, including hepatitis

Frequency not known(cannot be estimated from the available data):

• Increased libido, hypersexuality
• Pisa syndrome (a condition involving involuntary muscle contraction with abnormal flexion of the body and head to one side)
• Changes in heart activity that can be seen on an electrocardiogram (ECG) called "prolonged QT interval"
• Fast and irregular heartbeat, fainting that can be symptoms of a potentially fatal disorder known as torsades de pointes

Reporting of side effects

If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, even if they are not listed in this package leaflet. You can also report them directly through the Spanish Medicines and Healthcare Products Agency (AEMPS) website: www.notificaRAM.es.

5. Storage of Donepezil Alter

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.

Do not use donepezil after the expiry date stated on the carton.

Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Return any unused medicine to a pharmacy for disposal. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. This will help protect the environment.

6. Further information

Composition of Donepezil Alter 10 mg tablets

• The active substance is donepezil. Each tablet contains 10 mg of donepezil hydrochloride.
• The other ingredients are: Core: lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, sodium starch glycolate, colloidal silicon dioxide, and magnesium stearate. Coating: Opadry White.

Appearance of the product and pack contents

Donepezil Alter 10 mg are film-coated tablets, round, biconvex, and white.

They are available in packs of 28 or 56 tablets.

Other presentations:

Donepezil Alter 5 mg film-coated tablets: packs of 28 or 56 tablets.

Marketing authorization holder and manufacturer

Laboratorios Alter, S.A.

C/Mateo Inurria, 30

28036, Madrid,

Spain

or

Laboratorios Alter, S.A.

C/ Zeus, 6

Polígono Industrial R2

28880, Meco (Madrid)

Spain

Date of last revision of this package leaflet:

December 2023

Detailed and up-to-date information on this medicine is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Healthcare Products (AEMPS) http://www.aemps.es/.