MECOLVIX 500 mg GASTRO-RESISTANT TABLETS

Introduction

Package Leaflet: Information for the User

Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets

mesalazine

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

• 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 signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

Contents of the pack:

1. What is Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets and what is it used for
2. What you need to know before you take Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets
3. How to take Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets
4. Possible side effects
5. Storage of Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets
6. Contents of the pack and further information

1. What is Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets and what is it used for

Mecolvix contains 500 mg of the active substance mesalazine (also known as 5-aminosalicylic acid), which belongs to a group of medicines called intestinal anti-inflammatory agents.

Mecolvix is indicated for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory disease of the intestine.

2. What you need to know before you take Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets

Do not take Claversal

• if you are allergic to mesalazine or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
• if you are allergic to acetylsalicylic acid or any other salicylate
• if you have a medical condition that may make you prone to bleeding
• if you have severe kidney and/or liver impairment

Warnings and precautions

Consult your doctor before starting to take Claversal

• if you are or plan to become pregnant
• if you are breast-feeding
• if you have liver or kidney problems
• if you suffer from any lung disease, such as asthma
• if you have had an allergy to sulfasalazine in the past
• if you have a stomach or intestinal ulcer
• if you have previously had inflammation of the heart (which could be a consequence of a heart infection)
• if you have ever suffered from a severe skin rash, peeling, or blisters in the mouth after using mesalazine.

If you experience severe headache or recurrent headache, vision disturbances, or ringing or buzzing in the ears, contact your doctor immediately.

In case of appearance of any allergic manifestation (e.g., skin rash, itching) or cramps, abdominal pain, severe headache, and fever during the course of treatment, do not take more tablets and inform your doctor immediately.

Before and during treatment, your doctor may want to perform regular blood and urine tests to check the functioning of your liver, kidneys, blood, and lungs.

Kidney stones may occur with the use of mesalazine. The symptoms include pain in the sides of the abdomen and blood in the urine. Make sure to drink a sufficient amount of liquid during treatment with mesalazine.

Severe skin rashes, such as drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SSJ), and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), have been observed with mesalazine treatment. Stop taking mesalazine and seek medical attention immediately if you observe any of the symptoms related to these severe skin reactions described in section 4.

Mesalazine may cause a discoloration of the urine to a reddish-brown color after contact with sodium hypochlorite bleach in the toilet water. This is a chemical reaction between mesalazine and bleach and is harmless.

Children and adolescents

Information on safety in the use of this medicine in children and adolescents is limited.

Do not administer to children under 5 years of age.

Other medicines and Claversal 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets

In general, you can continue treatment with other medicines while taking Claversal. However, inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used, or may need to use any other medicine, including those obtained without a prescription.

Claversal may interact with some medicines if taken at the same time.

In particular:

• medicines to lower blood sugar levels (antidiabetics)
• medicines to lower blood pressure (antihypertensives/diuretics)
• medicines for the treatment or prevention of gout attacks
• medicines that help with bowel movements (laxatives containing lactulose)
• medicines to prevent blood clotting (anticoagulants)
• medicines to reduce the activity of the immune system (e.g., azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, or thioguanine)
• medicines to treat pain and inflammation (anti-inflammatory agents)

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.

There is limited experience with the use of mesalazine during pregnancy and breast-feeding. The newborn may develop allergic reactions after breast-feeding, such as diarrhea. If the newborn develops diarrhea, breast-feeding should be interrupted.

The use of Claversal is not recommended during pregnancy or breast-feeding unless your doctor advises you otherwise.

Driving and using machines

No adverse effects of Claversal on the ability to drive or use machines have been described.

Claversal 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets contains sodium

This medicine contains 49 mg of sodium (a major component of table salt/cooking salt) in each gastro-resistant tablet. This is equivalent to 2.5% of the maximum daily recommended sodium intake for an adult.

Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you need to take 8 or more gastro-resistant tablets daily for a prolonged period, especially if you have been advised to follow a low-salt diet (sodium).

3. How to take Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets

Follow exactly the administration instructions of this medicine indicated by your doctor or pharmacist. If in doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.

Your doctor will indicate the duration of your treatment with this medicine. Do not stop treatment before, even if you feel better, as symptoms may return if treatment is stopped too soon.

Strictly follow the treatment according to your doctor's instructions, both in the acute inflammatory phase and in the maintenance time established.

Unless your doctor prescribes a different dosage, the recommended dose is generally:

For treating an acute episode of colitis, your doctor will usually prescribe a dose between 1.5 grams (three gastro-resistant tablets) and 4 grams (eight gastro-resistant tablets) of mesalazine per day, which can be administered once a day or in divided doses

For helping to prevent further episodes, your doctor may prescribe a dose between 1.5 grams (three gastro-resistant tablets) and 3 grams (six gastro-resistant tablets) of mesalazine per day, which can be administered once a day or in divided doses.

Mecolvix gastro-resistant tablets should be taken orally.

The gastro-resistant tablets should be taken before meals and should be swallowed whole with the help of liquid. They should not be broken, chewed, or crushed.

Use in children and adolescents

It is not recommended to administer Mecolvix to children under 18 years of age due to the lack of data on its safety and efficacy. Do not administer to children under 5 years of age.

Use in elderly

The use of Mecolvix in elderly patients should be done with caution and limited to those patients with normal renal function.

If you take more Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets than you should

Consult your doctor if you have taken more than prescribed. In case of overdose or accidental ingestion, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or call the Toxicology Information Service, phone: 91 562 04 20, indicating the medicine and the amount taken. It is recommended to bring the package and the package leaflet of the medicine to the healthcare professional.

If you forget to take Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets

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

If you stop taking Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets

It is important that you take Mecolvix every day, even when you do not have symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Always finish the treatment that has been prescribed for you.

If you have any other questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.

4. Possible side effects

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

All medicines can cause allergic reactions, although serious allergic reactions are very rare. If you get any of the following symptoms after taking this medicine, stop taking this medicine and contact your doctor immediately:

• Allergic skin rash;
• Fever;
• Difficulty breathing.

If you experience fever or irritation of the throat or mouth, stop using this medicine and contact your doctor immediately. These symptoms may be due, very rarely, to a decrease in the number of white blood cells in the blood (a condition called agranulocytosis).

Severe side effects:

Stop taking mesalazine and seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Reddish patches, or circular or coin-shaped patches on the chest, often with central blisters, skin peeling, ulcers in the mouth, throat, nose, genitals, and eyes, generalized rash, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. These severe skin rashes are often preceded by fever or flu-like symptoms.
• If you experience severe headache or recurrent headache, vision disturbances, or ringing or buzzing in the ears. These could be symptoms of increased pressure inside your skull (idiopathic intracranial hypertension).

The following side effects have also been reported in patients taking mesalazine:

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

• Abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, nausea, and vomiting;
• Headache, dizziness;
• Chest pain, difficulty breathing, or swollen limbs due to an effect on the heart;
• Increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight and ultraviolet light (photosensitivity)

Very rare side effects(may affect less than 1 in 10,000 people)

• Kidney problems, sometimes with swelling of the limbs or pain in the side;

• Severe abdominal pain due to acute pancreatitis;
• Worsening of colitis symptoms;
• Fever, sore throat, or nausea due to changes in blood count;

• Difficulty breathing, cough, wheezing, spots on the lung X-ray due to allergic and/or inflammatory conditions in the lungs;
• Diarrhea and severe abdominal pain due to an allergic reaction to the medicine in the intestine;

• Skin rash or inflammation;
• Muscle and joint pain;
• Jaundice or abdominal pain due to liver or biliary disorders;
• Hair loss and development of baldness;
• Erythema multiforme;
• Numbness and tingling of the fingers and toes (peripheral neuropathy)
• Reversible decrease in semen production;
• Blood count disorders.

Side effects of unknown frequency(cannot be estimated from the available data).

• Kidney stones and associated kidney pain (see also section 2).

Severe skin reactions: drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SSJ), and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).

• Increased pressure inside the skull (idiopathic intracranial hypertension)

Photosensitivity

More severe reactions have been reported in patients with pre-existing skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis and atopic eczema.

If these symptoms continue or become more severe, consult your doctor.

Reporting of side effects:

If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly to the Spanish Medicines Monitoring System for Human Use: www.notificaRAM.es. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. Storage of Mecolvix 500 mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets

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

This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the packaging after EXP. The expiry date is the last day of the month indicated.

Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Return the packages and any unused medicine to the pharmacy. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of packages and unused medicine. This will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and further information

Composition of Mecolvix

• Each gastro-resistant tablet contains 500 mg of mesalazine.
• The other ingredients are anhydrous sodium carbonate, glycine, povidone, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium croscarmellose, anhydrous colloidal silica, calcium stearate, ethyl acrylate and methyl acrylate copolymer (1:1) dispersion 30%, methacrylic acid and methyl methacrylate copolymer (1:1), methacrylic acid - methyl methacrylate copolymer, dibutyl sebacate, talc, titanium dioxide (E-171), macrogol, yellow iron oxide (E-172), and red iron oxide (E-172)

Appearance of the product and packaging

The tablets are oblong, orange-colored, coated tablets.

This medicine is marketed in aluminum/aluminum blisters packaged in cardboard boxes containing 100 tablets.

Marketing authorization holder

Faes Farma, S.A.

Autonomia Etorbidea, 10

48940 Leioa (Bizkaia)

Spain

Manufacturer

Faes Farma, S.A.

Maximo Agirre Kalea, 14

48940 Leioa (Bizkaia)

Spain

Date of last revision of this leaflet:January 2023