MEMANTINE TEVA 20 mg ORALLY DISINTEGRATING TABLETS

Introduction

Leaflet: Information for the user

Memantina Teva 20 mg orodispersible tablets EFG

Memantine hydrochloride

Read the entire leaflet carefully before starting to take this medication, as it contains important information for you.

• Keep this leaflet, as you may need to read it again.
• If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medication has been prescribed to you only, and you should not give it to others, even if they have the same symptoms as you, as it may harm them.
• If you experience side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if they are not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

Contents of the leaflet

1. What is Memantina Teva and what is it used for
2. What you need to know before taking Memantina Teva
3. How to take Memantina Teva
4. Possible side effects
5. Storage of Memantina Teva
6. Package contents and additional information

1. What is Memantina Teva and what is it used for

Memantina Teva contains the active ingredient memantine hydrochloride.

Memantine belongs to a group of medications known as anti-dementia medications.

Memory loss in Alzheimer's disease is due to an alteration in brain signals. The brain contains so-called N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors that participate in the transmission of important nerve signals in learning and memory. Memantine belongs to the group of medications called NMDA receptor antagonists. Memantine acts on these receptors, improving the transmission of nerve signals and memory.

Memantine is used in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.

2. What you need to know before taking Memantina Teva

Do not take memantine:

• if you are allergic to memantine hydrochloride or any of the other components of this medication (listed in section 6).

Warnings and precautions

Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take this medication:

• if you have a history of epileptic seizures.
• if you have recently had a myocardial infarction (heart attack), if you suffer from congestive heart failure, or if you have uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).

In these situations, treatment should be carefully supervised, and your doctor should regularly reassess the clinical benefit of memantine.

If you have renal tubular acidosis (RTA, excess of acid-producing substances in the blood due to kidney dysfunction) or severe urinary tract infections, your doctor may need to adjust the dose of the medication.

If you have renal impairment (kidney problems), your doctor should closely monitor your renal function and, if necessary, adapt the doses of memantine.

The use of memantine with other medications such as amantadine (for the treatment of Parkinson's disease), ketamine (a medication generally used as an anesthetic), dextromethorphan (a medication for the treatment of cough), and other NMDA antagonists should be avoided.

Children and adolescents

The use of memantine is not recommended in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Other medications and Memantina Teva

Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or may need to take any other medication.

In particular, the administration of memantine may produce changes in the effects of the following medications, so your doctor may need to adjust the dose:

• amantadine, ketamine, dextromethorphan
• dantrolene, baclofen
• cimetidine, ranitidine, procainamide, quinidine, quinine, nicotine
• hydrochlorothiazide (or any combination with hydrochlorothiazide)
• anticholinergics (substances generally used to treat movement disorders or intestinal spasms)
• anticonvulsants (substances used to prevent and eliminate convulsions)
• barbiturates (substances generally used to induce sleep)
• dopaminergic agonists (substances such as L-dopa, bromocriptine)
• neuroleptics (substances used in the treatment of mental illnesses)
• oral anticoagulants

If you are hospitalized, inform your doctor that you are taking memantine.

Taking Memantina Teva with food and drinks

You should inform your doctor if you have recently changed or plan to change your diet substantially (e.g., from a normal diet to a strict vegetarian diet), as your doctor may need to adjust the dose of the medication.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medication.

Pregnancy: The use of memantine is not recommended in pregnant women.

Breastfeeding: Women taking memantine should stop breastfeeding.

Driving and using machines

Your illness may affect your ability to drive or use machinery, and you should not perform these activities unless your doctor indicates that it is safe to do so. Memantine may cause dizziness and somnolence, mainly at the start of treatment or when increasing the dose. If you experience these effects, do not drive or use machinery.

Memantina Teva contains aspartame, lactose, and sodium

Aspartame

This medication contains 5 mg of aspartame in each 10 mg orodispersible tablet. Aspartame contains a source of phenylalanine that may be harmful in case of phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disease in which phenylalanine accumulates because the body is unable to eliminate it properly.

Lactose

This medication contains lactose. If your doctor has indicated that you have an intolerance to certain sugars, consult with them before taking this medication.

Sodium

This medication contains less than 23 mg of sodium (1 mmol) per orodispersible tablet; it is essentially "sodium-free".

3. How to take Memantina Teva

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

Posology

The recommended dose of memantine in adult patients and elderly patients is 20 mg administered once a day. To reduce the risk of side effects, this dose is achieved gradually following the following daily scheme:

The normal starting dose is one 5 mg tablet once a day for the first week. It is increased to one 10 mg tablet per day for the second week and to 15 mg once a day for the third week. From the fourth week onwards, the normal dose is two 10 mg tablets or one 20 mg tablet administered once a day.

For doses not available for this medication, you should use another medication that contains memantine with an available dose.

Posology for patients with renal impairment

If you have kidney problems, your doctor will decide on the appropriate dose for your condition. In this case, your doctor should periodically monitor your renal function.

Method of administration

Memantine should be administered orally once a day. To get the most out of your medication, you should take it every day and at the same time. The tablets should be swallowed with a little water. The tablets can be taken with or without food.

Duration of treatment

Continue taking memantine as long as it is beneficial for you. Your doctor should periodically evaluate the effects of your treatment.

Instructions for use

The orodispersible tablets of memantine are fragile, so they should be handled with care. Do not handle the tablets with wet hands, as they may break.

1. Hold the blister pack by the ends and separate one of the cells from the rest, breaking it gently along the perforations that surround it.

2. Gently remove the back of the cell.

Place the tablet on your tongue. It will dissolve directly in the mouth, so it can be swallowed without water.

If you take more Memantina Teva than you should

• Generally, taking an excessive amount of memantine should not cause you any harm. You may experience an increase in the symptoms described in section 4 "Possible side effects".
• If you take an overdose of memantine, contact your doctor or seek medical advice, as you may need medical attention.

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 medication and the amount administered.

If you forget to take Memantina Teva

• If you realize you have forgotten to take your dose of memantine, wait and take the next dose at the usual time.
• Do not take a double dose to make up for forgotten doses.

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

4. Possible side effects

Like all medications, memantine can cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them.

Generally, side effects are classified as mild to moderate.

Frequent (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• Headache, drowsiness, constipation, elevated liver function tests, dizziness, balance disorders, difficult breathing, high blood pressure, and hypersensitivity to the medication.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

• Fatigue, fungal infections, confusion, hallucinations, vomiting, gait disturbances, heart failure, and venous thrombosis/thromboembolism.

Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):

• Seizures.

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

• Pancreatitis, hepatitis, and psychotic reactions.

Alzheimer's disease has been associated with depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide. These events have been reported in patients treated with memantine.

Reporting side effects

If you experience any side effects, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if they are not listed in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through the Spanish Medication Surveillance System for Human Use: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting side effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medication.

5. Storage of Memantina Teva

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

Do not use this medication after the expiration date shown on the box and on the blister pack after EXP. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.

No special storage conditions are required.

Medications should not be disposed of through wastewater or household waste. Deposit the packaging and any unused medication in the SIGRE collection point at the pharmacy. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and any unused medication. This will help protect the environment.

6. Package contents and additional information

Composition of Memantina Teva

• The active ingredient is memantine hydrochloride. Each 20 mg orodispersible tablet contains 20 mg of memantine hydrochloride, equivalent to 16.62 mg of memantine.
• The other components are polacrilin, sodium hydroxide (for pH adjustment), lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, mannitol (E421), sodium croscarmellose, aspartame (E951), anhydrous colloidal silica, red iron oxide (E172), peppermint flavor, and magnesium stearate.

Appearance of the product and package contents

The 20 mg orodispersible tablets of Memantina Teva are pale pink, round, flat, speckled, with beveled edges, with a diameter of 12 mm, and engraved with a "20" on one face.

Memantina Teva is available in blister packs of 56 orodispersible tablets.

Marketing authorization holder

Teva B.V.

Swensweg 5, 2031 GA Haarlem

Netherlands

Manufacturer

Genepharm, S.A.

18 km Marathon Avenue

15351 Pallini Attikis

Greece

Local representative:

Teva Pharma, S.L.U.

C/ Anabel Segura, 11 Edificio Albatros B, 1ª planta

28108 Alcobendas (Madrid)

Spain

Date of the last revision of this leaflet: May 2022

Detailed and updated information on this medication is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) http://www.aemps.gob.es.