MONTELUKAST NORMON 10 mg FILM-COATED TABLETS

Introduction

Package Leaflet: Information for the User

Montelukast Normon 10 mg Film-Coated Tablets EFG

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 Montelukast Normon and what is it used for
2. What you need to know before you take Montelukast Normon
3. How to take Montelukast Normon
4. Possible side effects
5. Storage of Montelukast Normon
6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What is Montelukast Normon and what is it used for

What is Montelukast Normon

Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist that blocks substances called leukotrienes.

How Montelukast Normon works

Leukotrienes cause the airways to narrow and swell, and can cause symptoms of asthma and allergy. By blocking the leukotrienes, montelukast improves asthma symptoms, helps control asthma, and improves symptoms of seasonal allergy (also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis).

When to use Montelukast Normon

Your doctor has prescribed montelukast to treat asthma and prevent asthma symptoms during the day and night.

• Montelukast is used for the treatment of adults and adolescents 15 years of age and older who are not adequately controlled with their medication and need additional treatment.
• Montelukast also helps prevent exercise-induced narrowing of the airways.
• In patients with asthma who are indicated for montelukast, montelukast may also provide symptomatic relief of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Depending on your symptoms and the severity of your asthma, your doctor will determine how you should use montelukast.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease.

Asthma includes:

• difficulty breathing due to narrowing of the airways. This narrowing of the airways worsens and improves in response to various diseases.
• airways that are sensitive and react to many things, such as cigarette smoke, pollen, cold air, or exercise.
• swelling (inflammation) of the inner layer of the airways.

The symptoms of asthma include: coughing, wheezing, and congestion in the chest.

What are seasonal allergies?

Seasonal allergies (also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis) are an allergic reaction often caused by airborne pollen from trees, grass, and weeds.

The symptoms of seasonal allergies typically include: congested nose, runny nose; sneezing; itchy, watery, red, and swollen eyes.

2. What you need to know before you take Montelukast Normon

Tell your doctor about any allergy or medical problem you have now or have had.

Do not take Montelukast Normon

• If you are allergic to montelukast or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).

Warnings and precautions

Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take montelukast

• If your asthma or breathing worsens, tell your doctor immediately.
• Montelukast oral is not indicated for the treatment of acute asthma attacks. If an attack occurs, follow the instructions given by your doctor. Always have your rescue inhaler medication for asthma attacks.
• It is important that you or your child use all asthma medications prescribed by your doctor. Montelukast should not replace other asthma medications prescribed by your doctor.
• Any patient being treated with asthma medications should be aware that if they develop a combination of symptoms such as flu-like illness, tingling or numbness of arms and legs, worsening of lung symptoms, and/or skin rash, they should consult their doctor.
• Do not take acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) or anti-inflammatory medications (also known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs) if they worsen your asthma.

Several neuropsychiatric events (e.g., changes in behavior and mood-related, depression, and suicidal tendencies) have been reported in patients of all ages treated with montelukast (see section 4). If you develop these symptoms while taking montelukast, you should contact your doctor.

Children and adolescents

Do not give this medicine to children under 15 years of age.

For pediatric patients under 18 years of age, other presentations of this medicine are available based on the age range.

Other medicines and Montelukast Normon

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines, including those obtained without a prescription.

Some medicines may affect how montelukast works, or montelukast may affect how other medicines work.

Before taking montelukast, tell your doctor if you are taking the following medicines:

• phenobarbital (used to treat epilepsy)
• phenytoin (used to treat epilepsy)
• rifampicin (used to treat tuberculosis and some other infections)
• gemfibrozil (used to treat high plasma lipid levels)

Taking Montelukast Normon with food and drinks

Montelukast Normon 10 mg film-coated tablets can be taken with or without food.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

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.

Use during pregnancy

Your doctor will assess whether you can take montelukast during this period.

Use during breastfeeding

It is not known whether montelukast appears in breast milk. If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, consult your doctor before taking montelukast.

Driving and using machines

Montelukast is not expected to affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. However, individual responses to the medicine may vary. Certain side effects (such as dizziness and drowsiness) that have been reported with montelukast may affect the patient's ability to drive or operate machinery.

Montelukast Normon contains lactose and sodium

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

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

3. How to take Montelukast Normon

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

• You should only take one montelukast tablet once a day, as prescribed by your doctor.
• It should be taken even when you do not have symptoms or when you have an acute asthma attack.

For adults and adolescents 15 years of age and older

The recommended dose is one 10 mg tablet daily in the evening.

If you are taking montelukast, make sure you do not take any other product that contains the same active ingredient, montelukast.

This medicine is taken orally.

You can take montelukast with or without food.

If you take more Montelukast Normon than you should

Ask your doctor for help immediately.

In most cases of overdose, no adverse effects were reported. The symptoms that occurred most frequently reported in overdose in adults and children were abdominal pain, drowsiness, thirst, headache, vomiting, and hyperactivity.

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 ingested. It is recommended to take the packaging and the leaflet of the medicine to the healthcare professional.

If you forget to take Montelukast Normon

Try to take montelukast as prescribed. However, if you miss a dose, just resume your regular schedule of one tablet once a day.

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

If you stop taking Montelukast Normon

Montelukast Normon will only treat your asthma if you continue to take it.

It is important that you continue to take montelukast for as long as your doctor prescribes it. It will help control your asthma.

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

4. Possible side effects

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

In clinical trials conducted with montelukast 10 mg film-coated tablets, the side effects related to the administration of the medicine and most frequently reported (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) were:

• abdominal pain
• headache

These side effects were generally mild and occurred with a higher frequency in patients treated with montelukast than with placebo (a pill that does not contain medicine).

Serious side effects

Tell your doctor immediatelyif you notice any of the following side effects, which may be serious and may require urgent medical treatment.

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

• allergic reactions including swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat that may cause difficulty breathing or swallowing.
• mood-related changes: excitement including aggressive or hostile behavior, depression
• seizures

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

• increased risk of bleeding.
• tremor
• palpitations

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

• a combination of symptoms such as flu-like illness, tingling or numbness of arms and legs, worsening of lung symptoms, and/or skin rash (Churg-Strauss syndrome) (see section 2)
• low platelet count
• mood-related changes: hallucinations, disorientation, suicidal thoughts and actions.
• inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia)
• severe skin reactions (erythema multiforme) that may occur without warning
• inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)

Other side effects reported during the marketing of the medicine

Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):

• upper respiratory infection

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

• diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
• skin rash
• fever
• elevated liver enzymes

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

• mood-related changes: sleep disturbances, including nightmares, sleep problems, sleepwalking, irritability, feeling anxious, restlessness
• dizziness, drowsiness, tingling/numbness
• nosebleeds
• dry mouth, indigestion
• bruising, itching, hives
• joint or muscle pain, muscle cramps
• bedwetting (in children)
• weakness/tiredness, malaise, swelling

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

• mood-related changes: attention disturbance, memory disturbance, uncontrolled muscle movements

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

• red, painful lumps under the skin that most frequently appear on the shins (erythema nodosum)

mood-related changes: obsessive-compulsive symptoms, stuttering

Reporting of side effects:

If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly through the Spanish Medicines and Healthcare Products Agency (AEMPS) website: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. Storage of Montelukast Normon

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

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton after "EXP". The expiry date refers to the last day of the month shown.

Store below 30°C.

Store in the original package to protect from light and moisture.

Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Return the packages and any unused medicine to a pharmacy for proper disposal. This will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information

Composition of Montelukast Normon

• The active substance is montelukast. Each tablet contains montelukast sodium equivalent to 10 mg of montelukast.
• The other ingredients are:

Core: microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, sodium starch glycolate (from potato), low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose (E-464), magnesium stearate, Coating: hypromellose, macrogol 6000, titanium dioxide (E-171), talc, red iron oxide (E-172), and yellow iron oxide (E-172).

Appearance of the product and pack contents

Montelukast 10 mg tablets are cream-colored, round, biconvex, and engraved.

Montelukast 10 mg is available in blister packs of 28 tablets.

Marketing authorization holder and manufacturerLABORATORIOS NORMON, S.A.

Ronda de Valdecarrizo, 6 – 28760 Tres Cantos – Madrid, Spain

Date of last revision of this leaflet:May 2024

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

You can access detailed and updated information about this medicine by scanning the QR code included in the leaflet and packaging with your mobile phone (smartphone). You can also access this information at the following internet address: https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/p/75844/P_75844.html