MONTELUKAST TARBIS FARMA 10 mg FILM-COATED TABLETS

Introduction

Package Leaflet: Information for the User

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

1. What is Montelukast Tarbis Farma and what is it used for

What is Montelukast Tarbis Farma

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

How Montelukast works

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

When to use Montelukast

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 for asthma, 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 gets worse 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: Cough, wheezing, and chest congestion.

What are seasonal allergies?

Seasonal allergies (also known as hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis) are an allergic reaction often caused by airborne pollen from trees, grass, and weeds. The symptoms of seasonal allergies typically include: stuffy nose, runny nose; sneezing; itchy, watery, swollen, red, and sore eyes.

2. What you need to know before you take Montelukast Tarbis Farma

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

Do not take Montelukast Tarbis Farma

• 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 this medication.

• If your asthma or breathing gets worse, tell your doctor immediately.
• Montelukast oral is not indicated for the treatment of acute asthma attacks. If an attack occurs, follow the instructions your doctor has given you. 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. This medication should not replace other asthma medications your doctor has prescribed.
• 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 or legs, worsening of pulmonary 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 make your asthma worse.

Various neuropsychiatric events (such as changes related to behavior and mood, depression, and suicidal tendencies) have been reported in patients of all ages treated with montelukast (see section 4). If you develop such symptoms while taking montelukast, you should communicate with 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 formulations of this medicine are available based on the age range.

Other medicines and Montelukast Tarbis Farma

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 the way montelukast works, or montelukast may affect the way other medicines work.

Before taking this medicine, 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 lipid levels in plasma)

Montelukast Tarbis Farma with food and drinks

This medicine 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.

Pregnancy

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

Breastfeeding

It is not known whether montelukast appears in breast milk. If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, you should 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 medication 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 Tarbis Farma contains lactose

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

Montelukast Tarbis Farma contains sodium

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

3. How to take Montelukast Tarbis Farma

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 tablet of this medicine 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 this medicine, make sure you do not take any other product that contains the same active ingredient, montelukast.

This medicine is taken orally.

Montelukast 10 mg can be taken with or without food.

If you take more Montelukast Tarbis Farma than you should

Seek immediate medical attention.

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 or call the Toxicological Information Service, phone: 91 562 04 20, indicating the medicine and the amount ingested.

If you forget to take this medicine

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

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

If you stop taking Montelukast Tarbis Farma

This medicine may only treat your asthma if you continue to take it. It is important that you continue to take this medicine for as long as your doctor prescribes it. It will help control your asthma.

If you have any further questions on 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 adverse 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 adverse 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

Consult your doctor immediatelyif you observe 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
• changes related to behavior and mood: excitement including aggressive behavior or hostility, depression
• seizures

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

• increased likelihood 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 pulmonary symptoms, and/or skin rash (Churg-Strauss syndrome) (see section 2)
• low platelet count
• changes related to behavior and mood: hallucinations, disorientation, suicidal thoughts and actions
• swelling (inflammation) of the lungs
• 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 tract 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):

• changes related to behavior and mood: 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):

• changes related to behavior and mood: attention disturbance, memory disturbance, uncontrolled muscle movements

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

• painful red lumps under the skin that most frequently appear on the shins (erythema nodosum)
• changes related to behavior and mood: obsessive-compulsive symptoms, stuttering

Reporting of side effects

If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if they are not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Human Use Medicines: www.notificaRAM.es.

By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. Storage of Montelukast Tarbis Farma

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 blister after CAD. The first two numbers indicate the month; the last four numbers indicate the year. The expiry date is the last day of the month that is indicated.

This medicine does not require any special storage temperature.

Store in the original packaging to protect from moisture.

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

6. Contents of the pack and other information

Composition of Montelukast Tarbis Farma

The active substance is montelukast.

Each tablet contains montelukast sodium equivalent to 10 mg of montelukast.

The other ingredients are:

Core of the tablet: lactose monohydrate, mannitol (E421), sodium croscarmellose, hypromellose (E 463), microcrystalline cellulose (PH 112), magnesium stearate.

Coating: hypromellose 6cP (E464), titanium dioxide (E 171), hypromellose (E 463), carnauba wax, yellow iron oxide (E 172), red iron oxide (E 172).

Appearance of the product and contents of the pack

Film-coated tablet.

Beige, square-shaped tablet with rounded edges (7.9 x 7.9 mm), film-coated tablets, marked 'I' on one face and '114' on the other.

Blister packs: 28, 30, 90, 98, and 100 tablets.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing authorization holder

Tarbis Farma S.L.

Gran Vía Carlos III, 94

08028 Barcelona

Spain

Manufacturer

Pharmadox Healthcare Ltd.

KW20A Kordin Industrial Park

Paola, PLA 3000

Malta

Amarox Pharma B.V.

Rouboslaan 32

Voorschooten, 2252TR

Netherlands

This medicine is authorized in the Member States of the European Economic Area under the following names:

Netherlands: Montelukast Amarox 10 mg, filmomhulde tabletten

Spain: Montelukast Tarbis Farma 10 mg comprimidos recubiertos con película EFG

Sweden: Montelukast Amarox 10 mg filmdragerade tabletter

Date of last revision of this leaflet: December 2023

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