Package Insert: Information for the User
Prograf 0.5 mg Hard Capsules
Prograf 1 mg Hard Capsules
Prograf 5 mg Hard Capsules
Tacrolimus
Read this package insert carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Prografbelongs to a group of medications known as immunosuppressants. After an organ transplant (for example, liver, kidney, heart), your body's immune system will attempt to reject the new organ.Prograf is used to control your body's immune response, allowing you to accept the transplanted organ.
Prograf is often used in combination with other medications that also suppress the immune system.
You may also receivePrograf to treat a rejection that is occurring in your liver, kidney, heart, or other transplanted organ, or if anyprevious treatment you were following, fails to control this immune response after your transplant.
No take Prograf
Precautions for handling:
During preparation, avoid contact with any part of the body such as the skin or eyes, as well as breathing near the injection solutions, powder, or granules contained in the tacrolimus products. If such contact occurs, wash the skin and eyes.
Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have used recently, or may need to use any other medicine, including those purchased without a prescription and herbal preparations.
Prograf should not be taken with cyclosporin.
If you need to visit a doctor other than your transplant specialist, tell the doctor that you are taking tacrolimus.Your doctor may need to consult with your transplant specialist if you need to use another medicine that may increase or decrease your tacrolimus blood levels.
The blood levels of Prograf may be affected by other medicines you are taking, and the blood levels of other medicines may be affected by the administration of Prograf, which may require the interruption, increase, or decrease of the Prograf dose.
Some patients have experienced increased tacrolimus blood levels while taking other medicines. This could cause severe adverse effects, such as kidney problems, nervous system problems, and heart rhythm disorders (see section 4).
The effect on Prograf blood levels can occur very soon after starting another medicine, so it may be necessary to monitor Prograf blood levels frequently and continuously during the first days of use of another medicine and frequently while continuing its use.Some other medicines may cause tacrolimus blood levels to decrease, which may increase the risk of organ transplant rejection.In particular, you should inform your doctor if you are taking or have taken recently medicines with active principles such as:
Inform your doctor if you are receiving treatment for hepatitis C. The pharmacological treatment for hepatitis C may change your liver function and may affect tacrolimus blood levels. Tacrolimus blood levels may decrease or increase depending on the medicines prescribed for hepatitis C. Your doctor may need to closely monitor tacrolimus blood levels and make the necessary adjustments to the Prograf dose after starting hepatitis C treatment.
Inform your doctor if you are taking or need to take ibuprofen, amphotericin B, antibiotics (cotrimoxazole, vancomycin, or aminoglycoside antibiotics such as gentamicin), or antivirals (e.g. aciclovir, ganciclovir, cidofovir, foscarnet). These medicines may worsen kidney or nervous system problems when taken together with Prograf.
Inform your doctor if you are taking sirolimus or everolimus. When tacrolimus is taken with sirolimus or everolimus, the risk of microangiopathy, thrombotic purpura, and hemolytic uremic syndrome may increase (see section 4).
Your doctor also needs to know if you are taking potassium supplements or diuretics that save potassium (e.g. amiloride, triamterene, or spironolactone), or the antibiotics trimethoprim and cotrimoxazole that may increase potassium levels in your blood, some analgesics (the so-called NSAIDs, e.g. ibuprofen), anticoagulants, or oral diabetes medication, while taking Prograf.
If you need to be vaccinated, please inform your doctor beforehand.
Generally, you should take Prograf on an empty stomach or at least 1 hour before meals or 2-3 hours after them. You should avoid grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking Prograf.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you think you may be pregnant, or if you intend to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine. A study evaluated the outcomes of pregnancy in women treated with tacrolimus and other immunosuppressants. Although there was not enough evidence to draw conclusions in this study, there were reported higher rates of spontaneous abortion among liver and kidney transplant patients treated with tacrolimus, as well as higher rates of persistent hypertension associated with protein loss in the urine among kidney transplant patients that develops during pregnancy or the postpartum period (a condition called preeclampsia). There was no increased risk of severe congenital malformations associated with Prograf use.
Prograf passes into breast milk. Therefore, do not breastfeed while receiving Prograf.
Do not drive and do not operate tools or machines if you feel dizzy or drowsy, or if you have problems seeing clearly after taking Prograf. These effects are more common if Prograf is taken with alcohol.
This medicine contains lactose. If your doctor has told you that you have a certain sugar intolerance, consult with him before taking this medicine.
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol of sodium (23 mg) per capsule; it is essentially "sodium-free."
The printing ink used in Prograf 0.5 mg and 1 mg capsules contains soya lecithin. If you are allergic to peanuts or soya, consult your doctor to determine if you should use this medicine.
Follow exactly the administration instructions for Prograf indicated by your doctor. In case of doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.
Make sure you receive the same tacrolimus-containing medication every time you pick up your prescription, unless your transplant specialist has agreed to switch to a different tacrolimus-containing medication. This medication should be taken twice a day. If the appearance of this medication is not the same as always, or if the dosing instructions have changed, consult your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible to ensure you have the correct medication.
The initial dose to prevent rejection of your transplanted organ will be set by your doctor, calculated based on your body weight. The initial doses shortly after the transplant will generally be within the range of
0.075-0.30 mg per kg of body weight and per day
depending on the transplanted organ.
Your dose will depend on your overall condition, and any other immunosuppressive medication you may be taking. Your doctor will need to perform regular blood tests to determine the correct dose, and to adjust the dose from time to time. Your doctor will usually reduce your Prograf dose once your condition has stabilized. Your doctor will tell you exactly how many capsules to take, and how often.
Prograf is taken orally twice a day, usually in the morning and at night. In general, you should take Prograf on an empty stomach or at least one hour before, or 2 to 3 hours after eating. The capsules should be swallowed whole with a glass of water. Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice while taking Prograf. Do not ingest the desiccant included in the aluminum bag.
If you take more Prograf than you should
If you accidentally take morePrografthan you should, consult your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency department or call the Toxicology Information Service, phone: 91 562 04 20, indicating the medication and the amount ingested.
If you forget to take Prograf
Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed doses.
If you forget to takePrograf capsules, wait until the next scheduled dose and then continue as usual.
If you interrupt treatment with Prograf
Stopping your treatment withPrograf may increase the risk of rejection of your transplanted organ. Do not stop treatment unless your doctor tells you to.
If you have any other questions about the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them.
Prograf reduces your body's own defense mechanism that allows you to reject your transplanted organ. Consequently, your body will not function as well as usual in fighting off infections.Therefore, if you are taking Prograf, you will be more prone than usual to suffering from infections, for example, skin, mouth, stomach and intestinal, lung, and urinary tract infections.
Some infections can be severe or fatal and may include infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, or other infections.
Inform your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of an infection, including:
Severe side effects may occur, including those listed below.
Inform your doctor immediately if you suspect you are experiencing any of the following severe side effects:
Frequent severe side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
Rare severe side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
Very rare severe side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
Very rare severe side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):
Severe side effects of unknown frequency (frequency cannot be estimated from available data):
The following side effects may also occur after receiving Prograf and may be severe:
Frequent side effects (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
-Increased blood sugar, diabetes mellitus, increased potassium in the blood
-Difficulty sleeping
-Tremor, headache
-Increased blood pressure
-Abnormal liver function tests
-Diarrhea, nausea
-Renal problems
Frequent side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
-Reduction in the number of blood cells (platelets, red blood cells, or white blood cells), increase in white blood cell count, changes in red blood cell count (see blood test results)
-Decrease in magnesium, phosphate, potassium, calcium, or sodium in the blood, fluid overload, increase in uric acid or lipids in the blood, decrease in appetite, increase in blood acidity, other changes in blood electrolytes
-Anxiety symptoms, confusion, and disorientation, depression, mood changes, nightmares, hallucinations, mental disorders
-Seizures, altered consciousness, tingling and numbness (sometimes painful) of hands and feet, dizziness, difficulty writing, nervous system disorders
-Increased sensitivity to light, eye disorders
-Heard sounds in your ears
-Decreased blood flow in cardiac vessels, faster heart rate
-Bleeding, partial or complete blockage of blood vessels, decreased blood pressure
-Difficulty breathing, changes in lung tissue, fluid accumulation around the lung, pharyngitis, cold, flu-like symptoms
-Inflammations or ulcers that cause abdominal pain or diarrhea, stomach hemorrhages, mouth or esophageal ulcers, fluid accumulation in the abdomen, vomiting, abdominal pain, indigestion, constipation, flatulence, swelling, loose stools, gastrointestinal problems
-Liver function and enzyme changes, yellowing of the skin due to liver problems, liver tissue damage, and inflammation
-Itching, rash, hair loss, acne, increased sweating
-Pain in joints, extremities, back, and feet, muscle spasms
-Renal insufficiency, decreased urine production, difficulty or pain while urinating
-General weakness, fever, fluid retention, pain, and discomfort, increased alkaline phosphatase enzyme in the blood, weight gain, altered temperature sensation
Possible side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
-Changes in blood clotting, decrease in the number of all blood cells
-Dehydration
-Decrease in blood proteins or sugar, increase in phosphate in the blood
-Coma, cerebral hemorrhage, stroke, paralysis, cerebral disorder, speech and language disorders, memory problems
-Cloudy cornea
-Difficulty hearing
-Irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest, decreased heart function, altered heart muscle, increased heart muscle, stronger heartbeat, abnormal electrocardiogram, abnormal heart rate and pulse
-Clots in a vein of an extremity, shock
-Difficulty breathing, respiratory tract disorders, asthma
-Intestinal obstruction, increased blood levels of amylase enzyme, gastroesophageal reflux, delayed gastric emptying
-Dermatitis, sunburn sensation
-Joint disorders
-Difficulty urinating, painful menstruation, and abnormal menstrual bleeding
-Failure of some organs, flu-like symptoms, increased sensitivity to heat and cold, chest pressure sensation, nervousness or strange sensation, increased lactate dehydrogenase enzyme in the blood, weight loss
Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
-Small hemorrhages in your skin due to blood clots
-Increased muscle stiffness
-Deafness
-Fluid accumulation around the heart
-Acute respiratory difficulty
-Pancreatic cysts
-Problems with blood flow in the liver
-Increased hair growth
-Thirst, dizziness, chest pressure sensation, decreased mobility, ulcer
Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):
-Muscle weakness
-Abnormal echocardiogram
-Liver insufficiency, bile duct narrowing
-Painful urination with blood in the urine
-Increased body fat
Reporting side effects
If you experience any type of side effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible side effect that does not appear in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through theSpanish System for Pharmacovigilance of Medicines for Human Use:www.notificaRAM.es. By reporting side effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine.
Keep Prografout of the sight and reach of children.
Take the hard capsules immediately after removing them from the blister pack.
Do not usethis medicationafter the expiration date that appears on the packaging and on the blister pack after CAD. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
Use all the capsules within the 1-year period after opening the aluminum pouch.
This medication does not require special storage conditions.
Store in the original packaging to protect it from moisture.
Medicines should not be disposed of through drains or inthe trash. Disposeof the containers and medicines that you do not need at the SIGREcollection pointat the pharmacy. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the containers and medicines that you do not need. By doing so, you will help protect the environment.
Composition of Prograf
Prograf 0.5 mg hard capsules
Capule content: hypromellose,croscarmellose sodium, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate.
Capule coating: titanium dioxide (E 171), iron oxide yellow (E 172), gelatin.
Capule printing ink: shellac, lecithin (from soy), hydroxypropyl cellulose, simethicone, iron oxide red (E172).
Prograf 1 mg hard capsules
Capule content: hypromellose,croscarmellose sodium, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate.
Capule coating: titanium dioxide (E 171), gelatin.
Capule printing ink: shellac, lecithin (from soy), hydroxypropyl cellulose, simethicone, iron oxide red (E172).
Prograf 5 mg hard capsules
Capule content: hypromellose,croscarmellose sodium, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate.
Capule coating: titanium dioxide (E 171), iron oxide red (E 172), gelatin.
Capule printing ink: shellac, titanium dioxide (E 171) and propylene glycol.
Prograf 0.5 mg hard capsules
Yellowish white opaque capsules printed in red with “0.5 mg” and “[f] 607” containing white powder.
Prograf 0.5 mg hard capsules are presented in blisters or in pre-cut single-dose blisters with 10 capsules inside a protective aluminum bag, which includes a desiccant that protects the capsules from humidity. Do not swallow the desiccant.
Available packaging sizes are 20, 30, 50, 60 and 100 hard capsules in blisters, and 20, 30, 50, 60 and 100 hard capsules in single-dose blisters.
Prograf 1 mg hard capsules
White opaque capsules printed in red with “1 mg” and “[f] 617” containing white powder.
Prograf 1 mg hard capsules are presented in blisters or in pre-cut single-dose blisters with 10 capsules inside a protective aluminum bag, which includes a desiccant that protects the capsules from humidity. Do not swallow the desiccant.
Available packaging sizes are 20, 30, 50, 60, 90 and 100 hard capsules in blisters, and 20, 30, 50, 60, 90 and 100 hard capsules in single-dose blisters.
Prograf 5 mg hard capsules
Greyish red opaque capsules printed in white with “5 mg” and “[f] 657” containing white powder.
Prograf 5 mg hard capsules are presented in blisters or in pre-cut single-dose blisters with 10 capsules inside a protective aluminum bag, which includes a desiccant that protects the capsules from humidity. Do not swallow the desiccant.
Available packaging sizes are 30, 50, 60 and 100 hard capsules in blisters, and 30, 50, 60 and 100 hard capsules in single-dose blisters.
Only some packaging sizes may be marketed.
Marketing authorization holder:
Astellas Pharma, S.A.
Paseo de la Castellana, 259 D - Floor 31
28046 Madrid (Spain)
Responsible manufacturer:
Astellas Ireland Co. Limited
Killorglin
County Kerry, V93FC86
Ireland
Prograf:
Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden.
Prograft:
Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands.
Detailed and updated information on this medicinal product is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS)http://www.aemps.gob.es/
Have questions about this medication or your symptoms? Connect with a licensed doctor for guidance and personalized care.