Package Leaflet: Information for the User
tacrolimus cinfa 1 mg hard capsules EFG
tacrolimus
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Contents of the pack
tacrolimus cinfa belongs to a group of medicines known as immunosuppressants. After your organ transplant (e.g. liver, kidney, heart), your body's immune system will try to reject the new organ.
tacrolimus cinfa is used to control your body's immune response, allowing it to accept the transplanted organ.
tacrolimus cinfa is often used in combination with other medicines that also suppress the immune system.
You may also receive tacrolimus cinfa to treat a rejection that is occurring in your liver, kidney, heart, or other transplanted organ, or if any previous treatment you were following did not control this immune response after your transplant.
Do not take tacrolimus cinfa
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take tacrolimus cinfa.
Handling precautions:
During preparation, avoid contact of any part of the body, such as 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
Other medicines and tacrolimus cinfa
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines, including those obtained without a prescription and plant-based preparations.
Tacrolimus should not be taken with cyclosporin.
If you need to visit a different doctor from your transplant specialist, tell the doctor that you are taking tacrolimus. Your doctor may need to consult your transplant specialist if you need to use another medicine that may increase or decrease your blood level of tacrolimus.
The blood levels of tacrolimus may be changed due to other medicines you are taking, and the blood levels of other medicines may be changed by the administration of tacrolimus, which may require interruption, increase, or decrease of the dose of tacrolimus.
Some patients have experienced increases in blood levels of tacrolimus while taking other medicines. This could cause serious side effects, such as kidney problems, nervous system problems, and heart rhythm disorders (see section 4).
The effect on blood levels of tacrolimus can occur very soon after starting to use another medicine, so it may be necessary to monitor the blood level of tacrolimus frequently and continuously during the first days of use of another medicine and frequently while continuing its use. Some other medicines may cause the blood levels of tacrolimus to decrease, which may increase the risk of rejection of the transplanted organ.
In particular, you should inform your doctor if you are using or have recently used medicines with active ingredients such as:
Tell your doctor if you are receiving treatment for hepatitis C. The pharmacological treatment for hepatitis C may change your liver function and may affect the blood levels of tacrolimus. The blood levels of tacrolimus may decrease or increase depending on the medicines prescribed for hepatitis C. Your doctor may need to closely monitor the blood levels of tacrolimus and make necessary dose adjustments after starting treatment for hepatitis C.
Tell 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 tacrolimus.
Your doctor also needs to know if you are taking potassium supplements or potassium-sparing diuretics (e.g. amiloride, triamterene, or spironolactone), or the antibiotics trimethoprim and cotrimoxazole, which can increase potassium levels in your blood, some painkillers (so-called NSAIDs, e.g. ibuprofen), anticoagulants, or oral medication for diabetic treatment, while taking tacrolimus.
If you need to be vaccinated, please inform your doctor beforehand.
tacrolimus cinfa with food, drinks, and alcohol
Generally, you should take tacrolimus on an empty stomach or at least 1 hour before a meal or 2-3 hours after it. You should avoid grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking tacrolimus.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
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.
Tacrolimus passes into breast milk. Therefore, you should not breastfeed while receiving tacrolimus.
Driving and using machines
Do not drive and do not use tools or machines if you feel dizzy or drowsy, or have problems seeing clearly after taking tacrolimus. These effects are more frequent when tacrolimus is taken with alcohol.
tacrolimus cinfa 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.
Follow exactly the instructions for taking tacrolimus as indicated by your doctor. If you are in doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Make sure you receive the same medicine with tacrolimus each time you collect your prescription, unless your transplant specialist has agreed to change to a different medicine with tacrolimus. This medicine should be taken twice a day. If the appearance of this medicine is not the same as usual, or if the dosage instructions have changed, consult your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible to ensure you have the correct medicine.
The initial dose to prevent rejection of your transplanted organ will be determined by your doctor based on your body weight. The initial doses immediately after transplantation will generally be within the range of 0.075-0.30 mg per kg body weight per day, depending on your transplanted organ.
Your dose depends on your general 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 dose of tacrolimus once your condition has stabilized. Your doctor will tell you exactly how many capsules to take and how often.
Tacrolimus is taken orally, twice a day, usually in the morning and at night. In general, you should take tacrolimus on an empty stomach or at least 1 hour before, or 2-3 hours after a meal. The capsules should be swallowed whole with a glass of water. Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice while taking tacrolimus. Do not ingest the desiccant included in the aluminum blister.
If you take more tacrolimus cinfa than you should
In case of overdose or accidental ingestion, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or call the Toxicology Information Service, telephone 91 562 04 20, indicating the medicine and the amount ingested.
If you forget to take tacrolimus cinfa
Do not take a double dose to make up for forgotten doses.
If you forget to take this medicine, wait until the next dose and then continue as before.
If you stop taking tacrolimus cinfa
Stopping your treatment with tacrolimus may increase the risk of rejection of your transplanted organ. Do not stop treatment unless your doctor tells you to.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause adverse effects, although not all people suffer from them.
Tacrolimus reduces the body's defense mechanism that allows it to reject the transplanted organ. Consequently, the body will not function as well as usual in fighting infections. Therefore, if you are taking tacrolimus, you will be more prone than usual to suffer from infections, such as skin, mouth, stomach, and intestinal infections, 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 adverse effects have been reported, including those listed below. Inform your doctor immediately if you suspect you are suffering from any of the following severe adverse effects:
Frequent severe adverse effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
Less frequent severe adverse effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
Rare severe adverse effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
Very rare severe adverse effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):
Severe adverse effects of unknown frequency (frequency cannot be estimated from available data):
The following adverse effects may also appear after receiving tacrolimus and may be severe:
Very frequent adverse effects (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
-Increased blood sugar, diabetes mellitus, increased potassium in the blood
-Difficulty sleeping
-Tremors, headache
-Increased blood pressure
-Abnormalities in liver function tests
-Diarrhea, nausea
-Kidney problems
Frequent adverse effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
-Reduction in blood cell count (platelets, red blood cells, or white blood cells), increased white blood cell count, changes in red blood cell count (see blood test)
-Decreased magnesium, phosphate, potassium, calcium, or sodium in the blood, fluid overload, increased uric acid or lipids in the blood, decreased appetite, increased blood acidity, other changes in blood salts
-Anxiety symptoms, confusion, and disorientation, depression, mood changes, nightmares, hallucinations, mental disorders
-Seizures, alterations in consciousness, tingling, and numbness (sometimes painful) of hands and feet, dizziness, difficulty writing, nervous system disorders
-Increased sensitivity to light, eye disorders
-Hearing sounds in the ears
-Decreased blood flow in the cardiac vessels, faster heart rate
-Bleeding, partial or complete blockage of blood vessels, decreased blood pressure
-Difficulty breathing, changes in the respiratory tract, asthma
-Intestinal obstruction, increased blood level of the amylase enzyme, reflux of stomach contents into the throat, delayed emptying of the stomach
-Dermatitis, sensation of burning under sunlight
-Joint disorders
-Difficulty urinating, painful and abnormal menstrual bleeding
-Failure of some organs, flu-like illness, increased sensitivity to heat and cold, feeling of pressure in the chest, nervousness or strange sensation, increased lactate dehydrogenase enzyme in the blood, weight loss
Less frequent adverse effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
-Changes in blood coagulation, decrease in all blood cell counts
-Dehydration
-Decreased protein or sugar in the blood, increased phosphate in the blood
-Coma, cerebral hemorrhage, stroke, paralysis, brain disorder, speech and language disorders, memory problems
-Cataract
-Hearing difficulty
-Irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest, decreased cardiac function, alteration of the heart muscle, increased heart muscle, stronger heartbeat, abnormal electrocardiogram, abnormal heart rate and pulse
-Blood clots in a limb vein, shock
-Breathing difficulties, changes in the respiratory tract, asthma
-Intestinal obstruction, increased blood level of the amylase enzyme, reflux of stomach contents into the throat, delayed emptying of the stomach
-Dermatitis, sensation of burning under sunlight
-Joint disorders
-Difficulty urinating, painful and abnormal menstrual bleeding
-Failure of some organs, flu-like illness, increased sensitivity to heat and cold, feeling of pressure in the chest, nervousness or strange sensation, increased lactate dehydrogenase enzyme in the blood, weight loss
Rare adverse effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
-Small bleeding spots on the skin due to blood clots
-Increased muscle stiffness
-Deafness
-Fluid accumulation around the heart
-Acute difficulty breathing
-Cyst formation in the pancreas
-Problems with blood flow in the liver
-Increased hair growth
-Thirst, falls, feeling of pressure in the chest, decreased mobility, ulcers
Very rare adverse effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
-Muscle weakness
-Abnormal echocardiogram
-Liver failure, narrowing of the bile duct
-Painful urination with blood in the urine
-Increased fatty tissue
Reporting Adverse Effects
If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible adverse effect that is not listed in this prospectus. You can also report them directly through the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Human Use Medicines: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine.
Keep this medicine out of sight and reach of children.
Store below 30°C. Store in the original packaging to protect it from light and moisture.
Take the hard capsules immediately after removing them from the blister pack.
Do not use after the expiration date shown 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 1 year of opening the aluminum bag.
Medicines should not be disposed of through wastewater or household waste. Deposit the packaging and medicines you no longer need at the SIGRE Point in the pharmacy. In case of doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and medicines you no longer need. This will help protect the environment.
Composition of Tacrolimus Cinfa
The active ingredient is tacrolimus. Each hard capsule contains 1 mg of tacrolimus (as tacrolimus monohydrate).
The other ingredients are: povidone, sodium croscarmellose (E-468), anhydrous lactose, magnesium stearate.
Capsule shell: titanium dioxide (E-171) and gelatin.
Appearance of the Product and Package Size
White capsules containing white powder.
Tacrolimus Cinfa 1 mg hard capsules EFG are presented in PVC/PVDC/ALU precut unit dose blisters inside a protective aluminum bag, which includes a desiccant that protects the capsules from moisture. Do not swallow the desiccant.
They are available in packages of 20, 30, 50, 60, 90, or 100 (clinical package) hard capsules.
Only some package sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer
Laboratorios Cinfa, S.A.
Carretera Olaz-Chipi, 10. Polígono Industrial Areta.
31620 Huarte (Navarra) - Spain
Date of the Last Revision of this Prospectus: March 2025
Detailed and updated information on this medicine is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS)http://www.aemps.gob.es/.