Label: Information for the User
THERACAP 37 - 5550 MBq capsules
Sodium Iodide (131I)
Read this label carefully before starting to use the medication.
Information in this label:
THERACAP is a medication from the group of radioisotopes used in adults, children, and adolescents to treat:
- thyroid cancer
- hyperthyroidism.
This medication contains sodium iodide (131I), a radioactive element that accumulates in certain organs such as the thyroid gland.
This medication is radioactive, but your doctor and nuclear medicine specialist have considered that the beneficial effect of this medication on your health status outweighs the risk due to radiation.
Theracap should not be used
If any of the above applies to you, inform your nuclear medicine doctor.
Warnings and precautions
Inform your nuclear medicine doctor.
Inform your nuclear medicine doctor if you are in any of these situations.Theracap may not be suitable for you. Your doctor will inform you if you need to take any special precautions after receiving this medication. Talk to your nuclear medicine doctor if you have any questions.
Before Theracap is administered to you, you must
Children and adolescents
Consult your nuclear medicine doctor if you are under 18 years old or if you are unable to swallow a capsule.
Use of THERACAP with other medications
Inform your nuclear medicine doctor if you are taking, have taken recently, or may need to take any other medication, as some medications may interfere with the treatment's functioning.
It is possible that your doctor will recommend stopping the following medications before treatment with Theracap:
Use of Theracap with food
Your doctor may recommend that you follow a low-iodine diet before treatment and may ask you to avoid eating foods such as seafood and crustaceans.
Pregnancy, lactation, and fertility
This medication should not be administered during pregnancy. Therefore, you must inform your nuclear medicine doctor before administering Theracap if there is any possibility of pregnancy, if you have a delayed period, or if you think you may be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant.
If you are pregnant
Theracap should not be administered to you if you are pregnant. Any possibility of pregnancy should be ruled out before administering this medication.
Contraception in men and women
Women should not become pregnant for at least 6 months after treatment with Theracap. As a precaution, men should not father children for 6 months after treatment with Theracap to allow radiated sperm to be replaced by non-radiated sperm. It is recommended to use contraceptive methods for a period of 6 months.
Fertility
Treatment with Theracap may temporarily reduce fertility in men and women. In men, high doses of sodium iodide (131I) may temporarily affect sperm production. If you wish to have children in the future, you should talk to your doctor about the possibility of using a sperm bank.
If you are breastfeeding
Inform your doctor if you are breastfeeding because you should stop it before starting treatment. After treatment with Theracap, breastfeeding should not be resumed.
Driving and operating machinery
It is unlikely that Theracap will affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.
Theracap contains sodium
This medication contains 50 mg of sodium (main component of table salt/for cooking) in each capsule. This is equivalent to 2.5% of the maximum daily sodium intake recommended for an adult.
There are strict rules for the use, handling, and disposal of radioactive medications. Theracap will only be used in specialized and controlled healthcare centers. This product must be handled and administered by trained and qualified personnel to use it safely. Those people will take special care in the safe use of this product and will inform you of the procedure.
The nuclear physician who supervises the procedure will decide on the amount of Theracap to be used in your case. This will be the minimum amount necessary to achieve the desired effect.
Theracap is administered in an individual capsule by specialists who will take all necessary precautions.
The usual recommended doses for an adult are:
MBq (megabecquerel) is the unit of measurement for the amount of radioactivity of the medication.
Use in children and adolescents under 18 years old
In children and adolescents, lower doses are administered.
Administration of Theracap and procedure
Theracap is administered orally in an individual capsule.
Your stomach must be empty when the capsule is administered.
Take the capsule with plenty of water so that it enters your stomach as quickly as possible.
Smaller children should take the capsule mixed with puree.
Drink as much water as possible the day after treatment. This will help eliminate the active substance from your bladder.
Duration of the procedure
Your nuclear physician will inform you about the usual duration of the procedure.
After administration of Theracap:
The nuclear physician will tell you if you need to take any special precautions after receiving this medication. In particular, you must:
Your blood, stool, urine, or possible vomit may be radioactive for a few days and should not come into contact with other people.
Consult your nuclear physician if you have any doubts.
If you have been administered more THERACAP than you should
A overdose is unlikely because you will receive a single, controlled dose of Theracap under the supervision of the nuclear physician who oversees the procedure. However, in the event of an overdose, you will receive the appropriate treatment.
If you have any other doubts about the use of Theracap, ask the nuclear physician who oversees the procedure.
Like all medicines, THERACAP can cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them.
Some common side effects are: hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland), temporary hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), salivary and lacrimal gland disorders, and local radiation effects. In cancer treatment, frequent side effects of the stomach and intestines and reduced production of blood cells in the bone marrow may appear.
If you have severe allergic reactions that cause difficulty breathing or dizziness, or if you have a severe thyroid hyperactivity crisis, contact your doctor immediately.
All possible side effects that may occur with Theracap are listed below, grouped according to the disease for which Theracap is being administered, as they depend on the doses used for each treatment.
Treatment of an overactive thyroid gland
Very common(may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
Common(may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
Very rare(may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):
Frequency unknown(cannot be estimated from available data):
* not reported with Theracap but with other medications containing131I
Cancer treatment
Very common(may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
Common(may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
Rare(may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
Frequency unknown(cannot be estimated from available data)
* not reported with Theracap but with other medications containing131I
If you experience side effects, consult your nuclear doctor even if it's side effects that don't appear in this prospectus.
Reporting side effects
If you experience any type of side effect, consult your doctor, even if it's possible side effects that don't appear in this prospectus. You can also report them directly through the Spanish System for the Pharmacovigilance of Medicines for Human Use atwww.notificaram.es. By reporting side effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medication.
This medication does not need to be stored by you. This medication is stored under the responsibility of the specialist in appropriate facilities. Radioactive material storage will be performed in accordance with national regulations on radioactive materials.
The following information is intended solely for the specialist.
Do not use Theracap after the expiration date that appears on the label after CAD.
Store below 25°C. Do not freeze.
Composition of THERACAP
The capsule is a hard gelatin shell and is yellow in color and contains yellow iron oxide, titanium dioxide, sodium lauryl sulfate, acetic acid, printing ink, and gelatin.
Appearance of the product and contents of the packaging
THERACAP is a capsule presented inside a polycarbonate vial with a carbon disc to absorb the 131 I. This vial is placed inside a lead container.
Holder of the marketing authorization and responsible for manufacturing
Holder of the marketing authorization:
GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences, S.A.U
C/ Gobelas, 35-37
28023 Madrid
Spain
Responsible for manufacturing:
GE Healthcare Buchler GmbH & Co. KG
Gieselweg, 1
D-38110 Braunschweig
Germany
This prospectus was approved in March 2022
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This information is intended solely for medical professionals or healthcare professionals:
The complete technical data sheet for THERACAP is included at the end of this prospectus, in order to facilitate medical professionals or healthcare professionals with scientific and practical information on the administration and use of this radiopharmaceutical.
Have questions about this medication or your symptoms? Connect with a licensed doctor for guidance and personalized care.