Leaflet: information for the user

Almax Forte 750 mg chewable tablets, cola flavor

Almagato

Read this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine, as it contains important information for you.

Follow exactly the administration instructions contained in this leaflet or those given by your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.

• Keep this leaflet, as you may need to read it again.
• If you need advice or more information, consult your pharmacist.
• If you experience any side effects, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if they are not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
• You should consult a doctor if your symptoms worsen or do not improve after 14 days.

1. What Almax is and what it is used for

2. What you need to know before taking Almax

3. How to take Almax

4. Possible side effects

5. Storage of Almax

6. Contents of the pack and additional information

Almax belongs to a group of medications called antacids, which are compounds that act by neutralizing excess stomach acid.

It is indicated for the relief and symptomatic treatment of stomach acid and heartburn in adults and individuals 12 years of age and older.

Consult a doctor if symptoms worsen or do not improve after 14 days.

Do not take Almax

• If you are allergic to aluminium or any of the other components of this medication (listed in section 6).
• If you have Alzheimer's disease.
• If you have undiagnosed gastrointestinal bleeding, haemorrhoids, fluid retention (oedema), liver complications during pregnancy (toxaemia), or diarrhoea.

Warnings and precautions

Consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse before starting to take Almax:

• If you have mild or moderate kidney disease, as aluminium and magnesium ions may accumulate in the body over time. In this case, you may be recommended a lower dose. Almax is not recommended for severe kidney failure.
• If you are on a low-phosphorus diet, have diarrhoea, malabsorption, or are severely weakened, as aluminium salts can decrease phosphorus absorption, which may lead to a decrease in blood phosphate levels (loss of appetite, muscle weakness, general discomfort, etc.) and insufficient mineralization of bones (osteomalacia) with prolonged treatment.

• If you are an elderly patient, as long-term use of aluminium-containing antacids may exacerbate existing bone diseases (osteoporosis and osteomalacia) due to reduced phosphorus and calcium levels.

Inform your doctor if you experience any symptoms indicating gastrointestinal bleeding, such as vomiting blood or black stools.

Children and adolescents

Anti-acids should not be administered to children under 12 years old, as they may mask existing diseases (e.g. appendicitis). In younger children, there is a risk of increased magnesium levels in the blood or aluminium toxicity, especially if they are dehydrated or have kidney disease.

Other medications and Almax

Inform your doctor or pharmacist that you are using, have used recently, or may need to use any other medication.

Antacids modify the absorption of numerous medications, so, in general, Almax intake should be spaced at least 3 hours apart from the administration of any other medication.

It is especially important to inform your doctor if you are taking any of the following medications:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (medications used to treat pain and inflammation, e.g. flufenamic acid or mefenamic acid, indomethacin)
• Anti-ulcer medications (medications used to treat stomach ulcers or duodenal ulcers and stomach acid, e.g. cimetidine, famotidine, ranitidine)
• Digitals (medications used to treat heart rhythm disorders, e.g. digoxin, digitoxin)
• Antipsychotics (medications used to treat behaviour disorders and psychiatric symptoms, e.g. chlorpromazine)
• Lansoprazole (medication used to treat stomach ulcers)
• Corticosteroids (prednisone)
• Gabapentin (medication used to treat epilepsy)
• Ketoconazole (medication used to treat fungal infections)
• Antibiotics, such as penicillamine, quinolones (ciprofloxacin), tetracyclines (chlortetracycline, demeclocycline, doxycycline)
• Iron salts (sulfate of iron)

as Almax may decrease the absorption of the listed medications by altering stomach conditions or forming poorly soluble complexes.

• Quinidine (medication used to treat heart rhythm disorders), as Almax may increase its toxicity by decreasing its elimination due to increased urine pH.
• Salicylates (medications used to relieve pain and reduce fever and inflammation, e.g. acetylsalicylic acid), as Almax may decrease their concentrations by increasing their elimination due to increased urine pH, especially with high doses of salicylate.

Consult your doctor if you are to undergo a stomach composition analysis, as Almax may alter the test results.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or think you may be pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medication.

Pregnancy

Prolonged or excessive use of Almax during pregnancy should be avoided due to the risk of fetal or newborn abnormalities.

Consult your doctor if you need prolonged treatment, and they will indicate the appropriate dosage.

Breastfeeding

Prolonged or excessive use of Almax should be avoided.

Although small amounts of aluminium and magnesium may be eliminated through breast milk in mothers treated with Almax, their concentration is not high enough to cause adverse effects in the infant.

Driving and operating machinery

Almax does not affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.

Follow exactly the medication administration instructions contained in this leaflet or those indicated by your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. In case of doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist or nurse.

Use in adults and those over 12 years old: The recommended dose is 2 tablets (1.5 grams of almagate) three times a day, preferably half to one hour after meals. If symptoms recur, another dose may be taken before bedtime.

Do not exceed 8 grams per day (10 tablets).

Use in elderly patients: No dose adjustment is necessary (See "Warnings and precautions").

Use in patients with kidney disease: If you have severe kidney failure, Almax is not recommended (See "Warnings and precautions").

If you have mild or moderate kidney disease, your doctor may recommend lower doses (See "Warnings and precautions").

Almax should be taken orally.

The tablets can be chewed or dissolved in the mouth.

If you take more Almax than you should

Overdose is not expected at the recommended doses. In patients with a low-phosphorus diet and/or prolonged treatment with high doses, a decrease in blood phosphate levels and insufficient bone mineralization may occur.

If you have taken more Almax than you should, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately, or call the Toxicology Information Service, phone 915 620 420, indicating the medication and the amount taken.

If you forget to take Almax

Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose. Take the missed dose as soon as possible if the time interval is small, or wait to take the next dose as long as there are no symptoms, in which case it may be taken before. Take the next doses with the indicated interval between doses.

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

Like all medications, Almax may produce adverse effects, although not all people will experience them.

Due to the low intestinal absorption, the adverse effects of almagate are infrequent. Occasionally (no data is available to estimate the frequency), diarrhea has been described, which generally disappears after treatment is discontinued.

Reporting Adverse Effects

If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if it is an adverse effect not listed in this prospectus. You can also report them directly through the Spanish System for Pharmacovigilance of Medicinal Products for Human Use, Website:www.notificaram.es. By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information about the safety of this medication.

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

No special storage conditions are required.

Do not use this medication after the expiration date that appears on the packaging after CAD. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.

Medications should not be disposed of through drains or in the trash. Dispose of packaging and unused medications at the SIGRE drop-off point at the pharmacy. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of unused packaging and medications. By doing so, you will help protect the environment.

Composition of Almax Forte 750 mg chewable tablets, cola flavor

• The active ingredient is almagate. Each tablet contains 750 mg of almagate.
• The other components are: mannitol, povidone, potato starch, calcium saccharin, ammonium glycyrrhizate, magnesium stearate, and cola flavor.

Appearance of the product and contents of the packaging

Almax is presented in the form of round, flat tablets identified on one of its faces with “Almax”, white in color, with a cola odor and flavor. Each box contains 24 or 48 tablets, arranged in blisters of 8.

Holder of the marketing authorization and responsible for manufacturing

Holder of the marketing authorization

Almirall, S.A.

General Mitre, nº 151

08022 – Barcelona (Spain).

Responsible for manufacturing

Industrias Farmacéuticas Almirall, S.A.

Ctra. de Martorell, 41-61

08740 Sant Andreu de la Barca‑Barcelona (Spain).

Last review date of this leaflet: September 2023

The detailed and updated information of this medicine is available on the website of the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS)http://www.aemps.gob.es/