Due to regulatory changes, the content of the following Patient Information Leaflet may vary from the one found in your medicine pack. Please compare the 'Leaflet prepared/revised date' towards the end of the leaflet to establish if there have been any changes.
If you have any doubts or queries about your medication, please contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Bonefos Tablets
sodium clodronate
Please read this leaflet carefully. It contains a summary of the information available on your medicine. The information in this leaflet applies to BONEFOS Tablets only. If after reading this you have any questions ask your doctor
What You Should Know About Bonefos Tablets
The name of your medicine is BONEFOS Tablets. Each 800 mg BONEFOS Tablet contains 1000 mg of sodium clodronate tetrahydrate equivalent to 800 mg of sodium clodronate as the active ingredient.
The tablets also contain the following inactive ingredients: magnesium stearate, croscarmellose sodium, silicified microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid and Opadry Y-1-7000 (coating substance contains: hypromellose 5 cP, titanium dioxide (E171) and polyethylene glycol 400).
BONEFOS Tablets are available in packs of 10 and 60.
BONEFOS Tablets belong to the group of medicines called bisphosphonates which help prevent the loss of calcium from bones.
The Product Licence for BONEFOS Tablets is held by:
and BONEFOS Tablets are manufactured by:
How BONEFOS Tablets Help You:
BONEFOS Tablets help manage bone diseases, particularly those associated with cancer. Bonefos also helps to maintain normal levels of calcium in your blood.
Before Taking Your Medicine
Tell your doctor if:
- You are pregnant, likely to become pregnant, or if you are breast feeding
- You have had an allergic reaction (causing rash, itching, or more rarely shortness of breath) to BONEFOS Tablets or any of its ingredients or to similar medicines
- You are already taking a similar kind of medicine
- You have any chronic kidney problems
- You are using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain e.g. ibuprofen or diclofenac, or if you are taking antibiotics
- You are taking antacids or mineral supplements
- You have or have had pain, swelling or numbness of the jaw or a "heavy jaw feeling" or loosening of a tooth.
If you are having dental treatment or will undergo dental surgery, tell your dentist that you are being treated with a bisphosphonate, such as BONEFOS. Certain types of dental treatment are not recommended while taking bisphosphonates.
If in doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Do not give BONEFOS Tablets to children
How to Take Your Medicine
Follow your doctor's instructions about when and how to take your medicine and always read the label.
The usual recommended dose is as follows:
- 2 x 800 mg tablets a day taken as a single dose or
- in two divided doses of 1 x 800 mg tablet per dose.
However, your doctor may prescribe up to 4 x 800 mg tablets a day. For patients with kidney disease, the doctor may reduce the dose by half depending on the severity of your disease.
Do not take more than the doctor has prescribed
If you take an overdose, tell your doctor immediately
Swallow the tablets whole with a little liquid, but NOT with milk. Take the tablets at least 1 hour before or 1 hour after food.
If BONEFOS Tablets are taken with milk or with food, it is more difficult for them to enter your blood stream and so you will not get the full benefit of your medicine.
For the same reasons, DO NOT take BONEFOS Tablets with mineral supplements as these may also reduce the effectiveness of your medicine.
Make sure that you drink a lot of fluid e.g. water or diluted squash throughout your treatment with BONEFOS Tablets.
DO NOT STOP TAKING THIS MEDICINE EXCEPT ON YOUR DOCTOR'S ADVICE
If you forget to take your medicine, do not worry - just take the next dose at the usual time.
After Taking Your Medicine
All medicines sometimes cause side effects.
A few people experience upset stomachs, for example sickness and diarrhoea after taking BONEFOS Tablets. If you do experience any such symptoms they may improve if you follow the divided dose recommendations (i.e. take half the number of tablets in the morning and the remaining half in the evening). Skin reactions, such as rash, redness or itching have also been reported. These effects are usually mild.
Unwanted effects on the kidneys have been reported. This appears to be more common in patients receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as diclofenac, although no definite association has been established.
Your doctor will periodically carry out tests during treatment to ensure your kidneys are working properly, and to monitor the level of calcium in your blood.
Rarely, this type of drug has caused difficulty in breathing.
Occasionally, increased levels of serum parathyroid hormone, certain enzymes and creatinine (a component of urine) have been reported.
Isolated cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw (dead tissue in the jaw bone) have been reported, mainly in patients who have been treated in the past with bisphosphonates such as zoledronate and pamidronate. Symptoms include pain, swelling or numbness of the jaw, a "heavy jaw feeling" or loosening of a tooth.
If you experience any of these effects and if they persist or become troublesome consult your doctor. You should also consult your doctor if you experience any other effects not mentioned above.
How to Store Your Medicine
Store BONEFOS Tablets at room temperature, below 25 °C.
Do not take this medicine after the expiry date which you will find printed on the packaging.
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
REMEMBER THIS MEDICINE IS FOR YOU (only a doctor can prescribe it for you). NEVER give it to others as it may harm them even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
This leaflet was written in May 2008.
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