Anastrozole 1mg film coated tablets
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some of the common questions about ANASTROZOLE-GA.
It does not contain all the information that is known about ANASTROZOLE-GA.
It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of taking ANASTROZOLE-GA against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine. You may need to read it again.
What ANASTROZOLE-GA is used for
ANASTROZOLE-GA is used to treat breast cancer in women after they have undergone menopause.
ANASTROZOLE-GA slows or stops the growth of cancer cells, but it does not kill these cells.
Your doctor can answer any questions that you have about your condition or this medicine.
How ANASTROZOLE-GA works
ANASTROZOLE-GA is an aromatase inhibitor that acts on the body to stop the body producing oestrogen (female sex hormone). Only small quantities of oestrogens are produced in post-menopausal women, which may encourage cancer cells to grow in women with breast cancer.
In pre-menopausal women, the ovaries produce high concentrations of oestrogen. Oestrogen acts to prepare the womb for pregnancy, allow sex drive to develop and make breasts grow.
Before you use ANASTROZOLE-GA
Before you start to use it:
You must tell your doctor if:
- You have allergies to ANASTROZOLE-GA or any of the other ingredients in this product.
- You are on any other medicine, including medicine from a chemist, supermarket or health shop that you brought without a prescription.
- You are taking a medicine containing oestrogen.
- You have any disease or disorder that involves your kidney or liver.
- You have osteoporosis, a family history of osteoporosis or risk factors for developing osteoporosis. Examples of risk factors are smoking, low calcium diet, poor mobility, slight build or you are being treated with steroids.
Anastrozole may decrease bone mineral density (BMD) in women who have been through menopause increasing the risk of fractures. Talk to you doctor about management of this possible increased risk.
If you have not told your doctor any of the above things, please tell them before you begin taking ANASTROZOLE-GA.
When you must not take it:
Do not use ANASTROZOLE-GA if you have not yet experienced menopause.
Do not use ANASTROZOLE-GA if you are pregnant or breastfeeding unless your doctor says that it is safe. It is not known if it is safe for you to take ANASTROZOLE-GA while you are pregnant. It may affect your baby if you take it early in pregnancy or in the last weeks before your baby is due.
Do not give ANASTROZOLE-GA to children. There is no data to support the safety of ANASTROZOLE-GA in children.
Do not take ANASTROZOLE-GA if you have an allergy to:
- Anastrozole, the active ingredient in ANASTROZOLE-GA tablets.
- Any of the ingredients in ANASTROZOLE-GA listed in this leaflet.
- Other anti-oestrogen medicines
Symptoms of an allergic reaction can be shortness of breath, wheezing, difficulty in breathing, swelling of the lips, face, tongue or other parts of the body, rash, itchy skin or hives.
Do not use ANASTROZOLE-GA after the expiry date printed on the pack, or if the packaging is damaged or torn. It may have no effect, or worse, an entirely unexpected effect if you take it after the expiry date.
Do not use this medicine to treat any other complaints unless your doctor says it is safe.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you.
Using ANASTROZOLE-GA
How to take it:
Your doctor will have told you how much ANASTROZOLE-GA to take. The normal adult dose is one tablet per day.
ANASTROZOLE-GA tablets should be swallowed whole with a full glass of water. Do not chew the tablets.
You may take ANASTROZOLE-GA before or after food.
Do not stop taking ANASTROZOLE-GA unless your doctor tells you to, even if you feel better.
If you forget to take it:
You should take ANASTROZOLE-GA as prescribed by your doctor. If you miss a dose, do not take an extra dose. Just resume your normal schedule. For example, if you forget to take Monday’s tablet leave the tablet allocated to Monday. Then on Tuesday resume as normal by taking the tablet allocated to Tuesday. Do not take extra tablets to make up for a missed dose.
Try to take your tablet at the same time everyday. This will help you remember.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more hints if you have trouble remembering to take ANASTROZOLE-GA.
Overdose
Immediately telephone your doctor, or National Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, or go to your nearest Casualty Department (Accident and Emergency Centre) immediately if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much ANASTROZOLE-GA.
Do this even if there are no signs of discomfit or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
While you are using ANASTROZOLE-GA
Things you must do:
- Only stop taking ANASTROZOLE-GA if your doctor tells you to.
- If you go into hospital, or need treatment from another doctor or dentist, please let them know that you are taking ANASTROZOLE-GA.
Things to be careful of:
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how ANASTROZOLE-GA affects you. ANASTROZOLE-GA may cause drowsiness in some people, especially after the first dose. Make sure that you know how you react to ANASTROZOLE-GA before you drive a car, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are sleepy.
Side effects
Tell your doctor of pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking ANASTROZOLE-GA. ANASTROZOLE-GA helps most people, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few patients. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, but most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions that you may have.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- hot flushes
- anorexia (loss of appetite)
- weakness
- headache
- joint pain or stiffness
- muscle pain
- drowsiness
- slight increases in cholesterol (this is rare)
- liver changes
- skin rash
- vaginal dryness
- vaginal bleeding (usually in the first few weeks of treatment)
- hair loss
- tingling, coldness, pain and/or weakness in the hands (carpal tunnel syndrome)
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell. Some people may get other side effects from taking ANASTROZOLE-GA.
Your doctor may want to perform blood and/or urine tests from time to time to see if there have been any changes related to your kidneys or liver.
An uncommon side effect is trigger finger, a condition in which a finger or your thumb catches in a bent position.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
After using ANASTROZOLE-GA
Storage
Keep your tablets in the blister pack or bottle until it is time to take them. If you take the tablets out of the blister pack or bottle they may not keep well.
Keep the tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30 degrees C.
Do not store any medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Do not leave it in the car on hot days.
Keep ANASTROZOLE-GA tablets where young children cannot reach them. A locked cupboard at least one and a half meters above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Return any unused or expired ANASTROZOLE-GA tablets to your pharmacist for safe disposal.
Product description
What it looks like:
ANASTROZOLE-GA 1 mg film-coated tablets are white to off-white, round, film-coated, biconvex tablets engraved with “A 1” on one side and plain on the other side.
ANASTROZOLE-GA tablets come in blister packs of 30 tablets.
Ingredients:
Each tablet contains 1 mg of the active ingredient, ANASTROZOLE-GA.
Each tablet also contains the following ingredients:
- hypromellose
- lactose
- macrogol
- magnesium stearate
- povidone
- sodium starch glycollate
- titanium dioxide
Supplier
Actavis Pty Ltd
Level 5, 117 Harrington Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
Medical infromation: Telephone 1800 554 414.
Australian Registration Numbers:
AUST R 155680
This leaflet was prepared in April 2015.
Published by MIMS September 2015