contains the active ingredient irbesartan
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about IRPRESTAN.
It does not contain all of the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking IRPRESTAN against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine. You may need to read it again.
What IRPRESTAN is used for
IRPRESTAN lowers high blood pressure, also called hypertension.
Your doctor measured your blood pressure and found it to be too high. Everyone has blood pressure. This pressure helps get your blood all around your body. Your blood pressure may be different at different times of the day, depending on how busy or worried you are. You have hypertension (high blood pressure) which means your blood pressure stays high, even when you are calm and relaxed.
There are usually no symptoms of high blood pressure. The only way of knowing that you have hypertension is to have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. High blood pressure, if not treated, can damage blood vessels in several organs such as the heart, the kidneys, the brain and the eyes. This may lead to heart attacks, heart or kidney failure, strokes, or blindness. There are usually no symptoms of high blood pressure before damage occurs, so your doctor needs to measure your blood pressure to see if it is too high.
High blood pressure can be treated and controlled with medicines such as IRPRESTAN. Your doctor may also have recommended that you adjust your lifestyle to help to lower your high blood pressure (losing weight, avoiding smoking, reducing alcohol consumption and restricting the amount of salt in the diet). Your doctor may also have encouraged the practice of regular, mild (not strenuous) exercise such as walking, swimming, etc.
IRPRESTAN is also used in the treatment of kidney disease in patients with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
IRPRESTAN belongs to a group of medicines known as angiotensin-II receptor antagonists. Angiotensin II is a substance produced in the body which causes blood vessels to tighten. IRPRESTAN blocks angiotensin-II and therefore relaxes your blood vessels. This helps to lower your blood pressure.
IRPRESTAN slows the decrease of kidney function in patients with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Your doctor may have prescribed IRPRESTAN for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why IRPRESTAN has been prescribed for you.
IRPRESTAN is available only with a doctor’s prescription.
Before you take IRPRESTAN
Do not take IRPRESTAN if:
- you are pregnant (or think you may be pregnant) or are planning to become pregnant
Your baby may absorb this medicine in the womb and there is a possibility of harm to the baby. - you are breast-feeding
It is not known if IRPRESTAN passes into breast milk, therefore it is not recommended to be taken while you are breast-feeding. - you are allergic to irbesartan or to any of the ingredients listed under Product Description at the end of this leaflet.
- you are taking a medicine containing aliskiren and either have diabetes or moderate to severe kidney impairment
- the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering
- the expiry date on the pack has passed
If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work.
If you are not sure if you should start taking IRPRESTAN, talk to your doctor.
IRPRESTAN should not be given to children.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor if:
- you are or intend to become pregnant or plan to breast-feed IRPRESTAN should not be used during pregnancy or while breastfeeding
- you have recently had excessive vomiting or diarrhoea
- you suffer from any medical conditions especially:
– kidney problems, or you have had a kidney transplant or dialysis
– heart problems
– liver problems, or have had liver problems in the past
– diabetes
– high levels of potassium in your blood - you are strictly restricting your salt intake
- you are lactose intolerant or have had any allergies to any other medicine or any other substances, such as foods, preservatives or dyes.
Be sure you tell your doctor about any of these things before you take any IRPRESTAN.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
It is especially important that you tell your doctor if you are taking, or plan to take any of the following:
- other medicines for high blood pressure
- fluid tablets or diuretics
- lithium or lithium containing medicines (e.g. Lithicarb)
- potassium tablets (e.g. Span-K, Slow-K, Mag-K)
- potassium containing salt substitutes (e.g. Pressor-K)
- anti-inflammatory medicines (these are used to relieve pain, swelling and other symptoms of inflammation, including arthritis) and include nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents – NSAIDs (for example Voltaren, Indocid, ibuprofen) and COX-2 inhibitors (for example Celebrex).
Taking a combination of Irprestan and an anti-inflammatory medicine, alone or with a thiazide diuretic (fluid tablet) may damage your kidneys. It may also reduce the effect IRPRESTAN has on reducing blood pressure.
a medicine containing aliskiren.
Taking Irprestan with aliskiren may affect your blood pressure, electrolyte balance and your kidney function
Your doctor will decide whether your treatment needs to be altered or whether you should have check ups or blood tests more frequently.
How to take IRPRESTAN
The tablets should be taken regularly as directed by your doctor. The tablets should be swallowed with a glass of water.
How much to take
The dose varies from patient to patient.
Your doctor will tell you how many tablets to take each day. Usually patients start with one 150 mg tablet once a day, however some patients may need a lower starting dose. Your doctor will tell you if this is necessary. The full blood pressure lowering effect of IRPRESTAN should be reached about 4-6 weeks after starting treatment.
Depending on how your blood pressure responds, your daily dose of IRPRESTAN may need to be increased.
Most patients take either 150mg or 300mg each day.
In patients with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, 300 mg once daily is the preferred maintenance dose for the treatment of associated kidney disease.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist carefully.
If you do not understand the instructions on the box, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
When to take it:
You should try to take your daily dose of IRPRESTAN at about the same time each day. Taking your IRPRESTAN tablets at the same time each day will have the best effect. It does not matter whether you take IRPRESTAN tablets before or after food.
How long to take it:
IRPRESTAN helps to control your high blood pressure, but it does not cure it. Therefore IRPRESTAN must be taken every day. Continue taking IRPRESTAN until your doctor tells you to stop.
If you miss a dose:
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.
Otherwise, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking your tablets as you would normally.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering to take your tablets, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you take too much IRPRESTAN (overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26), or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think you or anyone else may have taken too much IRPRESTAN. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
If you take too much IRPRESTAN, you may feel dizzy or lightheaded.
While you are taking IRPRESTAN
Things you must do
If you become pregnant while taking IRPRESTAN, tell your doctor immediately.
Have your blood pressure checked when your doctor tells you to, to make sure IRPRESTAN is working.
Before starting any new medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are taking IRPRESTAN.
Tell all the doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking IRPRESTAN.
Get up slowly when getting out of bed or standing up. You may feel light-headed or dizzy while taking IRPRESTAN, especially if you are also taking a diuretic (fluid tablet). This may become worse if you stand up quickly as your blood pressure may fall. Standing up slowly, especially when you get up from bed or chairs, will help your body get used to the change in position and blood pressure. This problem is not common. If it occurs talk to your doctor.
If you plan to have surgery or other treatment, including dental surgery, that needs a general anaesthetic, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking IRPRESTAN.
Make sure you drink enough water during exercise and hot weather when you are taking IRPRESTAN, especially if you sweat a lot.
If you do not drink enough water while taking IRPRESTAN, you may faint or feel light-headed or sick. This is because your body does not have enough fluid and your blood pressure is low. If you continue to feel unwell, tell your doctor.
If you have excessive vomiting and/or diarrhoea while taking IRPRESTAN, tell your doctor. This can also mean that you are losing too much water and your blood pressure may become too low.
Things you must not do
Do not use IRPRESTAN to treat any other conditions unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give IRPRESTAN to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how IRPRESTAN affects you. As with many other medicines used to treat high blood pressure, IRPRESTAN may cause dizziness or light-headedness in some people. Make sure you know how you react to IRPRESTAN before you drive a car, operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or lightheaded.
If you drink alcohol, dizziness or lightheadedness may be worse.
Side effects
IRPRESTAN helps most people with high blood pressure, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking IRPRESTAN.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
- headache
- dizziness or light-headedness (vertigo)
- unusual tiredness or weakness, fatigue
- nausea/vomiting
These are common side effects. They are generally mild and do not normally require treatment to be interrupted.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
- skin rash or itchiness
- aching muscles or aching joints, not caused by exercise
- muscle pain
- buzzing, ringing or other persistent noise in the ears
- yellowing of the skin and/or eyes, also called jaundice
- symptoms that may indicate kidney disease, such as passing little or no urine, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, breathlessness, loss of appetite and weakness
- symptoms that may indicate high potassium levels in the blood such as nausea, diarrhoea, muscle weakness and change in heart rhythm.
These are uncommon but serious side effects. Skin rash and itchiness may be symptoms of an allergic reaction. You may need medical attention.
If any of the following happen, stop taking IRPRESTAN and tell your doctor immediately, or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital:
- swelling to the face, lips, tongue or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing
- severe and sudden onset of pinkish, itchy swellings on the skin, also called hives or nettlerash.
These are very rare but serious side effects. If you have them you have had a serious allergic reaction to IRPRESTAN. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. Tell your doctor if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell.
After using IRPRESTAN
Storage
Keep IRPRESTAN where children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not store IRPRESTAN or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink.
Do not leave IRPRESTAN in the car or on window sills. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking IRPRESTAN, or your tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any that are left over.
Product description
What it looks like
IRPRESTAN comes in 3 strengths of tablets:
- IRPRESTAN 75 – White, oval tablet with ‘I’ on one side and ‘75’ on the other side
- IRPRESTAN 150 – White, oval tablet with ‘I’ on one side and ‘150’ on the other side
- IRPRESTAN 300 – White, oval tablet with ‘I’ on one side and ‘300’ on the other side.
Each pack contains 30 tablets.
Ingredients
The active ingredient in IRPRESTAN is irbesartan.
- each IRPRESTAN 75 tablet contains 75 mg of irbesartan
- each IRPRESTAN 150 tablet contains 150 mg of irbesartan
- each IRPRESTAN 300 tablet contains 300 mg of irbesartan.
The tablets also contain:
- microcrystalline cellulose
- magnesium stearate
- croscarmellose sodium
- hypromellose
- mannitol
- colloidal anhydrous silica
Opadry 20F280002 white (ARTG 109119).
The tablets do not contain gluten, sucrose, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
Supplier
Aspen Pharma Pty Ltd
34-36 Chandos St
St Leonards NSW 2065
Australian registration numbers:
IRPRESTAN 75 – AUST R 223011
IRPRESTAN 150 – AUST R 223012
IRPRESTAN 300 – AUST R 223013
Date of preparation:
November 2014
Published by MIMS August 2017