Metaraminol Tartrate
Consumer Medicine Information
WHAT IS IN THIS LEAFLET
This leaflet answers some common questions about Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risk of you being given Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection against the benefits it is expected to have for you.
If you have any concerns about being given this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may want to read it again.
WHAT METARAMINOL GH PHARMA INJECTION IS USED FOR
The name of your medicine is Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection. It contains the active ingredient Metaraminol tartrate.
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection is used to increase your blood pressure which can drop during spinal anaesthesia or can drop as a reaction to medications or surgical complications.
Your doctor may have prescribed Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection for another reason.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection was prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
How Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection works
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection belongs to a group of medicines known as sympathomimetic amines. It strengthens the contraction of the heart muscle and constricts blood vessels to help increase the blood pressure.
There is no evidence that Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection is addictive.
BEFORE YOU TAKE METARAMINOL GH PHARMA INJECTION
When you must not take it
You should not be given Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection if:
- You are allergic to the active ingredient or any of the inactive ingredients mentioned at the end of this leaflet under Product Description. Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection contains sodium metabisulfite. A sulfite may cause an allergic- type reaction or an asthmatic episode in certain susceptible people. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include rash, asthma attack or hay fever.
- You are being given cyclopropane or halothane anaesthesia (unless clinical circumstances demand their use).
- It is past its expiry date or the packaging appears to have been tampered with.
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection is not recommended for children.
Before you are given Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to:
- Any other medicines, especially if they are in the same drug class as metaraminol
- Sulfites
- Any other substances, including foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you plan on becoming pregnant or will be breastfeeding while you are given Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection.
Tell your doctor if you have or have had any medical conditions, especially the following:
- Liver disease
- Heart or thyroid disease
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Malaria.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you start taking Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicine, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
In particular, tell your doctor if you take any of the following:
- Certain medicines used to treat depression, e.g. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI’s) or Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA’s)
- Digoxin, a medicine used to treat heart failure.
If you are unsure whether you are taking one of the above drugs, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
These medicines may be affected by Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection, or may affect how well it works. You may need to use different amounts of your medicine, or you may need to take different medicines. Your doctor will advise you.
HOW TO TAKE METARAMINOL GH PHARMA INJECTION
The dose of Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection you will receive depends on your medical condition and other factors such as your weight.
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection is administered in a hospital as an injection into a vein or is diluted before use and given with fluids into a vein. This medicine must only be given by a doctor or nurse.
To reduce microbial hazard, use as soon as practicable after preparation. If storage is necessary, hold at 2-8°C for not more than 24 hours. The injection solution contains no antimicrobial preservative and is for single use in one patient only. Discard any residue.
If you are given too much
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection is administered in a hospital, under the supervision of a doctor. Therefore it is unlikely that you will receive too much. However, you should tell your doctor or nurse immediately if you feel unwell at all whilst you are being given Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection. You may need urgent medical attention.
WHILE YOU ARE TAKING METARAMINOL GH PHARMA INJECTION
Things you must do
- Always follow your doctor’s instructions carefully.
- Your doctor or nurse will monitor your blood pressure.
SIDE EFFECTS
All medicines can have unwanted effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor or nurse as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are being given Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
- Fast or pounding heartbeat.
These may be serious side effects of Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection. You may need urgent medical attention.
If any of the following happen, tell your doctor immediately, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital:
- Swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing
- Breathlessness or any difficulty breathing.
These are very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. All of these side effects are very rare.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people. Tell your doctor if you notice any other effects.
AFTER TAKING METARAMINOL GH PHARMA INJECTION
Storage
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection should only be given to you in a hospital. It should be kept in the original packaging until it has been given to you.
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection must be stored below 25°C. Protect from light.
Disposal
Any unused or out of date medicine should be returned to your pharmacist.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
What Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection looks like
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection is a clear, colourless sterile solution.
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection is provided in three presentations as follows:
10 mg/1 mL presentation: 1 mL solution in a 1 ml clear glass ampoule. It is supplied in a carton containing 5 ampoules.
3 mg/6 mL presentation: 6 mL solution in a 6 ml clear glass vial. It is supplied in a carton containing 5 vials.
5 mg/10 mL presentation: 10 mL solution in a 10 mL glass vial. It is supplied in a carton containing 5 vials.
INGREDIENTS
Each mL of Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection contains 10 mg (ampoule) or 0.5 mg (vial) of metaraminol in water for injections. It also contains:
- Sodium chloride
- Sodium metabisulfite
This medicine does not contain lactose, sucrose, gluten, tartrazine, alcohol, dyes or preservatives.
SUPPLIER
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection is supplied in Australia by:
Global Harvest Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd
Level 7, 151 Clarence Street,, Sydney, NSW 2000
For Medical Enquiries telephone: 1800 114 717
This leaflet was revised in May 2019
AUSTRALIAN REGISTER NUMBER
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection 10mg/1ml: AUST R 99402
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection 3 mg/6mL – AUST R 300197
Metaraminol GH Pharma Injection 5 mg/ 10 mL – AUST R 304084
Published by MIMS November 2019