Rabeprazole sodium
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about RABEPRAZOLE SUN. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
This leaflet was last updated on the date at the end of this leaflet.
More recent information may be available. The latest Consumer Medicine Information is available from https://www.ebs.tga.gov.au/ and may contain important information about the medicine and its use of which you should be aware.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking RABEPRAZOLE SUN against the benefits this medicine is expected to have for you.
If you have any concerns about using RABEPRAZOLE SUN ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with your medicine. You may need to read it again.
What RABEPRAZOLE SUN is used for
The name of your medicine is RABEPRAZOLE SUN. It contains the active ingredient rabeprazole sodium.
RABEPRAZOLE SUN belongs to a group of medicines called proton pump inhibitors (PPIS). RABEPRAZOLE SUN works by decreasing the amount of acid the stomach makes, to give relief from the symptoms and allow healing to take place. Your food will still be digested in the normal way.
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease:
RABEPRAZOLE SUN is used to treat gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), commonly known as ‘reflux’. . This can be caused by food and acid from the stomach flowing the wrong way (reflux) back up the food pipe, also known as the oesophagus.
Reflux can cause a burning sensation in the chest rising up to the throat, also known as heartburn.
RABEPRAZOLE SUN is also used to help stop reflux oesophagitis from coming back or relapsing.
Peptic Ulcers:
RABEPRAZOLE SUN is used to treat peptic ulcers. Depending on the position of the ulcer it is called a gastric or duodenal ulcer. A gastric ulcer occurs in the stomach. A duodenal ulcer occurs in the duodenum which is the tube leading out of the stomach.
These ulcers can be caused by too much acid being made in the stomach.
Most people who have a peptic ulcer also have a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori in their stomach. Your doctor may also prescribe a course of antibiotics (clarithromycin and amoxycillin) for you. When RABEPRAZOLE SUN is taken with antibiotics, the combination therapy will kill the Helicobacter pylori and let your ulcer heal.
Chronic Gastritis:
The presence of the bacteria Helicobacter pylori may cause the stomach to become inflamed, resulting in pain, nausea and vomiting; all of which are signs of chronic gastritis.
When RABEPRAZOLE SUN tablets are taken with antibiotics, they will help kill Helicobacter pylori and allow the stomach to heal.
Your doctor may have prescribed RABEPRAZOLE SUN for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why RABEPRAZOLE SUN has been prescribed for you.
RABEPRAZOLE SUN is only available with a doctor’s prescription.
Before you take RABEPRAZOLE SUN
When you must not take it:
Do not take RABEPRAZOLE SUN if you have an allergy (hypersensitivity) to:
- rabeprazole sodium
- any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet
- other proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole).
Symptoms of an allergic (hypersensitive) reaction may include:
- rash, itching or hives on the skin
- shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing
- swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
Do not take RABEPRAZOLE SUN if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
Do not take RABEPRAZOLE SUN after the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack has passed. If you take RABEPRAZOLE SUN after the expiry date it may not work (as well).
Before you start to take it:
You must tell your doctor if:
- you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.
- you are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed.
It is not known if RABEPRAZOLE SUN passes into breast milk.
- you have or have ever had liver disease.
Taking other medicines:
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines you can buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Do not take RABEPRAZOLE SUN and tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:
- atazanavir, a medicine used (with other antiretrovirals) to treat HIV-1 infection.
- clopidogrel, an antiplatelet medicine
You should not take RABEPRAZOLE SUN while taking these medicines.
Also tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:
- cyclosporin, a medicine used to treat several conditions including prevention of graft rejection following kidney, liver or heart transplantation; severe, active rheumatoid arthritis; severe skin diseases; kidney disease where other treatments have failed.
- methotrexate, a medicine used to treat some kinds of cancer. It is also used to treat psoriasis (skin disease) and rheumatoid arthritis.
- digoxin, a medicine used to treat heart problems.
- ketoconazole, a medicine used to treat fungal infections.
- Mycophenolate mofetil, a medicine used to prevent organ rejection following kidney, liver or heart transplants.
- clarithromycin, a medicine used to treat infections.
These medicines may be affected by RABEPRAZOLE SUN or may affect how well RABEPRAZOLE SUN works. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you are taking any other medicines.
If you have not told your doctor or pharmacist about any of the above, tell them before you start taking RABEPRAZOLE SUN.
Your doctor will advise you whether or not to take RABEPRAZOLE SUN or if you need to have your dose adjusted.
How to take RABEPRAZOLE SUN
Follow the directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
How much to take:
Adults
The usual dose is one tablet at the same time each day.
The dose of RABEPRAZOLE SUN is usually 20 mg, but may vary from 10 mg to 40 mg per day depending on what condition you are being treated for and how severe it is.
For treating Helicobacter pylori infections in combination with antibiotics (clarithromycin and amoxycillin), the usual dose is one 20 mg tablet twice each day, morning and evening, for 7 days.
Children
RABEPRAZOLE SUN should not be given to children under 18 years of age. Safety and effectiveness of RABEPRAZOLE SUN in children has not been established.
How to take it:
- RABEPRAZOLE SUN should be swallowed whole, with a glass of water or other liquid.
- Do NOT crush or chew the tablets. They have a special coating, which protects them from the acid in your stomach. If the coating is broken by chewing, the tablets may not work.
- It does not matter if you take RABEPRAZOLE SUN with food or on an empty stomach.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for help if you do not understand the instructions provided with this medicine.
If you forget to take it:
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 it as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking it 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, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you have taken too much (overdose):
Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
Poisons Information Centre telephone numbers:
- Australia: 13 11 26
- New Zealand: 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766
Keep these telephone numbers handy.
While you are using RABEPRAZOLE SUN
Things you must do:
Use RABEPRAZOLE SUN exactly as your doctor has prescribed.
Always swallow RABEPRAZOLE SUN whole.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while you are taking RABEPRAZOLE SUN
Tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are taking RABEPRAZOLE SUN if you are about to start taking a new medicine.
Things you must not do:
Do not use RABEPRAZOLE SUN to treat any other complaint unless your doctor says to.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you. Do not crush or chew the tablets.
Do not give RABEPRAZOLE SUN to children.
Tell your doctor if you need to have a specific blood test (Chromogranin A) while you are taking RABEPRAZOLE SUN. It may affect the results of this test.
Side Effects
RABEPRAZOLE SUN is usually well tolerated but tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are using RABEPRAZOLE SUN.
RABEPRAZOLE SUN helps most people with peptic ulcers or reflux disease, 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. You may need medical treatment if you get some side effects.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor if you experience any of the following and they worry you:
- headache
- dizziness
- nausea
- diarrhoea
- wind
- constipation
- stomach pain
- vomiting
- dry mouth
- muscle weakness, physical weakness or lack of energy
- runny or blocked nose
- sore throat and discomfort when swallowing
- cough
- chest pain
- back pain
- rash
- itchy rash accompanied by skin eruptions or blisters
- flu-like symptoms
- sleeplessness (insomnia)
- indigestion
- belching
- leg cramps
- swelling of the arms or legs
- nervousness
- loss of appetite for food (anorexia)
- weight gain
- sweating
- breast enlargement in men
These side effects are usually mild.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
- painful and/or frequent urination (common symptoms of a urinary tract infection)
- vision or taste disturbance
- depression
- feeling dizzy, faint, lightheaded or weak (hypotension)
- shortness of breath
- bleeding or bruising more easily than normal
- signs of frequent infections such as fever, severe chills, sore throat or mouth ulcers.
These are serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention. Serious side effects are rare.
Tell your doctor immediately and do not take your next dose of RABEPRAZOLE SUN if you experience:
- signs of allergy such as skin rash, reddening, blisters or itching, swelling of the face, lips or other parts of the body, shortness of breath or wheezing.
- you pass black (blood-stained) motions
If you experience symptoms such as severe (watery or bloody) diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain or tenderness, you may have Clostridium difficile colitis (bowel inflammation).
Other problems are more likely to arise from the ulcer itself rather than the treatment.
For this reason contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
- pain or indigestion
- you begin to vomit blood or food
- you pass black (blood-stained) motions
Under rare circumstances supervised by the doctor, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) might be used for long periods of time.
Low magnesium can occur in some people who take a proton pump inhibitor. Symptoms of low magnesium can include: seizures, dizziness, spasms, cramps or muscle weakness.
Withdrawal of long-term PPI therapy may lead to worsening of acid-related symptoms.
People who take proton pump inhibitor medicines at high doses for a long period of time (1 year or longer) may have an increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, or spine.
Proton pump inhibitors may reduce the amount of acid in your stomach. Stomach acid is needed to absorb vitamin B-12 properly. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about the possibility of vitamin B-12 deficiency if you have been taking a proton pump inhibitor for a long time (i.e. more than 3 years).
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people. Tell your doctor if you notice anything making you feel unwell when you are taking, or soon after you have finished taking RABEPRAZOLE SUN.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not understand anything in this list.
After using RABEPRAZOLE SUN
Storage
Keep your tablets in their blister pack until it is time to take them. If you take them out of the blister they may not keep well.
Keep RABEPRAZOLE SUN in a cool dry place where the temperature is below 25°C. Do not keep RABEPRAZOLE SUN in the refrigerator.
Do not store RABEPRAZOLE SUN, or any other medicine, in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave medicines in the car or on window sills. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep your medicines where children cannot reach them. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres (1.5 m) above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking RABEPRAZOLE SUN, or the tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any tablets that are left over.
Product description
What it looks like
RABEPRAZOLE SUN 20 mg tablets are yellow, circular-shaped, biconvex, coated tablets imprinted with “RA” on one side and plain on other side. Available in blisters packs of 30 tablets.
Ingredients
Active ingredient
Each tablet of RABEPRAZOLE SUN contains 20 mg of rabeprazole sodium as the active ingredient and a number of inactive ingredients.
The inactive ingredients in RABEPRAZOLE SUN tablets include: mannitol, heavy magnesium oxide, hyprolose, magnesium stearate, ethylcellulose, light magnesium oxide, hypromellose phthalate, diacetylated monoglycerides, purified talc, titanium dioxide, iron oxide yellow and Opacode monogramming ink S-1-1666 Red (ARTG No. 107718).
The tablets do not contain gluten or lactose.
Sponsor
Sun Pharma ANZ Pty. Ltd
12 Waterloo Road
Macquarie Park NSW 2113
Australia
Australian Registration Numbers
RABEPRAZOLE SUN 20 mg tablets: AUST R 228980
This leaflet was prepared in September 2019.
Published by MIMS November 2019