Consumer medicine information

Zofran® Suppositories

Ondansetron


Consumer Medicine Information

What is in this leaflet

Please read this leaflet carefully before you start using Zofran Suppositories.

This leaflet answers some common questions about Zofran Suppositories. 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 risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Zofran Suppositories against the benefits this medicine is expected to have for you.

If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.

What Zofran Suppositories are used for

Zofran suppositories contain ondansetron which is used to help stop the nausea (sick feeling) and vomiting which can occur after certain treatments. Zofran suppositories should only be used to treat the nausea and vomiting for which they have been prescribed.

Your doctor may have prescribed Zofran suppositories for another reason.

Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Zofran suppositories have been prescribed for you.

Zofran suppositories are not addictive.

Before you use Zofran Suppositories

When you must not use them

  • Do not use Zofran suppositories if you are taking apomorphine (used to treat Parkinson’s disease).
  • Do not use Zofran suppositories if you are allergic to ondansetron or Witepsol S58.
    Symptoms of an allergic reaction may be mild or severe. They usually include some or all of the following: wheezing, swelling of the lips/mouth, difficulty in breathing, hayfever, lumpy rash (“hives”) or fainting.
  • Do not use Zofran suppositories if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, unless your doctor says you should.
    Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of using Zofran suppositories if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Do not use Zofran suppositories after the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack.
    If you take it after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well.
  • Do not use Zofran suppositories if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.

If you’re not sure whether you should be taking Zofran suppositories, talk to your doctor.

Before you start to use them

You must tell your doctor if:

  • you are allergic to foods, dyes, preservatives or any other medicines.
  • you have or used to have liver problems.
  • you have had to stop taking another medicine for your nausea or vomiting.

Taking other medicines

Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

Some medicines may affect the way others work. Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to tell you what to do when taking Zofran suppositories with other medicines.

Use in children

Zofran suppositories are not recommended for use in children.

How to use Zofran suppositories

The pharmacist’s label on the pack will tell you how to use Zofran Suppositories. If there is something you do not understand, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

How many to use

The usual dosage is to insert one suppository per day for up to 5 days.

How to use them

Do not take this medicine by mouth. It is made to be given through the back passage (rectum).

Empty your bowels if necessary. Wash your hands. Remove the suppository from its packaging. You may find that insertion of the suppository will be easier if you squat or bend forward. Insert the suppository into the back passage (rectum). Wash your hands. Try not to empty your bowels within one hour of inserting the suppository.

When to use them

Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to tell you when you should use your Zofran suppositories.

How long to use them

Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to tell you how long you should use your Zofran suppositories.

If you forget to use them

If you miss your dose, and you do not feel sick, insert your next suppository when you are meant to.

If you miss your dose, and you feel sick, insert the missed suppository as soon as possible, then go back to using your Zofran suppositories as you would normally. If it is almost time for your next suppository, skip the suppository you missed and insert your next suppository when you are meant to.

Do not use a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.

If you use too much (overdose)

Immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, if you think you or anyone else may have used too many Zofran suppositories, even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.

Keep telephone numbers for these places handy.

If you are not sure what to do, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

While you are using Zofran suppositories

Things you must do

Tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are using Zofran suppositories if you are about to be started on any new medicines.

Tell your doctor if you become pregnant or are trying to become pregnant.

Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not used your medicine exactly as prescribed. Otherwise, your doctor may think that it was not effective and change your treatment unnecessarily.

Things you must not do

Do not stop using Zofran suppositories, or change the dose without first checking with your doctor.

Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.

Do not use Zofran suppositories to treat any other complaints unless your doctor says to.

Side-effects

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you have any problems while using Zofran suppositories, even if you do not think the problems are connected with the medicine or are not listed in this leaflet. Like other medicines, Zofran suppositories can cause some side-effects. If they occur, they are most likely to be minor and temporary. However, some may be serious and need medical attention.

The most commonly reported side-effects are:

  • headache
  • a sensation of warmth or flushing
  • mild stomach cramps
  • constipation or diarrhoea
  • dry mouth
  • hiccups
  • local anal/rectal burning sensation.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately if you notice any of the following:

  • fits or convulsions
  • low blood pressure
  • changes in the way your heart beats eg. if you notice it beating faster or slower than normal, or if it beats irregularly or if it ‘throbs’
  • disturbance in heart rhythm (sometimes causing a sudden loss of consciousness)
  • patients may experience “serotonin syndrome” (confusion, sweating, unsteadiness, shaking, diarrhoea) when Zofran is taken in combination with other serotonergic drugs. Serotonergic drugs can include certain types of antidepressants, opioid pain medicines such as tramadol and fentanyl, and lithium. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list. Please discuss with your pharmacist or doctor if you have any concerns
  • severe skin reaction where the top layer of the skin detaches from the lower layers.

If your nausea (feeling of sickness) or vomiting does not go away, ask your doctor what to do.

In certain illnesses and treatments where Zofran has been used, blood vessel blockage has occurred. However, it is important to note that blood vessel blockage has also occurred in these illnesses and treatments when Zofran has NOT been used. Discuss this with your doctor if you have any concerns.

If you think you are having an allergic reaction to Zofran suppositories, TELL YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY or go to the casualty department at your nearest hospital. Symptoms usually include some or all of the following:

  • wheezing
  • swelling of the lips/mouth
  • difficulty in breathing
  • hay fever
  • lumpy rash (“hives”)
  • fainting.

This is not a complete list of all possible side-effects. Others may occur in some people and there may be some side-effects not yet known.

Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell, even if it is not on this list.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you don’t understand anything in this list.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side-effects. You may not experience any of them.

After using Zofran suppositories

Storage

Keep this medicine where young 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 Zofran suppositories in a cool, dry place where it stays below 30°C.

Do not store it, or any other medicine, in a bathroom or near a sink.

Do not leave it in the car or on window sills. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.

Keep your medicine in its pack until it is time to take it. If you take the medicine out of its pack it may not keep well.

Disposal

If your doctor tells you to stop taking Zofran suppositories, or the medicine has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any suppository left over.

Product description

What Zofran suppositories look like

Your Zofran suppository is 1 g in weight, white, and torpedo-shaped. Each suppository is packed in a double foil blister pack in packs of five, which are enclosed in a perforated cardboard mount to help with opening.

DO NOT use your suppositories if they have changed colour.

Ingredients

Each suppository contains 16 milligrams of ondansetron.

Your suppository also contains the following inactive ingredient: Witepsol S58.

Zofran suppositories do not contain gluten or lactose.

Manufacturer

Your Zofran suppositories are supplied by:
Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd
34-36 Chandos Street
St Leonards NSW 2065
Australia

Further Information

Pharmaceutical companies are not in a position to give people an individual diagnosis or medical advice. Your doctor or pharmacist is the best person to give you advice on the treatment of your condition. You may also be able to find general information about your disease and its treatment from books, for example in public libraries.

Do not throw this leaflet away. You may need to read it again.

This leaflet was updated in October 2014.

The information provided applies only to: Zofran® Suppositories.

Zofran® is a registered trade mark of Aspen Global Incorporated.

Zofran Suppositories AUST R 60801.

©2011 Aspen Global Incorporated.

Published by MIMS May 2015