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Nulex belongs to a group of medicines used to treat epilepsy and peripheral neuropathic pain (long lasting pain caused by damage to the nerves).
The active substance in Nulex is gabapentin.
Nulex is used to treat
- Various forms of epilepsy (seizures that are initially limited to certain parts of the brain, whether the seizure spreads to other parts of the brain or not). The doctor treating you or your child 6 years of age and older will prescribe Nulex to help treat epilepsy when the current treatment is not fully controlling the condition. You or your child 6 years of age and older should take Nulex in addition to the current treatment unless told otherwise. Nulex can also be used on its own to treat adults and children over 12 years of age.
- Peripheral neuropathic pain (long lasting pain caused by damage to the nerves). A variety of different diseases can cause peripheral neuropathic pain (primarily occurring in the legs and/or arms), such as diabetes or shingles. Pain sensations may be described as hot, burning, throbbing, shooting, stabbing, sharp, cramping, aching, tingling, numbness, pins and needles etc.
Do not take Nulex:
- If you are allergic (hypersensitive) to gabapentin or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Nulex
- If you suffer from kidney problems your doctor may prescribe a different dosing schedule.
- If you are on haemodialysis (to remove waste products because of kidney failure), tell your doctor if you develop muscle pain and/or weakness.
- If you develop signs such as persistent stomach pain, feeling sick and being sick contact your doctor immediately as these may be symptoms of acute pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas).
- If you have nervous system disorders, respiratory disorders, or you are more than 65 years old, your doctor may prescribe you a different dosing regimen.
- Before taking this medicine, tell your doctor if you have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines or illegal drugs; it may mean you have a greater risk of becoming dependent on Nulex.
Dependence
Some people may become dependent on Nulex (a need to keep taking the medicine). They may have withdrawal effects when they stop using gabapentin (see section 3, “How to take Nulex” and “If you stop taking Nulex”). If you have concerns that you may become dependent on Nulex, it is important that you consult your doctor.
If you notice any of the following signs whilst taking gabapentin, it could be a sign that you have become dependent.
- You feel you need to take the medicine for longer than advised by your prescriber
- You feel you need to take more than the recommended dose
- You are using the medicine for reasons other than prescribed
- You have made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to quit or control the use of the medicine
- When you stop taking the medicine you feel unwell, and you feel better once taking the medicine again
If you notice any of these, speak to your doctor to discuss the best treatment pathway for you, including when it is appropriate to stop and how to do this safely.
A small number of people being treated with anti-epileptics such as gabapentin have had thoughts of harming or killing themselves. If at any time you have these thoughts, immediately contact your doctor.
Respiratory depression
Gabapentin has been associated with serious, life-threatening, and fatal respiratory depression. The risk may be increased with the concomitant use of opioids and other central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and with conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The elderly are also at higher risk. Health care providers should start gabapentinoids at the lowest dose and monitor patients for symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation when co-prescribing gabapentinoids with an opioid or other CNS depressants (eg, benzodiazepines). Patients with underlying respiratory disease and elderly patients are also at increased risk and should be managed similarly.
Important information about potentially serious reactions
Serious skin rashes including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) have been reported in association with gabapentin. Stop using gabapentin and seek medical attention immediately if you notice any of the symptoms related to these serious skin reactions described in section 4.
Read the description of serious symptoms in section 4 of this leaflet under ‘Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms after taking this medicine as they can be serious’.
Muscle weakness, tenderness or pain and particularly, if at the same time, you feel unwell or have a high temperature it may be caused by an abnormal muscle breakdown which can be life-threatening and lead to kidney problems. You may also experience discoloration of your urine, and a change in blood test results (notably blood creatine phosphokinase increased). If you experience any of these signs or symptoms, please contact your doctor immediately.
Other medicines and Nulex
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. In particular, tell your doctor (or pharmacist) if you are taking or have been recently taking any medicines for convulsions, sleeping disorders, depression, anxiety, or any other neurological or psychiatric problems.
Medicines containing opioids such as morphine
If you are taking any medicines containing opioids (such as morphine), please tell your doctor or pharmacist as opioids may increase the effect of Nulex. In addition, combination of gabapentin with opioids may cause sleepiness, sedation, decrease in breathing, or death.
CNS depressants such as benzodiazepine
If you are taking CNS depressants (such as benzodiazepine), please tell your doctor or pharmacist as serious breathing problems may occur with gabapentin when co-administered with CNS depressants. Therefore, the doctor should monitor for symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation in patients who require concomitant treatment with CNS depressants.
Antacids for indigestion
If Nulex and antacids containing aluminium and magnesium are taken at the same time, absorption of Nulex from the stomach may be reduced. It is therefore recommended that Nulex is taken at the earliest two hours after taking an antacid.
Nulex
- Is not expected to interact with other antiepileptic drugs or the oral contraceptive pill.
- May interfere with some laboratory tests, If you require a urine test tell your doctor or hospital what you are taking.
Nulex with food
Nulex can be taken with or without food.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
- If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, you must tell your doctor straight away and discuss possible risks the medicine you are taking might pose to your unborn baby.
- You should not stop your treatment without discussing this with your doctor.
- If you are planning to become pregnant you should discuss your treatment with your doctor or pharmacist as early as possible before you become pregnant.
- If you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Pregnancy
Nulex can be used during the first trimester of pregnancy if needed.
If you plan to become pregnant or if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, talk to your doctor straight away.
If you have become pregnant and you have epilepsy, it is important that you do not stop taking your medicine without first consulting your doctor, as this may worsen your illness. Worsening of your epilepsy may put you and your unborn child at risk.
In a study reviewing data from women in Nordic countries who took gabapentin in the first 3 months of pregnancy, there was no increased risk of birth defects or problems with the development of brain function (neurodevelopment disorders). However, babies of women who took gabapentin during pregnancy had an increased risk of low birth weight and preterm birth.
If used during pregnancy, gabapentin may lead to withdrawal symptoms in newborn infants. This risk might be increased when gabapentin is taken together with opioid analgesics (drugs for treatment of severe pain).
Contact your doctor immediately if you become pregnant, think you might be pregnant or are planning to become pregnant while taking Nulex. Do not suddenly discontinue taking this medicine as this may lead to a breakthrough seizure, which could have serious consequences for you and your baby.
Breast-feeding
Gabapentin, the active substance of Nulex, is passed on through human milk. Because the effect on the baby is unknown, it is not recommended to breast-feed while using gabapentin.
Fertility
There is no effect on fertility in animal studies.
Driving and using machines
Gabapentin may produce dizziness, drowsiness and tiredness. You should not drive, operate complex machinery or take part in other potentially hazardous activities until you know whether this medication affects your ability to perform these activities.
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Do not take more medicine than prescribed.
Your doctor will determine what dose is appropriate for you.
Epilepsy, the recommended dose is:
Adults and adolescents
Take the number of capsules as instructed. Your doctor will usually build up your dose gradually. The starting dose will generally be between 300 mg and 900 mg each day. Thereafter, the dose may be increased as instructed by your doctor up to a maximum of 3600 mg each day and your doctor will tell you to take this in 3 separate doses, i.e. once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the evening.
Children aged 6 years and above
The dose to be given to your child will be decided by your doctor as it is calculated against your child’s weight. The treatment is started with a low initial dose which is gradually increased over a period of approximately 3 days. The usual dose to control epilepsy is 25-35 mg per kg per day. It is usually given in 3 separate doses, by taking the capsule(s) each day, usually once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the evening.
Children below 6 years of age
Nulex is not recommended for use in children below 6 years of age.
Peripheral Neuropathic Pain, the recommended dose is:
Adults
Take the number of capsules as instructed by your doctor. Your doctor will usually build up your dose gradually. The starting dose will generally be between 300 mg and 900 mg each day. Thereafter, the dose may be increased as instructed by your doctor up to a maximum of 3600 mg each day and your doctor will tell you to take this in 3 separate doses, i.e. once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the evening.
If you have kidney problems or are receiving haemodialysis
Your doctor may prescribe a different dosing schedule and/or dose if you have problems with your kidneys or are undergoing haemodialysis.
If you are an elderly patient (over 65 years of age)
You should take the normal dose of Nulex unless you have problems with your kidneys. Your doctor may prescribe a different dosing schedule and/or dose if you have problems with your kidneys.
If you have the impression that the effect of Nulex is too strong or too weak, talk to your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible.
Method of administration
Nulex is for oral use. Always swallow the capsules with plenty of water.
Continue taking Nulex until your doctor tells you to stop.
If you take more Nulex than you should
Higher than recommended doses may result in an increase in side effects including loss of consciousness, dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, drowsiness and diarrhoea. Call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency unit immediately if you take more Nulex than your doctor prescribed. Take along any capsules that you have not taken, together with the container and the label so that the hospital can easily tell what medicine you have taken.
If you forget to take Nulex
If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is time for your next dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking Nulex
Do not suddenly stop taking Nulex. If you want to stop taking Nulex, discuss this with your doctor first. They will tell you how to do this. If your treatment is stopped it should be done gradually over a minimum of 1 week. After stopping a short or long-term treatment with gabapentin, you need to know that you may experience certain side effects, so-called withdrawal effects. These effects can include seizures, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, feeling sick (nausea), pain, sweating, shaking, headache, depression, feeling abnormal, dizziness, and feeling generally unwell. These effects usually occur within 48 hours after stopping Nulex. If you experience withdrawal effects, you should contact your doctor.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Stop using gabapentin and seek medical attention immediately if you notice any of the following symptoms:
- Reddish non-elevated, target-like or circular patches on the trunk, often with central blisters, skin peeling, ulcers of mouth, throat, nose, genitals and eyes. These serious skin rashes can be preceded by fever and flu-like symptoms (Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis).
- Widespread rash, high body temperature and enlarged lymph nodes (DRESS syndrome or drug hypersensitivity syndrome).
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms after taking this medicine as they can be serious:
- Persistent stomach pain, feeling sick and being sick as these may be symptoms of acute pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas)
- Breathing problems, which if severe you may need emergency and intensive care to continue breathing normally
- Gabapentin may cause a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction that may affect your skin or other parts of your body such as your liver or blood cells. You may or may not have rash when you get this type of reaction. It may cause you to be hospitalized or to stop gabapentin. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Skin rash and redness and/or hair loss
- Hives
- Fever
- Swollen glands that do not go away
- Swelling of your lip, face and tongue
- Yellowing of your skin or of the whites of the eyes
- Unusual bruising or bleeding
- Severe fatigue or weakness
- Unexpected muscle pain
- Frequent infections
These symptoms may be the first signs of a serious reaction. A doctor should examine you to decide if you should continue taking gabapentin.
- If you are on haemodialysis, tell your doctor if you develop muscle pain and/or weakness.
Other side effects include:
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
- Viral infection
- Feeling drowsy, dizziness, lack of coordination
- Feeling tired, fever
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
- Pneumonia, respiratory infections, urinary tract infection, inflammation of the ear or other infections
- Low white blood cell counts
- Anorexia, increased appetite
- Anger towards others, confusion, mood changes, depression, anxiety, nervousness, difficulty with thinking
- Convulsions, jerky movements, difficulty with speaking, loss of memory, tremor, difficulty sleeping, headache, sensitive skin, decreased sensation (numbness), difficulty with coordination, unusual eye movement, increased, decreased or absent reflexes
- Blurred vision, double vision
- Vertigo
- High blood pressure, flushing or dilation of blood vessels
- Difficulty breathing, bronchitis, sore throat, cough, dry nose
- Vomiting (being sick), nausea (feeling sick), problems with teeth, inflamed gums, diarrhoea, stomach pain, indigestion, constipation, dry mouth or throat, flatulence
- Facial swelling, bruises, rash, itch, acne
- Joint pain, muscle pain, back pain, twitching
- Difficulties with erection (impotence)
- Swelling in the legs and arms, difficulty with walking, weakness, pain, feeling unwell, flu-like symptoms
- Decrease in white blood cells, increase in weight
- Accidental injury, fracture, abrasion
Additionally in clinical studies in children, aggressive behaviour and jerky movements were reported commonly.
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
- Agitation (a state of chronic restlessness and unintentional and purposeless motions)
- Allergic reaction such as hives
- Decreased movement
- Racing heartbeat
- Difficulty swallowing
- Swelling that may involve the face, trunk and limbs
- Abnormal blood test results suggesting problems with the liver
- Mental impairment
- Fall
- Increase in blood glucose levels (most often observed in patients with diabetes)
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
- Decrease in blood glucose levels (most often observed in patients with diabetes)
- Loss of consciousness
- Trouble breathing, shallow breaths (respiratory depression)
After marketing gabapentin the following side effects have been reported:
- Decreased platelets (blood clotting cells)
- Suicidal thoughts, hallucinations
- Problems with abnormal movements such as writhing, jerking movements and stiffness
- Ringing in the ears
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), inflammation of the liver
- Acute kidney failure, incontinence
- Increased breast tissue, breast enlargement
- Adverse events following the abrupt discontinuation of gabapentin (anxiety, difficulty sleeping, feeling sick, pain, sweating), chest pain
- Breakdown of muscle fibers (rhabdomyolysis)
- Change in blood test results (creatine phosphokinase increased)
- Problems with sexual functioning including inability to achieve a sexual climax, delayed ejaculation
- Low blood sodium level
- Anaphylaxis (serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction including difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, throat, and tongue, and hypotension requiring emergency treatment)
- Becoming dependent on gabapentin (‘drug dependence’)
After stopping a short or long-term treatment with gabapentin, you need to know that you may experience certain side effects, so-called withdrawal effects (see “If you stop taking Nulex”).
Keep out of the reach and sight of children.
Store below 30°C.
Store in the original package.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the package after “EXP”. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Do not use this medicine if you notice any visible signs of deterioration.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
The active ingredient is gabapentin.
Each capsule of Nulex 100 mg, 300 mg and 400 mg Capsules contains 100 mg, 300 mg or 400 mg gabapentin; respectively.
The other ingredients are maize starch and talc.
Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer
Jazeera Pharmaceutical Industries
Al-Kharj Road
P.O. Box 106229
Riyadh 11666, Saudi Arabia
Tel: + (966-11) 8107023, + (966-11) 2142472
Fax: + (966-11) 2078170
e-mail: SAPV@hikma.com
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly (see details below). By reporting side effects, you can also help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
- Saudi Arabia
The National Pharmacovigilance Centre (NPC)
SFDA Call Center: 19999
E-mail: npc.drug@sfda.gov.sa
Website: https://ade.sfda.gov.sa
- Other GCC States
Please contact the relevant competent authority.
ينتمي نوليكس لمجموعة من الأدوية التي تستخدم لعلاج الصرع وألم الاعتلال العصبي المحيطي (ألم لمدة طويلة نتيجة لتلف الأعصاب).
المادة الفعالة في نوليكس هي جابابينتين.
يستخدم نوليكس في علاج
- أنواع مختلفة من الصرع (النوبات التشنجية التي تبدأ عادةَ في مناطق معينة من الدماغ، سواء امتدت لاحقاً لأماكن أخرى من الدماغ أم لا). سيصف لك الطبيب المعالج لك أو لطفلك البالغ من العمر 6 سنوات وأكبر نوليكس للمساهمة في علاج الصرع عندما يكون علاجك الحالي غير قادر على التحكم بالحالة كلياً. يجب عليك أو على طفلك البالغ من العمر 6 سنوات وأكبر بتناول نوليكس مع علاجك الحالي إلا إذا أخبرك الطبيب بخلاف ذلك. ويمكن أيضاً استعمال نوليكس بمفرده لعلاج البالغين والأطفال فوق عمر 12 سنة.
- ألم الاعتلال العصبي المحيطي (ألم طويل الأمد ناتج عن تلف الأعصاب). هنالك العديد من الأمراض التي قد تسبب الألم العصبي المحيطي (الذي يصيب في المقام الأول الساقين و/أو الذراعين) مثل داء السكري أو الهربس النطاقي. قد يوصف الإحساس بالألم كشعور بالسخونة، بالحرق، بالنبض، بالوخز، بالطعن، شعور حاد، متقلص، موجع، شعور بالتنميل، الخدران، شعور بوخز مثل الإبر أو الدبابيس وغير ذلك.
لا تتناول نوليكس:
- إذا كنت تعاني من حساسية (حساسية مفرطة) تجاه جابابينتين أو أي من المواد الأخرى المستخدمة في تركيبة هذا الدواء (مدرجة في
القسم 6).
الاحتياطات والتحذيرات
تحدث مع طبيبك أو الصيدلي قبل تناول نوليكس
- إذا كنت تعاني من مشاكل في الكلى، فقد يصف لك الطبيب جدول جرعات مختلف.
- إذا كنت تخضع لغسيل الكلى (لإزالة المخلفات نتيجةً لفشل الكلى)، فأخبر طبيبك إذا تعرضت لألم و/أو ضعف في العضلات.
- إذا تطورت لديك بعض العلامات مثل ألم متواصل في المعدة، الغثيان، القيء، فاتصل بالطبيب على الفور، فقد تكون هذه أعراض التهاب البنكرياس الحاد.
- إذا كنت تعاني من اختلالات في الجهاز العصبي، اختلالات في الجهاز التنفسي أو كنت أكبر من 65 سنة، سيصف لك طبيبك نظام جرعات آخر.
- قبل تناول هذا الدواء، أخبر طبيبك إذا كنت قد أسأت استعمال أو اعتمدت على الكحول، الأدوية التي تصرف بوصفة طبية أو المخدرات الممنوعة، هذا يعني أن لديك خطر أكبر في أن تصبح معتمداً على نوليكس.
الاعتماد
قد يصبح بعض الأشخاص معتمدون على نوليكس (الحاجة إلى الاستمرار في تناول الدواء). قد يعاونون من آثار انسحابية عند إيقاف استخدام جابابينتين (انظر القسم 3، "طريقة تناول نوليكس" و"إذا توقفت عن تناول نوليكس"). إذا كان لديك مخاوف أنك قد تصبح معتمداً على نوليكس، من المهم استشارة الطبيب.
إذا لاحظت أي من العلامات التالية أثناء تناول جابابينتين، قد يكون هذا علامة على أنك أصبحت معتمداً على الدواء.
- تشعر أنك بحاجة إلى تناول الدواء لفترة أطول مما نصحك به الطبيب
- تشعر أنك بحاجة إلى تناول جرعة أكبر من الجرعة الموصى بها
- تستخدم الدواء لأسباب أخرى غير الموصوفة
- قمت بمحاولات متكررة، غير ناجحة للإقلاع عن الدواء أو التحكم في اسخدامه
- عندما تتوقف عن تناول الدواء تشعر بالتوعك، وتشعر بالتحسن عند تناول الدواء مرة أخرى
إذا لاحظت أيًا من هذه العلامات، تحدث مع طبيبك لمناقشة أفضل مسار علاجي لك، بما في ذلك متى يكون من المناسب التوقف وكيفية القيام بذلك بأمان.
عانى عدد قليل من الأشخاص الذين يتلقون العلاج بمضادات الصرع مثل جابابينتين من أفكار تتعلق بإيذاء النفس أو الانتحار. اتصل بطبيبك على الفور في حال راودتك أي من هذه الأفكار في أي وقت.
تثبيط الجهاز التنفسي
ارتبط جابابينتين بتثبيط خطير للجهاز التنفسي، مهدد للحياة، ومميت. قد يزداد الخطر مع الاستخدام المتزامن للمواد الأفيونية وغيرها من مثبطات الجهاز العصبي المركزي، ومع حالات مثل مرض الانسداد الرئوي المزمن. كبار السن هم أيضا عرضة أكبر للخطر. يجب على مقدمي الرعاية الصحية بدء الجابابنتينويدات بأقل جرعة ومراقبة المرضى لأعراض تثبيط الجهاز التنفسي والتخدير عند وصف الجابابنتينويدات مع المواد الأفيونية أو مثبطات الجهاز العصبي المركزي الأخرى (مثل البنزوديازيبينات). المرضى الذين يعانون من أمراض الجهاز التنفسي الكامنة والمرضى المسنين هم أيضًا في خطر متزايد ويجب علاجهم بالمثل.
معلومات هامة عن ردود فعل محتملة خطيرة
تم الإبلاغ عن حالات طفح جلدي خطيرة بما في ذلك متلازمة ستيفنز جونسون، تقشر الأنسجة المتموتة البشروية التسممي والتفاعل الدوائي مع اليُوزينِيَّات، والأعراض الجهازية مرتبطة مع جابابينتين. توقف عن استخدام جابابينتين واطلب العناياة الطبية على الفور إذا لاحظت أي من الأعراض المرتبطة بردود الفعل الخطيرة في الجلد الموصوفة في القسم 4.
اقرأ وصف الأعراض الخطيرة في القسم 4 من هذه النشرة تحت ’اتصل بطبيبك على الفور إذا أصبت بأي من الأعراض التالية بعد استعمال هذا الدواء لخطورتها‘.
ضعف العضلات وألمها، وخاصةً إذا شعرت بنفس الوقت بالتوعك أو لديك ارتفاع في درجة الحرارة فقد يحدث ذلك بسبب تحلل غير طبيعي في العضلات والذي قد يهدد بالحياة ويسبب مشكلات في الكلى. أيضاً قد يتغير لديك لون البول، وتغير في نتائج فحوصات الدم (ارتفاع فوسفوكيناز الكرياتين في الدم بشكل ملحوظ). إذا كنت تعاني من أي من هذه العلامات أو الأعراض، فاتصل بالطبيب على الفور.
الأدوية الأخرى ونوليكس
أخبر طبيبك أو الصيدلي إذا كنت تتناول، تناولت مؤخرًا، أو قد تتناول أية أدوية أخرى. تحديداً، أخبر طبيبك (أو الصيدلي (إذا كنت تتناول أو تناولت مؤخراً أية أدوية للإختلاجات، اضطرابات النوم، الاكتئاب، القلق، أو أي مشاكل عصبية أو نفسية أخرى.
الأدوية التي تحتوي على مواد أفيونية مثل المورفين
إذا كنت تتناول أية أدوية تحتوي على مواد أفيونية (مثل المورفين)، فيرجى إخبار طبيبك أو الصيدلي حيث قد تزيد المواد الأفيونية من تأثير نوليكس. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، فإن الجمع بين جابابينتين والمواد الأفيونية قد يسبب النعاس، التهدئة، بطؤ التنفس، أو الموت.
مثبطات الجهاز العصبي المركزي مثل البنزوديازيبين
إذا كنت تتناول مثبطات الجهاز العصبي المركزي (مثل البنزوديازيبين)، فيرجى إخبار طبيبك أو الصيدلي حيث قد تحدث مشاكل خطيرة في التنفس مع جابابينتين عند تناوله مع مثبطات الجهاز العصبي المركزي. لذلك، يجب على الطبيب مراقبة أعراض تثبيط الجهاز التنفسي والتهدئة عند المرضى الذين يحتاجون إلى علاج متزامن مع مثبطات الجهاز العصبي المركزي.
مضادات الحموضة لعلاج عسر الهضم
قد ينخفض مستوى امتصاص نوليكس من المعدة عند تناول نوليكس بشكل متزامن مع مضادات الحموضة المحتوية على الألومنيوم والمغنسيوم. ولذا، يوصى باستعمال نوليكس في أقرب وقت بعد ساعتين من تناول مضاد الحموضة.
نوليكس
- من غير المتوقع أن يتداخل مع مضادات الصرع الأخرى أو حبوب منع الحمل التي تؤخذ عن طريق الفم.
- قد يتداخل مع بعض الفحوصات المخبرية، إذا توجب إجراء فحص للبول لك، فأخبر طبيبك أو المستشفى بما تتناوله.
نوليكس مع الطعام
يمكن تناول نوليكس مع الطعام أو بدونه.
الحمل، الرضاعة والخصوبة
- إذا كنت حاملاً أو تعتقدين بأنك حامل، يجب إبلاغ الطبيب على الفور ومناقشة المخاطر المحتملة التي قد يشكلها الدواء الذي تتناولينه على الجنين.
- يجب عدم إيقاف العلاج دون مناقشة ذلك مع الطبيب.
- إذا كنت تخططين للحمل، فيجب مناقشة العلاج مع الطبيب أو الصيدلي في أقرب وقت ممكن قبل أن تصبحي حاملاً.
- اطلبي النصيحة من طبيبك أو الصيدلي قبل تناول هذا الدواء إذا كنت مرضعاً أو تخططين للرضاعة.
الحمل
يمكن استخدام نوليكس خلال الأشهر الثلاثة الأولى من الحمل إذا لزم الأمر.
إذا كنتِ تخططين للحمل أو إذا كنتِ حاملاً أو تعتقدين بأنك حاملاً، تحدث مع طبيبك على الفور.
إذا أصبحت حاملاً وتعاني من الصرع، من المهم عدم إيقاف تناول الدواء دون استشارة الطبيب أولاً، لأن هذا قد يؤدي إلى تفاقم المرض. تفاقم الصرع لديك قد يعرضك والجنين للخطر.
في دراسة لمراجعة البيانات من النساء في بلدان الشمال اللاتي تناولن جابابينتين في الأشهر الثلاثة الأولى من الحمل، لم يكن هناك خطر متزايد للعيوب الخلقية أو مشاكل في تطور وظائف الدماغ (اضطرابات النمو العصبي). ومع ذلك، فإن أطفال النساء اللاتي تناولن جابابينتين أثناء الحمل كانوا أكثر عرضة لخطر انخفاض الوزن عند الولادة والولادة المبكرة.
إذا تم استخدامه أثناء الحمل، فقد يؤدي جابابينتين إلى أعراض الانسحاب عند الأطفال حديثي الولادة. قد يزداد هذا الخطر عند تناول جابابينتين مع المسكنات الأفيونية (أدوية لعلاج الألم الشديد).
اتصل بطبيبك على الفور إذا أصبحت حاملاً، تعتقدين بأنك حامل أو إذا كنت تخططين للحمل أثناء تناول نوليكس. لا توقفي تناول هذا الدواء فجأة، فقد ينتج عن ذلك حدوث نوبة تشنجية مفاجئة، والتي قد تسبب مضاعفات خطيرة لك ولطفلك.
الرضاعة
يفرز جابابينتين وهي المادة الفعالة لنوليكس في حليب الأم. ولأن تأثيره على الطفل غير معروف، لا يوصى بالرضاعة الطبيعية أثناء استخدام جابابينتين.
الخصوبة
لم يثبت وجود أية تأثير على الخصوبة في الدراسات التي أجريت على الحيوانات.
القيادة واستخدام الآلات
قد يسبب جابابينتين الدوار، النعاس والتعب. لذا يجب عدم القيام بالقيادة، تشغيل الآلات المعقدة أو القيام بالأنشطة الأخرى التي من المحتمل أن تكون خطيرة حتى تتعرف على تأثير هذا الدواء على قدرتك على القيام بهذه الأنشطة.
تناول هذا الدواء تمامًا كما أخبرك الطبيب أو الصيدلي. راجع الطبيب أو الصيدلي إذا لم تكن متأكدًا. لا تتناول جرعة من الدواء أعلى مما هو موصوف.
سيحدد الطبيب الجرعة المناسبة لك.
الجرعة الموصى بها لعلاج الصرع هي:
البالغون والمراهقون
قم بتناول العدد المحدد من الكبسولات كما أخبرك الطبيب. عادة ما يقوم الطبيب برفع الجرعة تدريجيًا. غالباً ما تكون الجرعة الأولية تتراوح ما بين 300 و900 ملغم كل يوم. لذا، يمكن زيادة الجرعة وفقًا لتعليمات الطبيب حتى تصل إلى الجرعة القصوى 3600 ملغم كل يوم والتي سيخبرك الطبيب بتناولها على 3 جرعات منفصلة، على سبيل المثال جرعة واحدة في الصباح، واحدة بعد الظهر وواحدة في المساء.
الأطفال في عمر 6 سنوات وأكثر
سيحدد الطبيب الجرعة المناسبة لطفلك وفقًا لوزنه. يبدأ العلاج بجرعة أولية منخفضة ترفع تدريجيًا على فترات مدتها 3 أيام تقريبًا. الجرعة المعتادة للسيطرة على الصرع هي 25-35 ملغم لكل كلغم كل يوم. تؤخذ الجرعة عادةً على 3 جرعات منفصلة عن طريق تناول الكبسولات كل يوم، عادة كبسولة واحدة في الصباح، واحدة بعد الظهر وواحدة في المساء.
الأطفال في عمر أقل من 6 سنوات
لا يوصى باستعمال نوليكس لدى الأطفال بعمر أقل من 6 سنوات.
الجرعة الموصى بها لعلاج ألم الاعتلال العصبي المحيطي هي:
البالغون
قم بتناول العدد المحدد من الكبسولات كما أخبرك الطبيب. عادةً ما يقوم الطبيب برفع الجرعة تدريجيًا. غالباً ما تكون الجرعة الأولية تتراوح ما بين 300 و900 ملغم كل يوم. لذلك، يمكن زيادة الجرعة وفقًا لتعليمات الطبيب حتى تصل إلى الجرعة القصوى 3600 ملغم كل يوم والتي سيخبرك الطبيب بتناولها على 3 جرعات منفصلة؛ جرعة واحدة في الصباح، واحدة بعد الظهر وواحدة في المساء.
إذا كنت تعاني من مشاكل كلوية أو تخضع للغسيل الكلوي
قد يصف لك الطبيب جدول جرعات و/أو جرعات مختلفة إذا كنت تعاني من مشاكل في الكلى أو تخضع للغسيل الكلوي.
إذا كنت مريضًا مسنًا (أكبر من 65 سنة)
يجب تلقي الجرعة المعتادة من نوليكس إلا إذا كنت تعاني من مشاكل في الكلى. قد يصف لك الطبيب جدول جرعات و/أو جرعات مختلفة إذا كنت تعاني من مشاكل في الكلى.
تحدث مع طبيبك أو الصيدلي في أسرع وقت ممكن إذا كان لديك انطباع بأن تأثير نوليكس قوي جدًا أو ضعيف جدًا.
طريقة الاستخدام
يستخدم نوليكس عن طريق الفم. قم ببلع الكبسولات دائماً مع كمية وفيرة من الماء.
استمر بتناول نوليكس حتى يخبرك الطبيب بالتوقف عنه.
إذا تناولت نوليكس أكثر من اللازم
قد يسبب تناول جرعات أعلى من الموصى بها زيادة في الآثار الجانبية مثل فقدان الوعي، الدوار، ازدواج الرؤية، تداخل الكلام، النعاس والإسهال. اتصل بالطبيب أو توجه إلى أقرب وحدة طوارئ في المستشفى على الفور إذا تناولت جرعة من نوليكس أعلى مما وصفه الطبيب لك. قم بأخذ الكبسولات التي لم تتناولها مع العبوة والملصق إلى المستشفى حتى يتم التعرف بسهولة على الدواء الذي تناولته.
إذا نسيت تناول نوليكس
في حالة نسيانك تناول جرعتك، قم بتناولها فور تذكرها إلا إذا كنت على مقربة من موعد الجرعة التالية. تجنب تناول جرعة مضاعفة لتعويض الجرعة المنسية.
إذا توقفت عن تناول نوليكس
لا تتوقف عن تناول نوليكس فجأة. إذا كنت تريد التوقف عن تناول نوليكس، تناقش مع طبيبك أولاً. سوف يتم إخبارك بطريقة إيقافه. إذا تم إيقاف علاجك فيجب أن تتوقف عنه تدريجيًا على مدار أسبوع على الأقل. بعد التوقف عن العلاج قصير أو طويل الأمد باستخدام جابابينتين، عليك أن تعرف أنك قد تواجه بعض الآثار الجانبية، ما يسمى بآثار الانسحاب. يمكن أن تشمل هذه التأثيرات النوبات الصرعية، القلق، صعوبة النوم، الشعور بالمرض (الغثيان)، الألم، التعرق، الارتعاش، الصداع، الاكتئاب، الشعور غير الطبيعي، الدوخة، والشعور بالتوعك بشكل عام. تحدث هذه التأثيرات عادةً خلال 48 ساعة بعد إيقاف نوليكس. إذا واجهت آثار الانسحاب، يجب عليك الاتصال بطبيبك.
إذا كان لديك أية أسئلة إضافية حول استخدام هذا الدواء، فيرجى استشارة الطبيب أو الصيدلي.
مثل جميع الأدوية، قد يسبب هذا الدواء آثارًا جانبيةً، إلا أنه ليس بالضرورة أن تحدث لدى جميع مستخدمي هذا الدواء.
توقف عن استخدام جابابينتين واطلب العناية الطبية فورًا إذا لاحظت أيًا من الأعراض التالية:
- بقع حمراء غير مرتفعة، تشبه الهدف أو دائرية على الجذع، وغالبًا ما تكون مصحوبة ببثور مركزية، تقشير الجلد، وتقرحات الفم، الحلق، الأنف، الأعضاء التناسلية والعينين. يمكن أن يسبق هذه الطفح الجلدي الخطير حمى وأعراض تشبه أعراض الأنفلونزا (متلازمة ستيفنز جونسون، تقشر الأنسجة المتموتة البشروية التسممي).
- طفح واسع النطاق، ارتفاع في درجة حرارة الجسم وتضخم الغدد الليمفاوية (متلازمة التفاعل الدوائي مع اليُوزينِيَّات، والأعراض الجهازية أو متلازمة فرط الحساسية للأدوية).
اتصل بطبيبك على الفور إذا أصبت بأي من الأعراض التالية بعد تناول هذا الدواء نظراً لخطورتها:
- ألم متواصل في المعدة، الغثيان والقيء فقد تمثل هذه أعراض التهاب البنكرياس الحاد
- مشاكل في التنفس، والتي في حال كانت شديدة فقد تحتاج إلى الطوارئ والعناية المركزة للإستمرار بالتنفس بشكل طبيعي
- قد يسبب جابابينتين رد فعل تحسسيًا خطيرًا أو مهدداً للحياة والذي قد يؤثر على الجلد أو أجزاء أخرى من الجسم مثل الكبد أو خلايا الدم. قد تصاب أو لا تصاب بطفح عند تعرضك لهذا النوع من رد الفعل. قد تضطر إلى الدخول إلى المستشفى أو وقف تناول جابابينتين. اتصل بالطبيب على الفور إذا كنت تعاني من أي من الأعراض التالية:
- الطفح الجلدي واحمرار و/أو تساقط الشعر
- الشرى
- الحمى
- تورم الغدد الذي لا يزول
- تورم الشفتين، الوجه واللسان
- اصفرار الجلد أو بياض العينين
- تكدم أو نزيف غير طبيعي
- الإرهاق أو الضعف الشديد
- ألم غير متوقع في العضلات
- عدوى متكررة
قد تكون هذه الأعراض هي أولى علامات حدوث رد فعل خطير. سيقوم الطبيب بفحصك وتقرير ما إذا يجب عليك الاستمرار بتناول جابابينتين.
- إذا كنت تخضع للغسيل الكلوي، فأبلغ طبيبك حال تعرضك لألم و/أو ضعف في العضلات.
تشمل الآثار الجانبية الأخرى على:
شائعة جدًا (قد تؤثر في أكثر من شخص من بين كل 10 أشخاص)
- عدوى فيروسية
- الشعور بالنعاس، الدوخة، فقدان القدرة على تنسيق الحركة
- الشعور بالتعب، الحمى
شائعة (قد تؤثر فيما يصل إلى شخص من بين كل 10 أشخاص)
- الالتهاب الرئوي، العدوى التنفسية، عدوى الجهاز البولي، التهاب الأذن أو أشكال العدوى الأخرى
- انخفاض عدد كريات الدم البيضاء
- فقد الشهية أو زيادتها
- الغضب من الآخرين، التشوش، تغيرات في المزاج، الاكتئاب، القلق، العصبية، صعوبة التفكير
- التشنجات، حركات نفضية، صعوبة الكلام، فقدان الذاكرة، الرعاش، صعوبة النوم، الصداع، تحسس الجلد، انخفاض الإحساس (الخدران)، صعوبة تنسيق الحركات، حركات العين غير الطبيعية، زيادة، انخفاض أو غياب المنعكسات
- تغيم الرؤية، ازدواج الرؤية
- الدوار
- ارتفاع ضغط الدم، التورد أو توسع الأوعية الدموية
- صعوبة التنفس، التهاب الشعب الهوائية، التهاب الحلق، السعال، جفاف الأنف
- القيء، الغثيان، مشكلات في الأسنان، التهاب اللثة، الإسهال، ألم المعدة، عسر الهضم، الإمساك، جفاف الفم أو الحلق، الانتفاخ
- تورم الوجه، الكدمات ،الطفح، الحكة، حب الشباب
- ألم المفاصل، ألم العضلات، ألم الظهر، النفضان
- صعوبة الانتصاب (الضعف الجنسي)
- تورم الساقين والذراعين، صعوبة المشي، الضعف، الألم، الشعور بالتوعك، الأعراض المشابهة للإنفلونزا
- انخفاض عدد كريات الدم البيضاء، زيادة الوزن
- الإصابات العارضة، الكسور، الخدوش
إضافة إلى ذلك، تم الإبلاغ عن تطور السلوك العدائي والحركات النفضية في الدراسات السريرية على الأطفال بشكل شائع.
غير شائعة (قد تؤثر فيما يصل إلى شخص من بين كل 100 شخص)
- انفعال (حالة من الانزعاج المزمن وحركات غير مقصودة وعشوائية)
- رد الفعل التحسسي مثل الشرى
- انخفاض الحركة
- تسارع نبضات القلب
- صعوبة في البلع
- التورم الذي قد يشمل الوجه، الجذع والأطراف
- نتائج فحوصات الدم غير الطبيعية والتي تشير إلى حدوث مشكلات في الكبد
- اختلال عقلي
- السقوط
- ارتفاع نسبة السكر في الدم (غالبًا ما يلاحظ لدى مرضى السكري)
نادرة (قد تؤثر فيما يصل إلى شخص من بين كل 1000 شخص)
- انخفاض نسبة السكر في الدم (غالبًا ما يلاحظ لدى مرضى السكري)
- فقدان الوعي
- مشكلات في التنفس، أنفاس ضحلة (تَثْبِيط الجهاز التَنَفُّسِيّ)
بعد تسويق جابابينتين تم الإبلاغ عن الآثار الجانبية التالية:
- انخفاض عدد الصفائح الدموية (خلايا تخثر الدم)
- أفكار انتحارية، هلوسات
- مشكلات تتعلق بحركات غير طبيعية مثل التلوي، الحركات النفضية والتصلب
- طنين الأذن
- اصفرار الجلد والعينين (اليرقان)، التهاب الكبد
- الفشل الكلوي الحاد، سلس
- زيادة نسيج الثدي، تضخم الثدي
- آثار عكسية تلي التوقف المفاجئ عن تناول جابابينتين (القلق، صعوبة النوم، الغثيان، الألم، التعرق)، ألم الصدر
- تحلل الألياف العضلية (تحلل العضلات)
- تغير نتائج فحوصات الدم (ارتفاع فوسفوكيناز الكرياتين)
- مشكلات في الوظائف الجنسية مثل عدم الوصول إلى النشوة الجنسية، تأخر القذف
- انخفاض مستوى الصوديوم في الدم
- تأق (ردود فعل تحسسية خطيرة ومهددة للحياة تتضمن صعوبة في التنفس، تورم الشفتين، الحلق، واللسان، وانخفاض ضغط الدم الذي سيتطلب علاج طارئ)
- الاعتماد على جابابينتين (’الاعتماد على الأدوية‘)
بعد التوقف عن العلاج قصير أو طويل الأمد باستخدام جابابينتين، عليك أن تعرف أنك قد تواجه بعض الآثار الجانبية، ما يسمى بآثار الانسحاب (انظر "إذا توقفت عن تناول نوليكس").
احفظ هذا الدواء بعيداً عن مرأى ومتناول الأطفال.
يحفظ عند درجة حرارة أقل من 30° مئوية.
يحفظ داخل العبوة الأصلية.
لا تستخدم هذا الدواء بعد تاريخ انتهاء الصلاحية المذكور على العبوة الخارجية بعد “EXP”. يشير تاريخ انتهاء الصلاحية إلى اليوم الأخير من ذلك الشهر.
لا تستخدم هذا الدواء إذا لاحظت أي علامات تلف واضحة عليه.
لا تتخلص من أي أدوية عن طريق مياه الصرف الصحي أو النفايات المنزلية. اسأل الصيدلي عن كيفية التخلص من الأدوية التي لم تعد بحاجة إليها. هذه الإجراءات ستساعد في الحفاظ على سلامة البيئة.
المادة الفعالة هي جابابينتين.
تحتوي كل كبسولة من نوليكس 100 ملغم، 300 ملغم و400 ملغم كبسولات على 100 ملغم، 300 ملغم أو400 ملغم جابابينتين؛ على التوالي.
المواد الأخرى المستخدمة في التركيبة التصنيعية هي نشا الذرة والتالك.
نوليكس 100 ملغم كبسولات هي كبسولات معتمة لونها رمادي فاتح مطبوعًا عليها "GX" على الغطاء و"100" على الجسم في أشرطة شفافة من كلوريد متعدد الڤينيل/متعدد الإيثيلين/ثنائي كلوريد متعدد الڤينيلدين-الألومنيوم.
حجم العبوة: 20 كبسولة.
نوليكس 300 ملغم كبسولات هي كبسولات معتمة لونها أصفر مطبوعًا عليها "GX" على الغطاء و"300" على الجسم في أشرطة شفافة من كلوريد متعدد الڤينيل/متعدد الإيثيلين/ثنائي كلوريد متعدد الڤينيلدين-الألومنيوم.
حجم العبوة: 50 كبسولة.
نوليكس 400 ملغم كبسولات هي كبسولات معتمة بلون الكراميل الفاتح مطبوعًا عليها "GX" على الغطاء و400"" على الجسم في أشرطة شفافة من كلوريد متعدد الڤينيل/متعدد الإيثيلين/ثنائي كلوريد متعدد الڤينيلدين-الألومنيوم.
حجم العبوة: 50 كبسولة.
مالك رخصة التسويق والشركة المصنعة
شركة الجزيرة للصناعات الدوائية
طريق الخرج
صندوق بريد 106229
الرياض 11666، المملكة العربية السعودية
هاتف: 8107023 (11-966) +، 2142472 (11-966) +
فاكس: 2078170 (11-966) +
البريد الإلكتروني: SAPV@hikma.com
للإبلاغ عن الآثار الجانبية
تحدث إلى الطبيب، الصيدلي، أو الممرض إذا عانيت من أية آثار جانبية. وذلك يشمل أي آثار جانبية لم يتم ذكرها في هذه النشرة. كما أنه يمكنك الإبلاغ عن هذه الآثار مباشرةً (انظر التفاصيل المذكورة أدناه). من خلال الإبلاغ عن الآثار الجانبية، يمكنك المساعدة بتوفير معلومات مهمة عن سلامة الدواء.
- المملكة العربية السعودية
المركز الوطني للتيقظ الدوائي
مركز الاتصال الموحد: 19999
البريد الإلكتروني: npc.drug@sfda.gov.sa
الموقع الإلكتروني: https://ade.sfda.gov.sa
- دول الخليج العربي الأخرى
الرجاء الاتصال بالجهات الوطنية في كل دولة.
Epilepsy
Nulex is indicated as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial seizures with and without secondary generalization in adults and children aged 6 years and above (see section 5.1).
Nulex is indicated as monotherapy in the treatment of partial seizures with and without secondary generalization in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and above.
Treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain
Nulex is indicated for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain such as painful diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia in adults.
Posology
For all indications a titration scheme for the initiation of therapy is described in Table 1, which is recommended for adults and adolescents aged 12 years and above. Dosing instructions for children under 12 years of age are provided under a separate sub-heading later in this section.
Table 1 | ||
Dosing Chart – Initial Titration | ||
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
300 mg once a day | 300 mg two times a day | 300 mg three times a day |
Discontinuation of gabapentin
In accordance with current clinical practice, if gabapentin has to be discontinued it is recommended this should be done gradually over a minimum of 1 week independent of the indication.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy typically requires long-term therapy. Dosage is determined by the treating physician according to individual tolerance and efficacy.
Adults and adolescents
In clinical trials, the effective dosing range was 900 to 3600 mg/day. Therapy may be initiated by titrating the dose as described in Table 1 or by administering 300 mg three times a day (TID) on Day 1. Thereafter, based on individual patient response and tolerability, the dose can be further increased in 300 mg/day increments every 2-3 days up to a maximum dose of 3600 mg/day. Slower titration of gabapentin dosage may be appropriate for individual patients. The minimum time to reach a dose of 1800 mg/day is one week, to reach 2400 mg/day is a total of 2 weeks, and to reach 3600 mg/day is a total of 3 weeks. Dosages up to 4800 mg/day have been well tolerated in long-term open-label clinical studies. The total daily dose should be divided in three single doses, the maximum time interval between the doses should not exceed 12 hours to prevent breakthrough convulsions.
Children aged 6 years and above
The starting dose should range from 10 to 15 mg/kg/day and the effective dose is reached by upward titration over a period of approximately three days. The effective dose of gabapentin in children aged 6 years and older is 25 to 35 mg/kg/day. Dosages up to 50 mg/kg/day have been well tolerated in a long-term clinical study. The total daily dose should be divided in three single doses, the maximum time interval between doses should not exceed 12 hours.
It is not necessary to monitor gabapentin plasma concentrations to optimize gabapentin therapy. Further, gabapentin may be used in combination with other anti-epileptic medicinal products without concern for alteration of the plasma concentrations of gabapentin or serum concentrations of other anti-epileptic medicinal products.
Peripheral neuropathic pain
Adults
The therapy may be initiated by titrating the dose as described in Table 1. Alternatively, the starting dose is 900 mg/day given as three equally divided doses. Thereafter, based on individual patient response and tolerability, the dose can be further increased in 300 mg/day increments every 2-3 days up to a maximum dose of 3600 mg/day. Slower titration of gabapentin dosage may be appropriate for individual patients. The minimum time to reach a dose of 1800 mg/day is one week, to reach 2400 mg/day is a total of 2 weeks, and to reach 3600 mg/day is a total of 3 weeks.
In the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain such as painful diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia, efficacy and safety have not been examined in clinical studies for treatment periods longer than 5 months. If a patient requires dosing longer than 5 months for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain, the treating physician should assess the patient's clinical status and determine the need for additional therapy.
Instruction for all areas of indication
In patients with poor general health, i.e., low body weight, after organ transplantation etc., the dose should be titrated more slowly, either by using smaller dosage strengths or longer intervals between dosage increases.
Elderly (over 65 years of age)
Elderly patients may require dosage adjustment because of declining renal function with age (see Table 2). Somnolence, peripheral oedema and asthenia may be more frequent in elderly patients.
Renal impairment
Dosage adjustment is recommended in patients with compromised renal function as described in Table 2 and/or those undergoing haemodialysis. Gabapentin 100 mg capsules can be used to follow dosing recommendations for patients with renal insufficiency.
Table 2 | |
Dosage of gabapentin in adults based on renal function | |
Creatinine clearance (ml/min) | Total daily dosea (mg/day) |
≥80 | 900-3600 |
50-79 | 600-1800 |
30-49 | 300-900 |
15-29 | 150b-600 |
<15c | 150b-300 |
a Total daily dose should be administered as three divided doses. Reduced dosages are for patients with renal impairment (creatinine clearance < 79 ml/min).
b The 150 mg daily dose to be administered as 300 mg every other day.
c For patients with creatinine clearance <15 ml/min, the daily dose should be reduced in proportion to creatinine clearance (e.g., patients with a creatinine clearance of 7.5 ml/min should receive one-half the daily dose that patients with a creatinine clearance of 15 ml/min receive).
Use in patients undergoing haemodialysis
For anuric patients undergoing haemodialysis who have never received gabapentin, a loading dose of 300 to 400 mg, then 200 to 300 mg of gabapentin following each 4 hours of haemodialysis, is recommended. On dialysis-free days, there should be no treatment with gabapentin.
For renally impaired patients undergoing haemodialysis, the maintenance dose of gabapentin should be based on the dosing recommendations found in Table 2. In addition to the maintenance dose, an additional 200 to 300 mg dose following each 4-hour haemodialysis treatment is recommended.
Method of administration
For oral use.
Gabapentin can be given with or without food and should be swallowed whole with sufficient fluid-intake (e.g. a glass of water).
Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs)
Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), which can be life-threatening or fatal, have been reported in association with gabapentin treatment. At the time of prescription patients should be advised of the signs and symptoms and monitored closely for skin reactions. If signs and symptoms suggestive of these reactions appear, gabapentin should be withdrawn immediately and an alternative treatment considered (as appropriate).
If the patient has developed a serious reaction such as SJS, TEN or DRESS with the use of gabapentin, treatment with gabapentin must not be restarted in this patient at any time.
Anaphylaxis
Gabapentin can cause anaphylaxis. Signs and symptoms in reported cases have included difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, throat, and tongue, and hypotension requiring emergency treatment. Patients should be instructed to discontinue gabapentin and seek immediate medical care should they experience signs or symptoms of anaphylaxis (see section 4.8).
Suicidal ideation and behaviour
Suicidal ideation and behaviour have been reported in patients treated with anti-epileptic agents in several indications. A meta-analysis of randomised placebo controlled trials of anti-epileptic drugs has also shown a small increased risk of suicidal ideation and behaviour. The mechanism of this risk is not known. Cases of suicidal ideation and behaviour have been observed in patients treated with gabapentin in the post-marketing experience (see section 4.8).
Patients (and caregivers of patients) should be advised to seek medical advice should signs of suicidal ideation or behaviour emerge. Patients should be monitored for signs of suicidal ideation and behaviours and appropriate treatment should be considered. Discontinuation of gabapentin treatment should be considered in case of suicidal ideation and behaviour.
Acute pancreatitis
If a patient develops acute pancreatitis under treatment with gabapentin, discontinuation of gabapentin should be considered (see section 4.8).
Seizures
Although there is no evidence of rebound seizures with gabapentin, abrupt withdrawal of anticonvulsants in epileptic patients may precipitate status epilepticus (see section 4.2).
As with other anti-epileptic medicinal products, some patients may experience an increase in seizure frequency or the onset of new types of seizures with gabapentin.
As with other anti-epileptics, attempts to withdraw concomitant anti-epileptics in treatment refractive patients on more than one anti-epileptic, in order to reach gabapentin monotherapy have a low success rate.
Gabapentin is not considered effective against primary generalized seizures such as absences and may aggravate these seizures in some patients. Therefore, gabapentin should be used with caution in patients with mixed seizures including absences.
Gabapentin treatment has been associated with dizziness and somnolence, which could increase the occurrence of accidental injury (fall). There have also been post-marketing reports of confusion, loss of consciousness and mental impairment. Therefore, patients should be advised to exercise caution until they are familiar with the potential effects of the medication.
Concomitant use with opioids and other CNS depressants
Patients who require concomitant treatment with central nervous system (CNS) depressants, including opioids, should be carefully observed for signs of CNS depression, such as somnolence, sedation, and respiratory depression. Patients who use gabapentin and morphine concomitantly may experience increases in gabapentin concentrations. The dose of gabapentin, or concomitant treatment with CNS depressants including opioids, should be reduced appropriately (see section 4.5).
Caution is advised when prescribing gabapentin concomitantly with opioids due to risk of CNS depression. In a population-based, observational, nested case-control study of opioid users, co-prescription of opioids and gabapentin was associated with an increased risk for opioid-related death compared to opioid prescription use alone (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.49 [95% CI, 1.18 to 1.88, p<0.001]).
Respiratory depression
Gabapentin has been associated with severe, serious, life-threatening, and fatal respiratory depression. Patients with compromised respiratory function such as patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory or neurological disease, renal impairment, concomitant use of opioids and other CNS depressants and the elderly might be at higher risk of experiencing this severe adverse reaction. Dose adjustments might be necessary in these patients. Health care providers should start gabapentinoids at the lowest dose and monitor patients for symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation when co-prescribing gabapentinoids with an opioid or other CNS depressants (eg, benzodiazepines).
Elderly (over 65 years of age)
No systematic studies in patients 65 years or older have been conducted with gabapentin. In one double blind study in patients with neuropathic pain, somnolence, peripheral oedema and asthenia occurred in a somewhat higher percentage in patients aged 65 years or above, than in younger patients. Apart from these findings, clinical investigations in this age group do not indicate an adverse event profile different from that observed in younger patients.
Paediatric population
The effects of long-term (greater than 36 weeks) gabapentin therapy on learning, intelligence, and development in children and adolescents have not been adequately studied. The benefits of prolonged therapy must therefore be weighed against the potential risks of such therapy.
Misuse, abuse potential and dependence
Gabapentin can cause drug dependence, which may occur at therapeutic doses. Cases of abuse and misuse have been reported. Patients with a history of substance abuse may be at higher risk for gabapentin misuse, abuse and dependence, and gabapentin should be used with caution in such patients. Before prescribing gabapentin, the patient's risk of misuse, abuse or dependence should be carefully evaluated.
Patients treated with gabapentin should be monitored for symptoms of gabapentin misuse, abuse or dependence, such as development of tolerance, dose escalation and drug-seeking behaviour.
Withdrawal symptoms
After discontinuation of short-term and long-term treatment with gabapentin, withdrawal symptoms have been observed. Withdrawal symptoms may occur shortly after discontinuation, usually within 48 hours. Most frequently reported symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, nausea, pains, sweating, tremor, headache, depression, feeling abnormal, dizziness, and malaise. The occurrence of withdrawal symptoms following discontinuation of gabapentin may indicate drug dependence (see section 4.8). The patient should be informed about this at the start of the treatment. If gabapentin should be discontinued, it is recommended this should be done gradually over a minimum of 1 week independent of the indication (see section 4.2).
Laboratory tests
False positive readings may be obtained in the semi-quantitative determination of total urine protein by dipstick tests. It is therefore recommended to verify such a positive dipstick test result by methods based on a different analytical principle such as the Biuret method, turbidimetric or dye-binding methods, or to use these alternative methods from the beginning.
There are spontaneous and literature case reports of respiratory depression, sedation, and death associated with gabapentin when co-administered with CNS depressants, including opioids. In some of these reports, the authors considered the combination of gabapentin with opioids to be a particular concern in frail patients, in the elderly, in patients with serious underlying respiratory disease, with polypharmacy, and in those with substance abuse disorders.
In a study involving healthy volunteers (N=12), when a 60 mg controlled-release morphine capsule was administered 2 hours prior to a 600 mg gabapentin capsule, mean gabapentin AUC increased by 44% compared to gabapentin administered without morphine. Therefore, patients who require concomitant treatment with opioids should be carefully observed for signs of CNS depression, such as somnolence, sedation and respiratory depression and the dose of gabapentin or opioid should be reduced appropriately.
Furthermore, serious breathing problems may occur with gabapentin when co-administered with CNS depressants such as benzodiazepine. Therefore, monitor for symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation in patients who require concomitant treatment with CNS depressants.
Gabapentin steady-state pharmacokinetics are similar for healthy subjects and patients with epilepsy receiving these antiepileptic agents.
Co-administration of gabapentin with oral contraceptives containing norethindrone and/or ethinyl estradiol, does not influence the steady-state pharmacokinetics of either component.
Co-administration of gabapentin with antacids containing aluminium and magnesium, reduces gabapentin bioavailability up to 24%. It is recommended that gabapentin be taken at the earliest two hours following antacid administration.
Renal excretion of gabapentin is unaltered by probenecid.
A slight decrease in renal excretion of gabapentin that is observed when it is co-administered with cimetidine is not expected to be of clinical importance.
Pregnancy
Risk related to epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in general
Specialist advice regarding the potential risk to a foetus caused by both seizures and antiepileptic treatment should be given to women of childbearing potential, and especially to women planning for pregnancy and women who are pregnant. The need for antiepileptic treatment should be reviewed when a woman is planning to become pregnant. In women being treated for epilepsy, no sudden discontinuation of antiepileptic therapy should be undertaken as this may lead to breakthrough seizures, which could have serious consequences for both mother and child. Monotherapy should be preferred whenever possible because therapy with multiple AEDs could be associated with a higher risk of congenital malformations than monotherapy, depending on the antiepileptics used.
Risk related to gabapentin
Gabapentin crosses the human placenta.
Data from a Nordic observational study of more than 1700 pregnancies exposed to gabapentin in the first trimester showed no higher risk of major congenital malformations among the children exposed to gabapentin compared to the unexposed children and compared to the children exposed to pregabalin, lamotrigine and pregabalin or lamotrigine. Likewise, no increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders was observed in children exposed to gabapentin during pregnancy.
There was limited evidence of a higher risk of low birth weight and preterm birth but not of stillbirth, small for gestational age, low Apgar score at 5 minutes and microcephaly in newborns of women exposed to gabapentin.
Studies in animals have shown reproductive toxicity (see section 5.3).
Gabapentin can be used during the first trimester of pregnancy if clinically needed.
Neonatal withdrawal syndrome has been reported in newborns exposed in utero to gabapentin. Co-exposure to gabapentin and opioids during pregnancy may increase the risk of neonatal withdrawal syndrome. Newborns should be monitored carefully.
Breast-feeding
Gabapentin is excreted in human milk. Because the effect on the breast-fed infant is unknown, caution should be exercised when gabapentin is administered to a breast-feeding mother. Gabapentin should be used in breast-feeding mothers only if the benefits clearly outweigh the risks.
Fertility
There is no effect on fertility in animal studies (see section 5.3).
Gabapentin may have minor or moderate influence on the ability to drive and use machines. Gabapentin acts on the central nervous system and may cause drowsiness, dizziness or other related symptoms. Even, if they were only of mild or moderate degree, these undesirable effects could be potentially dangerous in patients driving or operating machinery. This is especially true at the beginning of the treatment and after increase in dose.
The adverse reactions observed during clinical studies conducted in epilepsy (adjunctive and monotherapy) and neuropathic pain have been provided in a single list below by class and frequency: very common (≥ 1/10); common (≥ 1/100 to< 1/10); uncommon (≥ 1/1000 to < 1/100); rare (≥ 1/10000 to < 1/1000); very rare (< 1/10000). Where an adverse reaction was seen at different frequencies in clinical studies, it was assigned to the highest frequency reported.
Additional reactions reported from post-marketing experience are included as frequency Not known (cannot be estimated from the available data) in italics in the list below.
Within each frequency grouping, undesirable effects are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.
System organ class | Adverse drug reactions |
Infections and infestations | |
Very Common | viral infection |
Common | pneumonia, respiratory infection, urinary tract infection, infection, otitis media |
Blood and the lymphatic system disorders | |
Common | leucopenia |
Not known | thrombocytopenia |
Immune system disorders | |
Uncommon | allergic reactions (e.g. urticaria) |
Not known | hypersensitivity syndrome (a systemic reaction with a variable presentation that can include fever, rash, hepatitis, lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia, and sometimes other signs and symptoms), anaphylaxis (see section 4.4) |
Metabolism and nutrition disorders | |
Common | anorexia, increased appetite |
Uncommon | hyperglycaemia (most often observed in patients with diabetes) |
Rare | hypoglycaemia (most often observed in patients with diabetes) |
Not known | hyponatraemia |
Psychiatric disorders | |
Common | hostility, confusion and emotional lability, depression, anxiety, nervousness, thinking abnormal |
Uncommon | agitation |
Not known | Suicidal ideation, hallucinations, drug dependence |
Nervous system disorders | |
Very Common | somnolence, dizziness, ataxia |
Common | convulsions, hyperkinesias, dysarthria, amnesia, tremor, insomnia, headache, sensations such as paresthesia, hypaesthesia, coordination abnormal, nystagmus, increased, decreased, or absent reflexes |
Uncommon | hypokinesia, mental impairment |
Rare | loss of consciousness |
Not known | other movement disorders (e.g. choreoathetosis, dyskinesia, dystonia) |
Eye disorders | |
Common | visual disturbances such as amblyopia, diplopia |
Ear and labyrinth disorders | |
Common | vertigo |
Not known | tinnitus |
Cardiac disorders | |
Uncommon | palpitations |
Vascular disorders | |
Common | hypertension, vasodilatation |
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | |
Common | dyspnoea, bronchitis, pharyngitis, cough, rhinitis |
Rare | respiratory depression |
Gastrointestinal disorders | |
Common | vomiting, nausea, dental abnormalities, gingivitis, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, constipation, dry mouth or throat, flatulence |
Uncommon | dysphagia |
Not known | pancreatitis |
Hepatobiliary disorders | |
Not known | hepatitis, jaundice |
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | |
Common | facial oedema, purpura most often described as bruises resulting from physical trauma, rash, pruritus, acne |
Not known | Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, angioedema, erythema multiforme, alopecia, drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (see section 4.4) |
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders | |
Common | arthralgia, myalgia, back pain, twitching |
Not known | rhabdomyolysis, myoclonus |
Renal and urinary disorder | |
Not known | acute renal failure, incontinence |
Reproductive system and breast disorders | |
Common | impotence |
Not known | breast hypertrophy, gynaecomastia, sexual dysfunction (including changes in libido, ejaculation disorders and anorgasmia) |
General disorders and administration site conditions | |
Very Common | fatigue, fever |
Common | peripheral oedema, abnormal gait, asthenia, pain, malaise, flu syndrome |
Uncommon | generalized oedema |
Not known | withdrawal reactions*, chest pain. Sudden unexplained deaths have been reported where a causal relationship to treatment with gabapentin has not been established. |
Investigations | |
Common | WBC (white blood cell count) decreased, weight gain |
Uncommon | elevated liver function tests SGOT (AST), SGPT (ALT) and bilirubin |
Not known | blood creatine phosphokinase increased |
Injury, poisoning and procedural complications | |
Common | accidental injury, fracture, abrasion |
Uncommon | fall |
*After discontinuation of short-term and long-term treatment with gabapentin, withdrawal symptoms have been observed. Withdrawal symptoms may occur shortly after discontinuation, usually within 48 hours. Most frequently reported symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, nausea, pains, sweating, tremor, headache, depression, feeling abnormal, dizziness, and malaise (see section 4.4). The occurrence of withdrawal symptoms following discontinuation of gabapentin may indicate drug dependence (see section 4.8). The patient should be informed about this at the start of the treatment. If gabapentin should be discontinued, it is recommended this should be done gradually over a minimum of 1 week independent of the indication (see section 4.2).
Under treatment with gabapentin cases of acute pancreatitis were reported. Causality with gabapentin is unclear (see section 4.4).
In patients on haemodialysis due to end-stage renal failure, myopathy with elevated creatine kinase levels has been reported.
Respiratory tract infections, otitis media, convulsions and bronchitis were reported only in clinical studies in children. Additionally, in clinical studies in children, aggressive behaviour and hyperkinesias were reported commonly.
Reporting of suspected adverse reactions
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorization of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via:
- Saudi Arabia
The National Pharmacovigilance Centre (NPC)
SFDA Call Center: 19999
E-mail: npc.drug@sfda.gov.sa
Website: https://ade.sfda.gov.sa
- Other GCC States
Please contact the relevant competent authority.
Acute, life-threatening toxicity has not been observed with gabapentin overdoses of up to 49 g. Symptoms of the overdoses included dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, lethargy and mild diarrhoea. All patients recovered fully with supportive care. Reduced absorption of gabapentin at higher doses may limit drug absorption at the time of overdosing and, hence, minimize toxicity from overdoses.
Overdoses of gabapentin, particularly in combination with other CNS depressant medications, may result in coma.
Although gabapentin can be removed by haemodialysis, based on prior experience it is usually not required. However, in patients with severe renal impairment, haemodialysis may be indicated.
An oral lethal dose of gabapentin was not identified in mice and rats given doses as high as 8000 mg/kg. Signs of acute toxicity in animals included ataxia, laboured breathing, ptosis, hypoactivity, or excitation.
Pharmacotherapeutic groups: Other anti-epileptics ATC code: N03AX12
Mechanism of action
Gabapentin readily enters the brain and prevents seizures in a number of animal models of epilepsy. Gabapentin does not possess affinity for either GABAA or GABAB receptor nor does it alter the metabolism of GABA. It does not bind to other neurotransmitter receptors of the brain and does not interact with sodium channels. Gabapentin binds with high affinity to the α2δ (alpha-2-delta) subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels and it is proposed that binding to the α2δ subunit may be involved in gabapentin's anti-seizure effects in animals. Broad panel screening does not suggest any other drug targets other than α2δ.
Evidence from several pre-clinical models inform that the pharmacological activity of gabapentin may be mediated via binding to α2δ through a reduction in release of excitatory neurotransmitters in regions of the central nervous system. Such activity may underlie gabapentin's anti-seizure activity. The relevance of these actions of gabapentin to the anticonvulsant effects in humans remains to be established.
Gabapentin also displays efficacy in several pre-clinical animal pain models. Specific binding of gabapentin to the α2δ subunit is proposed to result in several different actions that may be responsible for analgesic activity in animal models. The analgesic activities of gabapentin may occur in the spinal cord as well as at higher brain centers through interactions with descending pain inhibitory pathways. The relevance of these pre-clinical properties to clinical action in humans is unknown.
Clinical efficacy and safety
A clinical trial of adjunctive treatment of partial seizures in paediatric subjects, ranging in age from 3 to 12 years, showed a numerical but not statistically significant difference in the 50% responder rate in favour of the gabapentin group compared to placebo. Additional post-hoc analyses of the responder rates by age did not reveal a statistically significant effect of age, either as a continuous or dichotomous variable (age groups 3-5 and 6-12 years). The data from this additional post-hoc analysis are summarised in the table below:
Response (≥ 50% Improved) by treatment and age MITT* population | |||
Age category | Placebo | Gabapentin | P-Value |
< 6 Years old | 4/21 (19.0%) | 4/17 (23.5%) | 0.7362 |
6 to 12 Years Old | 17/99 (17.2%) | 20/96 (20.8%) | 0.5144 |
*The modified intent to treat population was defined as all patients randomised to study medication who also had evaluable seizure diaries available for 28 days during both the baseline and double-blind phases.
Absorption
Following oral administration, peak plasma gabapentin concentrations are observed within 2 to 3 hours. Gabapentin bioavailability (fraction of dose absorbed) tends to decrease with increasing dose. Absolute bioavailability of a 300 mg capsule is approximately 60%. Food, including a high-fat diet, has no clinically significant effect on gabapentin pharmacokinetics.
Gabapentin pharmacokinetics are not affected by repeated administration. Although plasma gabapentin concentrations were generally between 2 μg/mL and 20 μg/mL in clinical studies, such concentrations were not predictive of safety or efficacy. Pharmacokinetic parameters are given in Table 3.
Table 3 | ||||||
Summary of gabapentin mean (%CV) steady-state pharmacokinetic parameters following every eight hours administration | ||||||
Pharmacokinetic parameter | 300 mg (N = 7) | 400 mg (N = 14) | 800 mg (N=14) | |||
| Mean | %CV | Mean | %CV | Mean | %CV |
Cmax (μg/ml) | 4.02 | (24) | 5.74 | (38) | 8.71 | (29) |
tmax (hr) | 2.7 | (18) | 2.1 | (54) | 1.6 | (76) |
T1/2 (hr) | 5.2 | (12) | 10.8 | (89) | 10.6 | (41) |
AUC(0-8) μg.hr/ml) | 24.8 | (24) | 34.5 | (34) | 51.4 | (27) |
Ae% (%) | NA | NA | 47.2 | (25) | 34.4 | (37) |
Cmax = Maximum steady state plasma concentration tmax = Time for Cmax T1/2 = Elimination half-life AUC(0-8) = Steady state area under plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to 8 hours postdose Ae% = Percent of dose excreted unchanged into the urine from time 0 to 8 hours postdose NA = Not available
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Distribution
Gabapentin is not bound to plasma proteins and has a volume of distribution equal to 57.7 litres. In patients with epilepsy, gabapentin concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are approximately 20% of corresponding steady-state trough plasma concentrations. Gabapentin is present in the breast milk of breast-feeding women.
Biotransformation
There is no evidence of gabapentin metabolism in humans. Gabapentin does not induce hepatic mixed function oxidase enzymes responsible for drug metabolism.
Elimination
Gabapentin is eliminated unchanged solely by renal excretion. The elimination half-life of gabapentin is independent of dose and averages 5 to 7 hours.
In elderly patients, and in patients with impaired renal function, gabapentin plasma clearance is reduced. Gabapentin elimination-rate constant, plasma clearance, and renal clearance are directly proportional to creatinine clearance.
Gabapentin is removed from plasma by haemodialysis. Dosage adjustment in patients with compromised renal function or undergoing haemodialysis is recommended (see section 4.2).
Gabapentin pharmacokinetics in children were determined in 50 healthy subjects between the ages of 1 month and 12 years. In general, plasma gabapentin concentrations in children > 5 years of age are similar to those in adults when dosed on a mg/kg basis. In a pharmacokinetic study in 24 healthy paediatric subjects aged between 1 month and 48 months, an approximately 30% lower exposure (AUC), lower Cmax and higher clearance per body weight have been observed in comparison to available reported data in children older than 5 years.
Linearity/non-linearity
Gabapentin bioavailability (fraction of dose absorbed) decreases with increasing dose which imparts non-linearity to pharmacokinetic parameters which include the bioavailability parameter (F) e.g. Ae%, CL/F, Vd/F. Elimination pharmacokinetics (pharmacokinetic parameters which do not include F such as CLr and T1/2), are best described by linear pharmacokinetics. Steady state plasma gabapentin concentrations are predictable from single-dose data.
Carcinogenesis
Gabapentin was given in the diet to mice at 200, 600, and 2000 mg/kg/day and to rats at 250, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day for two years. A statistically significant increase in the incidence of pancreatic acinar cell tumors was found only in male rats at the highest dose. Peak plasma drug concentrations in rats at 2000 mg/kg/day are 10 times higher than plasma concentrations in humans given 3600 mg/day. The pancreatic acinar cell tumors in male rats are low-grade malignancies, did not affect survival, did not metastasize or invade surrounding tissue, and were similar to those seen in concurrent controls. The relevance of these pancreatic acinar cell tumors in male rats to carcinogenic risk in humans is unclear.
Mutagenesis
Gabapentin demonstrated no genotoxic potential. It was not mutagenic in vitro in standard assays using bacterial or mammalian cells. Gabapentin did not induce structural chromosome aberrations in mammalian cells in vitro or in vivo, and did not induce micronucleus formation in the bone marrow of hamsters.
Impairment of fertility
No adverse effects on fertility or reproduction were observed in rats at doses up to 2000 mg/kg (approximately five times the maximum daily human dose on a mg/m2 of body surface area basis).
Teratogenesis
Gabapentin did not increase the incidence of malformations, compared to controls, in the offspring of mice, rats, or rabbits at doses up to 50, 30 and 25 times respectively, the daily human dose of 3600 mg, (four, five or eight times, respectively, the human daily dose on a mg/m2 basis).
Gabapentin induced delayed ossification in the skull, vertebrae, forelimbs, and hindlimbs in rodents, indicative of fetal growth retardation. These effects occurred when pregnant mice received oral doses of 1000 or 3000 mg/kg/day during organogenesis and in rats given 2000 mg/kg prior to and during mating and throughout gestation. These doses are approximately 1 to 5 times the human dose of 3600 mg on a mg/m2 basis.
No effects were observed in pregnant mice given 500 mg/kg/day (approximately 1/2 of the daily human dose on a mg/m2 basis).
An increased incidence of hydroureter and/or hydronephrosis was observed in rats given 2000 mg/kg/day in a fertility and general reproduction study, 1500 mg/kg/day in a teratology study, and 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day in a perinatal and postnatal study. The significance of these findings is unknown, but they have been associated with delayed development. These doses are also approximately 1 to 5 times the human dose of 3600 mg on a mg/m2 basis.
In a teratology study in rabbits, an increased incidence of post-implantation fetal loss, occurred in pregnant rabbits given 60, 300, and 1500 mg/kg/day during organogenesis. These doses are approximately 0.3 to 8 times the daily human dose of 3600 mg on a mg/m2 basis. The margins of safety are insufficient to rule out the risk of these effects in humans.
- Maize starch
- Talc
Not applicable.
Store below 30°C.
Store in the original package.
Clear PVC/PE/PVDC-aluminum blisters.
Pack size: 20 Capsules.
No special requirements.