Information for patients Lisinopril Axapharm® 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg ...

Information for patients
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine.
This medicine has been prescribed for you. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again later.
Lisinopril Axapharm®
5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, divisible tablets
What Lisinopril Axapharm is and what it is used for
betes and are being treated with insulin or oral antidiabetics you
Lisinopril Axapharm is a medicine for the treatment of high blood should pay particular attention to signs of hypoglycaemia (low
pressure and heart failure (weak heart muscle, poor heart per- sugar level).
formance) and patients who have had a heart attack.
- Some medicines, especially water tablets (diuretics), medicines
Lisinopril Axapharm is also used by patients with sugar dabetes for high blood pressure, medicines that contain potassium, some
who suffer certain kidney function disorders linked to their dia- medicines for rheumatism (indomethacin), arthritis, muscle pain
betes.
or depression, and gold injections (e.g. sodium aurothiomalate)
Lisinopril Axapharm is one of a group of medicines called ACE in- normally used to treat chronic arthritis, can affect the action of
hibitors. Lisinopril Axapharm dilates the blood vessels and in that Lisinopril Axapharm.
way lowers the blood pressure and helps to improve the perform- - When taking the tablets for the first time, your blood pressure
ance of the heart.
may be influenced more strongly than during later treatment. If
Lisinopril Axapharm may be used only if prescribed by a doctor. your blood pressure is very low and you feel weak and/or dizzy,
lie down until you feel better, and tell your doctor.
Do not take Lisinopril Axapharm
- Lisinopril Axapharm should not be given to children and ado-
- if you are allergic to any of the ingredients or if you have pre- lescents.
viously developed swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, face, lips, - Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have other diseases or illtongue
or throat (difficulty in swallowing or breathing) after tak- nesses, if you have allergies or if you are taking (or using extering
a medicine to lower your blood pressure.
nally) any other medicines, including medicines obtained with-
- You should also tell your doctor if similar symptoms have occurred
in one of your relatives for any other reason.
out a prescription.
- You must not take Lisinopril Axapharm if you are pregnant or Pregnancy and breast-feeding
breast-feeding.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or are planning to become
pregnant. Lisinopril Axapharm should not be taken during preg-
Take special care with Lisinopril Axapharm
- This medicine can affect your ability to drive vehicles and to use
nancy or while breast-feeding.
tools or machines. This particularly applies at the start of treat- How to use Lisinopril Axapharm
ment or when changing from another treatment or if you drink Lisinopril Axapharm may be taken before, during or after meals.
alcohol.
Lisinopril Axapharm is administered once a day, preferably at the
- Tell your doctor about all illnesses and diseases that you have same time each day. The dose of Lisinopril Axapharm will be de-
had in the past or are suffering from now, especially diseases of termined by your doctor.
the kidneys (severe narrowing of the renal arteries).
It is important that you attend for regular check-ups by your doc-
- Tell your doctor also if you have narrowing of the aorta or a path- tor while taking Lisinopril Axapharm so that the treatment can be
ological enlargement of the heart muscle.
individually adjusted to suit your symptoms.
- Tell your doctor also if you are on a diet or if you have diarrhoea a) For high blood pressure
or vomiting.
Your doctor will adjust the dose to suit your state of health. The
- After taking Lisinopril Axapharm, if you notice swelling of usual starting dose is one tablet of Lisinopril Axapharm 10 mg
the face, eyes, lips or tongue or if you develop difficulty in once a day. The maintenance dose is usually one tablet of Lisino-
breathing, report this to your doctor immediately. Do not pril Axapharm 20 mg once a day. The other medicines that you
take Lisinopril Axapharm any more until you have discussed are taking will also be taken into account. If you have already
this with your doctor.
been taking water tablets (diuretics) before the start of this
- If you have to undergo dialysis, you must tell the health profes- treatment or are on a low salt diet, your doctor will either stop
sionals involved in this that you are taking Lisinopril Axapharm the diuretic 2-3 days before the treatment or reduce the initial
(a ACE inhibitor) since some blood filter membranes or certain dose of Lisinopril Axapharm.
dialysis procedures should not be used in this case.
b) For heart failure
- If you have to undergo surgery, you should tell the doctor be- If diuretics and/or digitalis are not adequately effective,
forehand that you are taking Lisinopril Axapharm.
Lisinopril Axapharm may be additionally given. Heart failure
- If you want to have desensitisation therapy against bee or wasp should be treated only under close medical supervision. The dose
stings, tell your doctor in advance since your treatment with is determined by the doctor and serves to supplement an exist-
Lisinopril Axapharm will need to be altered. Allergic reactions to ing treatment (usually digitalis and/or diuretic). The usual mainte-
insect bites and stings may occur in rare cases.
nance dose is 5 - 20 mg Lisinopril Axapharm once a day.
- In rare cases, Lisinopril Axapharm may intensify the actions of c) After a heart attack
insulin or oral antidiabetic medicines. Therefore, if you have dia- The patient usually receives 5 mg of Lisinopril Axapharm on each

of the first two days, then 10 mg of Lisinopril Axapharm once a day.
d) For diabetes mellitus patients with certain kidney function disorders
The usual dose is 10 or 20 mg Lisinopril Axapharm administered
once a day.
Do not change from the prescribed dose. If you think that the
medicine is acting too weakly or too strongly, speak with your
doctor or pharmacist.
Possible side effects of Lisinopril Axapharm
The following side effects may arise when taking Lisinopril Axapharm:
Dizziness, headaches, low blood pressure (especially when standing
up), irregular heart beat, cough, diarrhoea and vomiting have
frequently been observed. Occasionally there may be loss of appetite,
mood swings, tingling in the hands and feet, depression,
problems with taste, insomnia, palpitations of the heart, fast pulse
rate, catarrh, shortness of breath, sore throat, hoarseness, bronchitis,
nausea, stomach pains, digestive upsets, skin rash, itching,
impotence, tiredness, exhaustion and chest pain.
Gout, confusion, inflammation of the lungs, dry mouth, constipation,
nettle rash, loss of hair, psoriasis and kidney failure have
been reported rarely.
In very rare cases there may be low blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia),
inflammation of the nasal sinuses and the mucous membranes
of the mouth, severe upper abdominal pain (inflammation
of the pancreas), yellow jaundice, heavy sweating and serious skin
alterations (with symptoms such as redness, blistering, peeling
and the formation of nodules).
Changes in blood cell counts may occur very rarely during treatment
with Lisinopril Axapharm. It is therefore possible that your
doctor will occasionally take a blood sample to determine whether
Lisinopril Axapharm has any effect on your blood. Effects of this
type may become noticeable through tiredness or a sore throat.
If swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat (difficulty in swallowing
or breathing) occurs during treatment with Lisinopril Axapharm
you should stop taking this medicine and tell your doctor immediately.
You should also stop the treatment if you develop severe
itching and swelling of the skin. Although these reactions may
disappear after a while, it is necessary for you to be monitored by
the doctor, with or without remedial medication, until these signs
have gone.
If you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell
your doctor of pharmacist.
Further information
The tablets with a break groove are suitable for half-unit dosage
by dividing the tablets.
The tablets should be stored in the closed original pack at room
temperature (15-25°C) and out of the reach of children.
Do not use the medicine after the expiry date which is stated on
the container after «EXP». If you have tablets that have gone over
their expiry date, please take them back to your pharmacist for
disposal.
Your doctor or pharmacist can give you further information. They
have access to extensive technical information.
What Lisinopril Axapharm contains
Lisinopril Axapharm contains the active substance lisinopril as
lisinopril dihydrate as well as excipients Tablets with 5 mg, 10 mg
and 20 mg lisinopril are available.
Marketing authorisation number
58,768 (Swissmedic)
Where Lisinopril Axapharm can be obtained
Pack sizes available
Lisinopril Axapharm can be obtained in pharmacies on prescription
only.
Lisinopril Axapharm 20 mg: tablets with break groove (divisible)
in packs of 30 or 100 Tablets.
Lisinopril Axapharm 10 mg: tablets with break groove (divisible)
in packs of 30 or 100 Tablets.
Lisinopril Axapharm 5 mg: tablets with break groove (divisible) in
packs of 30 or 100 Tablets.
Marketing authorisation holder
Axapharm AG, 6340 Baar
This package leaflet was last approved by the medicines authority
(Swissmedic) in July 2008.