Beechams Flu-Plus Hot Berry Fruits

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1. Name Of The Medicinal Product

Beechams Flu-Plus Hot Berry Fruits

2. Qualitative And Quantitative Composition

Active Constituents

mg / 6.427 g powder

Paracetamol

1000

Ascorbic Acid

70

Phenylephrine Hydrochloride

10

3. Pharmaceutical Form

Powder

4. Clinical Particulars 4.1 Therapeutic Indications

Short term symptomatic relief of symptoms of influenza, feverishness, chills and colds including headache, sore throat pain, aches and pains, nasal congestion, sinusitis and its associated pain, and acute nasal catarrh.

4.2 Posology And Method Of Administration

Directions for use

Empty contents of sachet into a beaker. Half fill with very hot water. Stir well. Add cold water as necessary and sugar if desired.

Recommended Dose and Dosage Schedule

Adults (including elderly) and children aged 12 years and over:

The contents of one sachet to be taken every four to six hours as necessary, up to a maximum of four sachets in any 24 hours.

The product should not be used continuously for more than seven days without medical advice.

Not to be given to children under 12 years of age, except on medical advice.

4.3 Contraindications

Known hypersensitivity to paracetamol or any of the other constituents.

Concomitant use of other sympathomimetic decongestants

Phaeochromocytoma

Closed angle glaucoma

Hepatic or severe renal impairment, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, heart disease. Patients taking tricyclic antidepressants or beta-blocking drugs and those patients who are taking or have taken within the last two weeks, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (see section 4.5).

4.4 Special Warnings And Precautions For Use

Care is advised in the administration of paracetamol to patients with severe renal or severe hepatic impairment. The hazard of overdose is greater in those with non-cirrhotic alcoholic liver disease.

Medical advice should be sought before taking this product in patients with these conditions:

• An enlargement of the prostate gland

• Occulusive Vascular disease (e.g. Raynaud's Phenomenon)

• Cardiovascular disease

This product should not be used by patients taking other sympathomimetics (such as decongestants, appetite suppressants and amphetamine-like psychostimulants).

Patients with rare hereditary problems of fructose intolerance, glucose-galactose malabsorption or sucrase-isomaltase insufficiency should not take this medicine.

Do not exceed the stated dose.

Do not take with any other paracetamol-containing products. Do not take with other flu, cold or decongestant products.

Keep out of the reach and sight of children.

If symptoms persist consult your doctor.

Consult your doctor if you are taking warfarin.

Special label warnings

Do not take with any other paracetamol-containing products. Do not take with other flu, cold or decongestant products.

Immediate medical advice should be sought in the event of an overdose, even if you feel well.

Special leaflet warnings

Immediate medical advice should be sought in the event of an overdose, even if you feel well, because of the risk of delayed, serious liver damage.

4.5 Interaction With Other Medicinal Products And Other Forms Of Interaction

The speed of absorption of paracetamol may be increased by metoclopramide or domperidone and absorption reduced by colestyramine. The anticoagulant effect of warfarin and other coumarins may be enhanced by prolonged regular daily use of paracetamol with increased risk of bleeding, occasional doses have no significant effect.

Phenylephrine should be used with caution in combination with the following drugs as interactions have been reported

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors

(including moclobemide)

Hypertensive interactions occur between sympathomimetic amines such as phenylephrine and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (see contraindications).

Sympathomimetic amines

Concomitant use of phenylephrine with other sympathomimetic amines can increase the risk of cardiovascular side effects.

Beta-blockers and other antihypertensives (including debrisoquine, guanethidine, reserpine, methyldopa)

Phenylephrine may reduce the efficacy of beta-blocking drugs and antihypertensive drugs. The risk of hypertension and other cardiovascular side effects may be increased.

Tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. amitriptyline)

May increase the risk of cardiovascular side effects with phenylephrine.

Ergot alkaloids

(ergotamine and methylsergide) increased risk of ergotism

Digoxin and cardiac glycosides

Increase the risk of irregular heartbeat or heart attack

4.6 Pregnancy And Lactation

Due to the phenylephrine content this product should not be used in pregnancy or whilst breast-feeding without medical advice. Phenylephrine may be excreted in breast milk.

4.7 Effects On Ability To Drive And Use Machines

Patients should be advised not to drive or operate machinery if affected by dizziness.

4.8 Undesirable Effects

Paracetamol

Adverse events from historical clinical trial data are both infrequent and from small patient exposure. Accordingly, events reported from extensive post-marketing experience at therapeutic/labelled dose and considered attributable are tabulated below by system class. Due to limited clinical trial data, the frequency of these adverse events is not known (cannot be estimated from available data), but post-marketing experience indicates that adverse reactions to paracetamol are rare and serious reactions are very rare.

Body System

Undesirable effect

Blood and lymphatic system disorders

Thrombocytopenia

Agranulocytosis

These are not necessarily casually related to paracetamol.

Immune system disorders

Anaphylaxis

Cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions including skin rashes, angiodema and Stevens Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis

Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders

Bromchospasm*

Hepatobiliary disorders

Hepatic dysfunction

* There have been cases of bronchospasm with paracetamol, but these are more likely in asthmatics sensitive to aspirin or other NSAIDs.

Phenylephrine

The following adverse events have been observed in clinical trials with phenylephrine and may therefore represent the most commonly occurring adverse events.

Body System

Undesirable effect

Psychiatric disorders

Nervousness, irritability, restlessness, and excitability

Nervous system disorders

Headache, dizziness, insomnia

Cardiac disorders

Increased blood pressure

Gastrointestinal disorders

Nausea, Vomiting, diarrhoea

Adverse reactions identified during post-marketing use are listed below. The frequency of these reactions is unknown but likely to be rare.

Eye disorders

Mydriasis, acute angle closure glaucoma, most likely to occur in those with closed angle glaucoma

Cardiac disorders

Tachycardia, palpitations

Skin and subcutaneous disorders

Allergic reactions (e.g. rash, urticaria, allergic dermatitis).

Hypersensitivity reactions – including that cross-sensitivity may occur with other sympathomimetics

Renal and urinary disorders

Dysuria, urinary retention. This is most likely to occur in those with bladder outlet obstruction, such as prostatic hypertrophy.

4.9 Overdose

Paracetamol

Liver damage is possible in adults who have taken 10 g or more of paracetamol. Ingestion of 5 g or more of paracetamol may lead to liver damage if the patient has risk factors (see below).

Risk factors

If the patient

a) Is on long term treatment with carbamazepine, phenobarbitone, phenytoin, primidone, rifampicin, St John's Wort or other drugs that induce liver enzymes.

or

b) Regularly consumes ethanol in excess of recommended amounts.

or

c) Is likely to be glutathione deplete e.g. eating disorders, cystic fibrosis, HIV infection, starvation, cachexia.

Symptoms

Symptoms of paracetamol overdose in the first 24 hours are pallor, nausea, vomiting, anorexia and abdominal pain. Liver damage may become apparent 12 to 48 hours after ingestion. Abnormalities of glucose metabolism and metabolic acidosis may occur. In severe poisoning, hepatic failure may progress to encephalopathy, haemorrhage, hypoglycaemia, cerebral oedema and death. Acute renal failure with acute tubular necrosis, strongly suggested by loin pain, haematuria and proteinuria, may develop even in the absence of severe liver damage. Cardiac arrythmias and pancreatitis have been reported.

Management

Immediate treatment is essential in the management of paracetamol overdose. Despite a lack of significant early symptoms, patients should be referred to hospital urgently for immediate medical attention. Symptoms may be limited to nausea or vomiting and may not reflect the severity of the overdose or the risk of organ damage. Management should be in accordance with established treatment guidelines, see BNF overdose section.

Treatment with activated charcoal should be considered if the overdose has been taken within 1 hour. Plasma paracetamol concentration should be measured at 4 hours or later after ingestion (earlier concentrations are unreliable). Treatment with N-acetylcysteine may be used up to 24 hours after ingestion of paracetamol, however, the maximum protective effect is obtained up to 8 hours post-ingestion. The effectiveness of the antidote declines sharply after this time. If required the patient should be given intravenous N-acetylcysteine, in line with the established dosage schedule. If vomiting is not a problem, oral methionine may be a suitable alternative for remote areas outside hospital. Management of patients who present with serious hepatic dysfunction beyond 24 h from ingestion should be discussed with the NPIS or a liver unit.

Phenylephrine

Symptoms and signs

Phenylephrine overdosage is likely to result in effects similar to those listed under adverse reactions. Additional symptoms may include hypertension and possibly reflux bradycardia. In severe cases confusion, hallucinations, seizures and arrythmias may occur. However the amount required to produce serious phenylephrine toxicity would be greater than required to cause paracetamol-related toxicity.

Treatment

Treatment should be as clinically appropriate. Severe hypertension may need to be treated with an alpha blocking drug such as phentolamine.

Ascorbic acid

Symptoms and signs

High doses of ascorbic acid (>3000 mg) may cause transient osmotic diarrhoea and gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and abdominal discomfort. Effects of overdose of ascorbic acid would be subsumed by severe liver toxicity caused by paracetamol overdose.

5. Pharmacological Properties 5.1 Pharmacodynamic Properties

Paracetamol: An analgesic and antipyretic.

Ascorbic acid: a common ingredient of cold and influenza combination products included to compensate for Vitamin C losses which may occur in the initial stages of acute viral infections.

Phenylephrine hydrochloride: a sympathomimetic decongestant.

The active ingredients are not known to cause sedation.

5.2 Pharmacokinetic Properties

Paracetamol: is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. It is metabolised in the liver and excreted in the urine, mainly as glucoronide and sulphate conjugates.

Ascorbic Acid: is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and is widely distributed in the body tissues, 25% bound to plasma proteins. Ascorbic Acid in excess of the body's needs is eliminated in the urine as metabolites.

Phenylephrine Hydrochloride: is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and undergoes first-pass metabolism by monoamine oxidase in the gut and liver; orally administered phenylephrine thus has reduced bioavailability. It is excreted in the urine almost entirely as the sulphate conjugate.

5.3 Preclinical Safety Data

There are no pre-clinical data of relevance to the prescriber which are additional to that already included in other sections of the SPC.

6. Pharmaceutical Particulars 6.1 List Of Excipients

Tartaric acid, Sodium citrate, Aspartame (E951), Euroblend blackcurrant, Berry fruit flavourburst, Sucrose and colours carmoisine (E122) and sunset yellow (E110) , green S (E142) with sodium chloride and sodium sulphate.

6.2 Incompatibilities

None known

6.3 Shelf Life

Three years

6.4 Special Precautions For Storage

Do not store above 25°C.

6.5 Nature And Contents Of Container

The product is packed in laminate sachets comprising paper/polythene/aluminium foil/polythene. Five or ten sachets may be contained in a box board carton.

6.6 Special Precautions For Disposal And Other Handling

Not applicable.

7. Marketing Authorisation Holder

Beecham Group Plc

980 Great West Road

Brentford

Middlesex

TW8 9GS

United Kingdom

Trading as: GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Brentford, TW8 9GS, U.K.

8. Marketing Authorisation Number(S)

PL 00079/0336

9. Date Of First Authorisation/Renewal Of The Authorisation

July 1996

10. Date Of Revision Of The Text

June 2010

Beechams Flu Plus Hot Berry Fruits

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