Patient Information Leaflet

Bambec® Tablets

Bambuterol Hydrochloride

WHAT’S IN YOUR MEDICINE?

Bambec Tablets are off-white coloured tablets. Each tablet contains 10 or 20 milligrams of the active ingredient bambuterol hydrochloride. They also contain lactose monohydrate, maize starch, povidone, microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate and purified water.

Bambec Tablets are available in packs containing 28 tablets. The tablets are packed in blister strips.

The active ingredient, bambuterol hydrochloride, belongs to a group of medicines called bronchodilators. Bronchodilators relax and open up the airways of your lungs.

WHAT IS YOUR MEDICINE USED FOR?

Bambec Tablets can help to relieve asthma and other similar breathing disorders.

BEFORE TAKING YOUR MEDICINE

Make sure you have told your doctor about any other medicines you are taking, including those you have bought without a prescription.

Please read the following questions carefully. They are being asked to help check that the medicine is suitable for you to take. If the answer to any of these questions is YES, you should talk to your doctor BEFORE taking this medicine.

• Are you pregnant, thinking of becoming pregnant or breast feeding? If you become pregnant whilst taking Bambec Tablets, you should talk to your doctor immediately.
• Are you diabetic? If so, you may need some additional blood sugar tests when you start taking Bambec.
• Do you have a heart problem?
• Do you have an overactive thyroid gland?
• Are you taking any steroid medicines or xanthines (e.g. theophylline)?
• Are you taking beta-blockers (e.g. propranolol) including eye drops ?
• Are you taking any diuretics or water pills?
• Do you suffer from any liver or kidney problems?
• Are you going to have a general anaesthetic?

Important: You should not take Bambec Tablets if you have had problems in the past when taking bambuterol hydrochloride (Bambec) or any of the other ingredients in this medicine, listed earlier.

TAKING YOUR MEDICINE

It is important to take your medicine as your doctor has told you to. The label should remind you of what the doctor said. The usual dose is one tablet shortly before bedtime. The tablets should not be chewed or crushed, but should be swallowed whole with a drink of water. If necessary they may be broken in half.

 

Do not stop taking your medicine without first discussing it with your doctor.

Note: Bambec Tablets are not recommended for use in children.

Contact your doctor immediately if:

• Your breathing is getting worse
• You often wake up at night with asthma
• You start getting chest tightness
• You are not getting relief from your current dose

These signs could mean your asthma is not being controlled and you may need different or additional treatment immediately.

AFTER TAKING YOUR MEDICINE

Like all medicines, as well as the effects that are needed, Bambec Tablets may sometimes cause side effects such as:

• Headache
• Nausea (feeling sick)
• Trembling or shaking
• Cramp
• Palpitations or fast heart beat

These side effects, if they occur, usually go away within the first week or two of starting treatment.

Rarely, you may experience the effects of low levels of potassium in your blood e.g. muscle weakness, thirst, pins and needles.

Heart problems, such as irregular heart beats, have occurred with medicines of this type usually in susceptible patients.

Very rarely, allergic reactions such as swollen face, rash, breathing problems, low blood pressure and collapse have occurred with similar medicines. If these occur, stop taking your tablets and seek medical advice immediately.

If you experience any of these effects, or notice anything else unusual, then tell your doctor or pharmacist.

STORING YOUR MEDICINE

• Keep Bambec Tablets in a safe place out of the reach and sight of children.
• Do not store this medicine above 30°C.
• Do not take any tablets after the expiry date printed on the packaging.