Rabeprazole sodium
Consumer Medicine Information
NOTICE: This Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is intended for persons living in Australia. This page contains answers to some common questions about . It does not contain all the information that is known about . It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist. All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risk of you using this medicine against the benefits he/she expects it will have for you. If you have any concerns about using this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Bookmark or print this page, you may need to read it again.
What PARIET is used for
The name of your medicine is PARIET. It contains the active ingredient rabeprazole sodium.
Reflux Oesophagitis:
PARIET is used to treat reflux oesophagitis or reflux disease. This can be caused by food and acid from the stomach flowing the wrong way (reflux) back up the food pipe, also known as the oesophagus.
Reflux can cause a burning sensation in the chest rising up to the throat, also known as heartburn.
PARIET is also used to help stop reflux oesophagitis from coming back or relapsing.
Peptic Ulcers:
PARIET is used to treat peptic ulcers. Depending on the position of the ulcer it is called a gastric or duodenal ulcer. A gastric ulcer occurs in the stomach. A duodenal ulcer occurs in the duodenum which is the tube leading out of the stomach.
These ulcers can be caused by too much acid being made in the stomach.
Most people who have a peptic ulcer also have a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori in their stomach. Your doctor may also prescribe a course of antibiotics (clarithromycin and amoxycillin) for you. When PARIET is taken with antibiotics, the combination therapy will kill the Helicobacter pylori and let your ulcer heal.
Chronic Gastritis:
The presence of the bacteria Helicobacter pylori may cause the stomach to become inflamed, resulting in pain, nausea and vomiting.
When PARIET tablets are taken with antibiotics, they will help kill Helicobacter pylori and allow the stomach to heal.
How PARIET works
PARIET belongs to a group of medicines called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). PARIET works by decreasing the amount of acid the stomach makes, to give relief from the symptoms and allow healing to take place. Your food will still be digested in the normal way.
Your doctor may have prescribed PARIET for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why PARIET has been prescribed for you.
PARIET is only available with a doctor's prescription.
Before you take PARIET
When you must not take it:
Do not take PARIET if you have an allergy to:
rabeprazole sodium
any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
other proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole).
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
rash, itching or hives on the skin
shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing
swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
Do not take PARIET if:
the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
the expiry date (month and year) printed on the pack has passed. If you take PARIET after the expiry date it may not work.
Before you start to take it:
You must tell your doctor if:
you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.
you are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed. It is not known if PARIET passes into breast milk.
you have or have ever had liver disease.
Taking other medicines:
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines you can buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
In particular, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:
digoxin, a medicine used to treat heart problems.
ketoconazole, a medicine used to treat fungal infections.
Atazanavir, a medicine used (with other antiretrovirals) to treat HIV-1 infection.
These medicines may be affected by PARIET or may affect how well PARIET works. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you are taking any other medicines.
If you have not told your doctor or pharmacist about any of the above, tell them before you start taking PARIET.
Your doctor will advise you whether or not to take PARIET or if you need to have your dose adjusted.
Taking PARIET
How much to take:
Adults
The usual dose is one tablet at the same time each day. For treating Helicobacter pylori infections in combination with antibiotics (clarithromycin and amoxycillin), the dose is one tablet twice each day, morning and evening.
The dose of PARIET tablets is usually 20 mg, but may vary from 10 mg to 40 mg per day depending on what condition you are being treated for and how severe it is.
Children
PARIET should not be given to children.
How to take it:
PARIET should be swallowed whole, with a glass of water or other liquid.
Do NOT crush or chew the tablets. They have a special coating, which protects them from the acid in your stomach. If the coating is broken by chewing, the tablets may not work.
It does not matter if you take PARIET with food or on an empty stomach.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for help if you do not understand the instructions provided with this medicine.
If you forget to take it:
If you forget to take your tablet take it as soon as you remember, and then continue to take it as you would normally.
However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed.
If you are not sure what to do, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you have taken too much (overdose):
Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital.
Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
Poisons Information Centre telephone numbers:
Australia: 13 11 26
New Zealand: 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766
Keep these telephone numbers handy.
While you are using PARIET
Things you must do:
Use PARIET exactly as your doctor has prescribed.
Always swallow PARIET tablets whole.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while you are taking PARIET
Tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are taking PARIET if you are about to start taking a new medicine.
Things you must not do:
Do not use PARIET to treat any other complaint unless your doctor says to.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you.
Do not crush or chew the tablets.
Do not give PARIET to children.
Things that may help your condition
Some self help measures suggested below may help your condition. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for more information about these measures.
Alcohol
- your doctor may advise you to limit your alcohol intake.
Aspirin and many other medicines used to treat arthritis/period pain/headaches
- these medicines may irritate the stomach and may make your condition worse. Your doctor or pharmacist may suggest other medicines you can take.
Caffeine
- your doctor may advise you to limit the number of drinks which contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, cocoa and cola drinks, because they contain ingredients that may irritate your stomach.
Eating habits
- eat smaller, more frequent meals. Eat slowly and chew your food carefully. Try not to rush at meal times.
Smoking
- your doctor may advise you to stop smoking or at least cut down.
Weight
- your doctor may suggest losing some weight to help your condition.
Side Effects
PARIET is usually well tolerated but tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking PARIET.
PARIET helps most people with peptic ulcers or reflux disease, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some side effects.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor if you experience any of the following and they worry you:
headache
dizziness
diarrhoea
constipation
stomach pain
muscle weakness
flatulence
dry mouth
breast enlargement in men
itchy rash accompanied by skin eruption
These side effects are usually mild.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
bleeding or bruising more easily than normal
signs of frequent infections such as fever, severe chills, sore throat or mouth ulcers.
These are serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention. Serious side effects are rare.
Tell your doctor immediately and do not take your next dose of PARIET if you experience:
signs of allergy such as skin rash, reddening, blisters or itching, swelling of the face, lips or other parts of the body, shortness of breath or wheezing.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people. Tell your doctor if you notice anything making you feel unwell when you are taking, or soon after you have finished taking PARIET.
Other problems are more likely to arise from the ulcer itself rather than the treatment.
For this reason contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
pain or indigestion
you begin to vomit blood or food
you pass black (blood-stained) motions.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you do not understand anything in this list.
After using PARIET
Storage
PARIET tablets may be packaged in either a clear blister strip in an aluminium pouch with a desiccant sachet, or in a double-sided aluminium blister strip.
PARIET tablets packaged in the clear blister strips should be kept in the original aluminium pouch with the desiccant after opening. Any remaining PARIET tablets should be discarded 1 month after the aluminium foil pouch is opened.
Do not take PARIET tablets out of the blister pack until it is time to take them. If you take them out of the blister they may not keep well.
Keep PARIET tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature is below 25°C. Do not keep PARIET in the refrigerator.
Do not store PARIET, or any other medicine, in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave medicines in the car or on window sills. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep your medicines where children cannot reach them. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres (1.5 m) above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking PARIET tablets, or the tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any tablets that are left over.
Product Description
What PARIET looks like:
PARIET 10 mg tablets are pink and have "E241" in black ink marked on one side.
PARIET 20 mg tablets are pale yellow, and have "E243" in red ink marked on one side.
PARIET 10 mg tablets are supplied in blister packs of 28 tablets.
PARIET 20 mg tablets are supplied in blister packs of 5 and 30 tablets
Ingredients
Each PARIET tablet contains 10 mg or 20 mg of rabeprazole sodium as the active ingredient.
Each tablet also contains the following other ingredients:
mannitol, magnesium oxide, hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate, ethylcellulose, hypromellose phthalate, acetylated monoglycerides, purified talc, titanium dioxide and carnauba wax.
the 20 mg tablets also contain yellow iron oxide (E172) and are printed with dawn red ink (Edible Ink Red A1).
the 10 mg tablets contain red iron oxide (E172) and are printed with gray ink (Edible Ink Gray F6).
the tablets do not contain lactose or gluten.
Sponsor
JANSSEN-CILAG Pty Ltd
1-5 Khartoum Rd
Macquarie Park NSW 2113 Australia
Telephone: Toll Free 1800 226 334
ARTG Number: Aust R 76185 & Aust R 76186
This leaflet was prepared in November 2011.
® PARIET is a trademark of Eisai Ltd.
