Lactulose

Lactulose3.13.7g/5mloralsolution Whenusedinconstipation Lactulose(laktuleowes)isamedicinewhichis usedinconstipation,treatingencephalopathy causedbyliverproblemsandtreatinghepaticcoma. Yourmedicine Lactulosehelpstosoftenstoolsbyabsorbingwater. Thismakespassingstoolsmorecomfortableifthe stoolsarehardorimpacted.Lactuloseisalsoused totreatencephalopathyinpeoplewhohaveliver diseasewhichmayleadtohepaticcoma. Mostmedicinesareonlyavailableonprescription, butsomemedicinescanbeboughtwithouta prescription.Theinformationaboutthismedicinein thisguideispresentedasifthismedicinehasbeen prescribedforyou.Ifyouhaveboughtyour medicinewithoutaprescriptionyoumayfindthat theinformationinthisMedicineGuideisdifferentto theinformationthatcomeswiththenonprescription medicine.Ifyougetthismedicinewithouta prescriptionyoushouldfollowtheinstructionsthat comewithit.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutusing nonprescriptionmedicinesyoushouldalwaysseek advicefromyourpharmacistordoctor. Ifyougotthismedicineonprescriptionitwillhavea pharmacylabel.Thepharmacylabelonyour medicinetellsyouhowmuchmedicineyoushould take.Italsotellsyouhowoftentotakeyour medicine.Thisisthedosethatyouandyour prescriberhaveagreedyoushouldtake. Ifyoufeelthatthemedicineismakingyouunwellor youdonotthinkitisworking,thentalktoyour prescriberorsomeoneinvolvedinyourmedical care. Whentotakeyourmedicine Somemedicinesworkbestiftheyaretakenata specifictimeofday.Gettingthemostbenefitfrom yourmedicinecanalsobeaffectedbywhatyoueat, whenyoueatandthetimesatwhichyoutakeother medicines. SpecificinformationonwhentotakeLactulosecan befoundinthePatientInformationLeafletthat comeswiththismedicineoronthemedicinelabel. Youcanalsoaskyourdoctororpharmacistfor informationaboutwhentotakeyourmedicine. Howtotakeyourmedicine Somemedicineshavespecificinstructionsabout howtotakethem.Thisisbecausetheyworkbetter whentakencorrectly.Theseinstructionscaninclude gettingtherightdoseandspecialinstructionsfor preparingthemedicine. SpecificinformationonhowtotakeLactulosecan befoundinthePatientInformationLeafletthat Providedbywww.medicines.org.uk/guides comeswiththismedicineoronthemedicinelabel. Alternatively,youcanrequestinformationabouthow totakeyourmedicinefromyourdoctoror pharmacist. Ifyouarehavingproblemstakingthisformof Lactulose,youshouldtalktoyourprescriberor pharmacist.Theymaybeabletogiveyouadviceon otherwaystotakeyourmedicineorother preparationsthatareeasierforyoutotake. Takingtoomuchofyourmedicine Takingextradosesofsomemedicinescanbe harmful.Insomecasesevenoneextradosecan causeyouproblems.Ifyoutakeextradosesofyour medicine,youmustgetmedicaladviceimmediately. Youmayneedatesttoassesstheeffectoftaking extradoses.Thisisbecausetheeffectsoftaking toomuchmedicineareverycomplexsoitisvery importantthatyouseekmedicaladvice. Contactyourprescriber,pharmacist,specialistclinic orNHSDirecton08454647foradvice. Makesureyoutakeallofyourmedicinecontainers withyouifyouareadvisedtogotohospital. Stoppingyourmedicine Ifyouarenothavinganyproblemswiththis medicine,donotstoptakingit,evenifyoufeel better,unlessyouhavecompletedthecourseoryou areadvisedtostoptakingitbyyourprescriber. Lookingafteryourmedicine Theinstructionsonhowyoushouldkeepyour medicineareonthepharmacylabel.Itisagood ideatokeepyourmedicineintheoriginalcontainer. Thiswillhelptokeepyourmedicineinthebest conditionandalsoallowyoutocheckthe instructions.Donottakethemedicineifthe packagingappearstohavebeentamperedwithorif themedicineshowsanysignsofdamage.Make surethatthemedicineisoutofthesightandreach ofchildren. SpecificinformationonhowtolookafterLactulose canbefoundinthePatientInformationLeafletthat comeswiththismedicineoronthemedicinelabel. Alternatively,youcanrequestinformationabouthow tolookafteryourmedicinefromyourdoctoror pharmacist. Youmustnottakethemedicineaftertheexpirydate shownonthepackaging.Ifyouhaveanyunused medicine,returnittoyourpharmacistwhowill disposeofitsafely. Whetherthismedicineissuitableforyou Lactuloseisnotsuitableforeveryoneandsome peopleshouldneveruseit.Otherpeopleshould onlyuseitwithspecialcare.Itisimportantthatthe personprescribingthismedicineknowsyourfull medicalhistory. Yourprescribermayonlyprescribethismedicine withspecialcareormaynotprescribeitatallifyou: areallergicorsensitivetoorhavehada reactiontoanyoftheingredientsinthe medicine haveagastrointestinalobstruction havegalactosaemia havelactoseintolerance OvertimeitispossiblethatLactulosecanbecome unsuitableforsomepeople,ortheymaybecome unsuitableforit.Ifatanytimeitappearsthat Lactulosehasbecomeunsuitable,itisimportant thattheprescriberiscontactedimmediately. Sideeffects Amedicineisonlymadeavailabletothepublicifthe clinicaltrialshaveshownthatthebenefitsoftaking themedicineoutweightherisks. Onceamedicinehasbeenlicensed,informationon themedicine'seffects,bothintendedand unintended,iscontinuouslyrecordedandupdated. Somesideeffectsmaybeseriouswhileothersmay onlybeamildinconvenience. Everyone'sreactiontoamedicineisdifferent.Itis difficulttopredictwhichsideeffectsyouwillhave fromtakingaparticularmedicine,orwhetheryou willhaveanysideeffectsatall.Theimportantthing istotellyourprescriberorpharmacistifyouare havingproblemswithyourmedicine. Thefrequencyofthesesideeffectsisunknown diarrhoeawhichmayleadtoelectrolyte imbalance flatulence nausea stomachpain vomiting Ifyoufeelunwellorifyouhaveconcernsabouta sideeffect,youwillneedtoseekadvice.Ifyoufeel veryill,getmedicalhelpstraightaway.Contactyour prescriber,pharmacist,nurseorcallNHSDirecton 08454647. Takingothermedicines Therearenoknownimportantinteractionsbetween Lactuloseandothermedicines.Ifyouexperience anyunusualsymptomswhiletakingLactuloseand othermedicinesyoushouldtellyourprescriber. Complementarypreparationsandvitamins Medicinescaninteractwithcomplementary preparationsandvitamins.Ingeneral,thereisnot muchinformationavailableaboutinteractions betweenmedicinesandcomplementary preparationsorvitamins. Ifyouareplanningtotakeorarealreadytakingany complementarypreparationsandvitaminsyou shouldaskyourprescriberwhetherthereareany knowninteractionswithLactulose. Yourprescribercanadvisewhetheritisappropriate foryoutotakecombinationsthatareknownto interact.Theycanalsodiscusswithyouthe possibleeffectthatthecomplementarypreparations andvitaminsmayhaveonyourcondition. Ifyouexperienceanyunusualeffectswhiletaking thismedicineincombinationwithcomplementary preparationsandvitamins,youshouldtellyour prescriber. Drivingandoperatingmachinery Whentakinganymedicineyoushouldbeawarethat itmightinterferewithyourabilitytodriveoroperate machinerysafely. InthecaseofLactulose: thismedicineisunlikelytoaffectdriving abilityortheabilitytooperatemachinery Youshouldseehowthismedicineaffectsyou beforeyoujudgewhetheryouaresafetodriveor operatemachinery.Ifyouareinanydoubtabout whetheryoushoulddriveoroperatemachinery,talk toyourprescriber. Diet Medicinescaninteractwithcertainfoods.Insome cases,thismaybeharmfulandyourprescribermay adviseyoutoavoidcertainfoods. InthecaseofLactulose: therearenospecificfoodsthatyoumust excludefromyourdietwhentakingLactulose Alcohol Alcoholcaninteractwithcertainmedicines. InthecaseofLactulose: therearenoknowninteractionsbetween alcoholandLactulose Familyplanningandpregnancy Mostmedicines,insomeway,canaffectthe developmentofababyinthewomb.Theeffecton thebabydiffersbetweenmedicinesandalso

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Lastupdated19Sep12 Copyright2010Datapharm

Lactulose
Lactulose3.13.7g/5mloralsolution Whenusedinconstipation dependsonthestageofpregnancythatyouhave reachedwhenyoutakethemedicine. InthecaseofLactulose: thismedicinecanbeusedduringpregnancy Ifyouaretakingthismedicineandbecome pregnant,makesurethateveryoneinvolvedinyour medicalcareknowsthatyouarepregnantandare takingLactulose. Itisbelievedthatthismedicineisappropriatefor someonewhoispregnant,butifyoufeelunwellor yourcircumstanceschange,youshouldtalktoyour prescriber. Breastfeeding Certainmedicinescanpassintobreastmilkand mayreachyourbabythroughbreastfeeding. InthecaseofLactulose: thismedicinemaybeusedbywomenwho arebreastfeeding Womenwhoareplanningtobreastfeedwhile havingLactulosemustinformtheirdoctoror midwife. Ingredientsofyourmedicine Medicinescontainactiveingredients.Theymayalso containother,additionalingredientsthathelpensure thestability,safetyandeffectivenessofthe medicine.Theyarealsoaddedtoimprovethe medicine'stasteandappearanceandtomakeit easiertotake.Somemaybeusedtoprolongthelife ofthemedicine. Thismedicinecontainslactulose. Weareunabletolistalloftheingredientsforyour medicinehere.Forafulllist,youshouldrefertothe patientinformationleafletthatcomeswiththis medicine.Youshouldcheckthatyouareableto taketheingredientsofyourmedicine,especiallyif youhaveanyallergies.Youshouldalsocheck whetheranyoftheseingredientsareknowntohave sideeffects. Ifyouarenotabletotakeanyoftheingredientsin yourmedicine,talktoyourprescriberorpharmacist toseeiftheycansuggestanalternativemedicine.If youhavereactedbadlytoLactulosebefore,donot takeLactulose.Talktoyourprescriber,pharmacist ornurseassoonaspossible.

Providedbywww.medicines.org.uk/guides

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Lastupdated19Sep12 Copyright2010Datapharm