Amisulpride 60 x 100mg

What is it used for?

• Schizophrenia
  
  
• Treatment of acute manic episodes in bipolar affective disorder (unlicensed use)
  
  

Warning!

• This medicine may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Alcohol should be avoided.
  
  
• You should not suddenly stop taking this medicine unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
  
  
• Consult your doctor immediately if you experience abnormal movements, particularly of the face, lips, jaw and tongue, while taking this medicine. These symptoms may be indicative of a rare side effect known as tardive dyskinesia, and your doctor may ask you to stop taking this medicine, or decrease your dose.
  
  
• Consult your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms while taking this medicine: high fever, sweating, muscle stiffness, faster breathing and drowsiness or sleepiness. These symptoms may be due to a rare side effect known as the neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and your treatment may need to be stopped.
  
  

Use with caution in

• Abnormal rhythm of the heart beat (prolonged QT interval on an ECG)
  
  
• Decreased kidney function
  
  
• Elderly people
  
  
• History of epilepsy
  
  
• Low blood potassium levels (hypokalaemia)
  
  
• Parkinson's disease
  
  
• Slow heart rate of less than 55 beats per minute (bradycardia)
  
  

Not to be used in

• Breastfeeding
  
  
• Children less than 15 years of age
  
  
• Pregnancy
  
  
• Tumour of the adrenal gland (phaeochromocytoma)
  
  
• Tumours which grow rapidly in the presence of the hormone prolactin, eg tumours of the pituitary gland, breast cancer
  
  
• Women of child-bearing potential, unless effective contraception is used to prevent pregnancy
  
  

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.

• The safety of this medicine in pregnancy has not been established. It should not be taken by women who are pregnant, and women who could get pregnant should use an effective method of contraception to prevent pregnancy while taking this medicine. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.
  
  
• It is not known whether this medicine passes into breast milk. Mothers who need to take this medicine should not breastfeed. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
  
  

Label warnings

• This medication may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink.
  
  

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• Dry mouth
  
  
• Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia)
  
  
• Impotence
  
  
• Shaking, usually of the hands (tremor)
  
  
• Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
  
  
• Weight gain
  
  
• Abnormal heart beats (arrhythmias)
  
  
• Low blood pressure (hypotension)
  
  
• Abnormal movements of the hands, legs, face, neck and tongue, eg tremor, twitching, rigidity (extrapyramidal effects)
  
  
• Sleepiness
  
  
• Increased salivation
  
  
• Slow heart rate (bradycardia)
  
  
• High blood prolactin (milk producing hormone) level (hyperprolactinaemia). Sometimes this can lead to symptoms such as breast enlargement, production of milk and stopping of menstrual periods.
  
  
• Anxiety and agitation