Neurontin*

Gabapentin

What is in this leaflet

This leaflet answers some common questions about Neurontin.

It does not contain all the available information.

It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of
you taking Neurontin against the benefits they expect it will have for you.

If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or
pharmacist.

Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.

What Neurontin is used for

Neurontin is used to control epilepsy. Epilepsy is a condition where you
have repeated seizures (fits). There are many different types of seizures,
ranging from mild to severe.

Neurontin is also used to treat neuropathic pain, a type of pain caused by
damage to the nerves.

Neurontin belongs to a group of medicines called anticonvulsants. These
drugs are thought to work by controlling brain chemicals which send signals to
nerves to help control seizures or neuropathic pain.

Neurontin also has analgesic effects.

Your doctor may prescribe Neurontin in addition to your current therapy
when your current treatment is no longer working as well.

Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Neurontin has been
prescribed for you.

Your doctor may have prescribed Neurontin for another reason.

There is no evidence that Neurontin is addictive.

This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.

Neurontin is not recommended for use in children under the age of:

• 3 years to control epilepsy
• 18 years for the treatment of neuropathic pain

The safety and effectiveness of Neurontin in these age groups have not been
established.

Before you take Neurontin

When you must not take it

Do not take Neurontin if you have an allergy to gabapentin, the active
ingredient in Neurontin, or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this
leaflet.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:

• shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
• rash, itching or hives on the skin.

Do not take Neurontin after the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack.

Do not take Neurontin if the packaging is torn or shows signs of
tampering.

If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for
disposal.

If you are not sure whether you should start taking Neurontin, talk to your
doctor or pharmacist.

Before you start to take it

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have allergies to:

• any other medicines, especially any other anticonvulsant medicines
• any other substances, such as foods, preservatives or dyes.

Tell your doctor if you have or have had any medical conditions,

especially the following:

• kidney problems
• mixed seizure disorders that include absence seizures.

Your doctor may want to take special care if you have any of these
conditions.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.

Neurontin may affect your developing baby if you take it during pregnancy.
However, it is very important to control your fits while you are pregnant. If
it is necessary for you to take Neurontin, your doctor can help you decide
whether or not to take it during pregnancy.

Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed.

Your doctor will discuss the possible risks and benefits of using
Neurontin during breastfeeding.

If you do breastfeed, watch your baby carefully.

If your baby develops a skin rash, becomes sleepy or has unusual symptoms,
see your doctor as soon as possible and don't breastfeed again until advised
by your doctor.

If you have not told your doctor or pharmacist about any of the above,
tell them before you start taking Neurontin.

Taking other medicines

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines,
including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy,
supermarket or health food shop.

Some medicines and Neurontin may interfere with each other. These include:

• cimetidine , a medicine used to treat stomach or duodenal ulcers
• antacids, medicines used to treat heartburn or reflux
• morphine, a medicine used to treat severe pain.

These medicines may be affected by Neurontin, or may affect how well it
works. You may need different amounts of your medicine, or you may need to
take different medicines. Your doctor or pharmacist will advise you.

Your doctor and pharmacist may have more information on medicines to be
careful with or avoid while taking Neurontin.

How to take Neurontin

How much to take

Your doctor will tell you how many capsules/tablets you will need to take
each day. This may depend on your age, your condition and whether or not you
are taking any other medicines.

Your doctor may recommend that you start with a low dose of Neurontin and
slowly increase the dose to the lowest amount needed to control your
condition.

Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully.

They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.

If you do not understand the instructions on the box, ask your doctor or
pharmacist for help.

How to take it

Swallow Neurontin whole with a full glass of water.

Neurontin 600 mg tablets can be divided in half along the breakline, if
advised by your doctor or pharmacist.

When to take it

Take Neurontin at about the same time each day.

Taking Neurontin at the same time each day will have the best effect. It
will also help you remember when to take it.

If you are taking Neurontin three times a day, do not allow more than 12
hours between doses.

It does not matter if you take Neurontin before or after food.

If you forget to take it

If it is almost time for your next dose (within 4 hours), skip the dose
you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.

Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking
your medicine as you would normally.

Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.

This may increase the chance of you getting an unwanted side effect.

If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your
pharmacist for some hints.

How long to take it

Continue taking Neurontin for as long as your doctor tells you to.

Neurontin helps control your condition, but does not cure it. Therefore you
must take your medicine every day, even if you feel well.

Do not stop taking Neurontin unless your doctor tells you to.

If you take too much (overdose)

Immediately telephone your Australian Poisons Information Centre
(telephone 13 11 26) or the New Zealand National Poisons Information Centre
(telephone 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766) or go to Accident and Emergency at
your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too
much Neurontin. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.

You may need urgent medical attention.

If you take too much Neurontin, you may feel drowsy, weak, unsteady when
walking, have double vision, slurred speech or diarrhoea.

While you are using Neurontin

Things you must do

Tell any other doctors, dentists, and pharmacists who are treating you
that you are taking Neurontin.

If you are about to be started on any new medicine, tell your doctor,
dentist or pharmacist that you are taking Neurontin.

Before you have any surgery or emergency treatment, tell your doctor or
dentist that you are taking Neurontin.

If you need to have any medical tests while you are taking Neurontin,
tell your doctor.

Neurontin may affect the results of some tests.

Tell your doctor if you feel Neurontin is not helping your condition.

Your doctor may need to change your medicine.

Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not taken Neurontin
exactly as prescribed.

Otherwise, your doctor may change your treatment unnecessarily.

If you become pregnant while taking Neurontin, tell your doctor.

Be sure to keep all of your doctor's appointments so that your progress
can be checked.

Your doctor will check your progress and may want to take some tests from
time to time. This helps to prevent unwanted side effects.

Things you must not do

Do not give Neurontin to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem
similar to yours or they have the same condition as you.

Do not take Neurontin to treat any other complaints unless your doctor
tells you to.

Do not stop taking Neurontin, or lower the dosage, without checking
with your doctor. Do not let yourself run out of medicine over the weekend
or on holidays.

Stopping Neurontin suddenly, if you have epilepsy, may cause unwanted effects
or make your condition worse. Your doctor will slowly reduce your dose before
you can stop taking it completely.

Things to be careful of

Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Neurontin
affects you.

As with other anticonvulsant medicines, Neurontin may cause dizziness,
light-headedness, tiredness and drowsiness in some people. Make sure you know
how you react to Neurontin before you drive a car, operate machinery, or do
anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or light-headed. If
this occurs do not drive. If you drink alcohol, dizziness or light-headedness
may be worse.

Children should not ride a bike, climb trees or do anything else that
could be dangerous if they are feeling drowsy or sleepy.

Neurontin may cause drowsiness, dizziness or sleepiness in some people and
affect alertness.

Be careful when drinking alcohol while taking Neurontin.

Combining Neurontin and alcohol can make you more sleepy, dizzy or
light-headed. Your doctor may suggest you avoid alcohol while you are being
treated with Neurontin.

Side effects

Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel
well while you are taking Neurontin.

Neurontin helps most people with epilepsy or neuropathic pain, 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 of the side effects. If you are over 65
years of age you may have an increased chance of getting side effects.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.

If you get any side effects, do not stop taking Neurontin without first
talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and
they worry you:

• dizziness* or light-headedness
• feeling tired or drowsy*
• unfriendliness*
• unusually overactive*
• forgetfulness, loss of concentration or confusion
• difficulty speaking
• changes in your weight*
• constipation, diarrhoea
• nausea and/or vomiting*, indigestion
• dry mouth, red swollen gums
• muscle pain or cramps, back pain
• swelling of the hands or feet
• runny or blocked nose
• fever*
• bronchitis*, lung infection*
• sore throat and discomfort when swallowing, coughing.

Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the following:

• weakness, unsteadiness when walking, reduced co-ordination or slowed
  reactions
• mood changes* such as restlessness, agitation, nervousness, irritability
  or excitement, depression
• seeing or hearing things that are not there, irrational thinking
• blurred or double vision, uncontrollable jerky eye movements, difficulty
  seeing
• signs of frequent infections such as fever, severe chills, sore throat
  or mouth ulcers.

The side effects in the above lists marked * have been specifically
reported in children taking Neurontin.

Tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your
nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:

• more frequent or more severe seizures (fits)
• chest pain, a very fast heart rate
• sudden signs of allergy such as rash, itching or hives, swelling of the
  face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body, shortness of breath, wheezing
  or difficulty breathing

These are very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention
or hospitalisation.

All of these side effects are very rare.

Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel
unwell.

Other side effects not listed above may happen in some people. Some of
these side effects (for example, changes in liver function) can only be found
when your doctor does blood tests from time to time to check your progress.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects.

You may not experience any of them.

After taking Neurontin

Storage

Keep your capsules/tablets in the pack until it is time to take them.

If you take the capsules/tablets out of the pack they will not keep
well.

Keep your capsules in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below
30°C.

Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below
25°C.

Do not store Neurontin or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a
sink.

Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car on hot days.

Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.

Keep it where children cannot reach it.

A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a
good place to store medicines.

Disposal

If your doctor or pharmacist tells you to stop taking Neurontin or the
capsules/tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do
with any that are left over.

Product description

What it looks like

Neurontin is available in 5 strengths as either capsules or tablets.

100 mg - White capsule, marked Neurontin 100 mg, PD

300 mg - Yellow capsule, marked Neurontin 300 mg, PD

400 mg - Orange capsule, marked Neurontin 400 mg, PD

600 mg - White, elliptical, film-coated tablet, with bisecting score on
both sides and debossed with "NT" and "16" on one side.

800 mg - White, elliptical, film-coated tablet, marked "Neurontin 800" (not
marketed in New Zealand).

Each pack contains 100 capsules/tablets.

Ingredients

Active ingredient

• Neurontin 100 mg - 100 mg gabapentin
• Neurontin 300 mg - 300 mg gabapentin
• Neurontin 400 mg - 400 mg gabapentin
• Neurontin 600 mg - 600 mg gabapentin
• Neurontin 800 mg - 800 mg gabapentin.

Other ingredients

The capsules also contain:

• lactose
• talc-purified
• starch maize
• gelatin
• titanium dioxide
• Opacode Blue S-1-4118
• iron oxide - yellow (300 mg / 400 mg)
• iron oxide - red (400 mg)

The tablets also contain:

• poloxamer
• copovidone
• starch-maize
• magnesium stearate
• candelilla wax
• Opadry White YS-1-18111
• Opacode Orange NS-78-13007 (800 mg tablet only)

Neurontin does not contain sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or any other azo
dyes.