Serevent® Accuhaler®

Salmeterol xinafoate

Consumer Medicine Information

Please read all of this leaflet carefully before you take your medicine

What is in this leaflet

This leaflet answers some common questions about Serevent Accuhaler. It does not contain all of the available information.

It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist (also known as a chemist).

All medicines have benefits and risks. Sometimes new risks are found even when a medicine has been used for many years. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you using Serevent Accuhaler against the expected benefits it will have for you.

If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, or experience any difficulties during or after using this medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist.

This medicine is only one part of a general plan to help you manage your asthma. You should discuss this plan with your doctor. Your doctor should check the treatment of your asthma regularly.

Keep this leaflet with your Serevent Accuhaler.

You may need to read it again.

What Serevent Accuhaler is used for

The medicine in Serevent Accuhaler is known as a bronchodilator. A bronchodilator keeps the breathing tubes in your lungs open and relieves the symptoms of asthma and other chest conditions. When used as your doctor has told you, Serevent Accuhaler helps you to breathe more easily. Serevent gives relief, for up to twelve hours, from chest tightness or wheeze due to asthma, or other chest conditions in adults namely chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). You should use Serevent Accuhaler regularly every day, twice daily, in the morning and in the evening.

The medicine in Serevent Accuhaler does not start working as quickly as a 'reliever' medicine such as Ventolin®.

You should always carry a 'reliever' medicine with you. If you have an asthma attack, use your 'reliever' medicine, not your Serevent Accuhaler.

If you have asthma, your doctor will tell you to use a 'preventer' medicine (like an inhaled corticosteroid) regularly every day as well as Serevent Accuhaler. If you have COPD, your doctor will advise you what other medicines to take.

The medicine in Serevent Accuhaler is not addictive.

Before you use Serevent Accuhaler

When you must NOT use it

• Do not use Serevent Accuhaler if you are allergic to salmeterol xinafoate, lactose or milk protein.
• Do not use Serevent Accuhaler if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breast feeding, unless your doctor says you should. It is important that your asthma or chest condition is managed well during pregnancy and you should not stop your medicine without asking your doctor.
• Do not use your Serevent Accuhaler after the expiry or "use by" date (EXP) printed on the pack.
• Do not use Serevent Accuhaler to treat any other complaints unless your doctor says it is safe to do so.
• Do not give Serevent Accuhaler to anyone else, even though their symptoms may sound similar to yours.

Before you start to use it

Tell your doctor:

• if you are allergic to any medicine
• if you are having treatment for a thyroid problem
• if you are having treatment for high blood pressure
• if you have a heart problem
• if you have sugar diabetes
• the names of all medicines you are already taking including those you have bought from a supermarket, pharmacy or alternative practitioner
• if you have had to stop taking other asthma medicines
• if you feel your asthma is not stable, or is getting worse

Using Serevent Accuhaler

How to use it

• You will find the instructions on how to use Serevent Accuhaler on the back of this leaflet. Follow the instructions carefully.
• Your Serevent Accuhaler has a dose counter which tells you how many doses are left. When you have reached the last five doses, the numbers appear in red.
• Your doctor will tell you how many blisters to take and how often to use Serevent Accuhaler. You should also find this information on the pharmacist's label. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• For adults: The usual dose for asthma and COPD is one blister twice daily. If you have asthma, your doctor may tell you to take two blisters twice daily if necessary.
• For children 4 years or older: One blister twice daily for asthma.
• You must take your dose of Serevent regularly, twice daily, in the morning and evening, to get its full benefit.
• Do not take extra doses or use Serevent Accuhaler more often than your doctor has told you.
• You should visit your doctor or pharmacist regularly to check that you are using Serevent Accuhaler in the right way. If you are not breathing the medicine in correctly, the medicine may not be helping you as much as it could.
• Do not stop, or change the dose of, any other medicine unless your doctor has told you.

If you miss a dose

If you forget a dose, do not worry. Just take the next dose at the normal time. Do not take a double dose. If you become wheezy or feel tight in the chest before the next dose is due, use a 'reliever' medicine in the usual way. You should get relief from your 'reliever' medicine within a few minutes.

Overdose

It is important not to take more than the dose on the label of your medicine.

If you take more blisters by mistake, your heart may beat faster than usual, you may get a headache, or you may feel shaky and tense. You should contact your nearest Poisons Information Centre, doctor or hospital emergency department without delay.

What if your Serevent Accuhaler does not have the usual effect?

IMPORTANT: If you have an asthma attack, use your 'reliever' medicine, not your Serevent Accuhaler

If your Serevent Accuhaler:

• does not help your breathing as much as usual
• does not last as long as usual

you will need to use a 'reliever' medicine and tell your doctor as soon as possible.

These may be signs that your asthma or chest condition is getting worse.

Remember, if you have asthma, you should also use your 'preventer' medicine regularly every day as your doctor has told you.

Side effects

Like other medicines, Serevent Accuhaler may cause some side effects. Most of the side effects will be minor and temporary, but some may be serious. Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to answer any questions you may have.

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

• 'shaky' feeling
• headache
• fast heart rate
• muscle cramps
• pain in the joints

These are usually mild side effects. Do not stop using Serevent Accuhaler.

Some people are allergic to medicines.

If you have any of the following symptoms soon after using Serevent Accuhaler, stop taking this medicine and tell your doctor immediately or go to the emergency department at your nearest hospital:

• sudden wheeziness or chest tightness
• feel faint
• swelling of the eyelids, face or lips
• lumpy skin rash or "hives" anywhere on the body

Tell your doctor if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell. Some people may get other side effects while using Serevent Accuhaler. If you are concerned, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Storage

Keep Serevent Accuhaler in a place where children cannot reach it.

Keep Serevent Accuhaler in a dry place away from heat (store below 30 °C). Do not leave it in the car on hot days.

You can recycle your Serevent Accuhaler with other plastic waste.

Product description

Serevent Accuhaler is a green coloured plastic device which contains a foil strip inside. The foil strip has 60 blisters (or pockets) which contain your medicine.

Ingredients

Each blister contains 50 micrograms of salmeterol xinafoate.

Each blister also contains lactose powder (which contains milk protein).

Other types of asthma medicines

Besides Serevent Accuhaler, there are two other main types of asthma medicines. A 'reliever' medicine gives fast relief from wheezing and chest tightness. A 'preventer' medicine prevents chest symptoms and must be used every day. If you have asthma, your doctor will tell you to use a 'preventer' medicine as well as Serevent Accuhaler.

If you have COPD your doctor will advise you what other medicines to take.

Supplier

Serevent Accuhaler is supplied by:
Allen & Hanburys
A division of GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd
1061 Mountain Highway
Boronia Victoria 3155

Further information

This is not all the information that is available on Serevent Accuhaler. If you have any more questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist. You may also be able to find out more information about your condition from books, for example in public libraries.

Do not throw this leaflet away. You may want or need to read it again.

This leaflet was prepared on 11 August 2005.

The information provided applies only to Serevent® Accuhaler®.

®Serevent, Accuhaler and Ventolin are registered trade marks of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.

Serevent Accuhaler: AUST R 53775

© 2003 GlaxoSmithKline