Generic Arcoxia

Chemical Name: ETORICOXIB

Common uses

This medecine can be used to treat acute gouty arthritis, osteoarthritis and other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Before using

It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine.

This medicine may be taken with low-dose (75mg daily) aspirin. However, the combination may carry an increased risk of ulceration or bleeding in the stomach or intestines compared to taking etoricoxib on its own. Etoricoxib should not be taken with higher daily doses of aspirin. For more information and advice ask your doctor or pharmacist.

This medicine should not be taken with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), eg ibuprofen, diclofenac, as using more than one NSAID together may also increase the risk of side effects on the gut.

This medicine may increase the anti-blood-clotting effect of warfarin. People taking warfarin or other anticoagulant medicines at the same time as this medicine should therefore have their blood-clotting time (INR) regularly monitored, particularly in the first few days of treatment with etoricoxib and following any dose changes. This medicine may reduce the effect of diuretics and other medicines for high blood pressure (antihypertensives).

There may be an increased risk of side effects on the kidneys if this medicine is taken with any of the following, and people taking any of these medicines in combination with etoricoxib should have their kidney function monitored: ACE inhibitors, eg enalapril, captopril, ciclosporin, diuretics, tacrolimus.

This medicine may increase the blood levels of the following medicines: lithium (your lithium blood level should be monitored if you are starting, changing dose, or stopping etoricoxib while taking lithium), methotrexate (people taking methotrexate should be well monitored for any side effects of methotrexate while taking etoricoxib, ethinylestradiol in oral contraceptives (this may increase the risk of side effects from these pills. Discuss this with your doctor), digoxin. Rifampicin may decrease the blood level of this medicine.

Directions

Follow the directions for using this medicine provided by your doctor. If you miss a dose of this medicine and you remember the same day, take it as soon as possible. If you do not remember until the next day, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Keep your tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them. If you take the tablets out of the blister pack they may not keep well. Keep this mwgwcine in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C. Do not store it or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it in the car or on window sills. 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.

Cautions

This medicine can sometimes cause liver problems. Consult your doctor promptly if you develop unexplained itching, yellowing of the skin or eyes, unusually dark urine, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pains, loss of appetite or flu-like symptoms.

Stop taking this medicine and consult your doctor if you develop any of the following symptoms while taking this medicine: skin rash, skin blistering or peeling, sores inside your mouth, other signs of an allergic reaction, or signs of bleeding in the stomach or intestine, such as passing a black or blood-stained bowel movement or vomiting blood.

This medicine may hide fever, which is a sign of infection. This may make you think mistakenly that an infection is getting better when it isn't, or that an infection is less serious than it is. For this reason you should tell your doctor if you get an infection while you are taking this medicine.

People with impaired kidney, liver or heart function should have their kidney function monitored while taking this medicine. Your blood pressure should be regularly monitored while you are taking this medicine.

This medicine may cause fatigue and dizziness. You should take care when performing potentially hazardous activites, such as driving or operating machinery, until you know how this medicine affects you and are sure you can perform such activities safely.

The use of this medicine is not recommended if you have active peptic ulcer, Bleeding from the stomach or intestines, Inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, Uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension), Moderate to severe heart failure, Heart disease caused by inadequate blood flow to the heart (ischaemic heart disease), eg angina or history of heart attack, Disease of the blood vessels in and around the brain (cerebrovascular disease), eg history of stroke, Moderate to severely decreased kidney function, severely decreased liver function, pregnancy, breastfeeding, people who have developed asthma, nasal inflammation (rhinitis), nasal polyps, swelling of the face, lips and tongue (angioedema) or itchy rash (urticaria) following the use of aspirin or other NSAIDs, rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malsorption.

This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Possible side effects

The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine: headache, dizziness, disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, weakness or loss of strength (asthenia), fatigue, cold or flu-like symptoms, rash, blurred vision, difficulty in sleeping (insomnia), muscle cramps, weight gain, excessive fluid retention in the body tissues, resulting in swelling, nosebleeds (epistaxis), difficulty in breathing (dyspnoea), high blood pressure (hypertension), chest pain, heart failure, anxiety, ulceration or bleeding of the stomach or intestine, liver or kidney disorders.

If you take too much

If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately.

Additional information

Do not share this medicine with others for whom it was not prescribed. Do not use this medicine for other health conditions. Keep this medicine out of the reach of children. If using this medicine for an extended period of time, obtain refills before your supply runs out.

Drug interactions

Drug interactions can result in unwanted side effects or prevent a medicine from doing its job. Some medicines or medical conditions may interact with this medicine. Inform your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and over-the-counter medicine that you are taking.