Eprosartan mesilate
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some of the common questions about Teveten. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
Please read this leaflet before you start taking Teveten.
If you are helping someone else take Teveten, please read this leaflet before you give the first dose.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Teveten 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 medication.
You may want to read it again.
What Teveten is used for
The name of your medicine is Teveten, which contains the active ingredient eprosartan.
Teveten lowers high blood pressure, which doctors call hypertension.
There are usually no symptoms of hypertension. The only way of knowing if you have hypertension is to have your blood pressure checked regularly. If high blood pressure is not treated it can lead to serious health problems, including stroke, heart disease and kidney failure.
Teveten belongs to a group of medicines called angiotensin-II receptor antagonists. It works by blocking the action of a substance called angiotensin II. As a result, Teveten helps relax the blood vessels and helps lower your blood pressure.
Your doctor may have prescribed Teveten for another use.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Teveten has been prescribed for you.
There is no evidence that Teveten is addictive.
There is no specific information available to recommend the use of Teveten in children.
Before you take Teveten
When you must not take Teveten
Do not take Teveten if you have had an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients listed in the Ingredients section of this leaflet.
Signs of allergic reaction may include itchy skin rash, shortness of breath and swelling of the face or tongue.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have taken Teveten before and became unwell.
Do not take Teveten if you are pregnant, or think you may be pregnant.
Do not take Teveten if you are breastfeeding, or wish to breastfeed.
Do not take Teveten if you have serious problems with your kidneys.
Do not take Teveten if you have diabetes or kidney problems and you are taking aliskiren (a medicine used to treat high blood pressure).
Do not take Teveten if the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack has passed.
If you take it after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well.
Do not take Teveten if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering or if the tablets show any signs of visual deterioration.
Before you start to take Teveten
Tell your doctor if:
you have had an allergic reaction to any medicine that you have taken previously to treat your high blood pressure.
you have allergies to any other medicines or any other substances, such as dyes, foods or preservatives.
you have any of these medical conditions:
liver problems
kidney problems
heart problems
adrenal problems
elevated potassium levels
you have experienced recent excessive vomiting or diarrhoea.
you are on a salt restricted diet.
you have hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breast-feeding
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have taken any other medicines recently. These include medicines that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and Teveten may interfere with each other. These include but are not limited to:
other medicines to lower your blood pressure, especially ACE inhibitors or medicines that contain aliskiren.
diuretics (fluid or water tablets).
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), medicines used to relive pain, swelling and other symptoms of inflammation.
lithium, a medicine used to treat mood swings and some types of depression.
potassium supplements or potassium- containing salt substitutes.
These medicines may be affected by Teveten, or may affect how well it works. Other medicines used to treat high blood pressure may have an additive effect with Teveten in lowering your blood pressure. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to tell you more about which medicines can be taken with Teveten.
How to take Teveten
Follow your doctor's instructions about how and when to take Teveten.
Read the directions on the label carefully. If you have any concerns about how to take Teveten, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
How much to take
Follow the directions your doctor has given you on how many tablets to take each day.
These will be printed on the pharmacy label on the box.
The usual starting dose of Teveten is one 600 mg tablet per day. However, some people may need a lower starting dose. Your doctor may recommend a lower starting dose if you have liver or kidney problems, or if you are over 60 years of age, or you are dehydrated or on diuretics (fluid tablets).
Teveten can take 2 to 3 weeks to work fully.
How to take it
Swallow Teveten tablets with a full glass of water or another liquid.
Teveten tablets can be taken with or without food. Do not chew the tablets.
Take Teveten regularly at the same time each day.
Taking your medicine at the same time each day will give the best effect. It will also help you to remember when to take your medicine.
How long to take it
Continue taking Teveten for as long as your doctor prescribes it.
Teveten helps control your high blood pressure, but does not cure it. Therefore, Teveten must be taken every day.
If you forget to take it
If it is almost time for your next dose, 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 tablets as you would normally.
DO NOT take two doses within 6 hours of each other.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
If you take too much (Overdose)
Immediately telephone your doctor or go to Accident & Emergency at your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Teveten. Do this even if there are no signs or symptoms of overdosing.
If possible, show the doctor the pack of tablets.
While you are using Teveten
Things you must do
Be sure to keep all your appointments with your doctor so that your progress can be checked.
If you become pregnant while taking Teveten, tell your doctor immediately.
If you feel light-headed, dizzy or faint when getting out of bed or standing up, get up slowly.
Make sure you drink enough water during exercise and hot weather when you are taking Teveten, especially if you sweat a lot.
If you feel faint or light-headed during exercise or hot weather, speak to your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you have excessive vomiting and/or diarrhoea while taking Teveten.
If you start or stop any new medicine, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop, tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Teveten.
If you plan to have surgery (even at the dentist) that requires a general anaesthetic, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking Teveten.
Things you must not do
Do not stop taking Teveten without checking with your doctor.
Do not use Teveten to treat any other complaints, unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give Teveten to anyone else even if they have the same condition as you.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Teveten affects you.
As with other medicines used to treat high blood pressure, Teveten may cause dizziness or light-headedness in some people, especially after the first dose or when your dose is changed.
Make sure you know how you react to Teveten before you drive a car, operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy.
Side effects
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you have any problems while taking Teveten, even if you do not think the problems are connected with the medicine or are not listed in this leaflet.
This medicine helps most people with high blood pressure; however, like other medicines it may cause some side effects.
Do not be alarmed by this list of side effects.
You may not experience any of them. If they occur, most are likely to be minor and temporary. However, some may be serious and need medical attention.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
feeling light-headed, dizzy or faint
headache
cough
'flu-like' symptoms
feeling sick (nausea), or vomiting
stomach pain or discomfort
unusual tiredness or weakness, fatigue
joint pain
urinary tract infection
fast or slow heartbeats
These are common side effects of Teveten and are usually mild.
Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
hives or itching
reddening of the skin
other unusual skin reactions that worry you.
These are serious side effects and may be symptoms of an allergic reaction. Allergy to Teveten is rare.
If any of the following occur, stop taking Teveten and contact your doctor immediately, or go to Accident & Emergency at your nearest hospital:
swelling of limbs, face, eyes, inside the nose, mouth or throat.
shortness of breath, breathing or swallowing difficulties.
unusual tiredness or weakness that is sudden and severe.
chest pain
These are very serious side effects and may indicate a serious allergic reaction. These side effects are rare.
All possible side effects of Teveten may not be currently known.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you experience any other effects.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
After using Teveten
Storage
Keep your tablets in the original pack until it is time to take them.
Keep the pack in a cool dry place (below 25°C). Do not store it in the bathroom, near the sink, or leave it in the car on hot days.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep all medicines out of the reach of children, such as in a locked cupboard one-and-a-half metres above the ground.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking Teveten or the tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any left over.
Product description
What it looks like
Teveten 400 mg tablets - Oval-shaped, light to moderate pink, film coated tablet marked with "5044" on one side. Packs of 28 tablets.
Teveten 600 mg tablets - White, film coated capsule-shaped tablet marked with "5046" on one side. Packs of 7 or 28 tablets.
Ingredients
The active ingredient in Teveten is eprosartan mesilate.
The inactive ingredients in all Teveten tablets are:
lactose monohydrate
microcrystalline cellulose
pregelatinised maize starch
magnesium stearate
Each tablet strength also contains various other ingredients as follows:
400 mg: croscarmellose sodium, Opadry YS-1-14643-A
600 mg: crospovidone, Opadry OY-S-9603
Teveten tablets do not contain tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
