LOPID*
Gemfibrozil
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some of the more common questions about LOPID. It does not contain all of the available information. It does not take the place of talking with your doctor and pharmacist.
The name of your medicine is LOPID. It contains the active ingredient called gemfibrozil.
All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking LOPID against the benefits he/she expects it will have for you.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist If you have any concerns about taking this medicine.
Keep this information with your medicine.
You may want to read it again later.
What LOPID is used for
LOPID helps to lower high cholesterol, triglycerides and other fats.
Everyone has cholesterol in their blood. It`s a type of blood fat needed by the body for things such as building cell walls, making bile acids (which help to digest food) and some hormones. However, too much cholesterol can be a problem.
Cholesterol is present in many foods and is also made in your body by the liver. If your body does not balance the amount of cholesterol it needs with the amount of cholesterol eaten, then your cholesterol levels become too high.
High cholesterol is more likely to occur with certain diseases or if you have a family history of high cholesterol.
There are different types of cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the “bad” cholesterol that can block your blood vessels. HDL cholesterol is the “good” cholesterol that is thought to remove the bad cholesterol from the blood vessels.
When you have high levels of “bad” cholesterol it may “stick” to the inside of your blood vessels instead of being carried to the parts of the body where it is needed. Over time, this can form hard areas, called plaque, on the walls of your blood vessels, making it more difficult for the blood to flow. This blocking of your blood vessels can lead to several types of heart and blood vessel disease, heart attack, angina and stroke.
There is another type of blood fat called triglyceride which is a source of energy. High levels of triglyceride can be associated with a low level of “good” cholesterol and may increase your risk of heart disease.
In most patients, LOPID reduces the bad cholesterol and triglyceride and can actually raise the good cholesterol.
LOPID does not reduce the cholesterol that comes from fat in food.
Therefore, when you are taking LOPID, you also need to follow a low fat diet and other measures, such as exercise and weight control.
In most people, there are no symptoms of high cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Your doctor can measure your levels with a simple blood test.
How LOPID works
The exact way in which LOPID works is not known, but it is thought to reduce the amount of triglycerides made in the body.
LOPID belongs to a group of medicines known as fibric acid derivatives.
Your doctor will have explained why you are being treated with LOPID.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
Your doctor may have prescribed LOPID for another reason.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why LOPID has been prescribed for you.
There is not enough information to recommend the use of Lopid in children.
LOPID is not addictive.
Before you take LOPID
When you must not take it
Do not take LOPID if:
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include skin rash, itching, difficulty breathing.
Your baby may absorb this medicine in the womb or from breast milk and therefore there is a possibility of harm to the baby.
If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work or it may make you unwell.
Talk to your doctor if you are not sure whether you should start taking LOPID.
Before you start to take it
You must tell your doctor if:
LOPID should not be used during pregnancy or while breast-feeding,
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines or remedies, including medicines that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may interfere with LOPID. These include:
These medicines may be affected by LOPID 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 has more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking LOPID.
Tell your doctor about any of the above before you take LOPID.
How to take LOPID
Use LOPID only when prescribed by your doctor.
LOPID has been prescribed for you by your doctor for a very specific purpose.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist carefully.
These directions may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for help if you do not understand the instructions on the bottle.
How much to take
The normal dose of LOPID is one 600 mg tablet twice a day.
How and when to take it
Swallow LOPID with a glass of water or other liquid. Do not crush or chew the tablets.
Take one tablet in the morning and one in evening.
The tablets are best taken on an empty stomach, half an hour before food. Taking the tablets half an hour before food means the medicine is absorbed faster into your body. If taking the tablets on an empty stomach makes you feel unwell, you may take them with food.
How long to take it
You may have to take this kind of medicine for the rest of your life.
LOPID helps to regulate your levels of cholesterol (both LDL and HDL) and triglycerides. It does not cure your condition. Therefore you must continue to take it as directed by your doctor if you expect to keep your levels controlled. If you stop taking LOPID, your levels may become abnormal again.
If you forget to take it
If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember, as long as it is more than 6 hours before your next dose.
If it is less than 6 hours before your next dose, skip the dose you missed. Take your following dose at the normal time.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure whether to skip the dose or if you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.
If you take too much (overdose)
Immediately telephone your Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26), or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much LOPID. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention. Keep telephone numbers of these places handy.
While you are using LOPID
Things you must do
Have your cholesterol, and triglyceride levels checked when your doctor says to make sure that LOPID is working.
Tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking LOPID if you are about to start on any new medicine.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, a nursing mother, or thinking about becoming pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking LOPID, stop taking LOPID and contact your doctor immediately.
Things you must not do
Do not give LOPID to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Do not use LOPID to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how LOPID affects you.
LOPID generally does not cause any problems with your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. However, as with many other medicines, LOPID may cause dizziness in some people.
Side Effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking LOPID.
LOPID helps most people with high cholesterol and triglyceride problems, but 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.
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:
These are mild but more frequent side effects of LOPID.
Tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:
These are serious but rare, side effects. You may need urgent medical attention.
Tell you doctor if you notice any other effects.
Some people may get other side effects while taking LOPID.
Do not be alarmed by this list of side effects. You may not experience any of them.
After Using LOPID
Storage
Keep your tablets in the bottle until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of the bottle they may not keep well.
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30 degrees C.
Do not store your tablets or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink.
Do not leave your tablets in the car or on window sills.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep your tablets where young children cannot reach them.
A locked cupboard at least one and a half metres off the ground is a good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop taking LOPID, or the tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any tablets that are left over.
Further information
This is not all the information that is available on LOPID. If you have any more questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Product Description
What it looks like
LOPID tablets are white oval shaped tablets, marked with “PD-737” on one side.
LOPID tablets come in bottles of 60.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients
The active ingredient of LOPID is gemfibrozil. Each LOPID tablet contains 600 mg of gemfibrozil.
Inactive Ingredients
The inactive ingredients:
LOPID tablets do not contain gluten.
Manufacturer
LOPID is supplied in Australia by: