Pradaxa
dabigatran etexilate
dabigatran etexilate
Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side
effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
What Pradaxa is and what it is used for
What you need to know before you take Pradaxa
How to take Pradaxa
Possible side effects
How to store Pradaxa
Contents of the pack and other information
Pradaxa contains the active substance dabigatran etexilate and belongs to a group of medicines called anticoagulants. It works by blocking a substance in the body which is involved in blood clot formation.
Pradaxa is used in adults to:
prevent the formation of blood clots in the veins after knee or hip replacement surgery. Pradaxa is used in children to:
treat blood clots and to prevent blood clots from reoccurring.
if you are allergic to dabigatran etexilate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
if you have severely reduced kidney function.
if you are currently bleeding.
if you have a disease in an organ of the body that increases the risk of serious bleeding (e.g., stomach ulcer, injury or bleeding in the brain, recent surgery of the brain or eyes).
if you have an increased tendency to bleed. This may be inborn, of unknown cause or due to other medicines.
if you are taking medicines to prevent blood clotting (e.g. warfarin, rivaroxaban, apixaban or heparin), except when changing anticoagulant treatment, while having a venous or arterial line
and you get heparin through this line to keep it open or while your heart beat is being restored to normal by a procedure called catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.
if you have a severely reduced liver function or liver disease which could possibly cause death.
if you are taking oral ketoconazole or itraconazole, medicines to treat fungal infections.
if you are taking oral cyclosporine, a medicine to prevent organ rejection after transplantation.
if you are taking dronedarone, a medicine used to treat abnormal heart beat.
if you are taking a combination product of glecaprevir and pibrentasvir, an antiviral medicine used to treat hepatitis C
if you have received an artificial heart valve which requires permanent blood thinning.
Talk to your doctor before taking Pradaxa. You may also need to talk to your doctor during treatment with this medicine if you experience symptoms or if you have to undergo surgery.
if you have an increased bleeding risk, such as:
if you have been recently bleeding.
if you have had a surgical tissue removal (biopsy) in the past month.
if you have had a serious injury (e.g. a bone fracture, head injury or any injury requiring surgical treatment).
if you are suffering from an inflammation of the gullet or stomach.
if you have problems with reflux of gastric juice into the gullet.
if you are receiving medicines which could increase the risk of bleeding. See 'Other medicines and Pradaxa' below.
if you are taking anti-inflammatory medicines such as diclofenac, ibuprofen, piroxicam.
if you are suffering from an infection of the heart (bacterial endocarditis).
if you know you have decreased kidney function, or you are suffering from dehydration (symptoms include feeling thirsty and passing reduced amounts of dark-coloured
(concentrated) / foaming urine).
if you are older than 75 years.
if you are an adult patient and weigh 50 kg or less.
only if used for children: if the child has an infection around or within the brain.
if you have had a heart attack or if you have been diagnosed with conditions that increase the risk to develop a heart attack.
if you have a liver disease that is associated with changes in the blood tests. The use of this medicine is not recommended in this case.
if you need to have an operation:
In this case Pradaxa will need to be stopped temporarily due to an increased bleeding risk during and shortly after an operation. It is very important to take Pradaxa before and after the operation exactly at the times you have been told by your doctor.
if an operation involves a catheter or injection into your spinal column (e.g. for epidural or spinal anaesthesia or pain reduction):
it is very important to take Pradaxa before and after the operation exactly at the times you have been told by your doctor.
tell your doctor immediately if you get numbness or weakness of your legs or problems with your bowel or bladder after the end of anaesthesia, because urgent care is
necessary.
if you fall or injure yourself during treatment, especially if you hit your head. Please seek urgent medical attention. You may need to be checked by a doctor, as you may be at increased risk of bleeding.
if you know that you have a disease called antiphospholipid syndrome (a disorder of the immune system that causes an increased risk of blood clots), tell your doctor who will decide if the treatment may need to be changed.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. In particular you should tell your doctor before taking Pradaxa, if you are taking one of the medicines listed below:
Medicines to reduce blood clotting (e.g. warfarin, phenprocoumon, acenocoumarol, heparin, clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor, rivaroxaban, acetylsalicylic acid)
Medicines to treat fungal infections (e.g. ketoconazole, itraconazole), unless they are only applied to the skin
Medicines to treat abnormal heart beats (e.g. amiodarone, dronedarone, quinidine, verapamil).
If you are taking amiodarone, quinidine or verapamil containing medicines, your doctor may tell you to use a reduced dose of Pradaxa depending on the condition for which it is prescribed to
you. See also section 3.
Medicines to prevent organ rejection after transplantation (e.g. tacrolimus, cyclosporine)
A combination product of glecaprevir and pibrentasvir (an antiviral medicine used to treat hepatitis C)
Anti-inflammatory and pain reliever medicines (e.g. acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, diclofenac)
St. John´s wort, a herbal medicine for depression
Antidepressant medicines called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or serotonin- norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitors
Rifampicin or clarithromycin (two antibiotics)
Anti-viral medicines for AIDS (e.g. ritonavir)
Certain medicines for treatment of epilepsy (e.g. carbamazepine, phenytoin)
The effects of Pradaxa on pregnancy and the unborn child are not known. You should not take this medicine if you are pregnant unless your doctor advises you that it is safe to do so. If you are a woman of child-bearing age, you should avoid becoming pregnant while you are taking Pradaxa.
You should not breast-feed while you are taking Pradaxa.
Pradaxa has no known effects on the ability to drive or use machines.
Pradaxa capsules can be used in adults and children aged 8 years or older who are able to swallow the capsules whole. There are other age appropriate dose forms for the treatment of children below
8 years.
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor if you are not sure.
Preventionofbloodclotformationafterkneeorhipreplacementsurgery
The recommended dose is 220 mg once a day (taken as 2 capsules of 110 mg).
If your kidney function is decreased by more than half or if you are 75 years of age or older, the recommended dose is 150 mg once a day (taken as 2 capsules of 75 mg).
If you are taking amiodarone, quinidine or verapamil containing medicines the recommended dose is 150 mg once a day (taken as 2 capsules of 75 mg).
If you are taking verapamil containing medicines and your kidney function is decreased by more than half, you should be treated with a reduced dose of 75 mg Pradaxa because your bleeding risk may be increased.
For both surgery types, treatment should not be started if there is bleeding from the site of operation. If the treatment cannot be started until the day after surgery, dosing should be started with 2 capsules once a day.
After knee replacement surgery
You should start treatment with Pradaxa within 1-4 hours after surgery finishes, taking a single capsule. Thereafter two capsules once a day should be taken for a total of 10 days.
After hip replacement surgery
You should start treatment with Pradaxa within 1-4 hours after surgery finishes, taking a single capsule. Thereafter two capsules once a day should be taken for a total of 28-35 days.
Treatmentofbloodclotsandpreventionofbloodclotsfromreoccurringinchildren
The recommended dose depends on weight and age. Your doctor will determine the correct dose. Your doctor may adjust the dose as treatment progresses. Keep using all other medicines, unless your doctor tells you to stop using any.
Table 1 shows single and total daily Pradaxa doses in milligrams (mg). The doses depend on weight in kilograms (kg) and age in years of the patient.
Table 1: Dosing table for Pradaxa capsules
Weight /age combinations | Single dose in mg | Total daily dose in mg | |
Weight in kg | Age in years | ||
11 to less than 13 kg | 8 to less than 9 years | 75 | 150 |
13 to less than 16 kg | 8 to less than 11 years | 110 | 220 |
16 to less than 21 kg | 8 to less than 14 years | 110 | 220 |
21 to less than 26 kg | 8 to less than 16 years | 150 | 300 |
26 to less than 31 kg | 8 to less than 18 years | 150 | 300 |
31 to less than 41 kg | 8 to less than 18 years | 185 | 370 |
41 to less than 51 kg | 8 to less than 18 years | 220 | 440 |
51 to less than 61 kg | 8 to less than 18 years | 260 | 520 |
61 to less than 71 kg | 8 to less than 18 years | 300 | 600 |
71 to less than 81 kg | 8 to less than 18 years | 300 | 600 |
81 kg or greater | 10 to less than 18 years | 300 | 600 |
Single doses requiring combinations of more than one capsule:
300 mg: two 150 mg capsules or
four 75 mg capsules
260 mg: one 110 mg plus one 150 mg capsule or one 110 mg plus two 75 mg capsules
220 mg: as two 110 mg capsules
185 mg: as one 75 mg plus one 110 mg capsule 150 mg: as one 150 mg capsule or
two 75 mg capsules
Pradaxa can be taken with or without food. The capsule should be swallowed whole with a glass of water, to ensure delivery to the stomach. Do not break, chew, or empty the pellets from the capsule since this may increase the risk of bleeding.
The following pictogram illustrates how to take Pradaxa capsules out of the blister
Tear off one individual blister from the blister card along the perforated line
Peel off the backing foil and remove the capsule.
Do not push the capsules through the blister foil.
Do not peel off the blister foil until a capsule is required.
Push and turn for opening.
After removing the capsule, place the cap back on the bottle and tightly close the bottle right away after you take your dose.
Without specific guidance from your doctor do not change your anticoagulant treatment.
Taking too much of this medicine increases the risk of bleeding. Contact your doctor immediately if you have taken too many capsules. Specific treatment options are available.
Preventionofbloodclotformationafterkneeorhipreplacementsurgery
Continue with your remaining daily doses of Pradaxa at the same time of the next day. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
Treatmentofbloodclotsandpreventionofbloodclotsfromreoccurringinchildren A forgotten dose can still be taken up to 6 hours prior to the next due dose.
A missed dose should be omitted if the remaining time is below 6 hours prior to the next due dose.
Do not double a dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
Take Pradaxa exactly as prescribed. Do not stop taking this medicine without talking to your doctor first, because the risk of developing a blood clot could be higher if you stop treatment too early. Contact your doctor if you experience indigestion after taking Pradaxa.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Pradaxa affects blood clotting, so most side effects are related to signs such as bruising or bleeding. Major or severe bleeding may occur, these constitute the most serious side effects and, regardless of location, may become disabling, life-threatening or even lead to death. In some cases these bleedings may not be obvious.
If you experience any bleeding event that does not stop by itself or if you experience signs of excessive bleeding (exceptional weakness, tiredness, paleness, dizziness, headache or unexplained swelling) consult your doctor immediately. Your doctor may decide to keep you under closer observation or change your medicine.
Tell your doctor immediately, if you experience a serious allergic reaction which causes difficulty in breathing or dizziness.
Possible side effects are listed below, grouped by how likely they are to happen. Preventionofbloodclotformationafterkneeorhipreplacementsurgery
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
A fall in the amount of haemoglobin in the blood (the substance in the red blood cells)
Unusual laboratory test results on liver function
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
Bleeding may happen from the nose, into the stomach or bowel, from penis/vagina or urinary tract (incl. blood in the urine that stains the urine pink or red), from piles, from the rectum, under the skin, into a joint, from or after an injury or after an operation
Haematoma formation or bruising occurring after an operation
Blood detected in the stools by a laboratory test
A fall in the number of red cells in the blood
A decrease in the proportion of blood cells
Allergic reaction
Vomiting
Frequent loose or liquid bowel movements
Feeling sick
Wound secretion (liquid exuding from the surgical wound)
Liver enzymes increased
Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, caused by liver or blood problems
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
Bleeding
Bleeding may happen in the brain, from a surgical incision, from the site of entry of an injection
or from the site of entry of a catheter into a vein
Blood-stained discharge from the site of entry of a catheter into a vein
Coughing of blood or blood stained sputum
A fall in the number of platelets in the blood
A fall in the number of red cells in the blood after an operation
Serious allergic reaction which causes difficulty in breathing or dizziness
Serious allergic reaction which causes swelling of the face or throat
Skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps caused by an allergic reaction
Sudden change of the skin which affects its colour and appearance
Itching
Ulcer in the stomach or bowel (incl. ulcer in the gullet)
Inflammation of the gullet and stomach
Reflux of gastric juice into the gullet
Belly ache or stomach ache
Indigestion
Difficulty in swallowing
Fluid exiting a wound
Fluid exiting a wound after an operation
Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):
Difficulty in breathing or wheezing
Decreases in the number or even lack of white blood cells (which help to fight infections)
Hair loss
Treatmentofbloodclotsandpreventionofbloodclotsfromreoccurringinchildren
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
A fall in the number of red cells in the blood
A fall in the number of platelets in the blood
Skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps caused by an allergic reaction
Sudden change of the skin which affects its colour and appearance
Haematoma formation
Nosebleed
Reflux of gastric juice into the gullet
Vomiting
Feeling sick
Frequent loose or liquid bowel movements
Indigestion
Hair loss
Liver enzymes increased
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
Decrease in the number of white blood cells (which help to fight infections)
Bleeding may happen into the stomach or bowel, from the brain, from the rectum, from
penis/vagina or urinary tract (incl. blood in the urine that stains the urine pink or red), or under
the skin
A fall in the amount of haemoglobin in the blood (the substance in the red blood cells)
A decrease in the proportion of blood cells
Itching
Coughing of blood or blood stained sputum
Belly ache or stomach ache
Inflammation of the gullet and stomach
Allergic reaction
Difficulty in swallowing
Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, caused by liver or blood problems
Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):
Lack of white blood cells (which help to fight infections)
Serious allergic reaction which causes difficulty in breathing or dizziness
Serious allergic reaction which causes swelling of the face or throat
Difficulty in breathing or wheezing
Bleeding
Bleeding may happen into a joint or from an injury, from a surgical incision, or from the site of
entry of an injection or from the site of entry of a catheter into a vein
Bleeding may happen from piles
Ulcer in the stomach or bowel (incl. ulcer in the gullet)
Unusual laboratory test results on liver function
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via thenationalreportingsystem listed in Appendix V. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of
this medicine.
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton, blister or bottle after “EXP”. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Blister: Store in the original package in order to protect from moisture.
Bottle: Once opened, the medicine must be used within 4 months. Keep the bottle tightly closed.
Store in the original package in order to protect from moisture.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
The active substance is dabigatran. Each hard capsule contains 75 mg dabigatran etexilate (as mesilate).
The other ingredients are tartaric acid, acacia, hypromellose, dimeticone 350, talc, and hydroxypropylcellulose.
The capsule shell contains carrageenan, potassium chloride, titanium dioxide, and hypromellose.
The black printing ink contains shellac, iron oxide black and potassium hydroxide.
Pradaxa 75 mg are hard capsules (approx. 18 x 6 mm) with an opaque, white cap and an opaque, white body. The Boehringer Ingelheim logo is printed on the cap and “R75” on the body of the hard capsule.
This medicine is available in packs containing 10 x 1, 30 x 1 or 60 x 1 hard capsules in aluminium perforated unit dose blisters. Furthermore, Pradaxa is available in packs containing 60 x 1 hard capsules in aluminium perforated unit dose white blisters.
This medicine is also available in polypropylene (plastic) bottles with 60 hard capsules.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
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Germany and
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France
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