Author: Unknown

Sanomigran Elixir
The Sanomigran Elixir leaflet is in the form of a fold out leaflet attached to the bottle. The information it contains is reproduced here.
What is this leaflet about?
This leaflet is a summary of the information about your Sanomigran Elixir. Please read it carefully before you take any of your medicine. If you have any questions about your medicine or your headaches, ask your pharmacist (chemist) or doctor.
What is in Sanomigran Elixir?
The active ingredient in Sanomigran Elixir is pizotifen. Each 5 ml spoonful of Sanomigran Elixir contains 0.25 mg of pizotifen (as 0.365 mg of pizotifen hydrogen malate). The elixir is a clear colourless liquid with a pleasant fruity flavour. It comes in a bottle containing 300 ml.
There are also some inactive ingredients in Sanomigran Elixir. These are citric acid anhydrous, methyl hydroxybenzoate, propyl hydroxybenzoate, raspberry flavour, maraschino flavour, disodium phosphate anhydrous, ethyl alcohol, Lycasin^® and purified water.
Sanomigran Elixir contains no tartrazine.
What sort of medicine is Sanomigran Elixir?
Sanomigran Elixir is a migraine treatment.
There are substances in your body including "serotonin", "histamine" and "tryptamine'' that are involved in causing some kinds of headaches, including migraine. Sanomigran Elixir may help to stop the effects of these substances.
Who makes Sanomigran Elixir?
The company licensed to sell it in the UK is Sandoz Pharmaceuticals (UK) Limited, Frimley Business Park, Frimley, Camberley, Surrey, GU16 5SG.
Sanomigran Elixir is manufactured by Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, Calverley Lane, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 4RP.
Sanomigran Elixir is licensed by the Department of Health in the UK. The product licence number is PL0101/0163.
What is Sanomigran Elixir for?
Sanomigran Elixir has been prescribed for you by your doctor to help your migraine type headaches. If Sanomigran Elixir is taken regularly it can help you get fewer or less painful headaches including the pain of cluster headaches common and classical migraine.
Sanomigran can stop some migraine attacks starting and helps make other attacks less severe.
Before you take Sanomigran Elixir?
Do not take the elixir if you have ever had an allergy or a bad reaction to pizotifen or any of the other ingredients in Sanomigran Elixir.
Tell your doctor before you take Sanomigran Elixir if you have ever had
•	glaucoma (raised pressure in your eyes).
•	problems passing urine.
•	kidney problems (especially kidney failure. The medical term for this is "renal" failure).
or if
•	you are pregnant, might be pregnant, or if your are breast feeding.
Make sure that you have discussed any of these with your doctor before you take Sanomigran Elixir.
Are you taking any other medicines?
Make sure that your doctor or pharmacist knows about all the medicines you are taking, including ones you have bought yourself.
Anything that makes you sleepy may make you even sleepier if you are taking Sanomigran Elixir as well. This includes sleeping pills, sedatives and antihistamines such as cold and hayfever medicines. It also includes alcohol. It is best not to drink alcohol while you are taking Sanomigran Elixir.
Some people may feel drowsy while they are taking Sanomigran Elixir. If you find that you get drowsy, do

not drive or work with machinery. Do not do anything where you need to be alert.
Are you a diabetic?
Sanomigran Elixir contains Lycasin which can affect your blood sugar level. Speak to your doctor before you use Sanomigran Elixir if you are a diabetic.
How do you take Sanomigran Elixir?
With Sanomigran Elixir, you do not wait for a migraine and then treat the pain. You take it regularly to stop your migraines even beginning or to make them less severe.
Your doctor will tell you how much Sanomigran Elixir to take, and when to take it. Follow your doctor's instructions exactly. Do not change your dose unless your doctor tells you.
If you forget how much medicine to take, look at the label on the bottle. If you are still not sure, ask your pharmacist or doctor.
There is a spoon with your pack. The large end is a 5 ml spoon and the small end is a 2.5 ml spoon.
Adults
The usual dose for adults is 1.5 mg of pizotifen each day. This is 6 large spoonfuls. You may have been told to take your medicine once a day, or you may have it split into three smaller doses. Do not take more than 3 mg (12 large spoonfuls) in a single dose. Do not take more than 4.5 mg (18 large spoonfuls) in a day.
Children
Children can take up to 1.5 mg of pizotifen each day This is 6 large spoonfuls. This is usually best given in two or three smaller doses. Do not give them more than 1 mg in a single dose. This is 4 large spoonfuls.
Taking your medicine
•	Have a drink with your elixir if this helps you to swallow.
•	If you take Sanomigran Elixir once a day take it in the evening a few hours before you go to bed as any drowsiness experienced will help you sleep.
•	If you take your elixir in two or three doses, spread them evenly through the day.
Carry on taking Sanomigran Elixir even when you feel well. Your headaches may come back if you stop taking it. Talk to your doctor if you want to stop taking your medicine.
If you take too much Sanomigran Elixir, tell your doctor straight away. You may need to go to hospital. Tell your doctor how much you have taken.
If you forget to take your medicine, do not worry.
If you normally take Sanomigran Elixir several times a day take the last dose you missed as soon as possible.
If you normally take one dose of Sanomigran each day take the dose as soon as you remember. Take your next dose as usual.
Remember, do not take more than 3 mg in one dose. This is 12 large 5 ml spoonfuls of Sanomigran Elixir. Do not take more than 4.5 mg in one day. This is 18 large spoonfuls.
Tell your doctor if you keep forgetting to take your elixir.
Does Sanomigran Elixir have side effects?
Like any other medicine, Sanomigran Elixir some times has side effects. These are usually mild.
Some people feel drowsy. This is not usually a problem as you can take your medicine in the evening. This will mean that the effect of making you drowsy will help you to sleep. You are less likely to feel drowsy after a few weeks, as you get used to the medicine.
Some people feel hungry. If you feel hungrier than usual, try to fill up on fresh low calorie foods. These are much healthier than processed high calorie foods. Your doctor can give you advice about diet as some kinds of foods are known to trigger migraine.
A few people taking Sanomigran Elixir have had dizziness, sickness, a dry mouth or constipation.
Children sometimes get restless or excitable.

If any of these side effects bother you or do not go away, tell your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have any other unpleasant effects, even if they are not listed here, tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Look after your Sanomigran Elixir
Keep your medicine in the bottle it came in. Do not take any elixir after the use by date printed on your pack.
Keep your medicine in a safe place, well out of the reach of children. Keep it out of strong light.
If you stop taking Sanomigran Elixir before you have finished all your elixir, take any you have left back to your pharmacist.
Only a doctor can prescribe Sanomigran Elixir. Never give your medicine to anyone else even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
This leaflet was last revised February 1995.
Managing migraine
Migraine affects about one person in ten. Migraine attacks can affect peoples lives and work, sometimes several times a week. Most migraine sufferers get several attacks a year, sometimes with other tension headaches in between attacks.
Migraine attacks usually last for a few hours but

they can go on for several days. Some migraine sufferers can tell when an attack is beginning. They may feel unusually tired or energetic, crave certain foods, or see strange lights, lines or blank spots. Different people have different experiences and this is known as an "aura". Later, they have a severe throbbing headache, on one or both sides of the head. Many people also feel very sick and dislike bright lights and noise during an attack
We do not know exactly why some people have migraine. Migraine may run in families. This means that there may be a genetic factor. Women sometimes get migraine during or before their periods We do know many things may trigger migraine. These can include certain foods (e.g. cheese, chocolate, red wine) certain medicines, overwork, worry, bright sunlight, sleeping too much or too little, missing meals. Try to work out which things trigger your migraines. Then you may be able to avoid them.
For more information contact: The British Migraine Associations, 178A High Road, Byfleet, Surrey KT14 7ED.
© Sandoz Pharmaceuticals (UK) Limited.
® Sanomigran is a registered Trade Mark.