This leaflet tells you about Tagamet Tablets 800 mg. Please read it before taking your tablets.

If there is anything you do not understand, or if you want to know more about your tablets, ask your doctor or pharmacist (chemist).

Please keep this leaflet. You may want to read it again.

Your tablets contain the active ingredient cimetidine. Each tablet contains 800 milligrammes (mg) cimetidine. Your medicine also contains inactive ingredients. These are maize starch, microcrystalline cellulose (E460), povidone, sodium lauryl sulphate, magnesium stearate (E572), sodium starch glycollate, iron oxides (E172), indigo carmine (E132) titanium dioxide (E171), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (E464), propylene glycol, disodium edetate, talc (E553[b]) and carnauba wax (E903).

The sodium content of Tagamet Tablets 800 mg is 1.6 mg per tablet.

Your medicine is available in packs of 30 (2 X 15) tablets.

Your tablets are specially shaped to make them easier to pick up. ‘Tiltab’ is the manufacturer’s name for this shape of tablet.

Your medicine is known as a histamine H₂ antagonist. It works by reducing the natural production of acid in the stomach.

The Product Licence/Authorisation Holder is Smith Kline & French Laboratories Ltd., trading as SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Welwyn Garden City, Herefordshire AL7 1EY.

Your medicine is manufactured by Smith Kline & French Laboratories Ltd., Manor Royal, Crawley.

Your medicine is used to treat and relieve the symptoms of stomach and duodenal ulcers, oesophageal reflux disease and the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

It will also help the healing of ulcers and reduce the inflammation due to these conditions.

Your medicine may also be prescribed for a range of other medical conditions where the reduction of acid production in the stomach is needed.

It you answer YES to any of the following questions, DO NOT take this medicine until you have talked to your doctor. You may need to be given a different medicine or the dose may need to be changed.

• Are you allergic to Tagamet (cimetidine)?
• Do you have a kidney problem?
• Do you have a blood disease?
• Have you had a stomach ulcer or a duodenal ulcer before? You should discuss this with your doctor particularly d you are taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
• Are you pregnant or do you think you may be?
• Are you breast feeding?
• Are you taking any of the medicines listed below?
• Drugs to thin your blood (anticoagulants)
• Drugs to prevent fits (anticonvulsants), e.g. phenytoin
• Theophylline
• Lignocaine

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The usual dose of 'Tagamet' Tablets 800 mg for adults is one 800 mg tablet at bedtime every day. This is usually prescribed for patients with duodenal or stomach ulcers. The maximum recommended dose of ‘Tagamet’ is 2.4 g a day.

The usual length of treatment with 'Tagamet' is at least four weeks though treatment may be longer (at least six or eight weeks) in some conditions.

Your doctor may reduce your dose when you start to feel better.

‘Tagamet’ Tablets 800 mg are not usually prescribed for children.

Doctors sometimes prescribe different doses to those described above. If this applies to you, you should discuss it with your doctor if you have not already done so.

The pharmacist's label on your pack will tell you how much your doctor would like you take and when to take it. Please read the label carefully.

The blister pack containing your tablets is labelled with days of the week. One tablet is labelled "This one first". When you start a new pack of tablets always take that tablet first. It is no different to the rest of the tablets, but it is included to give a 15 tablet pack.

For the rest of the pack take the tablets marked for that particular day of the week.

For example, if you start your new pack on Wednesday morning, take the tablet marked "This one first" and in the evening take one of the tablets marked "Wednesday". On the next day take the tablet marked "Thursday" and so on.

Do not take more than your doctor has recommended.

You may feel benefit after a few days, but you should keep taking your tablets until the prescribed course is finished. Your symptoms may come back if you stop your treatment too early.

You should only take the dose that your doctor or pharmacist has told you. If you have taken too much tell your doctor or hospital casualty department straight away. Take your tablet pack with you.

If you forget to take a dose leave out that dose completely. Take your next dose at the normal time.

Side effects with your medicine are usually mild and do not last long The most common unwanted effects are diarrhoea, dizziness, rash and tiredness.

Other more rare side effects are confusion, breast enlargement in men, blood changes kidney disorders, liver disorders inflammation of the pancreas, fever, headache, aching muscles, aching joints, heart effects and impotence. All these side effects should disappear when treatment is stopped.

Very rarely allergic reactions (rash, itching, shortness of breath and low blood pressure) and hair loss have occurred.

• Your tablets will have an expiry date on the pack. You should not use your tablets after this date.
• Keep your tablets in their original pack.
• Remember this medicine has been prescribed just for you. Never offer your medicine to other people. It may not be suitable for them even if their symptoms seem the same as yours.