SODIUM BICARB 500 MG TABLETS 50 TABLETS

Name
SODIUM BICARBONATE LFM 500 mg tablets


What is it and what is it for?
SODIUM BICARBONATE LFM contains the active ingredient sodium bicarbonate which belongs to a class of medicines called antacids, used against heartburn and acidity.

SODIUM BICARBONATE LFM is indicated for the treatment of stomach acidity.

Talk to your doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse after a short time of treatment.


What you need to know before taking the medicine
Do not take SODIUM BICARBONATE LFM
- if you are allergic to sodium bicarbonate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6);
- if you suffer from severe kidney problems (severe renal failure);
- if you have an increase in blood pH caused by breathing problems and characterised by rapid breathing, nausea, vomiting, muscle stiffness and altered heartbeat (respiratory alkalosis);
- if you have reduced amounts of calcium in your blood (hypocalcaemia), due to an increased risk of a syndrome characterised by muscle cramps, spasms, contractions and tremors (tetany);
- if you have reduced amounts of chloride in your blood (hypochloraemia) caused by taking diuretics, medicines that promote urine production and are generally used to treat high blood pressure (diuretics) (see section “Other medicines and SODIUM BICARBONATE LFM”) or by the loss of excessive amounts of chloride following vomiting or other practices such as continuous gastrointestinal suction;
- if the person who is to take this medicine is under 12 years of age;
- if you are pregnant (see section “Pregnancy and breastfeeding”)


Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking SODIUM BICARBONATE LFM.

Use this medicine with caution and tell your doctor in the following cases:
- if you suffer or have suffered from serious heart problems (congestive heart failure);
- if you suffer from kidney problems (renal impairment);
- if you have reduced urine production or no urine production (oliguria or anuria);
- if you have high blood pressure (hypertension);
- if you suffer from liver problems (liver cirrhosis);
- if you use medicines to treat inflammation and allergies (corticosteroids);
- if you are following a low-sodium diet because you suffer, for example, from reduced heart pumping function, reduced kidney function and high blood pressure;
- if you suffer from fluid accumulation caused by reduced sodium excretion leading to swelling, weight gain and increased blood pressure and which may be due to conditions such as severe liver disease (liver cirrhosis), reduced heart pumping ability (congestive heart failure), severe kidney disease (renal failure), buildup of toxic substances in the blood (toxaemia) or pregnancy;
- if you produce reduced amounts of stomach acid, as this could reduce the effectiveness of the medicine and increase its absorption into the blood;
- if you have reduced amounts of potassium in your blood, in this case you will need to periodically monitor your heart function and the amount of mineral salts (electrolytes) in your blood;
- if you suffer from inflammation of the stomach or small intestine.

Children and adolescents
SODIUM BICARBONATE LFM should NOT be administered to children under 12 years of age.


Possible side effects
Like all medicines, SODIUM BICARBONATE LFM can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

The following side effects may occur:

- allergic and anaphylactic reactions such as hives and airway obstruction (bronchospasm);
- stomach pain, vomiting, flatulence, and stomach ulcers;
- ;
- swelling due to fluid accumulation (edema), especially in elderly patients and in the presence of severe heart or kidney problems (heart or kidney failure);
- metabolic alkalosis, especially in patients with renal insufficiency, which manifests itself with symptoms such as: shortness of breath, muscle weakness due to potassium deficiency, excessive increase in muscle tone, spasms and muscle stiffness (tetany);
- excessive increase in the amount of sodium in the blood (hypernatremia);
- accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema);
- reduction in the amount of blood pumped by the heart (cardiac output);
- reduction in blood pressure (hypotension);
- accumulation of fluid in the brain (cerebral edema);
- loss of blood inside the head (intracranial hemorrhage);
- excessive increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood (hypercapnia).

Reporting of side effects
If you experience any side effects, including any not listed in this leaflet, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. You can also report side effects directly via the national reporting system at: https://www.aifa.gov.it/content/segnalazionireazioni-avverse .
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.