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" What is it used for?   Relieving the symptoms of nasal allergies (allergic rhinitis) such as hay fever, in adults and adolescents over 12 years of age.  Relieving the symptoms of an allergic skin rash called urticaria or nettle rash, in adults and adolescents over 12 years of age.   How does it work? Rupafin tablets contain the active ingredient rupatadine, which is a type of medicine called a non-sedating antihistamine. Rupatadine works by preventing the actions of histamine. Histamine is a substance produced by the body as part of its defence mechanisms. It is stored in cells called mast cells, in almost all tissues of the body. When the body reacts to a foreign substance (known as an allergen, eg flower pollen), the mast cells stimulated by the allergen release their stores of histamine.  The released histamine then binds to its receptors (H1 receptors), causing a chain reaction that results in allergic symptoms. It causes an increase in blood flow to the area of the allergy, and the release of other chemicals that add to the allergic response. All this results in the symptoms of an allergic reaction. In hay fever, histamine causes inflammation of the nose, eyes and airways and results in itchy watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing and nasal congestion. Rupatadine works by blocking histamine H1 receptors. It doesn&amp;#039;t prevent the actual release of histamine from mast cells, but prevents it binding to its receptors. This in turn prevents the release of other allergy chemicals and reduces the blood supply to the area, providing relief from the typical symptoms of hay fever. Rupatadine can also be used to relieve the symptoms of an allergic skin rash called urticaria. This is an itchy rash with hives, also known as nettle rash. Blocking the actions of histamine relieves the itching and reduces the rash associated with this condition. Rupatadine is called a non-sedating antihistamine as it does not enter the brain, and is therefore unlikely to cause drowsiness. However, some people may experience some slight drowsiness.   How do I take it?  Adults and adolescents over 12 years of age should take one tablet once a day when needed to relieve symptoms of the allergy.  You can continue to take one tablet daily to relieve your symptoms for as long as you are exposed to the allergen, for example throughout the pollen season. Follow the instructions given by your doctor. Rupafin tablets should be swallowed with a drink of water. They can be taken either with or without food. You should not take Rupafin with grapefruit juice, because grapefruit juice can affect the metabolism of rupatadine and could increase the amount of the medicine in your blood, thus increasing the risk of side effects.    Warning!  Although rupatadine is a non-sedating antihistamine, some people may experience drowsiness, which may affect your ability to drive or operate machinery. You should make sure you know how this medicine affects you before you perform potentially hazardous activites. If you do find this medicine makes you sleepy you should avoid drinking alcohol or taking other medicines that cause drowsiness with it, as this could make any sleepiness or reduced alertness worse.  If you are due to have any skin prick or patch tests to diagnose allergies you should stop taking your antihistamines at least 48 hours before the tests. This is because antihistamines can prevent or reduce the skin reactions that indicate an allergy, and so can make the test results unreliable.   Use with caution in   People aged over 65 years. People with heart disease. People with an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). People with a type of abnormal heart rhythm, seen on a heart monitoring trace (ECG) as a &amp;#039;prolonged QT interval&amp;#039;  People with a very slow heart beat (bradycardia). People with low levels of potassium in their blood (hypokalaemia).   Not to be used in  Children under 12 years of age. Rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption (Rupafin tablets contain lactose). This medicine is not recommended for people who have problems with their liver or kidney function, as the manufacturer has not studied its effects in these conditions.  This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.   Pregnancy and breastfeeding Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.   The safety of this medicine for use during pregnancy has not been fully established. It should be used with caution by women who are pregnant and only if the benefits outweigh any possible risk to the developing baby. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.  It is not known if this medicine passes into breast milk. It should be used with caution by women who are breastfeeding their infants. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.   Side effects Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.  Common (affect between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people)  Sleepiness. Headache. Fatigue. Dizziness. Dry mouth. Feeling weak.   Uncommon (affect between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 people)  Increased appetite.  Weight gain. Irritability. Difficulty concentrating. Rash. Nosebleeds. Dry nose and throat. Sore throat. Cough.  Feeling thirsty. Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, indigestion, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain.  Pain in the muscles or joints. Fever. Disturbances in liver function.  The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine&amp;#039;s manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.   How can this medicine affect other medicines?  It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to make sure that the combination is safe.  The antibiotic erythromycin and the antifungal ketoconazole can both increase the amount of rupatadine in the blood. Rupafin tablets should be used with caution in people who are taking erythromycin or ketoconazole.  This medicine should be used with caution in people who are taking a statin medicine to lower cholesterol levels, for example simvastatin, rosuvastatin. Rupatadine may oppose the effect of histamine (used to treat leukaemia) and is not recommended for people having this treatment.  Rupatadine may also oppose the effect of betahistine (used to treat M\u00E9ni\u00E8re&amp;#039;s disease).   Other medicines containing the same active ingredient  There are currently no other medicines available in the UK that contain rupatadine as the active ingredient.  Last updated 13.05.2015 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/allergy-and-asthma/a8643/rupafin-discontinued-in-the-uk-march-2015/>