• 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.

1. What Irbesartan is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Irbesartan
3. How to take Irbesartan
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Irbesartan
6. Contents of the pack and other information

• if you are allergic to irbesartan or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6),
• if you are more than 3 months pregnant. (It is also better to avoid Irbesartan in early pregnancy – see pregnancy section),
• if you have diabetes or impaired kidney function and you are treated with a blood pressure lowering medicine containing aliskiren.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Irbesartan and if any of the following apply to you:

• if you get excessive vomiting or diarrhoea,
• if you suffer from kidney problems,
• if you suffer from heart problems,
• if you receive Irbesartan for diabetic kidney disease. In this case your doctor may perform regular blood tests, especially for measuring blood potassium levels in case of poor kidney function,
• if you develop low blood sugar levels (symptoms may include sweating, weakness, hunger, dizziness, trembling, headache, flushing or paleness, numbness, having a fast, pounding heart beat), particularly if you are being treated for diabetes,
• if you are going to have an operation (surgery) or be given anaesthetics,
• if you are taking any of the following medicines used to treat high blood pressure:
  • an ACE-inhibitor (for example enalapril, lisinopril, ramipril), in particular if you have diabetes-related kidney problems,
  • aliskiren.

Your doctor may check your kidney function, blood pressure, and the amount of electrolytes (e.g. potassium) in your blood at regular intervals.

See also information under the heading “Do not take Irbesartan”.

You must tell your doctor if you think you are (or might become) pregnant. Irbesartan is not recommended in early pregnancy, and must not be taken if you are more than 3 months pregnant, as it may cause serious harm to your baby if used at that stage (see pregnancy section).

This medicine should not be used in children and adolescents (< 18 years) because the safety and efficacy have not yet been fully established.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Your doctor may need to change your dose and/or to take other precautions:

• If you are taking an ACE-inhibitor or aliskiren (see also information under the headings “Do not take Irbesartan” and “Warnings and precautions”).

You may need to have blood checks if you take:

• potassium supplements,
• salt substitutes containing potassium,
• potassium-sparing medicines (such as certain diuretics),
• medicines containing lithium,
• repaglinide (medication used for lowering blood sugar levels).

If you take certain painkillers, called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the effect of irbesartan may be reduced.

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Pregnancy

You must tell your doctor if you think you are (or might become) pregnant. Your doctor will normally advise you to stop taking Irbesartan before you become pregnant or as soon as you know you are pregnant and will advise you to take another medicine instead of Irbesartan. Irbesartan is not recommended in early pregnancy, and must not be taken when more than 3 months pregnant, as it may cause serious harm to your baby if used after the third month of pregnancy.

Breast-feeding

Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding or about to start breast-feeding.

Irbesartan is not recommended for mothers who are breast-feeding, and your doctor may choose another treatment for you if you wish to breast-feed, especially if your baby is newborn, or was born prematurely.

Irbesartan is unlikely to affect your ability to drive or use machines. However, occasionally dizziness or weariness may occur during treatment of high blood pressure. If you experience these, talk to your doctor before attempting to drive or use machines.

Irbesartan is for oral use. Swallow the tablets with a sufficient amount of fluid (e.g. one glass of water). You can take Irbesartan with or without food. Try to take your daily dose at about the same time each day. It is important that you continue to take Irbesartan until your doctor tells you otherwise.

• Patients with high blood pressure
  The usual dose is 150 mg once a day. The dose may later be increased to 300 mg once daily depending on blood pressure response.
• Patients with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes with kidney disease
  In patients with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, 300 mg once daily is the preferred maintenance dose for the treatment of associated kidney disease.

The doctor may advise a lower dose, especially when starting treatment in certain patients such as those on haemodialysis, or those over the age of 75 years.

The maximal blood pressure lowering effect should be reached 4-6 weeks after beginning treatment.

Irbesartan should not be given to children under 18 years of age. If a child swallows some tablets, contact your doctor immediately.

If you accidentally take too many tablets, contact your doctor immediately.

If you accidentally miss a daily dose, just take the next dose as normal. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

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 Yellow Card Scheme, Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

• The active substance is irbesartan. Each film-coated tablet contains 300 mg irbesartan (as hydrochloride).
• The other ingredients are mannitol, hydroxypropylcellulose, low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose (LH-21), low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose (LH-11), talc, macrogol 6000, castor oil, hydrogenated in the core of tablet and polyvinyl alcohol, titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol 3000 and talc in film-coating.

Irbesartan 300 mg film-coated tablets are: white, oval film-coated tablets.

Irbesartan 300 mg film-coated tablets are available in boxes of 14, 28, 30, 56, 84, 90 and 98 film-coated tablets in blisters and in boxes of 56 x 1 film-coated tablets in perforated unit dose blisters.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.