OxyNorm

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

• 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.

In this leaflet:

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

Do not take OxyNorm capsules if you:

• are allergic (hypersensitive) to oxycodone, or any of the other ingredients of the capsules (listed in section 6 of this leaflet);
• have breathing problems, such as severe chronic obstructive lung disease, severe bronchial asthma or severe respiratory depression. Your doctor will have told you if you have any of these conditions. Symptoms may include breathlessness, coughing or breathing more slowly or weakly than expected;
• have a condition where the small bowel does not work properly (paralytic ileus), your stomach empties more slowly than it should (delayed gastric emptying) or you have severe pain in your abdomen;
• have a heart problem after long-term lung disease (cor pulmonale);
• have increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood. Symptoms may include dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, shortness of breath and headache;
• have moderate to severe liver problems. If you have other long-term liver problems you should only take these capsules if recommended by your doctor;
• have ongoing problems with constipation;
• are under 18 years of age.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking these capsules if you:

• or anyone in your family are or have ever been addicted to opioids, alcohol, prescription medicines or illegal drugs;
• are a smoker
• have ever had problems with your mood (depression, anxiety or a personality disorder) or have been treated by a psychiatrist for other mental illnesses);
• have previously suffered from withdrawal symptoms such as agitation, anxiety, shaking or sweating, when you have stopped taking alcohol or drugs;
• feel you need to take more capsules to get the same level of pain relief, this may mean you are becoming tolerant to the effects of this medicine or are becoming addicted to it. Speak to your prescriber who will discuss your treatment and may change your dose or switch you to an alternative pain reliever;
• are elderly or weakened;
• have an under-active thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), as you may need a lower dose;
• have myxoedema (a thyroid disorder associated with dryness, coldness and swelling or puffiness of the skin affecting the face and limbs);

• have low blood volume (hypovolaemia). This can occur due to severe external or internal bleeding, severe burns, excessive sweating, severe diarrhoea or vomiting;
• feel very lightheaded or faint;
• have a mental disorder following use of certain medicines (toxic psychosis);
• have inflammation of the pancreas (which causes severe pain in the abdomen and back);
• have problems with your gall bladder or bile duct;
• have inflammatory bowel disease;
• have an enlarged prostate gland, which causes difficulty in passing urine (in men);
• have poor adrenal gland function (your adrenal gland is not working properly which may cause symptoms including weakness, weight loss, dizziness, feeling or being sick), for example due to Addison’s disease;
• have severely impaired lung function. Symptoms may include breathlessness and coughing;
• have long term pain unrelated to cancer;
• have a condition where your breathing stops for short periods whilst you are asleep, known as sleep apnoea;
• have kidney or liver problems.