PROSPAN EFFERVESCENT TABLETS

Prospan 65 mg effervescent tablets is a herbal medicine containing dry ivy leaf extract. It is used as an expectorant to make coughing up mucus easier in adults, adolescents and children aged six years and over who have a productive cough.

Prospan helps to loosen thick mucus in the airways and makes it easier to clear by coughing. Each effervescent tablet contains 65 mg of dry ivy leaf extract. The pack contains 10 effervescent tablets.

What is Prospan used for?

Prospan effervescent tablets are used as an expectorant for a productive cough, meaning a cough accompanied by mucus or phlegm.

Dry ivy leaf extract helps loosen thick mucus in the airways and makes it easier to expel by coughing.

Prospan is not automatically suitable for every type of cough. A dry, irritating cough without mucus may require a different approach. Ask a doctor or pharmacist for advice if you are unsure which type of cough you have.

How is Prospan taken?

Always take this medicine exactly as stated in the official package leaflet or as advised by your doctor or pharmacist.

Adults, older people and adolescents aged 12 years and over:

• one effervescent tablet in the morning;
• half an effervescent tablet in the evening;
• the total daily amount corresponds to 97.5 mg of dry ivy leaf extract.

Children aged 6 to 11 years:

• half an effervescent tablet twice daily;
• the total daily amount corresponds to 65 mg of dry ivy leaf extract.

Dissolve one effervescent tablet or half a tablet in approximately 100–200 mL of water. Both warm and cold water may be used. Take the prepared solution in the morning and evening.

Use in children

Prospan effervescent tablets are intended for children aged six years and over.

This pharmaceutical form should not be given to children under six years of age. Other Prospan formulations, such as syrup or oral drops, may be more suitable for children aged two to five years, after advice from a doctor or pharmacist.

Secretolytic cough medicines must not be given to children under two years of age because of the risk of worsening respiratory symptoms.

A persistent or recurrent cough in a child aged two to four years requires a medical diagnosis before treatment is started.

When must Prospan not be taken?

Do not take this medicine:

• if you are allergic to ivy leaf;
• if you are allergic to other plants from the Araliaceae family;
• if you are allergic to any of the other ingredients;
• in children under two years of age.

Because of the pharmaceutical form, Prospan effervescent tablets should not be given to children under six years of age.

Warnings and precautions

Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before taking Prospan if you have gastritis or a stomach ulcer.

Contact a healthcare professional if any of the following occur during treatment:

• difficulty breathing or rapid breathing;
• fever;
• purulent or bloody sputum;
• a cough that becomes worse or lasts longer than expected;
• a serious allergic reaction.

Taking Prospan at the same time as cough suppressants such as codeine or dextromethorphan is not recommended without medical advice.

Important information about some ingredients

Each effervescent tablet contains:

• 151.33 mg of sodium, which should be considered by people following a sodium-controlled diet;
• 29.7 mg of lactose in the orange flavour;
• 202 mg of sorbitol, which is a source of fructose;
• macrogol glycerol hydroxystearate, which may cause stomach discomfort and diarrhoea.

The medicine should not be used by people with certain rare inherited conditions, including galactose intolerance, total lactase deficiency, glucose-galactose malabsorption or hereditary fructose intolerance.

Speak to your doctor before using the medicine if you or your child have been told that you cannot tolerate certain sugars.

Interactions with other medicines

Interaction studies have not been performed, and no interactions with other medicines are currently known.

Nevertheless, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all medicines you are taking, have recently taken or might take, including products obtained without a prescription.

Do not combine Prospan with cough suppressants such as codeine or dextromethorphan without medical advice. Suppressing the cough reflex may make it more difficult to clear loosened mucus from the airways.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

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

Use of Prospan during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not recommended because there are insufficient safety data on the use of ivy leaf extract in pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Driving and using machines

No studies have been conducted on the effects of Prospan on the ability to drive or use machines.

Possible side effects

Like all medicines, Prospan may cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Side effects of unknown frequency, meaning that their frequency cannot be estimated from the available data, include:

• nausea;
• vomiting;
• diarrhoea;
• hives;
• skin rash;
• difficulty breathing;
• anaphylactic reactions.

Tell a doctor or pharmacist about any suspected side effect, including an effect that is not listed in the official package leaflet.

What if too much Prospan is taken?

Do not exceed the recommended daily dose.

Taking more than the recommended amount may cause:

• nausea;
• vomiting;
• diarrhoea;
• restlessness or agitation.

If you have taken more medicine than recommended, contact a doctor, who will decide whether further treatment is necessary.

What if a dose is forgotten?

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. Continue taking the medicine according to the usual schedule or the instructions given by your doctor.

How should Prospan be stored?

• Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
• Store at a temperature of up to 25 °C.
• Keep the tablets in their original aluminium strips until use.
• Do not use after the expiry date stated on the package.

Do not dispose of unused medicines through wastewater or household waste. Return them to a pharmacy that collects unused medicines from the public.

Availability and price of Prospan

Pharmacist’s advice

Related information and products for productive cough

Frequently asked questions about Prospan