Fenofibrate for hyperlipidaemia

About fenofibrate

Lipide è un altro termine per grasso. Colesterolo e trigliceridi sono tipi di lipidi. Quando la concentrazione di lipidi nel sangue è troppo alta, si chiama iperlipidemia. I lipidi sono prodotti naturalmente nei nostri corpi e vengono anche assorbiti dal cibo che mangiamo. Se i livelli di lipidi sono troppo alti, il grasso in eccesso si deposita sulle pareti dei nostri vasi sanguigni. Questo può portare alla formazione di placche simili a piccoli grumi di grasso all'interno del rivestimento di alcuni vasi sanguigni. Queste placche possono ridurre il flusso sanguigno e portare a malattie cardiache, ictus e problemi di circolazione sanguigna.

High levels of lipids do not make people feel ill, but they can cause the problems mentioned above if left untreated. By lowering the levels of fats, fenofibrate helps to prevent these long-term heart and circulation problems. Your treatment will be more successful if you also follow the healthy lifestyle advice given by your doctor.

It is likely that you will be prescribed fenofibrate if you have a high level of a lipid called triglyceride. It may also be given for other types of hyperlipidaemia, especially if other medicines (called statins) are not suitable for you.

Sometimes, more than one medicine is needed to help control high blood lipids. A brand of fenofibrate called Cholib® also contains a statin medicine called simvastatin. For people who need to take a fibrate and a statin medicine, taking a combination brand like this helps to reduce the total number of tablets needed each day.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking fenofibrate it is important that your doctor knows:

• Se sei incinta, stai cercando di avere un bambino o stai allattando.

• Se hai problemi con il funzionamento dei tuoi reni o problemi con il funzionamento del tuo fegato.

• If you have problems with your gallbladder or pancreas.

• Se hai una ghiandola tiroidea ipoattiva.

• Se stai assumendo altri medicinali. Questo include qualsiasi medicinale che stai assumendo e che è disponibile per l'acquisto senza prescrizione medica, così come i medicinali a base di erbe e complementari.

• If you have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine. It is particularly important that you tell your doctor if you have ever had a bad skin reaction to a medicine called ketoprofen (used to treat pain and swelling).

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about fenofibrate, and it will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you could experience from taking it.

• Take fenofibrate exactly as your doctor tells you to. The usual dose is one 200 mg capsule (Lipantil®) or one 160 mg tablet (Supralip®) each day. Your dose, however, may be higher or lower than this.

• You should take fenofibrate with food, so taking your doses during a mealtime is ideal. This is because fenofibrate is absorbed better by your body when there is some food in your stomach. Some people find it helps to swallow the tablet/capsule with a drink of water.

• You can generally take fenofibrate at a time of day to suit you, but it is best to take your doses with the same meal each day. This will help remind you to take your tablets/capsules regularly.

• Se dimentichi di prendere una dose, prendila appena te ne ricordi. Se non te ne ricordi fino al giorno successivo, salta la dose dimenticata del giorno precedente e prendi la dose prevista normalmente. Non prendere due dosi contemporaneamente per compensare una dose dimenticata.

• Try to keep your regular appointments with your doctor. This is so your doctor can check on your progress. You will need to have regular blood tests during the first year of your treatment with fenofibrate. These are to check that your liver stays healthy.

• Il tuo medico ti darà consigli su come seguire una dieta sana, evitare di bere troppo alcol, ridurre la quantità di sale nella tua dieta, smettere di fumare e fare esercizio fisico regolare. Seguire questi consigli ti aiuterà anche a ridurre il rischio di sviluppare malattie cardiache e dei vasi sanguigni.

• Treatment with fenofibrate is usually long-term unless you experience an adverse effect. Continue to take the tablets/capsules unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

• Fenofibrate may cause your skin to become more sensitive to sunlight than normal. Until you know how your skin reacts, avoid strong sunlight and sunbeds, and use a sun cream with a high sun protection factor even on bright but cloudy days.

• There are several different strengths of fenofibrate capsules available. If you have been prescribed capsules (brand Lipantil®), each time you collect a new supply check to make sure they are the same strength of capsule as you have had before.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the ones associated with fenofibrate. The best place to find a full list of the side-effects which can be associated with your medicine, is from the manufacturer's printed information leaflet supplied with the medicine. Alternatively, you can find an example of a manufacturer's information leaflet in the reference section below. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Se si verificano altri sintomi che ritieni possano essere dovuti al medicinale, parla con il tuo medico o farmacista per ulteriori consigli.

• Tenere tutti i medicinali fuori dalla portata e dalla vista dei bambini.

• Conservare in un luogo fresco e asciutto, lontano da fonti di calore e luce diretta.