Macitentan pour l'hypertension artérielle pulmonaire

About macitentan

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a condition where there is too high a blood pressure in the arteries which supply blood to your lungs from your heart. The arteries become narrowed so your heart has to work harder to pump blood to your lungs.

Macitentan relaxes the muscles in the walls of the arteries, allowing the blood vessels to become wider. This reduces the pressure in the arteries and allows blood to flow more easily through them. In turn, this increases the supply of blood to your lungs and improves your ability to do physical activities. Macitentan will be prescribed for you by a doctor who is a specialist.

Before taking macitentan

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

• Si vous avez des problèmes de fonctionnement du foie ou des reins.

• If you have been told you have a reduced number of red blood cells (anaemia).

• Si vous êtes enceinte, si vous essayez d'avoir un enfant ou si vous allaitez.

• If you have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine, or if you are allergic to soya.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médicaments complémentaires.

How to take macitentan tablets

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack, along with any information you have been given by your hospital. The manufacturer's leaflet will give you more information about macitentan and a full list of side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take macitentan exactly as your doctor tells you to. The usual dose is one 10 mg tablet daily. Try to take your doses at the same time of day each day, as this will help you to remember to take the tablets regularly.

• Swallow the tablet whole with a drink of water. You can take macitentan either before or after food.

• Si vous oubliez de prendre une dose à l'heure habituelle, prenez-la dès que vous vous en rendez compte. Si vous ne vous en rendez compte que le lendemain, ne prenez pas la dose oubliée. Ne prenez pas deux doses en même temps pour compenser une dose oubliée.

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• Try to keep your regular appointments with your doctor so your progress can be checked. Your doctor will want you to have some blood tests both before and during your treatment. The tests will check that your liver is staying healthy.

• Treatment with macitentan is usually long-term. Continue to take the tablets unless you are advised otherwise.

• If you buy any medicines 'over the counter', always check with a pharmacist that they are suitable for you to take. The herbal medicine called St John's wort can interfere with macitentan so you should not take preparations containing this ingredient.

• If you are due to have an operation or some other medical treatment, it is important that you tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are on macitentan.

• Women with pulmonary hypertension should avoid becoming pregnant as pregnancy can lead to serious worsening of your condition. Women of childbearing potential must use effective contraception during treatment with macitentan. Speak with your doctor about which contraceptive methods are suitable for you.

Can macitentan tablets cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with macitentan. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes que vous pensez être dus aux comprimés, veuillez consulter votre médecin ou votre pharmacien pour obtenir des conseils supplémentaires.

How to store macitentan

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments