Chlorvescent tablets are used to provide extra potassium for people who have lost potassium from their bodies because of illness or treatment with certain medicines. It is also used for people who do not have enough potassium in their regular diet or cannot replace the potassium they have lost from their diet alone.
Potassium is essential for life and health. Vegetables, potatoes and fruit are good sources of dietary potassium.
However, as too much potassium can be harmful, do not change your dose without first checking with your doctor.
The dose of Chlorvescent may need to be adjusted if your diet is rich in natural sources of potassium.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Chlorvescent has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another purpose.
Do not take Chlorvescent:
You must tell your doctor if:
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may be affected by Chlorvescent or may affect how well it works. These include:
You may need to take different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor or pharmacist has more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.
Do not give Chlorvescent to children.
The safety of this medicine in children has not been established.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the label, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
Do not take more than your doctor tells you to.
The usual dose is 1 or 2 tablets taken two to three times a day (i.e. 2 to 6 tablets each day). The amount you need will depend on your condition.
Take Chlorvescent at meal times.
Taking it with food or immediately after food will reduce the chance of you having a stomach irritation.
Dissolve the tablet completely in one-half to one glass of cold water.
Chlorvescent tablets are effervescent and need to be dissolved completely in water before swallowing.
Do not crush or chew the tablets.
Continue taking Chlorvescent until your doctor tells you to stop.
Your doctor may need to check the potassium levels in your blood to help decide when you should stop taking Chlorvescent.
If you forget to take your medicine, take your dose as soon as you remember.
Do not try to make up for missed doses by taking more than one dose at a time.
This may increase the chance of you getting an unwanted side effect.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Chlorvescent.
Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
Tell all doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking Chlorvescent.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist before you start any new medicine.
Keep all of your doctor's appointments so that your progress can be checked.
Your doctor may do blood tests from time to time to make sure the medicine is working and to prevent unwanted side effects.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while taking Chlorvescent.
Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits of taking it during pregnancy.
Do not take it to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not stop taking your medicine or increase the dose even if you think it is not working.
Do not start taking salt substitutes without first discussing this with your doctor or pharmacist.
It may be necessary to avoid salt substitutes containing potassium when taking Chlorvescent.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms or conditions as you.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Chlorvescent.
Tell your doctor if you notice anything unusual or if you are concerned about any aspect of your health, even if you think the problems are not connected with this medicine and are not referred to in this leaflet.
This medicine helps most people needing a potassium supplement but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
These common side effects may be reduced by drinking a fully dissolved Chlorvescent dose at meal times.
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you experience:
These serious side effects may mean that you are getting too much potassium and you may need medical attention. These serious side effects are rare.
Stop taking Chlorvescent and tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you suspect any problems with your kidneys.
These are very rare side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
Keep your tablets in the closed tube until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of the tube they may not keep as well.
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30 degrees C. Do not expose them to direct sunlight.
Do not store Chlorvescent or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep Chlorvescent tablets where children cannot reach them.
A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine that is left over.
Chlorvescent tablets are flat, round, white or white to yellow.
They are available in packs of 60 tablets (2 plastic tubes with 30 tablets in each).
Each Chlorvescent tablet contains:
Active ingredients:
Inactive ingredients:
Chlorvescent does not contain lactose, gluten, sucrose or azo dyes.