Fenofibrate for hyperlipidaemia

About fenofibrate

Lipid is another word for fat. Cholesterol and triglycerides are types of lipid. When the concentration of lipids in your blood is too high, it is called hiperlipidemia. Os lipídios são produzidos naturalmente em nossos corpos e também são absorvidos a partir dos alimentos que consumimos. Se os níveis de lipídios estiverem muito altos, o excesso de gordura é depositado nas paredes de nossos vasos sanguíneos. Isso pode levar ao desenvolvimento de manchas, como pequenos nódulos de gordura, na camada interna de alguns vasos sanguíneos. Essas manchas podem reduzir o fluxo de sangue e levar a doenças cardíacas, derrames e problemas de circulação sanguínea.

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 você está grávida, tentando ter um bebê ou amamentando.

• Se você tiver problemas com o funcionamento dos seus rins ou do seu fígado.

• If you have problems with your gallbladder or pancreas.

• Se você tem uma glândula tireoide hipoativa.

• Se você estiver tomando outros medicamentos. Isso inclui quaisquer medicamentos que você esteja tomando e que estejam disponíveis para compra sem receita médica, bem como medicamentos fitoterápicos e complementares.

• 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 você esquecer de tomar uma dose, tome-a assim que se lembrar. Se você não se lembrar até o dia seguinte, pule a dose esquecida do dia anterior e tome a dose que está programada normalmente. Não tome duas doses ao mesmo tempo para compensar uma dose perdida.

• 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.

• Seu médico lhe dará orientações sobre manter uma alimentação saudável, evitar o consumo excessivo de álcool, reduzir a quantidade de sal na sua dieta, parar de fumar e praticar exercícios regularmente. Seguir essas recomendações também ajudará a diminuir o risco de desenvolver doenças cardíacas e vasculares.

• 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 você sentir quaisquer outros sintomas que acha que podem ser devido ao medicamento, fale com seu médico ou farmacêutico para mais conselhos.

• Mantenha todos os medicamentos fora do alcance e da vista das crianças.

• Armazene em local fresco e seco, longe de calor e luz diretos.