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Acarbocin
New Zealand Consumer Medicine Information
Acarbocin
Acarbose 50 mg & 100 mg tablets
What is in this leaflet
Please read this leaflet carefully before you start taking Acarbocin.
This leaflet answers some common questions about Acarbocin. It does not contain all
the available information. The most up-to-date Consumer Medicine Information can be
downloaded from www.medsafe.govt.nz.
Reading this leaflet does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking
Acarbocin against the benefits this medicine is expected to have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or
pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may want to read it again.
What Acarbocin is used for
Acarbocin contains the active ingredient acarbose. It belongs to a class of medicines
called “alpha glucosidase inhibitors” and it helps to control your blood sugar levels in
conjunction with diet, exercise, weight loss and other measures by slowing down the
digestion and absorption of carbohydrates (complex sugars) from your diet. This reduces
the abnormally high blood sugar levels that occur after each meal.
Acarbocin is used for the treatment of diabetes (both non-insulin and insulin dependent)
in association with diet.
Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why it has been prescribed for
you.
Acarbocin is available only with a doctor's prescription.
Acarbocin is not addictive.
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Acarbocin
Before you take Acarbocin
Acarbocin is not suitable for everyone.
When you must not take it
Do not take Acarbocin if you:
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are under 18 years of age
have a severe kidney disorder
have a liver disorder
suffer from intestinal obstruction, inflammation or ulceration of the bowel, e.g.
ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
have a hernia or have had previous abdominal surgery. If so, consult your
doctor first.
Do not take Acarbocin if you are allergic to any medicine containing acarbose or
any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Do not take it after the expiry date (‘EXP’) printed on the pack.
If you take it after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well.
Do not take it if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your
doctor or pharmacist.
Before you start to take it
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods,
preservatives or dyes.
Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.
The safety of the use of this medicine in women who are pregnant or may become
pregnant has not been established. Acarbocin is not recommended for use during
pregnancy, unless you and your doctor have discussed the risks and benefits involved.
Do not breast-feed if you are taking this medicine.
The active ingredient in Acarbocin passes into breast milk and there is a possibility that
your baby may be affected.
If you have not told your doctor or pharmacist about any of the above, tell them
before you start taking Acarbocin.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any
that you get without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health
food shop.
Tell any health professional who is prescribing a new medicine for you that you
are taking Acarbocin.
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Acarbocin
Some medicines and Acarbocin may interfere with each other. These include:
 charcoal (used for treatment of digestive complaints, poisoning or drug overdose)
 digestive enzyme preparations (e.g. pancreatin and amylase)
 neomycin (antibiotic used before bowel surgery)
 colestyramine (used for treating itchiness resulting from liver problems, high
cholesterol or diarrhoea)
 digoxin (used for treatment of heart failure or heart rhythm problems)
 diuretics or calcium channel blockers (used in the treatment of high blood
pressure)
 corticosteroids (used to treat inflammation)
 phenytoin (used to treat epileptic fits)
 phenothiazine (used to treat mental health)
 thyroid medicines
 female sex hormone (oestrogens), oral contraceptives
 nicotinic acid (used to lower blood cholesterol)
 medicines called “sympathomimetics”, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine;
these may be used in the treatment of cardiac arrest, severe drop in blood
pressure or premature labour
 isoniazid (used to treat tuberculosis).
The above medicines may be affected by Acarbocin, or may affect how well it works.
You may need different amounts of Acarbocin, or take it at different times, or you may
need to take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or
avoid while taking Acarbocin.
How to take Acarbocin
Read the label carefully and follow all directions given to you by your doctor and
pharmacist.
They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the pack, ask your doctor or
pharmacist for help.
When and how to take it
Take the tablets as prescribed by your doctor.
This will normally be one or two tablets taken with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
When you first start your treatment, your doctor may recommend that you take your
tablets once or twice a day, before increasing your dose to three times a day.
Chew the tablets with the first few mouthfuls of food.
If you prefer not to chew the tablets, then swallow them whole with a little liquid
immediately before the meal.
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Ask your doctor if you are unsure of the correct dose for you.
They will tell you exactly how much to take. This depends on your condition and whether
or not you are taking any other medicines.
How long to take it
Continue taking the medicine for as long as your doctor tells you to.
Acarbocin helps to control your condition, but does not cure it. It is important to keep
taking the medicine even if you feel well.
If you are unsure whether you should stop taking Acarbocin, talk to your doctor or
pharmacist.
If you forget to take it
If you forget to take Acarbocin at the time you are supposed to, do not take the
tablets between meals.
Wait until it is time for you to take your next dose and take Acarbocin with your meal and
continue as before.
Do not try to make up for missed doses by taking more than one dose at a time.
This may increase the chance of getting an unwanted side effect.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
While you are taking Acarbocin
Things you must do
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, tell your doctor and
pharmacist that you are taking Acarbocin. Likewise, tell any other doctors,
dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking this medicine.
If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, tell your doctor immediately.
See your doctor if you feel that your condition is not improving or is getting worse.
Things you must not do
Do not give your medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as
you.
This medicine is only intended for the person it has been prescribed for.
Do not take Acarbocin to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you
to.
Do not stop taking Acarbocin or change the dosage without checking with your
doctor.
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Acarbocin
Things to be careful of
Treating hypoglycaemia ("hypos" or low blood sugar)
As a diabetic you may also be receiving other medicines for your diabetes. If Acarbocin
is prescribed for you in addition to other antidiabetic medicines such as sulfonylureas or
metformin to control your diabetes, your doctor may need to adjust the dosages of these
medicines to avoid the occurrence of "hypos".
Hypoglycaemia is a potentially serious condition. Low blood sugar levels can cause
some of the following symptoms:
 double vision
 confusion
 slurred speech
 faintness
 trembling
 palpitations (abnormal awareness of your own heartbeat).
When taking Acarbocin together with these medicines, do not treat a "hypo" with ordinary
sugar (sucrose). It will not work fast enough. Instead, you should take some “glucose”
(also known as dextrose) tablets, honey, syrup or sweets, which should be available
from your local chemist.
Driving and using machines
Acarbocin does not affect your ability to drive or operate machinery if taken on its own.
However, you may experience low blood sugar levels if you take other anti-diabetic
agents at the same time, such as sulfonylureas or metformin. This may affect your ability
to drive or operate machinery safely.
In case of overdose
If you take too much
If you have taken too many Acarbocin tablets, avoid foods or drinks containing
carbohydrates and telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information Centre
(telephone 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766) for advice.
When Acarbocin is taken with drinks and/or meals containing carbohydrates, overdosage
can lead to diarrhoea and other intestinal symptoms such as flatulence (wind) and
abdominal cramps.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while
you are taking Acarbocin.
Like all medicines, Acarbocin may occasionally cause side effects in some people.
These side effects are more common at the start of the treatment, but some may persist
or develop after treatment, or when the dosage of Acarbocin is adjusted by your doctor.
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Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical
attention if you get some of the side effects.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
During the first few days or weeks of treatment with Acarbocin you may have more
flatulence (wind), abdominal "rumbling" noises, a feeling of fullness and, less commonly,
stomach cramps and/or indigestion. You may also pass softer stools or have diarrhoea,
particularly if you have eaten foods containing sugar. Normally these symptoms will
disappear if you continue treatment and keep to your prescribed diet. These symptoms
may get worse if you do not keep to your prescribed diet.
If your symptoms persist for more than 2 or 3 days, or if they are severe, consult
your doctor, particularly in the case of diarrhoea.
Do not take antacids to treat these symptoms, as they are unlikely to give you any
relief.
Less common side effects include hypoglycaemia ("hypos" or low blood sugar), nausea,
vomiting, increased appetite, dizziness and loss of appetite. These side effects generally
occur when Acarbocin is taken together with sulfonylureas or metformin.
Rare reactions that have been reported for Acarbocin treatment include inflammation of
the liver (hepatitis), swelling from fluid retention, intestinal obstruction, decrease in
platelet count, jaundice (yellowing of the skin) and skin reactions such as redness, rash
and urticaria (hives). Acarbose may cause an increase in the results of certain liver
function tests. These effects go away when treatment is stopped.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that is making you feel
unwell.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects.
You may not experience any of them.
After taking Acarbocin
Storage
Keep your tablets in the pack until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of the pack they may not keep well.
Keep Acarbocin in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not store it or any other medicine in the bathroom, near a sink, or on a window
sill. Do not leave it in the car.
Heat and damp can destroy some medicines.
Keep it and any other medicine where children cannot reach it.
A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to
store medicines.
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Acarbocin
Do not keep Acarbocin past its expiry date.
Disposal
Return any unused medicine and any medicine past its expiry date (as shown on
the labelling) to your pharmacy.
Product description
What it looks like
Acarbocin is available in blister packs of 90 tablets.
50 mg tablets: round, biconvex, white to off-white tablets with bossing “ACA 50” on one
side.
100 mg tablets: round, biconvex, white to off-white tablets with a score-line on one side
and bossing “ACA 100” on the other side.
Ingredients
Active ingredient:
 acarbose
Inactive ingredients:
 cellulose – microcrystalline
 silica – colloidal anhydrous
 magnesium stearate
 starch – pregelatinised maize.
Acarbocin does not contain lactose, sucrose, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
Sponsor details
Boucher & Muir (New Zealand) trading as BNM Group
39 Anzac Road
Browns Bay
Auckland 0753
Ph: 0800 565 633
Date of preparation
This leaflet was prepared on 29 August 2013.
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