WHAT IS ACARD?

and for what purpose is it used?

ACARD contains acetylsalicylic acid, which stops platelets from sticking together (aggregating). The drug is intended for long-term, preventive use in diseases that may cause clots and embolisms in blood vessels.

Acard is used:

• to prevent heart attack in high-risk people
• in the case of a recent heart attack or suspicion of a recent heart attack
• in unstable coronary artery disease
• in preventing another heart attack
• after surgical or interventional procedures on vessels, e.g.
  coronary artery bypass grafting, coronary angioplasty
• in the prevention of and after attacks of transient cerebral ischemia and ischemic stroke
• in the prevention of coronary thrombosis in patients with multiple risk factors
• in the prevention of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in long-term immobilized patients

Important information before using Acard

When not to use ACARD:

• if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to acetylsalicylic acid, other salicylates or any of the ingredients of the medicine
• if you have an increased bleeding tendency and blood clotting disorders
• if you have a stomach and/or duodenal ulcer
• if you have serious kidney or liver problems (severe renal, hepatic failure)
• if you have had asthma attacks in the past after taking acetylsalicylic acid or other anti-inflammatory drugs (symptoms: shortness of breath, wheezing)
• if the patient is in the third trimester of pregnancy (last three months of pregnancy)
• if you are taking methotrexate (a medicine used to treat cancer) in doses of 15 mg per week or more
• in children up to 12 years of age with viral infections (e.g. flu or chickenpox) due to the possibility of
  liver and brain damage (Reye’s syndrome)

When should you take special care when using ACARD?

Be careful and ask your doctor before taking ACARD:

• if the patient is allergic to anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic drugs (e.g. naproxen) or
  other sensitizing substances – see the subsection “When not to use ACARD”
• if the patient suffers from asthma, chronic respiratory diseases, or nasal polyps
• if you have had a stomach or intestinal ulcer
• if you have congenital glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (a rare
  hereditary disease)
• if you have severe heart failure
• if you have kidney and/or liver problems as there is a risk of the side effects of the medicine becoming more severe
• if you are taking methotrexate (a medicine used to treat cancer) in doses of 15 mg per week or more
• Do not use ACARD before surgery (including minor procedures, e.g. tooth extraction).

Taking other medicines

Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking
or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.

Do not use ACARD at the same time:

• with methotrexate at doses of 15 mg per week or higher
• with ibuprofen

You can use ACARD after consulting your doctor with the medicines listed below:

• anticoagulants (e.g. acenocoumarol, warfarin, heparin)
• other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including salicylates
• drugs used for gout (e.g. probenecid, benzbromarone)
• antidiabetic drugs – oral (e.g. tolbutamide, glibenclamide) and insulin
• drugs that inhibit platelet aggregation (e.g. ticlopidine)
• medicines used to treat depression and anxiety (e.g. fluoxetine, paroxetine)
• diuretics
• systemic glucocorticosteroids
• antihypertensive drugs (e.g. enalapril, captopril)
• valproic acid (anti-epileptic drug)
• methotrexate in doses less than 15 mg per week
• digoxin (a heart medicine).

Alcohol may increase the risk of gastrointestinal side effects caused by acetylsalicylic acid.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Before taking any medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

ACARD can be used in the first 6 months of pregnancy only after consulting a doctor. The use of the drug in the last three months of pregnancy is contraindicated because it may cause complications for the mother and child.

Short-term use of the drug by a breastfeeding woman does not pose a significant risk to the breastfed child. However, breastfeeding is not recommended during long-term use of high doses of acetylsalicylic acid.Driving and using machines

ACARD has no influence on the ability to drive or use machines.

How to use Acard?

Consult your doctor before taking ACARD. ACARD is available in two doses: 75 mg and 150 mg. The doctor will recommend the appropriate dose of the drug for a given patient and determine the duration of use.

Use orally.

The following dosage is usually recommended:

1 tablet (75 mg) daily.
Gastro-resistant tablets should be taken after a meal – swallowed whole with a small amount of water.
The enteric-resistant tablet of ACARD has a coating and does not disintegrate in the stomach, which reduces the irritating effect of acetylsalicylic acid on the gastric mucosa.

In case of a recent heart attack or suspicion of a recent heart attack:

4 gastro-resistant tablets (300 mg) at a time.
The tablets should be chewed very carefully to speed up absorption.

ATTENTION:

in acute myocardial infarction or suspected acute myocardial infarction, enteric-coated tablets may be used when acetylsalicylic acid in uncoated tablets is not available.

If you take more ACARD than you should

In case of overdose, contact a doctor and in case of severe poisoning, the patient should be taken to hospital immediately.
The first symptoms of poisoning are: tinnitus, rapid breathing, fever, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, headaches and dizziness, confusion, and skin eruptions.
In more severe cases, delirium, tremors, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, agitation, and coma may occur.

If you forget to take ACARD
Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose, just take the next dose as usual.

Possible side effects

Like all medicines, ACARD can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

Stop using the medicine and contact your doctor immediately if you experience the first symptoms of hypersensitivity (e.g. swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat causing difficulty in breathing or swallowing) or bleeding occurs, e.g. from the gastrointestinal tract (symptoms: black stools) or hemorrhages. The doctor will then assess the severity of the symptoms and decide on further action.

After using acetylsalicylic acid, the following occurred:

common (1 to 10 in 100 people):

• symptoms of indigestion (heartburn, nausea, vomiting) and abdominal pain

rare (1 to 10 in 10,000 people):

• inflammation of the stomach and intestines, stomach and/or duodenal ulcer

rarely or very rarely:

• serious bleeding such as: gastrointestinal hemorrhage (symptoms: black stools), cerebral hemorrhage (especially in patients with uncontrolled hypertension and/or during concomitant administration of drugs that inhibit bleeding). Hemorrhage may lead to acute or chronic anemia due to blood loss and/or iron deficiency anemia (symptoms: weakness, pallor)

very rare (less than 1 in 10,000 people):

• severe allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock (symptoms: swelling of the face, eyelids, tongue and larynx, significant decrease in blood pressure and heart rhythm and breathing disorders)
• kidney problems
• decreased blood glucose levels

Additionally, there were:

• dizziness and tinnitus (symptoms of overdose)
• hypersensitivity reactions: rash, hives, swelling, itching, heart and respiratory disorders (including asthma)
• increased risk of bleeding, prolonged bleeding time
• perioperative hemorrhage, hematomas, bleeding (from the nose, from the urogenital tract, from the gums)

If any of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.

How to store Acard

Keep out of the reach and sight of children.

Store at temperatures below 25°C. Store in the original packaging to protect from moisture.

Do not use ACARD after the expiry date which is stated on the packaging. The expiry date means the last day of a given month.

Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist what to do with medicines you no longer need. Such behavior will help to protect the environment.

Other informations

What does Acard contain?

The active substance of the drug is acetylsalicylic acid. One enteric-resistant tablet contains 75 mg of acetylsalicylic acid. Additionally, the drug contains: microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch, stearic acid, colloidal hydrated silica, methacrylic acid and ethyl acrylate copolymer (1:1), triethyl citrate, talc, antifoam emulsion.
What does ACARD look like and what does the package contain?

ACARD tablets are white or almost white, round, biconvex, with a smooth surface.
The package contains 30 or 60 gastro-resistant tablets.