ECHINACEA-RATIOPHARM Liquid alcohol-free

Important notes (mandatory information)

Echinacea-ratiopharm Liquid alkoholfrei oral solution. Active ingredient: Dried purple coneflower herb press juice. Areas of application: for the supportive treatment of frequently recurring infections in the respiratory tract and the urinary tract.

For risks and side effects, read the package leaflet and consult your doctor or pharmacist!


PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER

Echinacea-ratiopharm Liquid alkoholfrei oral solution for children aged 6 and over, adolescents and adults
Active ingredient: Dried purple coneflower herb press juice

Read the entire package leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine, because it contains important information. Always take this medicine exactly as described in this package leaflet or exactly as directed by your doctor or pharmacist.

• Keep the package leaflet. You may want to read it again later.
• Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice.
• If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist/doctor, pharmacist or healthcare professional. This also applies to side effects not listed in this package leaflet. See section 4.
• If you do not feel better or if you feel worse after 5 days, contact your doctor.

What this package leaflet contains

1. WHAT IS ECHINACEA–RATIOPHARM AND WHAT IS IT USED FOR?
2. WHAT SHOULD YOU CONSIDER BEFORE TAKING ECHINACEA–RATIOPHARM?
3. HOW TO TAKE ECHINACEA–RATIOPHARM?
4. WHAT SIDE EFFECTS ARE POSSIBLE?
5. HOW TO STORE ECHINACEA–RATIOPHARM?
6. CONTENTS OF THE PACK AND OTHER INFORMATION

1. WHAT IS ECHINACEA-RATIOPHARM AND WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

Echinacea-ratiopharm is a herbal immunostimulant (medicine to boost the body's own defences). Echinacea-ratiopharm is used for the supportive treatment of frequently recurring infections in the respiratory tract and the urinary tract.

2. WHAT SHOULD YOU CONSIDER BEFORE TAKING ECHINACEA-RATIOPHARM?

Echinacea-ratiopharm must not be taken:

• if you are allergic to purple coneflower herb, plants from the daisy family or any of the other ingredients of this medicine.
• by children under one year of age, because the immune system is not yet fully developed.

For fundamental reasons, Echinacea-ratiopharm should not be used in progressive systemic diseases such as tuberculosis, in systemic diseases of the white blood cell system (e.g. leukaemia or leukaemia-like diseases), autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory connective tissue diseases (collagenoses) or multiple sclerosis, in immunodeficiencies (AIDS/HIV infections), immunosuppression (e.g. after organ or bone marrow transplantation, chemotherapy for cancer) and chronic viral diseases.

Warnings and precautions

Please talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Echinacea-ratiopharm. Infections in the respiratory tract require consultation with a doctor if they recur frequently, persist, cause shortness of breath, fever or purulent or bloody sputum. Repeated complaints in the urinary tract always require medical clarification and regular medical check-ups. Regardless of this, it is necessary to consult a doctor if there is blood in the urine, fever or if the symptoms persist for more than 5 days.

Children

There are no adequate studies on the use of Echinacea-ratiopharm in children under 6 years of age. Therefore, this medicine should not be given to children under 6 years of age.

Taking Echinacea-ratiopharm with other medicines

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking/using, have recently taken/used or intend to take/use any other medicines. Interactions with other medicines are not known so far.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or if you suspect you may be pregnant or intend to become pregnant, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. As there is insufficient research, you should not take Echinacea-ratiopharm during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

Driving and using machines

No special precautions are required.

3. HOW TO TAKE ECHINACEA-RATIOPHARM?

Always take this medicine exactly as described in this package leaflet or exactly as directed by your doctor or pharmacist. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Unless otherwise prescribed by your doctor, the usual dose is:

• Children aged 6 – 11 years: Unless otherwise prescribed, children aged 6 – 11 years take 2 ml of oral solution 3 – 4 times a day (equivalent to 2 g).
• Adolescents aged 12 and over and adults: Unless otherwise prescribed, adolescents aged 12 and over and adults take 3 ml of oral solution 3 – 4 times a day (equivalent to 3 g).

There is insufficient data for specific dosage recommendations in the case of impaired renal/hepatic function. A suitable measuring cup is enclosed for exact dosing. The solution can be taken independently of meals. 3 ml of Echinacea-ratiopharm corresponds to 2.1 ml of press juice. Do not take Echinacea-ratiopharm for more than 10 consecutive days.

If you have taken more Echinacea-ratiopharm than you should

Overdoses or poisonings from taking Echinacea preparations are not known to date.

If you forget to take Echinacea-ratiopharm

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose, but continue taking the medicine as described in the dosage instructions.

If you have any further questions about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. WHAT SIDE EFFECTS ARE POSSIBLE?

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If you experience swelling of the face, mouth and/or throat or allergic reactions of the respiratory tract, stop taking Echinacea-ratiopharm Liquid and consult a doctor immediately so that they can decide on the severity and any necessary measures.

Not known (the frequency of possible side effects is not known):

• Hypersensitivity reactions (skin rash, itching, shortness of breath, dizziness, drop in blood pressure, StevensJohnson syndrome, facial swelling, Quincke's oedema, obstructive bronchospasms, asthma, anaphylactic shock) observed.
• Gastrointestinal complaints such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
• Allergic reactions can be triggered in patients with an allergic disposition.
• Immune diseases.
• Blood count changes (leucopenia) can occur with long-term use (longer than 8 weeks).

Reporting of side effects

If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This also applies to side effects not listed in this package leaflet. You can also report side effects directly to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, Department of Pharmacovigilance, Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger Allee 3, D-53175 Bonn, website: www.bfarm.de. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information about the safety of this medicine.

5. HOW TO STORE ECHINACEA-RATIOPHARM?

Keep this medicine out of the reach of children. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and the bottle label after "Use by". The expiry date refers to the last day of the month indicated. Do not store above 25°C. The medicine can be stored for 8 weeks after opening.

6. CONTENTS OF THE PACK AND OTHER INFORMATION

What Echinacea-ratiopharm contains

The active ingredient is dried purple coneflower herb press juice. 100 g of oral solution contains 3.75 g of dried press juice from fresh, flowering purple coneflower herb (22 - 65 : 1). The other ingredients are: potassium sorbate (0.2 g/100 g solution), citric acid, purified water.

What Echinacea-ratiopharm looks like and contents of the pack

Brown to reddish-brown solution. Echinacea-ratiopharm is available in bottles containing 50 ml or 100 ml of oral solution. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Pharmaceutical entrepreneur

ratiopharm GmbH
Graf-Arco-Straße 3
89079 Ulm

Manufacturer

Merckle GmbH
Ludwig-Merckle-Straße 3
89143 Blaubeuren

This package leaflet was last revised in March 2017.

Source: Information from the package leaflet
Status: 07/2020
Active ingredient: Dried purple coneflower herb press juice. Areas of application: for the supportive treatment of frequently recurring infections in the respiratory tract and the urinary tract.