What is Bilaxten and when is it used?

Bilaxten with the active ingredient bilastine is a medicine that belongs to the class of long-acting antiallergics.

Bilaxten is used to relieve the symptoms of hay fever (sneezing, itching, runny or blocked nose and watery eyes).

Bilaxten is also used to treat itchy skin rashes (urticaria or nettle rash).

When should Bilaxten not be taken?

Do not take Bilaxten tablets if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to the active ingredient bilastine or other ingredients of Bilaxten tablets are.

When should caution be exercised when taking Bilaxten?

Bilaxten tablets are not suitable for the treatment of children under 12 years of age.

If you suffer from moderate impairment of renal function, caution is advised, please inform your doctor. If you suffer from severe impairment of kidney or liver function, Bilaxten should not be used.

If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant or if you are breastfeeding, please talk to your doctor (see "Can Bilaxten be taken during pregnancy or breastfeeding?").

The recommended dosage must not be exceeded.

If your symptoms persist despite treatment, contact your doctor.

Ability to drive/operate tools or machines

Bilaxten tablets can lead to increased drowsiness and can therefore impair your ability to drive. and the ability to operate tools or machines.

Interactions with other medicines

In particular, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• Ketoconazole (a medicine for fungal infections), 
• Erythromycin (an antibiotic), 
• Diltiazem (a medicine for treating angina pectoris).

Taking Bilaxten with food and drink

Bilaxten tablets must not be taken at the same time as food, as this may affect the effect of Bilaxten reduced.

The Bilaxten tablets must under no circumstances be taken at the same time as grapefruit juice or other fruit juices.

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, i.e. it is almost «sodium-free».

Inform your doctor, pharmacist or druggist if you

• suffer from other illnesses,
• have allergies or
• are taking other medicines (including those you have bought yourself!).

Can Bilaxten be taken during pregnancy or while breastfeeding? be?

There are no or limited data on the use of bilastine in pregnant women and during breast-feeding and on the effects on fertility.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or are breast-feeding.

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, you should not take Bilaxten unless your doctor has specifically prescribed it for you. If used, breastfeeding must be discontinued.

How do you use Bilaxten?

Adults and adolescents over 12 years of age:

• Take one tablet a day.
• Bilaxten tablets must be taken on an empty stomach 1 hour before taking food or fruit juice, e.g. in the morning 1 hour before breakfast. After eating or drinking fruit juice, you must wait at least 2 hours before taking Bilaxten.
• Take Bilaxten tablets with a glass of water.
• The decorative groove on the tablets is only intended to make it easier to take the tablets if you have difficulty swallowing the whole tablet. The tablets are not intended to halve the dosage.

Do not take Bilaxten tablets for longer than 10 days without consulting your doctor.

Use in children

The use and safety of Bilaxten in children under 12 years of age has not yet been tested.

If you have taken more Bilaxten than you should

If you or someone else takes too many Bilaxten tablets (i.e. more than the prescribed number), contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

If you forget to take Bilaxten

If you forget to take a Bilaxten tablet, do not under any circumstances take a double dose to make up for the missed dose. If you notice that you have forgotten to take your daily Bilaxten tablet, take the next tablet at the next usual time and then continue taking it as prescribed or as usual.

Follow the dosage stated in the package leaflet or prescribed by your doctor. If you think that the medicine is too weak or too strong, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or druggist.

What side effects can Bilaxten have?

The following side effects can occur when taking Bilaxten:

Common (affects 1 to 10 in 100 people treated)

Headache, drowsiness.

Uncommon (affects 1 to 10 in 1000 people treated)

Abnormal liver values, abnormalities in the ECG (electrocardiogram) examination, disturbances in the conduction of the heart, abnormal heart rhythm, dizziness, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), vertigo (feeling of dizziness or spinning), shortness of breath (difficulty breathing), dry nose or unpleasant feeling in the nose, stomach pain, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea, dry mouth, indigestion, inflammation of the stomach lining, itching, increased appetite, cold sores (oral herpes), tiredness, thirst, fever, feeling weak, feeling anxious, insomnia, weight gain.

Frequency not known (cannot be estimated from the available data)

Heart palpitations (palpitations), fast heartbeat (tachycardia), allergic reactions (symptoms may include difficulty breathing, dizziness, collapse or loss of consciousness, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat and/or swelling and redness of the skin. If you notice any of these serious side effects, you must stop taking the medicine and seek medical attention immediately), vomiting.

If you notice any side effects, contact your doctor, pharmacist or druggist. This applies in particular to side effects that are not listed in this leaflet.

What else should I bear in mind?

Shelf life

This medicine must not be used until the expiry date which is stated on the container with «EXP» specified date.

Please hand over any tablets remaining after the end of treatment or tablets with an expired expiry date to your point of sale (doctor, pharmacist or druggist) for proper disposal.

Storage instructions

Do not store above 30°C, in the original packaging and out of the reach of children.

Further information

Your doctor, pharmacist or druggist will give you further information. These people have the detailed product information.

What is contained in Bilaxten?

1 white, oval, biconvex Bilaxten tablet with a break line contains:

Active ingredients

20 mg bilastine.

Excipients

Microcrystalline cellulose, carboxymethyl starch sodium, highly dispersed silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate.

Approval number

61446 (Swissmedic).

Where Where can you get Bilaxten? Which packs are available?

In pharmacies and drugstores, without a doctor's prescription.

Packs

Tablets (with break line) of 20 mg: packs of 10, 20 (currently not available on the market), 30, 40 (currently not available on the market) and 50 tablets

Marketing authorization holder

A. Menarini GmbH, Zurich.

This package leaflet was last reviewed by the drug authority (Swissmedic) in March 2022.