Vitamin E Suspension
What you should know about Vitamin E Suspension
Please read this leaflet carefully before taking Vitamin E Suspension or giving it to your child. It contains important information to help you use this medicine properly. Keep it until all the prescribed course of Vitamin E Suspension has been finished, as you may want to read it again.
Always follow your doctor`s advice, and if there is anything you do not understand, please ask your doctor or pharmacist (chemist).
What is in your medicine?
Vitamin E Suspension contains 100mg/ml of tocopheryl acetate which is the active ingredient. As well as Vitamin E and water it also contains the following substances which are included mainly to preserve it and make it taste nicer:
- Castor oil polyethylene glycol ether
- Benzoic acid
- Sorbic Acid
- Glycerol
- Syrup (sucrose)
- Raspberry flavour
Each bottle contains 100ml of Vitamin E Suspension.
The holder of the product licence for this medicine is
Tyne & Wear
The suspension is made by
Preston, Lancashire
What does Vitamin E Suspension do?
Tocopheryl acetate, the active ingredient of Vitamin E Suspension, is a man-made form of vitamin E. Although the exact role of vitamin E has not yet been worked out, it is known to play an important part in metabolism – the chemical reactions that are taking place in the body all the time.
What is Vitamin E Suspension for?
Vitamin E Suspension is used in certain illnesses which prevent the body from absorbing enough vitamin E from the diet. By taking extra vitamin E in the form of Vitamin E Suspension, the body gets all it needs, even though some is wasted by not being absorbed into the system. The medical names for these illnesses are cystic fibrosis (an inherited disorder affecting the pancreas and other glands), chronic cholestasis (a disease of the liver) and abetalipoproteinaemia (which affects the intestines).
Before taking your medicine
Make sure that it is safe for you to take Vitamin E Suspension. If you answer YES to any of the following questions, or are not sure, tell your doctor or pharmacist:
- Have you been allergic to it or any other form of vitamin E in the past?
- Have you ever reacted badly to any of the ingredients of Vitamin E Suspension listed above?
- Are you (or could you be) pregnant?
- Are you breast feeding?
- Are you taking an oral contraceptive pill?
- Have you ever had a thrombosis (a clot inside a blood vessel)?
Benzoic acid is mildly irritant to the skin, eyes and mucous membranes and may increase the risk of jaundice in newborn babies. Sorbic acid is irritant and may cause dermatitis. Glycerol may cause stomach upsets, headache and diarrhoea and is harmful in high doses. This medicine contains 1g of sucrose in every 5mls and is unsuitable for use in certain inherited conditions which cause intolerance to sugars.
If Vitamin E Suspension has been prescribed for your child, then of course these warnings apply to him or her.
Taking Vitamin E Suspension
Your doctor or pharmacist will have told you about this, and you should always follow their instructions carefully. The usual doses vary depending upon the age of the patient, the condition for which Vitamin E Suspension was prescribed, and sometimes also the patient’s weight.
- For cystic fibrosis:- the usual doses are half a ml per day for an infant under one year of age, 1ml per day for older children and 1-2mls per day for adults.
- For chronic cholestasis:- infants with chronic cholestasis may be given one and a half - 2mls for each kilogram of bodyweight per day.
- For abetalipoproteinaemia:- the dose for all ages depends upon bodyweight and is half - 1ml per kilogram, daily.
Vitamin E Suspension should be taken by mouth. You may have been given an oral syringe by your pharmacist and in this case you will be able to measure the exact dose quite accurately.
Greater amounts will be needed if the Vitamin E Suspension has been diluted before it was given to you. If in any doubt about the correct dosage, follow the instructions on the bottle carefully or ask your pharmacist (chemist) to explain it to you.
Discard any unused Vitamin E Suspension one month after opening the bottle.
If you or anyone else accidentally swallows a large amount of Vitamin E Suspension, do not panic as it is unlikely to cause any serious harm but obtain medical advice immediately.
Vitamin E Suspension should be taken every day but it is not important to take it at any particular time. There is no need to take extra the following day if you forget to take a dose.
While taking your medicine
If you need any other medical treatment or surgery whilst taking Vitamin E Suspension, remember to tell the doctor or dentist treating you that you are taking this medicine.
It is very unlikely that you (or your child) will suffer any side-effects from taking Vitamin E Suspension. If a high dosage is being used, it is possible that some diarrhoea or stomach ache may occur. If you think you or your child have any other side-effect from taking this medicine, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Storing Vitamin E Suspension
- Do not use Vitamin E Suspension later than a month after you have obtained it from the pharmacy.
- Do not use Vitamin E Suspension after the expiry date given on the label.
- Store all medicines out of the reach of children – preferably in a locked cupboard or medicine cabinet.
- Keep the bottle of Vitamin E Suspension below 25ºC.
Date of preparation of this leaflet: February 2001
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