Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) summary
The
full CMI on the next page has more details. If you are worried about using this medicine,
speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
1. Why am I using Resonium A?
Resonium A contains the active ingredient sodium polystyrene sulfonate. Resonium A
is used to help remove excessive amounts of potassium from the blood. For more information,
see Section
1. Why am I using Resonium A? in the full CMI.
2. What should I know before I use Resonium A?
Do not use if you have ever had an allergic reaction to Resonium A or any of the ingredients
listed at the end of the CMI, have a bowel obstruction, or have low levels of potassium.
Talk to your doctor if you have any other medical conditions, take any other medicines,
or are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding. For more information, see Section
2. What should I know before I use Resonium A? in the full CMI.
3. What if I am taking other medicines?
4. How do I use Resonium A?
Resonium A can be given by mouth or rectally (via the back passage).
The usual oral doses are 15 g three to four times daily for adults, and 1 g/kg of
body weight in divided doses for children. Take Resonium A at least 3 hours before
or 3 hours after other oral medications.
The usual rectal (back passage) doses are 30 - 50 g in 150 mL of water or 10% dextrose
in water, as a retention enema for adults, with lower dosages usually used for infants
and children. Your pharmacist will make this up. For infants and children, this enema
will usually be given by a doctor or nurse.
5. What should I know while using Resonium A?
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Things you should do
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Remind any doctor, dentist or pharmacist you visit that you are using Resonium A.
Be sure to keep all of your appointments with your doctor so that your progress can
be checked.
If you plan to have surgery that needs a general anaesthetic, tell your doctor or
dentist that you are taking this medicine.
Call your doctor straight away if you become pregnant while you are taking this medicine,
stop taking it and tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
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Things you should not do
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Do not take more than the recommended dose unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as
you.
Do not use this medicine to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you
to.
Do not stop taking Resonium A, or lower the dosage, without checking with your doctor.
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Looking after your medicine
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Keep Resonium A in a cool, dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Store it in a cool dry place away from moisture, heat or sunlight; for example, do
not store it in the bathroom or near a sink, in the car, or on window sills. Keep
it where young children cannot reach it.
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6. Are there any side effects?
Less serious side effects include nausea and vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, muscle
cramps, loss of appetite and gastric irritation. Speak to your doctor if you have
any of these less serious side effects and they worry you. Serious side effects include
swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat, which may cause difficulty in swallowing
or breathing, hives, fainting, severe stomach pain, rectal pain, bloating, severe
constipation, severe nausea and vomiting, black, bloody or tarry stools, coughing
up blood, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds. Call your doctor straight away,
or go straight to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital if you notice
any of these serious side effects. For more information, including what to do if you
have any side effects, see Section
6. Are there any side effects? in the full CMI.
Active ingredient:
sodium polystyrene sulfonate
Full Consumer Medicine Information (CMI)
This leaflet provides important information about using Resonium A. You should also speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you would like further information
or if you have any concerns or questions about using Resonium A.
Where to find information in this leaflet:
1. Why am I using Resonium A?
Resonium A contains the active ingredient sodium polystyrene sulfonate. This sodium polystyrene sulfonate contains sodium atoms. This sodium is swapped for
potassium in the body, particularly in the large intestine. Resonium A does not enter
the bloodstream from the intestine. It is passed (with the potassium ions) with the
faeces.
Resonium A is used to help remove excessive amounts of potassium from the blood.
2. What should I know before I use Resonium A?
Warnings
Do not use Resonium A if:
you are allergic to sodium polystyrene sulfonate, or any of the ingredients listed
at the end of this leaflet.
Always check the ingredients to make sure you can use this medicine.
a bowel obstruction
low levels of potassium (less than 5 mmol/L)
Check with your doctor if you:
have any other medical conditions, especially the following:
any heart conditions
high blood pressure
problems with your bowel or constipation
delayed gastric emptying
abnormal bowel movements (after surgery or drug usage), as these may cause a variety
of disorders including colonic distension and severe constipation (bowel movements
occur less often than usual or consist of hard, dry stools that are often painful
or difficult to pass)
kidney problems
oedema (swelling with fluid)
plan to have surgery
take any medicines for any other condition
taking a sweetener called sorbitol (a sugar-free sweetener used to sweeten food).
This is because taking Resonium A alone or taking sorbitol at the same time can cause
narrowing of the gut wall (gastrointestinal stenosis) and reduced blood flow to the
gut wall (intestinal ischemia) causing severe damage to your gut (necrosis and perforation).
You must not take any sorbitol whilst using Resonium A.
During treatment, you may be at risk of developing certain side effects. It is important
you understand these risks and how to monitor for them. See additional information
under Section
6. Are there any side effects?
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Do not take it if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. Like most medicines
of this kind, Resonium A is not recommended to be used during pregnancy.
Do not take it if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed. It is not known whether
Resonium A passes into breast milk.
Newborn babies
Do not give oral Resonium A to newborn babies. Orally administered Resonium A has
caused bowel obstruction in newborns.
Resonium A should only be given rectally to newborns.
3. What if I am taking other medicines?
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any
medicines, vitamins or supplements that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy,
supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may interfere with Resonium A and affect how it works. These include:
sorbitol
digoxin, a medicine used for heart problems
laxatives
thyroxine, a medicine for hypothyroidism
lithium, a medicine which can be used to treat bipolar disorder
antacids containing aluminium or magnesium
These medicines may be affected by Resonium A, or may affect how well it works. You
may need to use different amounts of your medicine, or take different medicines.
Your doctor or pharmacist will advise you.
Take Resonium A at least 3 hours before or 3 hours after other oral medications.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure about what medicines, vitamins
or supplements you are taking and if these affect Resonium A.
4. How do I use Resonium A?
Resonium A can be given by mouth or rectally (via the back passage).
How much to take / use
The amount of Resonium A you need to take will depend upon the amount of potassium
in your blood.
Your doctor will decide exactly how much Resonium A you need to take.
Follow the instructions provided and use Resonium A until your doctor tells you to
stop.
The usual doses are:
Oral
Adults:
15 g three to four times daily.
Children:
1 g/kg of body weight in divided doses.
Resonium A powder is usually given by mouth as a suspension in a small amount of water
(3-4 mL per gram of powder), or it may be mixed with some sweetened liquid (but not
fruit juices, which contain potassium). For children it is preferably given with a
drink (not a fruit juice because of the high potassium content) or a little jam or
honey.
Do not mix Resonium A with fruit juices or sorbitol.
Take Resonium A at least 3 hours before or 3 hours after other oral medications.
If you have been diagnosed with delayed gastric emptying, ask your doctor for instructions
on when to take Resonium A.
Once the mixture has been prepared it should be used straight away. If it needs to
be stored, it should be stored for no longer than 24 hours. Once reconstituted, Resonium
A is a cream to light brown coloured suspension in which small white particles may
be visible.
Rectal (via the back passage)
Adults:
30 - 50 g in 150 mL of water or 10% dextrose in water, as a retention enema. Your
pharmacist will make this up.
Infants & children:
Lower dosages are usually used.
You will usually be given the enema by a doctor or nurse.
If you forget to take / use Resonium A
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 it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next
dose when you are meant to.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you use too much Resonium A
If you think that you have used too much Resonium A, you may need urgent medical attention.
You should immediately:
phone the Poisons Information Centre
(by calling 13 11 26 in Australia or 0800 764 766 in New Zealand), or
contact your doctor, or
go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.
You should do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
Large doses of Resonium A may cause serious potassium ion deficiency. If you take
too much you may feel irritable, confused, have muscle weakness, have diminished reflexes
or paralysis.
5. What should I know while using Resonium A?
Things you should do
Take Resonium A exactly as prescribed.
Be sure to keep all of your appointments with your doctor so that your progress can
be checked.
Your doctor will regularly check the potassium, calcium and magnesium levels in your
blood. The doctor may change the dose or stop the Resonium A depending on what the
results of these blood tests are.
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist
that you are taking Resonium A.
If you plan to have surgery that needs a general anaesthetic, tell your doctor or
dentist that you are taking this medicine.
Call your doctor straight away if you:
If you become pregnant while you are taking this medicine, stop taking it and tell
your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Remind any doctor, dentist or pharmacist you visit that you are using Resonium A.
Things you should not do
Do not take more than the recommended dose unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as
you.
Do not use this medicine to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you
to.
Do not stop taking Resonium A, or lower the dosage, without checking with your doctor.
Looking after your medicine
Keep Resonium A in a cool, dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Follow the instructions in the carton on how to take care of your medicine properly.
Store it in a cool dry place away from moisture, heat or sunlight; for example, do
not store it:
in the bathroom or near a sink, or
in the car or on window sills.
Keep it where young children cannot reach it.
Getting rid of any unwanted medicine
If you no longer need to use this medicine or it is out of date, take it to any pharmacy
for safe disposal.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date.
6. Are there any side effects?
All medicines can have side effects. If you do experience any side effects, most of
them are minor and temporary. However, some side effects may need medical attention.
See the information below and, if you need to, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you
have any further questions about side effects.
Less serious side effects
Serious side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that may be making you
feel unwell.
Other side effects not listed here may occur in some people.
Reporting side effects
By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of
this medicine.
Always make sure you speak to your doctor or pharmacist before you decide to stop
taking any of your medicines.
7. Product details
This medicine is only available with a doctor's prescription.
What Resonium A contains
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Active ingredient
(main ingredient)
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Each 100 g contains 99.934 g of sodium polystyrene sulfonate
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Other ingredients
(inactive ingredients)
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vanillin
saccharin
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Potential allergens
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Resonium A does not contain gluten, sucrose, lactose, tartrazine or any other azo
dyes.
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Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to any of these ingredients.
What Resonium A looks like
Resonium A is a buff-coloured powder with a vanilla odour.
Resonium A comes in a container containing 454 g of powder. The container also contains
a plastic spoon which, when filled level measures 15 g of powder (Aust R 15497).
Who distributes Resonium A
Distributed in Australia by:
sanofi-aventis australia pty ltd
12-24 Talavera Road
Macquarie Park NSW 2113
Freecall No: 1800 818 806
Distributed in New Zealand by:
Pharmacy Retailing (NZ) Ltd t/a Healthcare Logistics
PO Box 62027
Sylvia Park Auckland 1644
Freecall: 0800 283 684
This leaflet was prepared in October 2024.
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