Voltaren (Cataflam, Dicloflex, Diclohexal, Diclofenac) relieves pain and reduces inflammation (swelling and redness). It has no effect on the causes of inflammation.

 

- Pain due to gallstones or kidney stones

- Severe migraine attacks 

 

- Treat or prevent pain following surgery. Voltaren belongs to a family of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These medicines can relieve the symptoms of pain and inflammation but they will not cure your condition.

 

When you must not have it

Do not have Voltaren Injection if you have an allergy to: diclofenac (the active ingredient in Voltaren) or any of the other ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet, other medicines containing diclofenac (eg.Voltaren Emulgel), aspirin or any other NSAID medicine 

 

Many medicines used to treat headache, period pain and other aches and pains contain aspirin or NSAID medicines. If you are not sure if you are ingesting any of these medicines, ask your pharmacist. 

Symptoms of an allergic reaction to these medicines may include:

 

- asthma, wheezing, shortness of breath or swelling of the face, lips or tongue which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing, hives, itching, skin rash, fainting 

 

 

If you are allergic to aspirin or NSAID medicines and have Voltaren Injection, (Cataflam, Dicloflex, Diclohexal, Diclofenac) these symptoms may be severe.

Do not have Voltaren Injection if at the present time you have an ulcer (gastric or duodenal) or bleeding from the stomach or bowel.

If you have it, your stomach problem may become worse.

 

Do not have Voltaren Injection after the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack.

 

Do not have Voltaren Injection if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.

 

Voltaren ampoules are not recommended for use in children.

 

If you are not sure whether you should start having Voltaren Injection, contact your doctor.

 

Before you use a Voltaren Injection 

 

Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives.

 

Your doctor will want to know if you are prone to allergies.

 

- ulcers (gastric or duodenal), severe attacks of indigestion, other stomach trouble  or diseases of the bowel (eg. Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) 

 

- heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, high blood pressure, asthma, a tendency to bleed or other blood problems such as anemia

 

Tell your doctor if you have an infection at the present time.

If you have Voltaren Injection  (Cataflam, Dicloflex, Diclohexal, Diclofenac) while you have an infection, some of the signs of the infection may be hidden (pain, fever, swelling, redness). You may think, mistakenly, that you are better or that the infection is not serious. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or are breastfeeding.

Like most NSAID medicines, Voltaren is not recommended for use during pregnancy or breast feeding. Your doctor will discuss with you the benefits and risks of having it. 

 

 

Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription or from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

 

- aspirin, salicylates or other NSAID medicines 

- warfarin, a medicine used to stop blood clots 

- digoxin, a medicine for your heart 

- lithium, a medicine used to treat some types of depression 

- diuretics, also called fluid or water tablets 

- tablets used to treat diabetes 

- methotrexate, a medicine used to treat arthritis and some cancers 

- cyclosporin, a medicine used to suppress the immune system 

- certain antibiotics called quinolones 

 

Your doctor or pharmacist has more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while having Voltaren.

 

If you have not told your doctor about any of these things, tell them before you have a Voltaren Injection. 

 

Your doctor or nurse will draw the solution from the ampoule into a syringe and inject the solution deep into your buttock muscle. 

 

Your doctor or nurse will dilute the solution with at least 100ml of a modified solution of common salt or glucose and slowly infuse into a vein. It must not be injected too quickly into the vein. 

 

 

The usual dosage is one ampoule a day given for two days at the most, in some cases, two ampoules may be given a day. If further treatment with Voltaren is needed, this can be given in the form of Voltaren tablets or suppositories. 

 

Voltaren ampoules should not be given for more than 2 days, if necessary, treatment can be continued with Voltaren tablets or suppositories. 

 

Immediately tell your doctor or phone the Poisons Control Center or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital if you think that you or anyone else may have had too much Voltaren Injection. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. 

 

If you are or become pregnant while having Voltaren Injection, tell your doctor immediately.

Your doctor can discuss with you the risks of giving it while you are pregnant.

If you are about to start any new medicine, tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are receiving Voltaren Injections.

If you feel the medicine is not helping, tell your doctor. This will help your doctor to determine the best treatment for you. Be sure to keep all of your doctor's appointments so that your progress can be checked. Your doctor may want to have some blood tests from time to time. This helps to prevent unwanted side effects.

If you are going to have surgery, make sure the surgeon and anesthetist know that you are having Voltaren Injection.

NSAID medicines can slow down blood clotting.

If you get an infection while receiving Voltaren Injections, tell your doctor.

This medicine may hide some of the signs of an infection (pain, fever, swelling, redness). You may think, mistakenly, that you are better or that the infection is not serious. Tell all of the doctors, dentists and pharmacists that are treating you that you are receiving Voltaren Injections  (Cataflam, Dicloflex, Diclohexal, Diclofenac). 

 

 

Do not take any other medicines used to treat arthritis while you are having Voltaren Injection without first telling your doctor. This includes:

- aspirin (also called ASA or acetylsalicylic acid) 

- other salicylates 

- other forms of Voltaren 

- any other NSAID medicine 

 

If you have these medicines together with Voltaren Injection, they may cause unwanted effects.

If you need to have something for headache or fever, it is usually okay to have paracetamol. If you are not sure, ask your doctor.

Do not use Voltaren Injection to treat any other complaints unless your doctor says you can.

Do not give this medicine to anyone else.

It may harm them, even if their symptoms seem to be the same as yours. 

 

Be careful driving, operating machinery or doing jobs that require you to be alert until you know how Voltaren Injections affect you.

As with other NSAID medicines, Voltaren Injection may cause dizziness, drowsiness or blurred vision in some people. If you have any of these symptoms, do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous. 

 

 

Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are having a Voltaren Injection.

This medicine helps most people, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.

If you are over 65 years old, you should be especially careful while receiving this medication. Report any side effects promptly to your doctor.

As people grow older, they are more likely to get side effects from medicines.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have. 

 

- upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, indigestion, cramps, loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea, pain in the stomach, gas, dizziness, light headedness , drowsiness, sleepiness, disorientation, buzzing or ringing in the ears, change in mood, feeling depressed, anxious or irritable, trembling, sleeplessness, nightmares , headache, sore mouth or tongue, hair loss or thinning, altered taste sensation 

 

- severe pain or tenderness in the stomach, signs of frequent or worrying infections such as fever, severe chills, sore throat, mouth ulcers, bleeding or bruising more easily than normal, reddish or purplish blotches under the skin, signs of anemia, tiredness, shortness of breath, looking pale, a change in the color of urine passed, blood in the urine, a change in the amount or frequency of urine passed, burning feeling when passing urine, signs of a liver problem such as tiredness, lack of energy, itching of the skin, yellowing of the skin and eyes, pain in the abdomen, unusual weight gain, swelling of ankles or legs, symptoms of sunburn (such as redness, itching, swelling, blistering) which may occur more quickly than normal, eye problems such as blurred or double vision, severe dizziness, spinning sensation, severe or persistent headache, tingling or numbness of the hands or feet, fast or irregular heart beat, also called palpitations, difficulty hearing 

 

These are serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention. Serious side effects are rare.

 

If any of the following happen, stop taking Voltaren Injections  (Cataflam, Dicloflex, Diclohexal, Diclofenac) and tell your doctor immediately or go to the Emergency Room at your nearest hospital:

 

- vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grinds, rectal bleeding, black sticky bowel movements, bloody diarrhea, swelling of the face, lips or tongue which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing, asthma, wheezing, shortness of breath, sudden or severe itching, skin rash or hives, fainting, seizures, pain or tightness in the chest 

 

These are very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalization. These side effects are rare.

Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you unwell.

Some people may get other side effects of Voltaren Injection. 

 

If you have to store Voltaren Injection at home:

- Keep your medicine in the original container until it is time to have it. 

- Store the container in a cool dry place below 30°C. 

- Do not store Voltaren Injection or any other medicine in the bathroom or any other place that is hot or steamy. 

- Do not leave it in the car or on window sills. 

 

Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines. They will keep well if the temperature is cool and dry.

Keep the medicine where children cannot reach it.

 

If your doctor stops your treatment with Voltaren Injection or you find that it has passed the expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine you have left over. 

 

Voltaren Injection come in a 3ml colorless glass ampoule. Each pack contains 5 ampoules 

 

Voltaren ampoules contain 75mg of diclofenac sodium as the active ingredient. They also contain the following non-active ingredients:mannitol, sodium metabisulphite, benzy alcohol, propylene glycol, water for injection.