Apercap Peppermint Oil Capsules 84

What is Apercap Peppermint Oil Capsules 84?

Soft green-and-white capsules of peppermint oil with a special coating that carries the oil past the stomach and releases it further down, in the part of the bowel where IBS symptoms start. It is a general sale medicine used to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome: bloating, trapped wind, bowel discomfort and pain. This is the large 84-capsule pack, four weeks at the usual dose of one capsule three times a day.

How does it help?

Peppermint oil is a natural antispasmodic. In IBS the muscle in the wall of the bowel can go into spasm, which causes the cramping pain and the sense of bloating and trapped wind. Peppermint oil relaxes that muscle so the bowel can settle back into its normal rhythm. The gastro-resistant coating matters: it stops the oil being released in the stomach, where it would be wasted and could cause heartburn, and delivers it to the bowel instead.

Key benefits

• Relieves the bloating, trapped wind, discomfort and cramping pain of IBS
• Coated capsules deliver the peppermint oil to the bowel rather than the stomach
• One capsule three times a day before meals, so it fits around normal mealtimes
• A four-week supply at the usual dose

Who should take care?

Always read the patient information leaflet before use. Not recommended for children. Do not take it if you are allergic to peppermint oil, menthol or any of the other ingredients, if you have inflammation of the bile duct, gallstones or any other bile disorder, or if you have achlorhydria (a lack of stomach acid). Swallow the capsules whole with water: do not chew or break them, as that damages the coating, and do not take them straight after food. Do not take them at the same time as indigestion remedies (antacids) or acid-reducing medicines such as H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors, which can make the coating dissolve too early. Talk to your doctor before using it if this is the first time you have had these symptoms, if you are over 40 and the symptoms are new or different, or if you have been sick, have a temperature, have lost weight or your appetite, have passed blood from the bowel, have unusual vaginal bleeding, or have travelled abroad recently. If your symptoms get worse or have not improved after 14 days, see your doctor. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, may be pregnant or are breastfeeding. Our pharmacist checks it is right for you before it is dispensed.