Somatec Pharmaceuticals Ltd Product List

Somatec Pharmaceuticals Ltd covers the everyday outpatient prescription from a Bangladeshi plant. Here that means antihistamines, asthma preventers, acid medicines, laxatives, antibiotics, an antifungal, calcium and vitamins, and two medicines that act on the nervous system.

Below, the range is sorted by what each medicine is used for, and every section gives the generic — the name a prescription actually uses.

Fexofen — Antihistamine

• Fexofen 120 Tablet 120mg — the most looked-up product this manufacturer makes, by a wide margin.
• Fexofen Tablet 180mg

Fexofenadine, under Non-Sedating Antihistamines. It is used for allergic rhinitis and for urticaria.

Why the two strengths are not interchangeable

The 120mg is the usual strength for hay fever and allergic rhinitis; the 180mg is generally the one prescribed for chronic urticaria. They are different doses for different conditions, so take the one written on the prescription.

Fruit juice genuinely reduces the effect

Fexofenadine is one of the few medicines where this matters. Apple, orange and grapefruit juice noticeably reduce how much is absorbed, so take it with water and leave a couple of hours either side of juice.

Antacids containing aluminium or magnesium do the same thing. Separate them by a couple of hours as well.

“Non-sedating” means less, not none

Fexofenadine is among the least sedating antihistamines available, which is why it is preferred for daytime use. A minority of people still feel drowsy on it, so find out how it affects you before driving.

Asmont — Asthma Prevention

• Asmont 10 tablet 10mg, Asmont Tablet 5mg and Asmont 4 Tablet 4mg

Montelukast at three strengths, under Asthma & Prophylaxis. The 10mg is the adult dose; 5mg and 4mg are paediatric strengths for different age bands.

A preventer, not a reliever

It is taken every day, usually in the evening, and does nothing for an attack that has already started. That is what a reliever inhaler is for, and a prescribed inhaler is never stopped because a tablet has been added.

Mood and sleep changes are recognised

Agitation, unusual dreams, low mood, irritability and sleep disturbance are known effects of montelukast, and they matter particularly in children. They are worth reporting to a doctor rather than tolerating, and they usually settle after stopping.

Acid Medicines

• X Lan 30 Capsule 30mg — dexlansoprazole.
• Rabeprol 20 Tablet 20mg — rabeprazole.
• Ome 20 Capsule 20mg — omeprazole.
• S-Ome Capsule 20mg — esomeprazole.

Four proton pump inhibitors, three of them under PPI within Dyspepsia.

Take them before food

Usually about half an hour before the first meal of the day. They act on acid pumps that are switched on by eating, so a dose taken on a full stomach reaches far fewer of them.

They are prescribed in courses

PPIs are effective and are intended for defined periods rather than indefinitely. Heartburn that keeps needing one is a reason to be assessed rather than to keep buying them.

Heartburn with difficulty swallowing, weight loss, vomiting, black stools or anaemia needs a doctor promptly. So does new indigestion starting after middle age.

Naproflex — Painkiller with Acid Cover

Naproflex 500 Tablet 20mg+500mg combines naproxen with esomeprazole, under Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, NSAIDs.

The combination exists because naproxen irritates the stomach and the esomeprazole is there to protect it. That is a sensible pairing for someone who needs an anti-inflammatory regularly.

It is still an NSAID

Take it with or just after food, at the lowest dose that works, for the shortest time. The acid cover reduces stomach risk; it does not remove it, and it does nothing about the kidney and cardiovascular cautions.

Do not take it alongside another anti-inflammatory, and ask first with a history of ulcer or bleeding, kidney or liver disease, heart failure, uncontrolled blood pressure, or asthma made worse by painkillers.

Do not double up on the acid medicine

This tablet already contains a proton pump inhibitor. Taking it together with a separate PPI from the section above is a double dose of the same class, and it is an easy mistake when the brand names look unrelated.

Picolax — Laxative

• Picolax 10 Tablet 10mg and Picolax syrup 100ml

Sodium picosulfate, a stimulant laxative, under Gastrointestinal System. It works by stimulating the bowel wall rather than by softening the stool.

Short-term use

Stimulant laxatives are for occasional constipation, not for daily long-term use. Taken continuously the bowel becomes reliant on them and the underlying problem is never addressed.

Fibre, fluid and movement are what fix habitual constipation. Where a laxative is needed regularly, that is a conversation with a doctor rather than a repeat purchase.

When constipation needs assessing

A change in bowel habit that persists, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, severe abdominal pain, or constipation alternating with diarrhoea. None of those should be managed with a laxative alone.

Antibiotics and Antifungal

• Cefurim CV 250 Tablet 250mg+62.5mg — cefuroxime with clavulanic acid.
• Respazit Tablet 500mg — azithromycin.
• Flunol 50 Capsule 50mg — fluconazole, an antifungal taken by mouth.

The antibiotics sit under Anti-Bacterial.

Finish the course

An infection usually feels better in two or three days and is not finished. Cutting the course short is how the infection comes back and how resistant strains get their start. Do not keep leftovers, do not take someone else’s, and do not start a course without a diagnosis.

Fluconazole interacts with a long list of medicines

It is taken by mouth and affects how the liver processes other drugs — warfarin, some statins, certain heart and psychiatric medicines among them. Tell the pharmacist everything you take before starting it, and mention any liver problem.

Medicines That Act on the Nervous System

• Xioclon 0.5 Tablet 0.5mg — clonazepam, a benzodiazepine.
• Dormir Tablet 500mcg+10mg — flupenthixol with melitracen.

Both sit under Central Nervous System, and both are prescription-only for good reasons.

Clonazepam is not a sleeping tablet to buy casually

It is prescribed for specific conditions, and tolerance and dependence develop with regular use — sometimes within weeks. It also adds to the effect of alcohol and of other sedating medicines, which is where the serious harm happens.

It must never be stopped abruptly after a period of regular use. Withdrawal from a benzodiazepine can cause seizures, and stopping is done by tapering under medical supervision.

Dormir is not what its name suggests

Despite the name, it is not a sleeping pill. It combines a low-dose antipsychotic with an antidepressant and is prescribed for anxiety and low mood.

It is widely taken in this market for longer than intended. Long-term use of the antipsychotic component carries a risk of movement disorders, some of which do not fully reverse, and it should not be stopped suddenly either. Any new restlessness, tremor, stiffness or involuntary movement is a reason to see a doctor promptly.

Neither is a solution to sleeplessness or stress on its own

Persistent poor sleep, anxiety and low mood have causes worth identifying, and several of them — thyroid disease, anaemia, pain, sleep apnoea, depression — are common and treatable. A medicine started without that assessment often continues for years.

Calcium and Vitamins

• Calmet D Tablet and Coralmet-D tablet 500mg+200IU — calcium with vitamin D3.
• Miovit Tablet — vitamins B1, B6 and B12, under Vitamin, Mineral & Nutritional Deficiency.

Calcium binds several medicines in the gut — some antibiotics, iron and thyroid tablets among them — so leave a couple of hours between them. Vitamin D is what allows calcium to be absorbed, which is why the two are sold together.

Match the Generic, Not the Brand Name

Every medicine here is a generic sold under a brand name, and the same molecule is made by many manufacturers under many names.

A prescription is satisfied by the generic and the strength, not by the name on the box. It also protects against the opposite mistake, which this catalogue illustrates well: Ome, S-Ome, Rabeprol, X Lan and the acid component of Naproflex are all the same class of medicine under five unrelated names.

The generic is printed on every listing here. Arogga collects a prescription wherever the law requires one, and a pharmacist reviews the order before dispatch.

Is There a Downloadable Product List?

There is no such file, and one made today would be wrong by the end of the week.

The grid above is generated from live stock, so it shows what can be ordered today. Registrations change, strengths change and availability changes, and a file does not.

Where Somatec Sits on Arogga

This page collects one manufacturer. The shelves collect one molecule across manufacturers, which is what a prescription written against a generic actually needs.

Pack strengths are added and withdrawn and stock moves daily, and only the listing tracks either.

About Somatec Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Somatec Pharmaceuticals Ltd makes a general outpatient range in Bangladesh, and its catalogue on Arogga is broad rather than deep — a small presence in each of about ten therapeutic areas.

Acid medicines are the largest part by listing count, with four proton pump inhibitors under four different names. Antihistamines draw the most interest, led by the 120mg fexofenadine.

It is searched as Somatec Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Somatec Pharma and plain Somatec, and in Bangla as সোমাটেক ফার্মাসিউটিক্যালস লিঃ.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Fexofen 120 used for?

It is fexofenadine, a non-sedating antihistamine for allergic rhinitis and urticaria. The 120mg is the usual strength for hay fever; the 180mg is generally prescribed for chronic urticaria. Take the strength written on the prescription.

2. Can I take fexofenadine with fruit juice?

Better not. Apple, orange and grapefruit juice noticeably reduce how much is absorbed, so take it with water and leave a couple of hours either side. Aluminium and magnesium antacids do the same and should also be separated.

3. Does Asmont help during an asthma attack?

No. Montelukast is taken daily to prevent symptoms and does nothing for an attack in progress — a reliever inhaler does that. Never stop a prescribed inhaler because a tablet has been added.

4. When should an acid medicine be taken?

About half an hour before the first meal of the day, because these act on acid pumps switched on by eating. They are prescribed in courses rather than indefinitely, and heartburn that keeps needing one is a reason to be assessed.

5. Can I take Naproflex with my usual acid tablet?

Check with a pharmacist first. Naproflex already contains a proton pump inhibitor alongside the naproxen, so adding a separate one is a double dose of the same class — an easy mistake when the brand names look unrelated.

6. Can I use a stimulant laxative every day?

No. Sodium picosulfate is for occasional constipation; taken continuously the bowel becomes reliant on it. Fibre, fluid and movement address habitual constipation, and needing a laxative regularly is a conversation with a doctor.

7. Can I stop clonazepam when I feel better?

Never abruptly after regular use. Withdrawal from a benzodiazepine can cause seizures, and stopping is done by tapering under medical supervision. Tolerance and dependence can develop within weeks, and it adds to the effect of alcohol.

8. Is Dormir a sleeping tablet?

No, despite the name. It combines a low-dose antipsychotic with an antidepressant and is prescribed for anxiety and low mood. Long-term use of the antipsychotic part risks movement disorders, and it should not be stopped suddenly.