In the past two decades, the number of patients at neuropathologists has increased. These are both adults and children, adolescents. The modern rhythm of life puts each of us in stress, and sometimes we can’t cope with it without medicines. There is a nootropic agent "Picamilon", reviews of which confirm its effectiveness, is a proven and safe remedy for chronic stress, cognitive impairment, reduced physical performance and a number of pathologies provoked by circulatory disorders of the brain.
Release form and composition
There are two forms of drug release:
- White tablets (active substance content of 20 or 50 mg).
- Ampoules for intravenous or intramuscular administration (the amount of active substance in one ampoule is 100 mg).
The injection form of the drug is recommended for use in a hospital. The tablets are ideal for self-administration at home.
As an active substance, tablets and Picamilon injection solution contain nicotinoyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid (nicotinoyl-GABA).
"Picamilon" is produced by two pharmaceutical companies:
- Combine OJSC "Akrikhin" (Russia).
- NPK "Echo" CJSC (Russia).
The fact that the drug is produced in Russia makes the price affordable. A tablet form costs from one hundred to three hundred rubles (depending on the number of tablets in the bank), and a box with ampoules costs about two hundred rubles.
Indications for use
Instructions for use with tablets and ampoules "Picamilon" reports that the drug is effective in the treatment of the following diseases and conditions (as an independent and auxiliary) means:
- Delay in psycho-speech development in children and adolescents.
- Disorders of cerebral circulation of various etiologies.
- Ischemic cerebrovascular accident.
- Constant neuropsychic stress.
- Anxiety, unmotivated aggression.
- Premenstrual syndrome in women.
- Early childhood autism (as an adjuvant).
- The recovery period after strokes and head injuries.
- Chronic alcoholism and drug addiction (in the hangover and withdrawal period).
- Encephalopathy of various etiologies.
- Dementia
- Atherosclerosis (as an adjuvant).
- Problems urinating in children and adults.
Side effects and contraindications
Instructions for use with tablets and ampoules "Picamilon" reports that the drug causes the following side effects:
- Dizziness.
- Nausea, vomiting.
- Migraine.
- Drowsiness.
- Decreased attention span.
- Flushing of the upper torso.
- Urticaria, itchy skin.
Reviews of "Picamilon" indicate that the drug is usually well tolerated. In the first week of admission, mild drowsiness often develops, and it is difficult to wake up in the morning. When the nervous system gets used to the action of a blood circulation stimulating agent, such effects are no longer observed.
The total duration of therapy, as a rule, is at least two months. The exact dosage is prescribed by the doctor, based on the characteristics of the course of the disease in each individual patient.
Contraindications to taking the drug in both tablet and injection form:
- Liver failure.
- The period of pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Acute psychotic conditions, delirium.
- Hypersensitivity to the main active component of the drug.
Drug interaction
"Picamilon" should be used with caution with tranquilizers.
Joint intake with alcoholic beverages or alcohol tinctures can trigger a stroke. This combination increases the load on the cardiovascular system and disrupts the blood circulation of the brain.
With simultaneous administration with analgesics, it enhances their sedative effect.
The combined use of Picamilon with barbiturates enhances their effect, increases the toxic load on the liver.
Depressive Use Reviews
"Picamilon" does not have a direct antidepressant effect and does not affect the production or uptake of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Despite this, the drug is often prescribed as an adjunct in the treatment of depressive conditions of varying severity. The combination of nootropics with antidepressants and tranquilizers can only be prescribed by a neurologist or psychiatrist, since not all drugs in these groups are medically compatible with each other.
Reviews about the "Picamilon" tablets used in depressive states are positive. Patients note that already in the second or third week of regular intake, the mood improves. The desire to worry about trifles and sadness disappears.
Reviews on the use in children with a delay in psycho-speech development
Separately, it is worth mentioning the therapy of mental retardation in children. Reviews about "Picamilon" with stuttering, general speech underdevelopment, autistic features, mental problems in children from five to ten years are different. Some parents say that the child has become smarter, vocabulary has increased, articulation has become clearer.
Another category of parents leaves negative reviews about the use of Picamilon. They report that children not only did not show improvement in their cognitive abilities, but also became hyperactive, uncontrollable, noisy. The learning process slowed down, there was a rollback in development. Such reviews of "Picamilon" are quite common. Treatment should begin with minimal doses. This is half a pill. If the child tolerates the drug well, you can gradually increase the dosage until it reaches therapeutic values.
Reviews on treating sleep problems with Picamilon
Therapy for sleep problems with Picamilon is often prescribed, but the opinions of patients about it are ambiguous. There are safe drugs for direct use (for insomnia) at a low price - this is Donormil, Melotonin. Nootropics are usually not prescribed for insomnia, as they have a mild stimulating effect on the central nervous system.
However, the people firmly entrenched opinion that "Picamilon" is a remedy for insomnia. People buy this drug on their own, prescribe a dosage for themselves. The doctors' comments about Picamilon as a sleeping pill are unequivocal: the drug is not used to treat sleep problems.
In some cases, a nootropic can really help to fall asleep, makes the dream deeper and longer. This is achieved by reducing nervous tension and restoration of cerebral circulation.
Removing anxiety, irritability and unmotivated aggression
The instruction and reviews for Picamilon tablets confirm that they are an excellent and cheap tool for relieving anxiety, excitement, nervousness. The effect of the reception develops slowly. In the first few days, the patient does not feel any changes in health. If it seems to him that he is relieved, this is a misleading sensation, since nicotinoyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid cannot accumulate and act in such a short time.
The average time during which the real effect occurs during the initial intake of Picamilon is one and a half to two weeks. Patients note that they become calmer. They are less worried about both real and far-fetched problems. Nervousness decreases, motor anxiety disappears, tremors, nervous tics disappear. Also, patients note an improvement in cognitive function. The reaction rate increases. A person becomes smarter. It remembers in mind the information that had previously been recorded.
Testimonials of neurologists about Picamilon
Many neurologists treat Picamilon with some bias, since the drug is no longer new. Now there is a mass of drugs with a more pronounced nootropic effect and an almost complete absence of side effects and contraindications.
However, the drug is often prescribed as an adjuvant for many pathologies. The most commonly used tablet form of the drug. Injections are given to those patients who are not able to swallow tablets themselves or are in a dysfunctional state.
Drug dependence on "Picamilon"
Among people without a medical education, there is an opinion that any psychotropic drugs can be addictive. Nootropics are not able to cause the development of psychological dependence. The main component of Picamilon is quite harmless and has been used in neurological practice for many years.
This is one of the most commonly prescribed and harmless drugs. It can easily be purchased at any pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription. Therefore, there is no reason to worry that Picamilon can contribute to the development of addiction.
Analogs and substitutes of the drug
Reviews about the analogues of "Picamilon" are different. Nootropics are a class of drugs whose action is very subjective and can be evaluated ambiguously by different patients.
Here is a list of some analogues of "Picamilon" (instructions and reviews on their action report on the effectiveness and low level of probability of developing side effects):
- "Picanoyl" is a drug whose main component is also nicotinoyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid. This is an almost complete analogue of Picamilon. You can find it on sale quite rarely, since it is produced by only one pharmacological enterprise.
- "Amilonosar" - another nootropic, is almost a complete analogue of "Picamilon". It has a pronounced vasodilating effect, restores cerebral circulation.
- "Pikogam" - an inexpensive analogue of "Picamilon", has a pronounced nootropic effect.