“Phenotropil” is a tablet preparation. He is very famous in our country. Many people have used this drug to eliminate lethargy, improve performance, and treat certain conditions. Today this drug is not available, but there is hope that its production will be resumed again. If the drug appears again in pharmacies, people will have a lot of questions: is it possible to combine alcohol and Phenotropil, in which cases this drug is used, how it should be drunk. Let's figure it out just in case in advance.
Phenotropil and alcohol
Many people know about Phenotropil firsthand, so let's start with the frequently asked question, is it possible to take tablets of this medicine and alcohol-containing drinks at the same time. In the literature, narcologists have such observations when patients combined medication and alcohol. People did this in order not to get intoxicated, not to lose control of themselves. Fenotropil really helped. Thanks to him, it was much easier to tolerate intoxication when taking alcohol.
About any undesirable consequences arising from the combination of tablets with drinks is unknown. However, here one still needs to think not about whether Fenotropil can be combined with alcohol. The harm of alcohol should be considered first. Due to the intake of Phenotropil, a person does not lose control of himself longer and as a result, he drinks more. The more alcohol enters the body, the higher the load on the internal organs - on the heart, on the liver. For this reason, it is still not recommended to combine alcohol-containing drinks and tablets. It is most correct to take medicine to cure chronic alcoholism and restore your body after the intoxication effect of alcohol.
Pharmacotherapeutic group and composition
So, we figured out the compatibility of "Phenotropil" and alcohol. Let's move on to the drug. "Phenotropil" refers to nootropic drugs. This is a group that includes drugs that can improve brain function, increase its stability under various extreme loads. Nootropics positively affect memory, thinking, attention. When they are taken in humans, cerebral circulation improves.
The composition of "Phenotropil" included one active substance. It bore the same name. The second name of the active substance is phenylpiracetam. One tablet contained either 0.05 g or 0.1 g of this component. A number of excipients were added to Fenotropil: calcium stearate, potato starch, lactose.
The mechanism of action of the drug
Since “Fenotropil” was produced in tablets, it was intended for oral administration. After use, the medicine quickly dissolved and absorbed. With blood, the active component spread through the organs and tissues of the human body. “Phenotropil” exerted its influence by entering the brain. The medicine improved metabolic processes and blood circulation in this organ. A positive effect was exerted on ischemic areas of the brain. They improved regional blood flow. Due to the influence of Phenotropil, the levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the brain increased, oxidation-reduction processes were stimulated, and the energy potential of the body increased due to the utilization of glucose.
The final results of the effect of the drug on the body were observed as follows:
- the speed of information transfer between the cerebral hemispheres became higher, the learning process was facilitated;
- concentration of attention, memory improved;
- vision improved (increased sharpness, brightness);
- increased resistance of brain tissue to hypoxia, toxic effects (for example, to the effect of alcohol on the body) after Phenotropil;
- increased physical performance;
- increased body resistance to stress in conditions of high physical and mental stress;
- mood was improving;
- the threshold of pain sensitivity increased (the drug has an analgesic effect).
Properties identified during research
The mechanism of action of “Phenotropil” was studied during research. During them, many interesting properties were revealed. The drug did not adversely affect embryonic development. He did not provoke the appearance of various deformities, mutations. Also, the active substance of the drug did not poison the fetus, did not lead to its death. But, despite this, the drug was not prescribed for pregnant and lactating women. Carcinogenic properties were not characteristic of Phenotropil. Toxicity is low. Death due to Phenotropil was possible when taking a huge dose - 800 mg of the drug per 1 kg of weight.
Taking the medication did not have any effect on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. In the body, the active substance was not metabolized. It was excreted unchanged in urine (40% of the dose taken) and then, in bile (60% of the dose taken).
The drug began to act immediately after taking the first tablet. With the course of use in patients there was no drug dependence. Tolerance was not manifested, that is, the reaction of the body did not worsen when taking Phenotropil again. When the drug was discontinued, “withdrawal syndrome” was not observed.
Indications for use
The list of conditions and disorders in which "Phenotropil" was used is quite wide. For example, one of the indications is a violation of the learning process. Representatives of young people often drank pills in preparation for exams.
The composition of the drug "Fenotropil" helped with neurotic conditions, accompanied by lethargy, impaired memory and attention, decreased psychomotor activity. The medicine was also effective for depression, sluggish states with schizophrenia.
Indications for use were diseases of the central nervous system associated with any vascular problems, metabolic disturbances in the brain, intoxication. People often drank Phenotropil tablets for headaches and tinnitus. These are the symptoms that are associated with circulatory disorders in the brain. Fenotropil helped to cure such a problem.
The use of the drug by athletes
Athletes drank "Fenotropil" before the competition. They did this in order to improve the tolerance of oxygen starvation not only by the brain, but by the tissues of the whole organism. With certain loads, fatigue and fatigue decreased. This helped athletes improve their performance.
However, immediately before the competition, Fenotropil was not used, since it was considered doping. In about 2–4 days, it was necessary to exclude the medication from the preparatory program for the competition.
The use of "Phenotropil" in obesity and alcoholism
The drug could be used by some people with obesity, but it was important to understand how this medicine works. "Phenotropil" did not affect the metabolism and hormonal levels. In overweight patients, he simply dulled his appetite. Additionally, it contributed to increasing the activity of people. Such a double effect eventually led to getting rid of extra pounds.
Another drug was used in the treatment of people with a craving for alcohol. “Phenotropil” reduced the manifestations of asthenia, intellectual and mnestic disorders, depressive state, helped the body cope with intoxication caused by the use of alcohol-containing drinks.
Dosage and treatment
The dose and duration of use has always been determined by the doctor, since “Phenotropil” was a prescription drug. The average single dose is 150 mg. The average daily dose is 250 mg. The maximum daily dose could reach 750 mg, but it was prescribed in extremely rare cases and only in the presence of serious indications.
It was required to drink pills after eating. A daily dose of up to 100 mg was taken 1 time in the morning. A daily dose of more than 100 mg was divided into 2 doses. At the same time, doctors always recommended that their patients not take the medicine later than 15 hours, because in such cases there was a likelihood of insomnia.
On average, Fenotropil was prescribed for 30 days. The minimum duration of use was 2 weeks. The course of treatment could reach up to 3 months.
Discontinuation of the drug
In 2017, it became known that the release of Phenotropil was discontinued. The manufacture of this drug was carried out by Valenta Pharm. There is an answer to the question why Fenotropil was removed from production. It is known that the drug was created by a group of specialists led by Valentina Ivanovna Akhapkina. This woman was one of the copyright holders and collaborated with Valenta Pharm.
In 2017, on the initiative of Valentina Akhapkina, cooperation was terminated. Such a decision, she said, was made due to the fact that the company did not conduct experiments with the goal of introducing Phenotropil into children's practice. Also, no action was taken to develop new dosage forms, to improve this medication.
It was rumored that the drug would be produced again. However, there are no changes to date. Fenotropil still does not go to drugstore shelves.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that initially “Fenotropil” was created for astronauts so that they can cope with high loads, but further studies have shown that it can be used in general clinical practice. The drug quickly gained popularity. It was a unique drug with a wide range of indications, ranging from the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system to the treatment of people with a craving for alcohol. "Phenotropil" sometimes caused side effects, but their list was small. Due to the medication, skin hyperemia, psychomotor agitation, a sensation of warmth, and blood pressure could also increase.