Everyone has heard of such an ailment as epilepsy, but not everyone understands the causes of this disease. This ailment is associated with functional disorders of the human brain. People of all ages suffer from epilepsy, and those at risk are more likely to have those in the family of whom the disease has occurred. But this does not mean that epilepsy does not threaten healthy people.
Human health depends on what lifestyle he leads. If alcohol, nervous excitement, and mental disorders are often present in it, then epilepsy can have an acquired character and manifest itself at twenty, forty, and sixty years.
In children, epilepsy is more associated with congenital pathologies and a hereditary factor. If this diagnosis was not treated before, and the person was left face to face with his “strange” disease, today more than seventy percent of epileptic cases are characterized by a positive outcome of treatment.
Treatment Methods for Epileptic Seizures
There is currently no alternative to the medical treatment of epilepsy. Diagnosis of brain diseases is performed using modern medical equipment. Most often, therapy involves taking medications that stimulate the work of the cerebral cortex, weaken the effect of spasmodic contractions of blood vessels.
In modern times, in the treatment of epilepsies of varying complexity, because epileptic seizures can manifest themselves in different ways (once a year or several times a day), antiepileptic, anticonvulsant drugs are applicable . The main sign of the onset of a seizure is convulsive muscle contractions, disruption of the digestive system and urination, loss of consciousness, perception of reality, loss of memory, taste, hearing, vision.
Medications can prevent premature seizures. Most often, doctors talk about the drug "Gabagamma." Instructions for use, analogues, reviews of specialists and relatives of people with epilepsy people about this drug will be discussed a little below.
The drug "Gabagamma": release form, composition
So, let's look at all the provisions that include medical instructions for use. "Gabagamma" is a hard gelatin capsule of white, yellow or orange color. It is important to know that the color of these indicates the dosage of the main active substance.
So, in white capsules, gabapentin 100 mg, yellow - 300 mg, orange - 400 mg. Therefore, in each case, a specific concentration of the drug is prescribed.
Auxiliary components of capsules of any color: gelatin, red iron oxide, talc, titanium oxide, corn starch and lactose.
The drug “Gabagamma” is also available in film-coated tablets. The effectiveness of the drug on brain processes does not depend on the dosage form.
Gabagamma pharmaceuticals are produced in Germany by the pharmaceutical company Woerwag Pharma GmbH & Co KG. German medicines are of high quality. Therefore, almost only positive can be found about capsules and tablets "Gabagamma" reviews.
Drug pharmacology
In order to specifically understand how the active substance of the drug works, you need to carefully study all the recommendations that the instructions for use contain. “Gabagamma”, as mentioned above, is an antiepileptic drug. Its active substance is similar in nature to GABA blockers - gamma-aminobutyric acid used in the treatment of brain diseases. However, the mechanism of action of the drug is distinctive at the physiological level. Gabapentin does not collect or remove GABA from the body. It binds to the α2-δ subunit of voltage-dependent calcium channels, due to which there is a decrease in the flow of calcium ions, which is involved in the physiological process that causes neuropathic pain. Against the background of this picture, the synthesis of GABA increases, the release of neurotransmitters of the monoamine group is suppressed.
The maximum concentration of gabapentin in the blood is achieved two to three hours after administration. Eating does not affect the absorption of the drug.
According to the instructions for use, "Gabagamma" is excreted from the body after five to seven hours, regardless of the concentration of the dosage, by the kidneys unchanged.
For people with liver and kidney diseases, the drug is excreted by hemodialysis.
Indications for use
To whom does the drug recommend use?
“Gabagamma” is prescribed for adult patients in the diagnosis of pain syndrome occurring in diabetic nephropathy, postherpetic neuralgia. As well as adults and children from twelve years of age during the complex therapy of partial seizures with or without signs of secondary generalization.
According to the instructions for use, "Gabagamma" is widely applicable in pediatrics. A drug is also prescribed for epileptic seizures in patients whose body is not affected by other antiepileptic drugs.
Contraindications
Gabagamma tablets and capsules do not recommend use for use with sensitivity to the components included in the medication. Also, the diagnoses of acute pancreatitis, hereditary galactase deficiency, lactase deficiency, physiological disturbances involving glucose and galactose are an obstacle to taking the drug.
Pregnant and breast-feeding women are also not recommended to take this medication. A lot of cases have been studied when, after undergoing antiepileptic drug therapy, pregnant women were born with congenital physical pathologies.
Children are prescribed only after the age of twelve!
Recommended dosage
The instructions for use emphasize to the Gabagamma preparation that it can be taken simultaneously with other antiepileptic drugs, and it does not affect the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, especially those containing norethindrone or ethinyl estradiol. It is also not dangerous to take this medication with drugs that inhibit the excretion of gabapentin by the kidneys.
Medications of the antacid group significantly reduce the bioavailability of gabapentin, so it is taken after two hours after their administration.
The drug "Gabagamma" recommends taking the instructions for use according to a certain dose, which can only be adjusted by the attending physician. The intake of tablets and capsules is not tied to food intake, the main thing is the frequency of taking them and adherence between doses of the specified time to prevent overdose of the medicine.
Below is described how to take the drug "Gabagamma", the indications for use are recommended not to change.
With neuropathic pain, adults are prescribed 900 mg of gabapentin per day. This dose is divided multiple by three times and is taken at regular intervals, not exceeding 12 hours. If necessary, the dose can be gradually increased to 3600 mg per day.
With partial seizures shown to adults and children over twelve years of age, the same dose is prescribed - from 900 mg to 3600 mg, divided into three times a day.
In renal failure, the dose is reduced according to the value of QC (ml / min). If he reaches:
- more than 80, then the dose of gabapentin is 900-3600 mg;
- 50-79, then 600-1800 mg are taken;
- 30-49, dosage of 300-900 mg;
- 15-29, recommended 150-600 mg;
- less than 15, therefore, 150-300 mg of gabapentin.
A 300 mg dose of Gabagamma is prescribed for hemodialysis patients. The instructions for use recommend that the patient take 200 mg of gabapentin after each four-hour purification procedure. Taking the medicine is accompanied by the supervision of a doctor.
The drug "Gabagamma" instruction recommends that seriously ill patients and patients with low body weight, after undergoing complex surgical procedures to prescribe a dose of 100 mg.
Adverse Reactions Caused by the Drug
For side effects, the drug "Gabagamma" focuses on the instructions for use. Gabapentin tablets are not healthy. They can cause very serious deviations in physical health.
Here is their list, which instructions for use, reviews of many patients and their relatives indicate to the drug "Gabagamma":
- the manifestation of signs of viral ailments, pneumonia, inflammation of the genitourinary system, otitis media;
- thrombocytopenia, leukopenia;
- allergic rash and itching;
- increase in appetite or its decrease, leading to anorexia;
- nervous tension, aggressiveness, hallucinations, confused consciousness, lack of thinking, mental disorders;
- tremor, weakness, drowsiness, headaches, fainting, lack of reflex sign, memory loss;
- decreased sharpness of vision;
- ringing in the ears;
- heart palpitations, increased pressure;
- rhinitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis;
- nausea, pain in the stomach and abdomen, diarrhea, jaundice;
- swelling of the body, acne throughout the body;
- joint and muscle pain throughout the body;
- urinary incontinence;
- male impotence, female gynecomastia;
- jumps in blood sugar in diabetics;
- acute pancreatitis;
- children's aggressive behavior and hyperkinesis.
As you can see, the drug "Gabagamma" is not the kind of medicine that can be taken without a doctor’s prescription. Very serious physiological malfunctions can be obtained if self-medicated epilepsy.
Antiepileptic drugs: which are better?
In modern times, pharmaceutical companies produce a number of antiepileptic drugs. They may contain gabapentin or other active substances that positively affect the physiological processes taking place in the brain.
Among them, it is impossible to single out good or bad. Each epileptic case is individual, and all doctors repel this, prescribing a particular drug to treat the patient.
The following drugs are analogues of the “Gabagamma” medicine: capsules “Neurotin” (Germany), “Gapentek” (Russia), “Tebantin” (Hungary), “Topiomat” (Russia), “Katena” (Croatia).
Pharmacological signs are similar to Algerika and Lyric capsules, which include pregabalin, Wimpat tablets with lacosamide, Levitsit tablets with levetiracetam, and Paflugeral tablets.
The drug "Gabagamma": recommendations of doctors
From a large list of antiepileptic drugs, doctors still very often prescribe Gabagamma capsules to their patients. Why, if on the pharmacy shelves you can find many cheaper medicines to replace them?
The thing is that it is precisely the “Gabagamma” tablets that the reviews of doctors characterize as high-quality and most effective. Despite the large list of possible very serious adverse reactions of the patient's body to therapy with this medicine, an impressive indicator of people who returned to a full life does not give up its use.
Since a positive tendency for the recovery of their wards is important for the doctor, the focus is on a German-made drug, although it is expensive. Doctors especially recommend its use in pediatrics.
Naturally, side effects of this medication may not occur in all. But most doctors note the sleepy consciousness of their patients, depression, headaches. Often, these symptoms disappear after undergoing a course of treatment with gabapentin.
Special attention is given to doctors in the treatment of epilepsy in children. When prescribing, doctors always evaluate the general picture of the child’s well-being so as not to aggravate his already problematic or close to critical condition.
Drug Reviews
There are a lot of patients with an epileptic diagnosis who have experienced Gabagamma tablets on their personal health. Reviews of people talk about side discomfort and the benefits of the medicine.
Relatives caring for patients note inhibition of consciousness, many complain of headaches, nausea, tremors and dizziness, impaired movement is no exception. However, against the background of this discomfort, progress is nevertheless observed in relation to a decrease in the frequency of epileptic seizures.
Manifested depressive states and aggressive mood go away as the dose of the drug decreases. This medicine has a gradual, moderate nature of the effect on the body, so you should not expect the maximum effect from taking the first dose. To get positive changes you need to undergo a course of treatment. The results from the use of the drug "Gabagamma" are satisfied with thousands of patients. The parents of children with a diagnosis of epilepsy are especially grateful to a German pharmaceutical company for quality medicine. After all, everyone should have a chance for a full healthy life, especially the young generation.
This article examined the properties of the antiepileptic, anticonvulsant drug “Gabagamma”, which indicate that this medicine made it possible to effectively fight the insidious disease of the human brain. The effectiveness of the remedy is confirmed by very impressive statistics of cases of recovery, while twenty years ago epilepsy was spoken of as an incurable disease.
Nowadays, thanks to the efforts of medical luminaries, it has been possible to prove that epileptic seizures can be effectively controlled, their manifestation can be prevented if effective medications are taken.
This remedy is not addictive. You can buy a German drug without any difficulty at any domestic pharmacy and not deny your relatives and friends a quality treatment that is encouraging for a positive outcome.
As for its analogues, then among them there are also a lot of worthy medicines. What drug is nevertheless prescribed for the patient, is not decided by the patient himself or his relatives, but by the attending physician. Especially when it comes to such a serious diagnosis as epileptic seizures.
Often, which one is suitable is determined by the method of constant testing and research of positive tendencies to recovery. The drug "Gabagamma" is a quality leader, but this does not mean that epilepsy is not amenable to other drugs.
In modern times, it was possible to cure a "strange disease" thanks to many effective medicines produced by both domestic pharmaceutical companies and foreign ones.