An organism cleansed of toxins is the key to well-being and health. This will tell the patient any doctor prescribing drugs to support the liver. After all, it is this body that passes liters of blood through itself, cleansing them of dangerous substances. With a number of liver problems, the Heptral drug is effective. The manufacturer claims that, if available, it can be taken even by pregnant women. Therefore, it is easy to imagine how widely this drug is used as part of complex therapy. In the article we will note the most necessary information about Heptral: manufacturer, form of release, indications and contraindications.
general characteristics
In order to help the liver cope with its main tasks, doctors recommend taking hepatoprotectors. These preparations, despite their diversity, have only four groups of active substances in their composition. It is interesting that many of them fall into the category of dietary supplements in most European countries. However, in Russia such drugs are registered as full-fledged medicines, Heptral also belongs to such drugs (the country of manufacture is always indicated on the package).
Patients often leave reviews about this medicine, since it is prescribed by doctors very widely. The drug has antidepressant and antioxidant properties, which allows it to be used as an additional tool in body cleansing therapy.
In addition, it has a pronounced neuroprotective effect. Therefore, Heptral (there are several manufacturers that supply the drug to the Russian market) should not be used at night. It tones the nervous system and encourages the patient to take action.
However, the drug is mainly used for its intended purpose - with liver problems. The list of indications includes cirrhosis at the initial stage. Doctors often perform Heptral therapy in the process of removing a patient from a state of alcohol intoxication caused by binge. In such cases, heptral injections are prescribed, they are more effective. And only after normalization of the condition, the course of treatment continues with taking pills.
Heptral manufacturer: which is better
Patients who have been prescribed this drug are faced with the problem of choice. This is due to the fact that there are various manufacturers of Heptral in pharmacies. Pharmacists rarely recommend one or the company that produces this drug. Therefore, patients themselves have to look for information on which manufacturer of Heptral is better. Finding the answer to this question is not so simple.
Most often, Italy is indicated on the packaging of the medicine by the manufacturer. Heptral was developed by Italian specialists and, after lengthy clinical trials, went on sale. Very quickly, the drug began to be exported abroad and was purchased for sale in Russia. Today in the pharmacy chains there are medicines of two Italian companies:
- ABBOTT SrL (Italy) - the manufacturer of Heptral is well known. Most of the drug’s exports come to Russia under this pharmaceutical brand.
- HOSPIRA SpA is a well-established pharmaceutical company from Italy. She also has the right to issue Heptral, so her name may well be on your packaging. Under this brand, a lot of drugs come to our country.
Heptral manufacturers from Italy are considered the most trusted. However, they are not the only ones to deliver the drug to Russia. On some parties can be seen in the column "Manufacturer" France. Heptral of a French pharmaceutical company is no worse than Italian in quality and effectiveness. But he appeared on the market a little later, therefore, the attitude of buyers is wary of him. They often wonder, “From which country is the manufacturer of Heptral better?” Doctors always have the same answer. They believe that the quality of the drug is not affected by the pharmaceutical company selling it. Regardless of the brand, the drug will be of high quality and will help the patient cope with existing health problems.
Release form: lyophilisate
In urgent cases, when an immediate result is required, the therapist prescribes Heptral in ampoules. Their contents are called "lyophilisate", from which the doctor prepares a solution for administration. The injections are given intravenously or intramuscularly, when prescribing the drug, the therapist usually gives recommendations regarding the treatment regimen, which includes the method of administration of the drug.
The manufacturer produces a lyophilisate along with a special solution for dissolution. Each box contains five bottles of one and the other substance. Visually, the powder, which is the basis of the drug, is white. Suppose a yellowish tint, but without additions and intersperses. The solvent is identical in color to the lyophilisate, but it is more transparent. Precipitation and inclusions are not permissible. The drug ready for administration should be colorless with a high degree of transparency.
Lyophilisate consists only of the active substance. It is ademethionine 1,4-butanedisulfonate. In each ampoule, its concentration is equal to seven hundred sixty milligrams. Often, the dosage of the basic substance is compared with the concentration of ademetionine ion. If a comparative analysis is carried out, then the bottle will contain four hundred milligrams of ademethionine ion.
The solvent is packaged in ampoules of five milligrams. They contain the following substances:
- lysine;
- sodium hydroxide;
- distilled water.
One ampoule of solvent is required per vial of lyophilisate. Prepare the drug immediately before administration. It is forbidden to store it in finished form, so they throw away unspent medicine.
Tablet form release
If your disease does not require immediate intervention, then the doctor will most likely prescribe pills. The use of Heptral in this form is most common. In a number of diseases, capsules are prescribed after a course of treatment with the drug by injection.
The manufacturer gave the capsules an oval shape. They are convex on both sides, without incisions and inscriptions. Each tablet is coated with an enteric coating having a film structure. The color of the capsules is white, but the instructions for Heptral (analogues of the drug are not indicated in it) indicate that it can turn into a yellowish tint. These deviations are permissible and do not affect the quality and effectiveness of the drug.
The dosage of the tablets is different, which makes the selection convenient and quick. Most often, the dosage of Heptral is prescribed in 400 mg or 500 mg (the manufacturer is unimportant). But in particularly difficult cases, tablets with a concentration of the main component in the amount of 760 milligrams are used.
The main component of the capsules is the same ademetionine 1,4-butanedisulfonate. But in this form of release there are much more additional components than in the previous one. The tablet contains:
- silicon dioxide;
- magnesium stearate;
- sodium carboxymethyl starch.
The soluble shell has its composition:
- simethicone;
- sodium hydroxide;
- macrogol;
- water;
- talc;
- polysorbate and so on.
Pharmacokinetics
"Heptral" in ampoules (producer Italy and France) is considered more effective, since it has high bioavailability. Due to this, the improvement in the patient’s health status is faster and the disease recedes in a matter of days. The bioavailability of the drug in tablets does not exceed five percent.
The maximum concentration of the active substance in the body is achieved after six hours with a single dose of the drug. Metabolism occurs in the liver, the components of the drug are excreted through the urinary system.
Communication with plasma proteins is characterized as insignificant, which is also characteristic of analogous drugs. The instructions for use with Heptral indicate that with its regular use, a high concentration of active substances in the cerebrospinal fluid is observed.
Indications for the appointment of the drug
Feedback on the use of Heptral allows you to get an idea of the list of health problems in which it is advisable to use this drug.
It is indispensable in therapy for the detection of hepatitis. Moreover, the genesis of the disease is unimportant. "Heptral" is effective in toxic, medicinal and other types of hepatitis.
The drug is also prescribed for cirrhosis of the liver, as well as conditions close to this disease. It should be borne in mind that fatty degeneration of the liver can also be treated with Heptral. Doctors know that this problem usually precedes cirrhosis.
Taking a large number of drugs over a long period of time causes serious liver damage. The body will not be able to cope with them on its own. Therefore, if a viral, alcoholic, medicinal or other types of lesions are detected, it is necessary to proceed with Heptral treatment.
Pregnant drug is prescribed for intrahepatic cholestasis. This disease is very insidious and threatens not only the mother, but also the fetus. The drug effectively relieves unpleasant symptoms and reduces the risk of premature birth.
Depression is also an indication for taking the drug. In this case, it is used as part of complex therapy.
List of contraindications
There are few health problems that may interfere with medication. Therefore, we list them in full:
- Intolerance to the constituents. Rarely, patients experience allergic reactions to the components of the drug. In such situations, treatment should be suspended and consult a doctor for replacing Heptral with another drug.
- Childhood. Prescribing the drug to children under eighteen years of age is strictly prohibited. Only in the most extreme cases can a doctor take such a step, but he must carefully monitor the condition of a small patient.
- Associated with hyperasotemia cirrhosis of the liver. With this diagnosis, during the treatment with Heptral, an increase in the plasma nitrogen content is likely. If it is impossible to replace the drug with an analogue, the doctor is advised to place the patient in a hospital under the constant supervision of specialists.
- Genetic problems. Some diseases caused by a genetic predisposition affect the methionine cycle. Therefore, treatment with Heptral should not be prescribed to patients from this group.
In addition to the problems already voiced, there are a number of situations in which the drug is taken with great care. This primarily concerns women at the beginning of pregnancy. During the first trimester, taking any drugs is not desirable, the same applies to Heptral. But in difficult situations, the doctor has the right to appoint him, referring to the patient’s diagnosis. Lactating women should also avoid treatment with this drug. It easily penetrates into breast milk, and then the baby enters the body during feeding.
With great care, Heptral is prescribed to patients with bipolar mental disorders. It has a strong stimulating effect on the nervous system, which exacerbates the human condition.
Possible negative effects
Referring to the reviews about Heptral (the instructions for use list all the negative consequences of treatment that have ever occurred in patients), we can confidently state that it is tolerated very well. Most patients write in the comments that even prolonged use of the drug did not affect their well-being negatively. However, we still need to tell readers about the problems that they may encounter during the treatment process.
The manufacturer claims that Heptral causes excessive sweating, itching and skin rashes. Sometimes patients experience dizziness, trouble sleeping, headaches, and causeless anxiety.
In some patients, the gastrointestinal tract reacts sharply to taking the drug. This results in bloating, diarrhea, pain and bleeding.
There are known cases of patients complaining of chills, fever, and a developed urinary tract infection.
Features of the use of funds
Most often, doctors prescribe an intravenous administration of Heptral, this is done through a dropper. For any diagnosis, the drug in the form of injections is used only at the very beginning of treatment, then it is replaced by tablets.
The course of treatment lasts no more than two weeks, the dosage these days is about 0.8 grams of the drug. This scheme is relevant in the process of treating liver diseases.
Depressive syndrome requires a lower dosage. A person is administered no more than 0.4 grams of Heptral (one or two ampoules of the drug per day). Injections are given for three weeks. Then the patient’s condition is assessed by the doctor, and he decides to cancel the injections and replace them with a tablet form of the drug.
Capsules are recommended to drink before dinner. This is due to the tonic effect on the patient’s nervous system. You do not need to chew tablets, otherwise the shell will be damaged and 1,4-butanedisulfonate ademethionine will begin to be absorbed before it reaches the duodenum. This will reduce the effectiveness of the drug and can cause digestive upset.
Usually, the doctor prescribes the minimum dosage to look at the patient's reaction. She cannot exceed the limit of twenty milligrams per kilogram of weight per day. Then the dose is adjusted by the doctor depending on the diagnosis and well-being of the person. For example, with intrahepatic cholestasis and depression, the remedy described by us is taken in a dosage of eight hundred milligrams for twenty-four hours. The maximum concentration cannot exceed one thousand six hundred milligrams of the drug. A day, the patient can drink from 2 to 4 tablets.
Analogs of Heptral
The reviews noted that in case of intolerance to the drug, the doctor will be forced to prescribe analogues of the drug to the patient. They have a similar therapeutic effect and are often in the same price category.
The price of the original drug starts with one thousand three hundred rubles. However, often in pharmacies, medicine can be purchased only for two thousand rubles. This makes it not too accessible for the total mass of patients and forces them to look for analogues. Among them, the following drugs can be distinguished:
- Heptrazan.
- "Heptor N".
- Ademethionine-Vial.
- Heptor.
If we talk about the prices of the listed medicines, they are slightly lower than the original. For example, "Heptor" costs in pharmacies from one thousand rubles.
Heptral treatment reviews
There are many comments on the use of this medicine on the Internet. We were not able to find the negative, so we can conclude that all patients received the desired effect.
If you analyze all the reviews, you will notice one common feature that all patients mention - Heptral shows itself well in combination with other drugs. With liver diseases, a course of treatment with two or three agents is very effective and gives a long-term result. The last nuance is very important when it comes to pregnant women. Usually they need one course of taking the drug, so the future mothers can not worry about the health of their crumbs.
Often reviews about Heptral are given by patients who took it after treatment with statins. It is known that they negatively affect the condition of the liver. Therefore, doctors recommend supporting her with Heptral injections.
Many questions arise on the forums regarding the appropriateness of using this tool for neurotic depression. But positive reviews of the treatment results suggest that the drug relieves the effects of depression very well.
Often, Heptral is prescribed by doctors for cancer patients between courses of chemotherapy. It restores appetite and allows the body to regain strength before the next stage of chemotherapy.
Patients suffering from hepatitis note that after the first course of treatment they noticed improvement in their condition. For a full recovery, three to four courses are required with a frequency of two months.
People are reluctant to write about alcohol addiction in reviews. But such comments are still found and I would like to mention them. It is known that large and regular doses of alcohol quickly disable the liver. And it becomes immediately noticeable after refusing alcohol. Almost everyone who went through a difficult recovery process writes about the feeling of fatigue, lethargy, apathy and depression, which rush after two or three days of absolute sobriety. Nobody can cope with this on their own. Therefore, in addition to the internal spirit, medical support is required. The reviews noted that already two days of taking Heptral brought substantial relief. And the full course helped to return to normal.
And what do doctors write about the drug? Only positive effects from treatment were noted in their reviews. Therapists write that patients notice the first changes in the intake process after two to three days of treatment. And after the first week, the parameters in the patient’s analyzes also radically change.
Some doctors believe that Heptral is the only hepatoprotector in the world today whose effectiveness is real and not imaginary. Therefore, they recommend this drug, despite its high cost.
Doctors in the comments indicate some contradictions in the effect of the drug. It has a somatic orientation, this is what determines its effectiveness in the treatment of depression. However, the psychoactive effect of Heptral still has. It manifests itself gently, but in a certain group of patients it reduces the effectiveness of the drug.
Referring to all the above, we can conclude that Heptral is a highly prescribed drug with a wide spectrum of action. Due to the fact that it is well tolerated by patients, it is prescribed for many diseases.