In the article, we consider the instructions for use and reviews for the Lerkamen preparation.
It is a selective calcium channel blocker that is able to exert pressure on blood vessels. The main active component in its composition is lercanidipine. The drug is a prescription drug, that is, you can buy it at the pharmacy only if there is a prescription from the doctor.
Pharmacological form
According to the instructions for use "Lerkamena", the manufacturer produces the drug in the form of tablets, which are coated with a film coating. Tablets should be taken orally. Their color is pale red, the shape is round, biconvex. One side of the pill is at risk. The fracture of the pill is almost white, sometimes light yellow.
The main active ingredient is lercanidipine hydrochloride. As auxiliary ingredients, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, povidone, sodium carboxymethyl starch and microcrystalline cellulose are used. The film coating that covers the tablet contains iron oxide as a coloring element, macrogol, titanium dioxide, talc, hypromellose, and opadra. This is indicated in the instructions for use.
Lerkamen (10 and 20 mg) in tablet form can be purchased at any pharmacy.
Pharmacological group
"Lerkamen" is a selective calcium channel blocker, which has a pronounced effect on blood vessels. It is a derivative of dihydropyridine. Under its influence, the current of calcium ions is redirected through the membrane to the cells of the arterial muscles. The antihypertensive effect of lercanidipine is due to its ability to relax smooth muscle vascular walls. As a result, the total peripheral vascular pressure decreases.
Instructions for use with "Lerkamen" reports that lercanidipine is excreted quickly enough, but has a prolonged hypotensive effect due to the increased spread coefficient in the cell membranes. Negative is absent, since the drug has high vascular selectivity. The effect of the drug is quite long - up to 24 hours.
After oral administration of Lerkamen, the active substance is completely absorbed. After 2 hours, the highest plasma concentration is observed.
If you take the medicine within two hours after a saturated meal, its bioavailability increases 4 times. In this regard, the medication after meals is not recommended. With oral use of the drug, its content in the blood does not depend on the accepted dosage of 20 or 10 mg.
This is described in the instructions for use. Reviews about "Lerkamen" are abundant.
Nonlinear kinetics is observed. With increasing doses, the bioavailability of the active substance rapidly increases. Lercanidipine is distributed extensively and rapidly throughout organs and tissues. The level of binding to plasma proteins reaches 98%. About 50% of the active substance is evacuated from the body by the kidneys, the remaining 50% by the intestines.
What else can you learn from the instructions for use with Lerkamen?
Indications for use
The medication is recommended for those patients who suffer from hypertension. Against the background of taking the drug, blood pressure indicators are rapidly decreasing, which, subsequently, are stabilizing.
Many people wonder at what pressure the use of Lerkamen according to the instructions is advisable.
For adult patients, the medication is indicated in the presence of hypertension of the first two degrees of severity. When prescribing to patients with impaired liver and kidney function, special care should be taken. Patients in old age need a dose adjustment.
Patients of adolescence and childhood, Lerkamen is contraindicated due to the lack of sufficient information about the safety of the drug. Clinical studies have not been conducted, but there is an assumption that lercanidipine is capable of provoking severe vascular deformity.
In accordance with the instructions for use, Lerkamen tablets are contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women. It is also not recommended to prescribe this medication to women of childbearing age who do not use reliable methods of contraception. Today, clinical data to judge the possibility of using Lerkamen in women during pregnancy and lactation are not available. There is evidence that the active component is able to exert a teratogenic effect on the fetus and rapidly penetrate into breast milk. It is allowed to use the drug during lactation, however, while taking Lerkamen, a woman should stop feeding.
Contraindications
As indicated by the instructions for use, "Lerkamen" is contraindicated in patients who have the following diseases, physiological conditions, as well as factors:
- Increased susceptibility to any of the components that make up the drug.
- Childbearing age in women who do not use reliable contraception.
- Adolescence and childhood.
- Lactation period.
- Lactase deficiency.
- Period of pregnancy.
- Lactose intolerance.
- Use with citrus juices.
- Therapy with cyclosporins.
- Lack of functional kidneys of moderate and severe severity.
- Severe renal failure.
- The presence in the history of data on a heart attack in the past 2 months.
- Vascular obstruction.
- Heart rhythm disturbances.
- Heart failure in the absence of quality treatment.
Use with caution in patients of advanced age and suffering from coronary heart disease is allowed.
Let us consider in more detail the instructions for the use of Lerkamen.
Usage, dosage
The medication is recommended to be taken orally in the morning, not later than 30 minutes before breakfast. It is important to swallow the tablet whole, not allowing it to be crushed and chewed. Drink plenty of water.
The recommended therapeutic dose for adults is, according to the instructions for use with Lerkamen, 10 mg. It should be taken once a day. The dosage can be increased to 20 mg, depending on the individual susceptibility of the patient to the active substance.
The dosage should be selected gradually, since a pronounced therapeutic effect develops during a two-week use.
The use of the drug in the treatment of children is prohibited due to the lack of sufficient data on the safety of the drug. The study of the active component suggests that under its influence in children negative effects may develop, and worsening of the condition is not excluded.
With hypertension in pregnant women, the drug should also not be used due to the ability of lercanidipine to penetrate the placental barrier and adversely affect the fetus.
So it is said in the instructions for use for "Lerkamen" (20 mg and 10 mg).
Side effects
It is noted that negative reactions of the body against the background of therapy with Lerkamen occur quite rarely. However, they are available. Among them:
- Increased urination frequency.
- Hyperhidrosis.
- Fatigue.
- The development of puffiness.
- Polyuria
- Myalgia.
- Epigastric pain.
- Clouding of the mind.
- Confusion.
- Nausea that turns into vomiting.
- Desires for vomiting.
- Frequent bouts of tachycardia.
- Fainting conditions.
- Pain in the space behind the sternum.
- Heart palpitations.
This is confirmed by the instructions for use and reviews of Lerkamen tablets.
If any of these side effects occur, it is important to suspend the drug and seek medical advice.
Interaction with other medicines
Parallel use of Lerkamen with ACE inhibitors, diuretics and beta-blockers is allowed. These drugs do not have a negative effect on the absorption of Lerkamen. A complex dose with diuretic drugs may increase the antihypertensive effect. When using beta-blockers, the effectiveness of "Lerkamen" may be reduced by half.
With the parallel use of Lerkamen and cyclosporins, there is an increase in the concentration of both substances in the blood.
With caution, lercanidipine with quinidine, amiodarone, astemizole, and terfenadine should be used.
The simultaneous use of lercanidipine in dosages exceeding 20 mg and midazolam increases the bioavailability of the former by 40% in the treatment of elderly patients.
Caution should also be taken when taking Lerkamen in parallel with anticonvulsants such as Carbamazepine and Phenytoin, as well as with Rifampicin, since a decrease in the effectiveness of lercanidipine is not ruled out. The patient requires constant monitoring of blood pressure.
With the simultaneous administration of lercanidipine and Cimetidine in a dosage of up to 800 mg, significant changes in blood saturation with lercanidipine are not observed. However, increasing the dose of Cimetidine can cause an increase in the bioavailability and therapeutic effect of Lerkamen.
The simultaneous use of the recommended dosages of Lerkamen in combination with warfarin-based drugs does not cause a change in the pharmacokinetics of warfarin.
Clinically significant changes in the pharmacokinetics of lercanidipine are not observed with simultaneous use with Fluoxetine.
The antihypertensive effect of Lerkamen can significantly increase if taken together with citrus, in particular grapefruit, juices.
When ethanol is used during therapy, the antihypertensive effect of the latter is potentiated.
Special instructions for use
In accordance with the instructions for use with Lerkamen (10 mg and 20 mg), it is important to consider the following features before starting use:
- Very often, drug interactions with other medicines are observed. Therefore, the combination of "Lerkamen" with other drugs should be agreed with the doctor.
- It is allowed to use the drug in patients with diagnosed renal failure. However, a dose adjustment must first be carried out, the drug should be taken with caution, and the patient should be under the constant supervision of a specialist.
- When taking the drug together with alcoholic beverages, a pronounced state of drowsiness occurs.
- The use of Lerkamen should be agreed with the doctor. Otherwise, with independent therapy, the condition may worsen, the development of dangerous side effects is not ruled out.
Lercanidipine does not affect psychomotor reactions, that is, transport control and work with complex mechanisms may not be limited. This is confirmed in the instructions for use and reviews to "Lerkamen" 10 mg and 20 mg.
Overdose
It is important to understand that exceeding the recommended therapeutic dosage can cause a significant decrease in blood pressure in the patient. There is a likelihood of hypotonic conditions. There is a risk of a sharp reduction in heart rate, bradycardia and loss of consciousness are not ruled out. An overdose can provoke ischemia in different parts of the myocardium. Renal failure may develop.
If there are primary signs of an overdose, the drug should be stopped, the patient should be washed with the stomach and receive enterosorbents. In severe cases of an overdose of lercanidipine, the patient should be hospitalized and reanimated. After the patient's condition returns to normal, he should be given symptomatic therapy.
Storage
Store the drug in its original packaging, at ambient temperatures up to 30 degrees Celsius. Humidity should be optimal. Subject to storage conditions, the drug retains its therapeutic properties for 3 years from the date of manufacture.
This information can be found in the instructions for use "Lerkamena". Reviews and analogues are presented below.
Analogs
Currently, there is a fairly extensive range of analogues of "Lerkamen" in composition and therapeutic effect. Among them:
- "Plendil." It is a blocker of slow calcium channels. The main component in its composition is felodipine. It is limited to patients under 18 years of age. Indicated for use in arterial hypertension, Raynaud's syndrome, angina pectoris.
- Norvask. It is an original medication, the active component of which is amlodipine. The medicine has proven itself in the treatment of hypertension, as well as angina pectoris. We will not consider in detail the instructions for use with Lerkamen's analogues.
- "Adalat." Produced by the manufacturer in the form of a solution intended for infusion. The main active component in its composition is nifedipine. Most often shown to patients suffering from hypertensive crisis, spontaneous angina pectoris.
- Zanidip Record. It is an original medication, the main component of which is lercanidipine. It differs from Lerkamen in that other substances are used as auxiliary components, as well as at a price. This drug is much more expensive than Lerkamen, and this is due to the fact that the medication passed thorough clinical trials. By purchasing it, the patient can be sure of its effectiveness and safety.
According to the instructions for use with Lerkamen analogs 10 and 20 mg, a similar therapeutic effect is exerted by the following preparations: Zanikor, Lervask, Lerkaton, Enanorm, Exforge, Equator, Equacard, Tsinnarizin ”,“ Finoptin ”,“ Felodipine ”,“ Tenochok ”,“ Stamlo ”,“ Prokorum ”,“ Prestance ”,“ Normodipin ”,“ Nifelat ”,“ Nifedipin ”,“ Nifedicap ”,“ Nimotop ”,“ Nicardia ”, Lomir, Lekoptin, Corinfar Retard, Corinfar, Cordipin, Cordaflex, Cardilopin, Kulchek, Isoptin, Diltiazem, Vertisin, Verapamil, Amlotop ”,“ Amlodipine ”,“ Altiazem PP ” , "Akridipin", "Adalat", "Agen".
If necessary, the selection of an analogue of "Lerkamen" should seek the advice of a doctor. It is important to remember that an improperly selected drug or its dosage can cause side effects and adversely affect health. Only a specialist is able to determine the appropriateness of using a particular drug.
Cost
The average cost of a drug in Russian pharmacies is 500-600 rubles, however, prices can fluctuate in the range of 250-1300 rubles, depending on the region of sale and the pharmacy network through which the drug is sold.
So, a drug with a dosage of 10 mg is worth 370 rubles. In the instructions for use for "Lerkamen" such information is missing. 620 rubles is a medication with a dosage of 20 mg.
Reviews
Medical and thematic forums are oversaturated with positive reviews about the drug. Patients and specialists claim that, following the recommendations of admission, the drug is highly effective. Blood pressure in patients returns to normal after 2 weeks of regular use.
Separately, the democratic price of the drug, its availability is noted. The medicine is tolerated very well, and negative effects on the background of its use are extremely rare.
However, it is important to remember that the appointment of the drug should be carried out by the doctor, and the greatest therapeutic effect from its use can be achieved if there is a comprehensive treatment of hypertension. Relying on reviews on the Internet when choosing a treatment for such a serious disease as hypertension is strictly prohibited. Only a specialist is able to choose the most suitable medication and its dosage, as well as eliminate contraindications.
We examined the medicine “Lerkamen” instructions for use, reviews and analogues.