In the article, we consider the instructions for use for the drug "Nifedipine". At what pressure can it be used?
It is a drug that is actively used to treat heart and vascular diseases and hypertension. This drug is classified as a calcium antagonist. Today, Nifedipine is considered the most popular drug in cardiology, as doctors often prescribe it to patients. In addition to cardiological therapy, it is used to treat hemorrhoids, if it is used in the form of a gel.
Release form
According to the instructions for use, Nifedipine is available in several forms. Each of them has its own characteristics of use and impact. Doctors may prescribe:
- Tablets.
- Gel for hemorrhoids.
Composition of the tablets
Particular attention should be paid to "Nifedipine" in tablets. There are two types of tablets for this drug:
- Short-acting tablets They are used to urgently lower high blood pressure, and, in addition, to eliminate chest pain in people for whom seizures are rare.
- Sustained-release pills. Such tablets are prescribed for daily use in order to maintain a stable state of patients suffering from arterial hypertension or coronary heart disease. Since tablets are available in a variety of dosages, it is easy enough to select an individual course of compensating treatment for a particular patient.
As part of this medication, nifedipine acts as the active component. In one pill it contains 20 or 10 mg. Instructions for use with Nifedipine indicate that excipients are milk sugar, potato starch, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium lauryl sulfate, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, titanium dioxide, talc and macrogol.
Gel composition
In accordance with the instructions for use, "Nifedipine" in the form of a gel is produced in a convenient tube. This tool includes two percent lidocaine, nifedipine and isosorbite dinitrate.
The substance provides relaxation of smooth muscles, expanding peripheral vessels. This form of the drug helps to relax the muscles of the anus, and also reduces rectal pressure. The second component of the medication, which is lidocaine, removes pain with burning in the anus. Isosorbite dinitrate can penetrate deep into cells and effectively dilates blood vessels.
Pharmacological effects
What else does the instruction for use with Nifedipine tell us? The presented drug may have the following effects on the body:
- It inhibits the flow of calcium into vascular cells.
- Reduces the tone of vascular smooth muscle.
- It lowers blood pressure along with myocardial contractility, lowers its oxygen demand.
- Does not affect myocardial conduction.
- Against the background of prolonged use, the drug can reliably protect coronary vessels from the formation of new atherosclerotic plaques.
- At the initial stage of treatment, patients may experience an increase in cardiac output.
- The drug can enhance the withdrawal of sodium and water from the body.
- If the patient has Raynaud's syndrome, the medication presented can reduce or prevent spasms of the vessels of the limbs.
This is stated in the instructions for use. At what pressure will Nifedipine be effective?
Indications for use of tablets
Hypertension, along with exertional angina in patients with chronic coronary heart disease, are the main indicators for using the drug. According to the recommendations, this medicine is included in the list of medicines for first-choice hypertension. That is, at elevated pressure it is advisable to use it. As additional indications for its use are:
- The elderly age of the patient.
- The patient has systolic hypertension.
- The development of atherosclerosis of peripheral arteries.
- The development of atherosclerosis of the carotid artery.
- In certain situations, a medicine is prescribed during pregnancy to treat hypertension.
Pregnancy is considered to be a frequent indication for the use of this medication, but only in the last stages. Dihydropyridine calcium antagonists are considered the safest medicines to eliminate hypertension when women are in position. But pregnant women are not allowed to self-medicate with this drug. Instructions for use with "Nifedipine" confirms this.
Indications for use of the gel
The gel form has been developed specifically for the treatment of hemorrhoids. So, the gel is indicated for use in the following cases:
- In chronic hemorrhoids.
- In the presence of cracks in the anus.
- For the treatment of external hemorrhoidal nodes.
- Against the background of internal hemorrhoids.
- With anal bleeding in the presence of hemorrhoids.
- Against the background of falling out hemorrhoidal nodes.
- With thrombosis.
- Against the background of irritation of the mucosa of the anus.
- In the presence of an advanced degree of hemorrhoids.
Often people ask in pharmacies ointment "Nifedipine." In the instructions for use, such a dosage form is not indicated.
Dosage and administration of tablets
In the event that “Nifedipine” is used for the long-term treatment of hypertension and ischemic disease, then it is necessary to use only an extended form of the drug, the effect of which lasts twelve or twenty-four hours. It is possible to use a short-acting preparation only in the case of an ambulance, when it is necessary to quickly remove the hypertensive crisis.
Against the background of taking a fast-acting medication for a long period, you can cause the appearance of a stroke and a heart attack. The dosage of the drug can only be determined by an experienced doctor personally for each individual patient. In the event that a person decides to self-medicate and is guided by the dosages indicated in the instructions, this can lead to disastrous results. In this regard, do not self-medicate. It is necessary to find a competent specialist and consult with him about the treatment.
We will not consider the instructions for use with the analogues of "Nifedipine" in detail, a little later we will only list the names of the drugs.
Gel application method
The pain disappears literally in the first hours of using the drug. The hemorrhoid gel is carefully applied to the surface of the anus on the first day of use. In the event that as a result of use no allergic reaction appears, then on the second day the gel is carefully injected into the rectum. It must be applied four times a day until the symptoms of the disease (pain and bleeding) completely disappear.
Hemorrhoid therapy can only be started after bowel movements and the completion of necessary hygiene procedures. Warm water requires washing the anus. Then the anus and perineum are dried with a clean cotton cloth. Inflammation helps to reduce pre-treatment sessile baths that stop the blood flow to the hemorrhoids.
In the presence of an external hemorrhoidal formation, a gauze swab impregnated with a medicine is applied. For the treatment of internal cracks, a special tip is used, which allows the gel to be inserted into the rectum gently and painlessly. The tip is wound on a tube, after which it can be easily inserted into the anus.
In accordance with the instructions for use, the gel "Nifedipine" has a strong antispasmodic effect on smooth muscles, contributing to a very quick treatment of the disease. During therapy, damaged vessels are effectively healed along with tissues of the rectal region. Within two days, the pain disappears, and then the bleeding completely stops. Absolute recovery occurs, as a rule, after one week or a maximum of a month, which depends on the degree of hemorrhoids.
This is confirmed by the instructions for use and reviews of "Nifedipine."
Contraindications
The medication should not be used in the following cases:
- If the patient has hypotension, when very low pressure is observed.
- With cardiogenic shock.
- In the presence of hypersensitivity to the drug.
- You should not use this medication if the patient has had a heart attack.
Side effects
According to the instructions for use and reviews of tablets, Nifedipine may have a small number of side effects. The medication presented is generally well tolerated. In addition, this medication does not negatively affect the level of cholesterol and uric acid in the blood. It differs only in some adverse reactions in the form of swelling of the legs, headache, redness of the skin, dizziness and palpitations.
In order to improve tolerability and eliminate side effects, this drug should be taken in combination with beta-blockers or medicines for hypertension from other groups. If a person has edema during treatment with Nifedipine, then if this drug is canceled, they disappear very quickly.
Interaction with other medicines
When interacting with other drugs, "Nifedipine" can produce the following effect:
- In combination with nitrates, tricyclic antidepressants and diuretics, an increase in the hypotensive effect occurs.
- "Nifedipine" increases theophylline activity.
- The medicine "Nifedipine" is incompatible with the drug "Rifampicin", since against the background of such a combination there is an acceleration of biotransformation.
During pregnancy
Consider the instructions for use with "Nifedipine" during pregnancy.
If the treatment started at an early stage is carried out over a long period, then there may be cases of fetal death. It is also possible a violation of the development of the skeleton in the fetus. Thus, it is believed that the medication presented and other calcium antagonists are able to harm the health of the child in the first trimester. In this regard, the drug presented is not recommended for women who are of childbearing age.
But according to some studies, Nifedipine effectively controls hypertension in women who are in their late stages of pregnancy. In this case, there is no negative effect on the development of the fetus. This drug is especially useful for the treatment of hypertensive crises in pregnant women. But he is appointed by doctors only in critical situations.
Instructions for use with Nifedipine tablets are very detailed.
Drug overdose
The main symptoms of an overdose include: manifestations in the form of a headache, facial flushing, prolonged systemic hypotension, lack of pulse in the peripheral arteries, tachycardia or bradycardia, and impaired sinus node function. In addition, inhibition of atrioventricular conduction is possible along with hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis and hypoxia. The occurrence of collapse with loss of consciousness is not excluded, but, in addition, the onset of cardiogenic shock, which is characterized by pulmonary edema.
Storage conditions
The medicine presented should be kept in a dry place in which there is no sunlight. In this case, the storage temperature should be no more than twenty-five degrees.
Analogs of Nifedipine
Analogs "Nifedipine" should be selected exclusively by the attending physician. Possible analogues of the presented drug include Adalat along with Cordipine, Corinfar, Osmo-Adalat, Farmadipin, Phenigidin, and so on.
Next, we find out what consumers say about this drug in their reviews, which happened to carry out treatment with it.
Reviews
People in their reviews praise this drug for its help with hypertension and for the treatment of hemorrhoids. There are quite a lot of positive comments in which consumers call Nifedipine an effective remedy. Consumers also write that the drug is not heavy and is well tolerated by the body.
Many people say that they use it to prevent a hypertensive crisis. Patients note that prophylaxis is successful, however, in some cases, flushing may occur in the face of the medication.
Others report that they relieve angina attacks and are very pleased with the outcome of the treatment. Patients also claim that "Nifedipine" helps with ischemia. Consumers say that when treating ischemia with the help of Nifedipine, they become cheerful, sociable, they want to go for walks and live a normal life.
Conclusion
Thus, today the drug "Nifedipine" is an effective tool for the treatment of hypertension and coronary heart disease, and a special form of the gel additionally helps people cope with such an ailment as hemorrhoids. But immediately before treatment it is necessary to go for a consultation with a specialist, otherwise various kinds of complications may appear.
We have reviewed the instructions for use of Nifedipine, reviews and analogues.