Corinfar is a drug belonging to the group of antagonists of "slow" calcium channels. Channels are membrane proteins of the lipid bilayer through which calcium, as well as barium, hydrogen and sodium ions, enter. Why are Corinfar tablets prescribed for many patients? This will be discussed in the article. Before using the drug, you must read the instructions.
General characteristics of the drug
The medicine "Corinfar" is an L-type calcium channel blocker. Such channels are localized mainly in cardiomyocytes, the sinoauricular node, artery cells, and myocardium. The drug belongs to the first generation blockers and has a slight negative inotropic effect. It has a short duration of action and has a low tissue specificity.
The active substance of the drug is nifedipine, a derivative of dihydropyrid. The active pharmaceutical substance refers to heterocyclic compounds. It has inotropic, vascular and bronchodilating ability, and also inhibits platelet aggregation. Excipients:
- Lactose.
- Potato starch.
- MCC (microcrystalline cellulose).
- Povidone K25.
- Salt of magnesium and stearic acid.
The product is available in yellow film coated tablets. One tablet contains 10 mg of active substance. They are packaged in glass bottles of 50 or 100 pieces.
The drug is non-prescription, you can purchase it at any pharmacy. The average retail price of Corinfar tablets (with instructions for use in the package) is in the range of 70-150 rubles. The medicine is stored for 5 years without observing special conditions.
Medicinal action
To understand why Corinfar tablets help, you need to get acquainted with the pharmacology of the drug.
The drug has a hypotensive, antianginal effect. It reduces the flow of extracellular calcium into the muscle cells of the heart, as well as into the smooth muscle cells of blood vessels that deliver blood to the myocardium and peripheral arteries. In large doses, inhibits the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. In established therapeutic doses, it normalizes the transmembrane current of calcium disturbed by an increase in blood pressure and other pathological conditions.
The drug does not affect the contractility of the muscles of the walls of the veins. Improves blood circulation in the vessels of the myocardium. It enriches with blood the ischemic zones of the affected heart muscle, but the blood flow does not redistribute to neighboring non-ischemic zones. It activates the circulation along the lateral blood flow paths.
Expanding the arteries of the upper and lower extremities, reduces the overall peripheral resistance, myocardial tone and its oxygen demand. Virtually no effect on the atrioventricular and Kate-Flak's node. The drug has weak antiarrhythmic properties.
Increases the amount of blood that passes through the kidneys. Promotes moderate urinary sodium excretion.
In the instructions for use, Corinfar tablets are described as a means with high absorption. When taken with food, bioavailability rises to 70%. The medicinal effect occurs 20 minutes after application, its duration is from 4 to 6 hours. The drug is excreted by the kidneys in the form of metabolic decay products (80%) and with bile (20%).
Pills "Corinfar" from what is prescribed?
The drug helps to reduce the heart rate of minute and shock output. And also eliminates and prevents angina attacks and another clinic of coronary insufficiency.
Based on the pharmacological properties, the doctor determines to whom to prescribe Corinfar tablets and from what. Their use is indicated for the following pathologies:
- A persistent increase in systolic pressure (above 140/90 mm Hg).
- Hypertensive crisis.
- Prevention of attacks of spontaneous angina pectoris, developing as a result of a spasm of the coronary arteries (Prinzmetal angina).
- Autosomal dynamic pathology, in which hypertrophy of the left or right (extremely rare) ventricle occurs.
- Angiotrophoneurosis with lesion of small aortic arches.
In what cases is the drug contraindicated
In order not to harm the body, it is not enough to know why Corinfar tablets are used. It is also necessary to have an idea under which diseases or pathological conditions the drug is contraindicated.
- Individual hypersensitivity to dihydropyridine derivatives or to other substances that make up the drug.
- A persistent decrease in systolic pressure (below 100/60 mm RT. Art.).
- A condition in which the cardiovascular system is not able to provide normal blood flow.
- A sharp decrease in blood pressure and a deterioration in the blood supply to the body.
- Inability of the cardiovascular system to sufficiently enrich organs with blood.
- Aortic stenosis.
- A severe period of myocardial ischemia, but insufficient for the development of myocardial necrosis (unstable angina pectoris).
- The first 28 days after myocardial infarction.
- The first trimester of pregnancy.
- The period of natural feeding of the child.
- The use of the drug "Rifampicin".
There are also a number of health conditions in which Corinfar should be used with extreme caution, under the supervision of a doctor. It includes:
- Narrowing the area of the left atrioventricular passage.
- Primary closed myocardial damage.
- Tachycardia and bradycardia.
- Sinus node dysfunction.
- Extremely high blood pressure (systole values from 220 mm Hg. Art.).
- Hypovolemia.
- Violation of blood circulation in the vessels of the brain and spinal cord.
- Bowel obstruction.
- Extrarenal blood filtration method.
Also under strict control is the use of the drug in children under the age of 18, and in women bearing a child.
How to take the drug
Since the patient himself cannot assess the severity of pathologies of the cardiovascular system, self-administration of the drug may be associated with a great risk to health. The doctor selects the application scheme for each patient individually. Older people are recommended a lower dosage of Corinfar tablets.
The drug is taken after a meal with water. If you drink the medicine with food, it will delay absorption, but will not reduce it.
Dosing scheme for angina pectoris. Drink one tablet 2-3 times a day. In case of insufficient drug effect, an increase in the dose is allowed, but not more than forty mg.
The use of Corinfar tablets against high blood pressure (hypertension) is carried out according to a similar scheme. With an increase in dose, at least four hours should elapse between doses.
The duration of the course is determined by the doctor.
Side effects
The main difference between the first generation calcium antagonists from the same drugs, but the second and third generations, is a large number of side effects.
- The cardiovascular system. There is a rapid heartbeat, swelling of the ankles, lower legs, arrhythmia, decreased pressure without any additional symptoms. With an increase in dose, there are occasionally cases of attacks of pain in the chest, heart.
- CNS They may be disturbed by noise, pain in the head, and a breakdown. There is asthenia (especially in women), drowsiness. With prolonged use at maximum doses, numbness of the limbs, tremor of the hands, shuffling gait, disorder of movement coordination, depression are possible.
- Digestive system. Taking the drug causes mild nausea, impaired stool, bloating, accompanied by flatulence. When used for more than three months, there is a violation of bile circulation, less often the growth of gum tissue. The latter quickly passes after the end of the course.
- Musculoskeletal system. The most common side effect is cramps of the limbs, less commonly - swelling of the joints, inflammation.
- Hemostasis system. There may be a decrease in the blood of platelets, white blood cells.
- Urinary system: impaired renal function, increased daily urine volume.
Patients who took Corinfar tablets from pressure, in the reviews claim that it decreased to such an extent that it even darkened in the eyes. Some note that hives appeared, the skin acquired a yellow tint, as with autoimmune hepatitis.
special instructions
Use the drug with caution, not neglecting certain instructions.
- Increasing the dose, as well as stopping the therapy, is necessary gradually. It should be borne in mind that angina may appear at the beginning of therapy. The greatest likelihood of its occurrence is provoked by the abolition of beta-blockers used before. The simultaneous appointment of the latter should be carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor, so that in the event of an excessive decrease in blood pressure and manifestations of heart failure, the doctor can immediately take appropriate measures.
- During the use of the drug, ethanol, including those contained in medicinal tinctures, should be discarded.
- With an increase in angina attacks, their intensification in patients with severe isolated myocardial damage, the drug should be discontinued.
- If a surgery is to be performed under general anesthesia, the anesthesiologist should be informed that Corinfar is being taken.
- In patients with irreversible kidney disease, high blood pressure, reduced total blood volume, treatment is carried out with careful monitoring.
- Corinfar tablets from which and no matter how well help, with prolonged use are addictive.
- During treatment, patients should observe utmost care when driving.
How Corinfar interacts with other medicines
If it is necessary to use other drug groups in parallel with the drug, it is necessary to consult a doctor. The doctor will help you choose the best options for drug therapy.
When using various medicines and Corinfar tablets, according to the instructions, the following should be considered:
- With the parallel use of psychotropic tricyclics ("Amitroptilin", "Azafen"), nitrates ("Cardix", "Nitroglycerin"), antihistamines "Cimetidine", inhaled anesthetics ("Sevoran", "Galotan"), diuretics ("Fitolizin", "Kanefron") and calcium antagonist, the hypotensive effect is enhanced.
- When combining Corinfar with any nitrates, tachycardia may intensify.
- A calcium channel blocker reduces the concentration of quinidine in the blood and increases the content of digoxin and theophylline.
- With simultaneous use with cephalosporins (Zinnat, Cefixim), the content of antibiotics in the blood may increase.
- As a result of suppression of prostaglandin synthesis by sympathomimetics (Noradrenaline Agetat, Tylenol) and NSAIDs (Holisal, Nise), as well as due to fluid retention in the body by estrogens, the simultaneous use of these drugs with Corinfar reduces hypotensive actions of the latter.
- "Finlepsin" and "Phenobarbital" can reduce the content of nifedipine in the blood, and "Valproic acid", on the contrary, increase.
- With the simultaneous use of Rifampicin and Corinfar medicines, the bioavailability and effectiveness of the latter are sharply reduced.
- Antiviral drugs ("Crixivan", "Agenerase"), antifungal drugs of the azole group ("Livarol", "Diflucan", "Canditral") cause an increase in the concentration of nifedipine in the blood.
Analogs drug "Corinfar"
The pharmaceutical industry has launched a large number of calcium antagonists, derivatives of dihydropyridine. When choosing any of these drugs before use, you should consult a doctor.
The price of Corinfar tablets and similar drugs can vary dramatically. The high cost is most often due to the popularity of the brand:
- Corinfar Retard is produced in the Republic of Croatia (the average cost of a medicine is 150 rubles).
- Kordafleks - CJSC EGIS (Hungary) - 130 rubles.
- “Nifedipin” - LLC “Ozon” (Russia), the cost is 30 rubles.
- Calcigard Retard - India (150 rubles).
- “Adalat - Bayer, Germany (420 rubles).
- “Kordafen” - “Polpharma”, Poland (44 rubles).
- Fenigidin - Health, Ukraine (25 rubles).
The cost and the country of origin of the Corinfar tablets analogs practically do not affect the therapeutic efficacy of medicines. The active pharmaceutical substance in all medicines is the same, and the final decision on the choice of drug is made by the patient together with the doctor.
Reviews on Corinfar tablets
Patients' opinions about the drug are mixed. Negative (in most cases) is due to a large number of side effects, positive - due to the low cost of the drug.
Some patients complain that they did not know about getting used to the drug. When the medicine did not work after use, the patients increased the dose, after which they became much worse. Consumers also complain about the use of other drugs in parallel with Corinfar. You never know what the action will be, it is easier to replace or completely cancel the calcium blocker.
Those who took Corinfar Retard tablets claim that they are better than their Russian counterparts, although experts disagree with this. Patients note that the Indian drug practically does not cause unpleasant manifestations.
Everyone who suffered from high blood pressure responds positively about the medication. The remedy begins to act quickly, and the effect is long. If you take a pill in the morning, then before lunch you can forget about the torment.