It is no secret that diabetes is the scourge of modern society. This disease affects men and women, young and old, adolescents and even children. In many cases, doctors prescribe Galvus tablets, the instructions for use of which will be discussed in this article.
What is this drug? In what cases is its appointment practiced? How should i take it? Are there any contraindications for its use? All this can be learned by carefully studying the recommendations of specialists and patients, as well as their feedback on āGalvusā. Instructions for use, analogues of the drug and other information about it can be found in this article.
First of all, the composition
Yes, this is one of the most important aspects that you pay attention to when buying a medicine. According to the instructions for the drug āGalvusā, its active substance is vildagliptin. Each tablet contains fifty milligrams of this component.
Other ingredients include microcrystalline cellulose (almost 96 milligrams), anhydrous lactose (about 48 milligrams), sodium carboxymethyl starch (four milligrams), and magnesium stearate (2.5 milligrams).
How is the manufacturer
As mentioned above, the tool is presented in the form of tablets. The dosage of the drug is always the same - fifty milligrams of the active substance. This is stated in the instructions for use with Galvus. The reviews of numerous patients boil down to the fact that it is very convenient. There is no need to look at the packaging with the drug, for fear of acquiring a dosage less or more than necessary. Simply buy a product and take it as recommended by your doctor.
In what cases āGalvus 50ā can be recommended? Instructions for use of this drug provide an exhaustive answer to this question.
Range of drug use
According to the instructions, Galvus tablets are prescribed for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. This drug helps to stimulate the pancreas. Thanks to vildagliptin, the efficiency of the whole organism improves.
According to experts and patients themselves, āGalvusā is practically the only means for treating the second type of diabetes mellitus, especially if the therapy is accompanied by a special diet and recommended physical education.
In this case, the effect of the drug will be long and lasting.
In some cases, the result of taking the tablets may not appear. What needs to be done in such situations? In such circumstances, according to the instructions for use and reviews of diabetics, āGalvusā is prescribed in combination with other drugs based on insulin or other substances that stimulate the pancreas.
Before proceeding to a further discussion of the annotation to the drug, let's briefly get acquainted with the disease, which is the main indication for the use of tablets.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus. What is it?
This is the most common type of diabetes mellitus, characterized by the immunity of cells and body tissues to the insulin secreted by the pancreas. What does this mean in practice?
Insulin is produced in sufficient quantities by the body, however, for certain reasons, body cells do not interconnect with it. Obesity, high blood pressure, a sedentary, inactive lifestyle, heredity and unhealthy diet (abuse of sweets, pastries, soda and similar products against the background of minimal consumption of cereals, fruits and vegetables are considered to be the provoking factors in the development of the disease).
How does this serious endocrine disease manifest itself? It is very important to know in order to determine the disease in time and begin timely treatment with āGalvusā or any other drug prescribed by the endocrinologist.
First of all, diabetes mellitus of the second type manifests itself in constant thirst and dry mouth, excessive and frequent urination, weakness in the muscles, skin itching, poor healing of scratches and wounds.
They diagnose the disease using blood tests for sugar, glucose tolerance, etc.
In what specific cases can a specialist recommend an oral preparation?
When is the drug prescribed
According to the instructions, the medicine āGalvusā is prescribed by doctors during the medical treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus at such stages of therapy:
- Initial. That is, only the drug is used in combination with proper nutrition and moderate physical activity.
- Monotherapy. Reception of vildagliptin when metformin is contraindicated, even if diet and exercise do not have a positive effect on the patient's body
- Two-component (or combined) therapy. āGalvusā is prescribed in combination with other specialized means (more precisely, one of them): metformin, insulin, sulfonylurea derivatives and the like.
- Triple therapy. When vildagliptin is prescribed in combination with taking metformin and insulin or metformin and sulfonylureas.
How does the drug act when it enters the human body? Let's find out.
Pharmacokinetic features of the drug
Vildagliptin, getting inside, is absorbed quite quickly. With a bioavailability of 85%, it is absorbed into the blood two hours after use. This is evidenced by the instruction to āGalvusā. The reviews of endocrinologists and other specialists indicate that this feature of the active component of the drug contributes to its rapid effect on the human body and its speedy cure.
Vildagliptin interacts with plasma proteins and red blood cells, after which it is excreted by the kidneys (about 85%) and the intestines (15%).
Are there any contraindications to the drug? Of course, this will be discussed further.
When you can not prescribe a drug
According to the recommendations of doctors and patient reviews, āGalvusā should not be taken if a person is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus, if there is a history of severe heart failure of the fourth class, as well as in diseases such as lactic acidosis, metabolic acidosis, lactose intolerance, myocardial infarction, pathological conditions of the respiratory system, allergies, serious liver diseases. Also, absolute contraindications are pregnancy, lactation and the age of patients up to eighteen years.
Moreover, when deciding whether to take vildagliptin or not, do not forget about the individual intolerance of the components of the tablets, that is, an allergic reaction to both the active substance itself and the auxiliary components of the drug.
Very carefully, that is, under close supervision and supervision of a specialist, a remedy is prescribed for patients suffering from pancreatitis, heart failure or various chronic diseases of the liver and kidneys.
How is it necessary to take the drug in order to feel its effectiveness?
General recommendations regarding the use of funds
Tablets are taken regardless of the meal. The medicine is washed down with a small amount of water.
When taking drug therapy, you should regularly monitor your blood sugar using glycemic test strips.
The highest daily dose is one hundred milligrams of vildagliptin.
How to take and how much
First of all, it should be said that the schedule of administration and dosage of the drug is prescribed by the attending physician, taking into account the clinic of the disease, concomitant illnesses and well-being of the patient. And yet, the instructions for use for āGalvusā contain general recommendations on how to take the drug under certain circumstances.
During the initial or monotherapy, the drug āGalvusā, according to the manufacturerās annotation, it is recommended to take fifty milligrams per day (or one tablet). If we are talking about a combination of vildagliptin with metformin, then the drug is taken one tablet twice a day.
When using vildagliptin with drugs derived from sulfonylureas, Galvus is prescribed fifty milligrams once a day, in the morning.
With triple therapy, the drug is recommended to take two tablets twice a day (in the morning and at night).
If the patient accidentally missed taking the pill, then it must be taken as soon as possible, slightly postponing the subsequent administration of the drug. This is necessary in order not to exceed the maximum possible daily dosage of vildagliptin in one hundred milligrams.
If the patient suffers from moderate and severe kidney diseases, then Galvus must be used orally once a day, given the daily dosage of fifty milligrams.
Patients of advanced age, as well as people suffering from minimal impaired renal function, such an adjustment of the drug is not required. This is proved by the numerous reviews of satisfied patients, who are over seventy. āGalvusā, like no other drug, has become an effective medicine for them against diabetes.
Can side effects occur during treatment with vildagliptin? Yes, and you can read about it below.
Unpleasant symptoms
Most often, undesirable effects are short-term and may have a mild form. In this case, it is not necessary to cancel the use of āGalvusā. However, it is still worth informing your doctor about unpleasant manifestations.
What should I look for when using vildagliptin?
First of all, watch your nervous system. Do you have paroxysmal headaches? Are dizziness, trembling in the extremities, and nervousness often observed? If symptoms worsen, then urgent adjustment of treatment is necessary.
Is āGalvusā accompanied by a skin rash and itching? Is chills or fever observed? And what does the intestine say? Has constipation become more frequent? Has nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea appeared? If so, then the endocrinologist will surely resolve the situation.
It is also worth paying attention to your weight. Is there a sharp increase in body weight against the background of diet and corrective gymnastics? Most often, the use of the drug in combination with thiazolidinedione contributes to causeless weight gain in the patient. In this case, there is a need to review the prescribed treatment.
How does an overdose manifest
It has been clinically proven that vildagliptin is normally perceived by the body even when consumed two hundred milligrams per day. Nevertheless, an overdose of the main substance can cause unpredictable reactions and effects. First of all, this refers to a doubling of the dose mentioned above. In this case, severe muscle pain, fever, and swelling may occur. If the daily dose is increased to six hundred milligrams, then a similar situation will cause severe edema and paresthesia of the upper and lower extremities and other serious disorders in the activity of the whole organism.
The treatment in this situation may be hemodialysis in a hospital setting.
Vildagliptin and other pharmacological agents
As mentioned above, the use of āGalvusā with drugs based on metformin, insulin, sulfonylurea and others is practiced. Moreover, the drug can be freely combined with the use of digoxin, ramipril, valsartan, simvastatin and so on.
The effect of vildagliptin is reduced by agents whose active substances are thyroid hormones, sympathomimetics, glucocorticosteroids and the like.
How to store the drug
Particular attention should also be paid to this issue, since proper storage of the drug affects its effectiveness. Saving tablets should be in a dark place, inaccessible to children and animals, at a temperature not exceeding thirty degrees. Shelf life is 36 months.
Drug cost
Of course, many diabetics are interested in the question, what is the price of āGalvusā? The cost of packing the drug in 28 tablets varies between 750 and 850 rubles. It all depends on the vendor and manufacturer.
During the acquisition of the drug, you should know that it is dispensed in pharmacies strictly according to the prescription.
Preparations replacing Galvus
As mentioned above, the drug may not be suitable for the patient. What should be done in this case? Will the attending physician prescribe replacement drugs? So, what means can we consider analogs of āGalvusā? Instructions for use of these drugs will be discussed below.
If we talk about the spectrum of action, then a good substitute for vildagliptin is a solution for injection āBaetaā. The active substance of the drug is exenatide (250 micrograms in one milliliter). Indications for use are diabetes mellitus of the second type. āBaetaā is prescribed in the form of subcutaneous injections in the thighs, shoulder, and abdomen. Five micrograms of the active ingredient are used twice a day sixty minutes before the morning and evening meal. It is used as monotherapy and combination (mixed) therapy with metformin, thiazolidinedione and others. The cost of the drug in sixty doses can exceed five thousand rubles.
āJanuviaā is another analogue of āGalvusā, produced in the form of tablets, the main component of which is sitagliptin phosphate hydrate. The substance is used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus with monotherapy and complex therapy. The recommended dose of the drug is one hundred milligrams of the main component once a day. Tablets are available in various dosages of the active substance. The average packaging cost of 28 tablets is 1,500 rubles.
āOnglisaā is another tabletted drug that is an analogue of the drug we are interested in. The composition of āOnglisaā includes saxagliptin, which is the active ingredient. Most often, the drug is administered orally at five milligrams (one tablet) once a day. You can take the drug regardless of the meal. The price of packing tablets in thirty pieces reaches 1,900 rubles or more.
However, most often endocrinologists replace Galvus with its direct analogue - Galvus Met tablets, the main components of which are vildagliptin (in the amount of fifty milligrams) and metformin (in the amount of 500, 850 or 1,000 milligrams). Thanks to this interaction, the drug regulates the metabolism and lowers cholesterol. Assigned by an endocrinologist, starting with the minimum dosage (fifty milligrams of vildagliptin and five hundred milligrams of metformin). It is believed that this tool has a milder effect on the patientās body with diabetes than the drug of interest to us. The cost of Galvus Met tablets is about 1,500 rubles.
As you can see, there is a wide variety of āGalvusā analogues that differ from each other in composition, form of issue and pricing policy. Which one is right for you - the doctor decides, taking into account the general picture of the disease, as well as the individual characteristics of the patient.
A few words in the end
As you can see, the drug āGalvusā is one of the inexpensive means that can help a patient suffering from type 2 diabetes. Pills, released on the basis of vildagliptin, stimulate the pancreas, having a positive effect on the whole patient's body. The drug can be used as an independent treatment, as well as in combination with other drugs.
Despite the positive result, āGalvusā has a large list of contraindications and side effects, so you can not assign it yourself. The schedule of administration and dosage is prescribed by the attending physician.
Many patients are happy that they are taking this drug, as it is a truly effective tool to reduce blood sugar and improve the general well-being of the patient. And at the same time, they recognize that vildagliptin is best used in combination with metformin to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the active substance.