Can I take Actovegin and alcohol together? Doctors believe that taking this medicine requires a complete rejection of alcohol. However, the course of treatment with this medication can be quite long. Can small doses of alcohol be damaged during therapy? What happens if a person drinks a little while taking the medicine? We will consider these issues in the article.
Description of the drug
"Actovegin" - a drug for hypoxia. It improves tissue respiration. If an oxygen deficiency is created in the body, then the drug increases the resistance of organs to hypoxia. As a result, the body suffers much less from a lack of O 2 .
The medicine has a natural composition. Its active component is a hemoderivative made from the blood of calves. This substance improves tissue metabolism, normalizes the interaction of oxygen and glucose. As a result, the body increases the transmission rate of nerve impulses, which allows the use of this tool in the treatment of serious CNS pathologies of vascular etiology.
The drug is released in the form of tablets, a solution for injection and infusion, as well as in the form of a gel or ointment for topical application.
Before starting treatment, doctors warn patients about the poor compatibility of Actovegin and alcohol. Such a combination can lead to a decrease in the therapeutic effect and to an increase in side effects.
Indications and contraindications
Doctors prescribe Actovegin pills and injections for the following diseases:
- cerebrovascular diseases: stroke, skull injuries, cerebrovascular disorders;
- dementia
- complications of diabetes mellitus (polyneuropathy, trophic ulcers);
- endarteritis;
- burns;
- skin lesions by radiation.
The drug in the form of an ointment or gel is prescribed for wounds, bedsores, burns and weeping ulcers on the skin. It contributes to the rapid healing and restoration of the epidermis.
The oral and injectable form of the drug is not prescribed for heart failure, fluid retention in the body, urination disorders and pulmonary edema. Ointment has only one contraindication - an allergy to the active component of the drug.
It can be concluded that this drug is intended for the treatment of serious diseases. Therefore, combining Actovegin and alcohol is strictly prohibited. Serious diseases of the central and peripheral vessels require long-term treatment and a complete rejection of alcohol.
Effects on metabolism
Ethanol is normally processed in the liver. It breaks down into carbon dioxide and water. However, some drugs can negatively affect alcohol metabolism. These include Actovegin.
The drug inhibits the activity of monoamine oxidase, an enzyme involved in the processing of metarminol. This substance is found in wine and beer. If the patient consumes such drinks during treatment, then metarminol does not dissolve and accumulates in the blood. This leads to vasospasm. Therefore, doctors prohibit taking even mild alcohol during therapy. Against the background of altered metabolism, even a small dose of ethanol acts as a poison.
Often patients are interested in the interaction of Actovegin injections and alcohol. Can I drink a little if the drug is used in injectable form? In this case, it does not matter how the active component of the drug enters the body. Both pills and injections equally affect the metabolism of alcohol and impair the processing of metarminol.
Antagonism
Actovegin and alcohol act on the body in exactly the opposite way. This combination can lead to serious consequences for the body. These two substances are antagonists:
- Actovegin improves cell respiration, and ethanol enhances tissue hypoxia.
- The hemoderivative enhances the metabolism in tissues, and alcohol inhibits.
- Actovegin dilates blood vessels, and ethanol causes spasm.
Therapeutic effect reduction
Since these two substances are antagonists, the combined use of Actovegin and alcohol leads to a sharp decrease in the therapeutic effect of the drug. This is especially dangerous, since the hemoderivative is used for severe diseases when a person urgently needs urgent treatment. Alcohol can nullify the full effect of therapy.
For burns and wounds, doctors prescribe Actovegin ointment. Can I drink alcohol with local treatment? After all, this form of the drug is almost not absorbed into the blood.
It is important to remember here that a sufficient amount of oxygen is required for the skin cells to regenerate. Wounds and burns heal quickly only with good microcirculation. Ethanol causes tissue hypoxia and constricts small and large vessels. Therefore, the compatibility of alcohol and Actovegin in the form of an ointment is also very low. If the patient is being treated with local drugs based on the hemoderivative, then this also requires a complete rejection of alcohol.
Increased side effects
The combined use of Actovegin and alcohol can lead to increased adverse effects of the drug. Under normal conditions, patients tolerate treatment well. However, taking alcohol several times increases the risk of the following side effects:
- urticaria;
- allergic dermatitis;
- anaphylactic shock (with intramuscular and intravenous administration);
- migraine attack;
- vomiting
- temperature increase;
- the appearance of edema;
- flushing of the face.
In some cases, the drug is used as part of a complex treatment for alcohol dependence. Can I take Actovegin with alcohol in this case or not? The medicine is not a drug for the treatment of alcoholism. It is used to treat vascular and hypoxic disorders, which are consequences of alcohol abuse. The drug can be taken only to those patients who firmly decided to stop drinking and underwent a course of treatment for alcohol dependence.
When to drink
Suppose the patient has completed Actovegin treatment. Can I drink alcohol immediately after taking the last pill? In no case should this be done. It is necessary to wait for the time when the active component of the drug completely leaves the body.
The active component of Actovegin is excreted from the body within 24 hours. Therefore, you can drink no earlier than a day after taking the last pill.
However, it is important to remember that this medicine is used to treat serious illnesses such as stroke, traumatic brain injuries, and cerebrovascular disorders. Such pathologies are incompatible with the use of alcohol. Therefore, in case of serious diseases, it is necessary to refrain from alcohol until complete recovery, and sometimes for life.
There are times when a person drank alcohol, and soon the doctor prescribed him “Actovegin”. When can I start treatment? You must wait until the alcohol is completely removed from the body. This period may take a different time. If light drinks were used in small quantities, then 10 to 12 hours are enough to remove ethanol. If the patient drank strong alcohol, then at least a day should pass before taking the drug.
Reviews
You should listen to the opinion of patients who co-consumed Actovegin and alcohol. The reviews contain information about the severe side effects of such a combination. Patients who allowed themselves to drink a little during treatment felt a severe headache the next day due to vasospasm. Many patients had severe allergic reactions. In some cases, these negative manifestations persisted for a week. Even a drunk glass of wine during therapy often led to a sharp deterioration in well-being.
All this indicates a poor compatibility of Actovegin and alcohol. The reviews also reported that sometimes even the only alcohol intake led to a sharp decrease in the therapeutic effect of the medication. As a result, all pathological symptoms returned. Therefore, for a quick and complete cure, you must completely abandon alcohol.