"Citicoline" refers to nootropic drugs. It is used to treat brain disorders: various injuries, strokes, complications. This drug can restore impaired attention and memory, and it also improves the function of neural membranes, thereby helping to reduce brain edema.
Pharmacological activity of Citicoline
The active substance in this drug is citicoline. In addition to it, the composition of the drug includes auxiliary components: citric acid, sorbitol, distilled water, saccharin and sodium.
"Citicoline", the instructions for use of which claims that there is almost complete absorption of such a drug into the walls of the digestive tract, is excreted from the body with feces within a few days after consumption. Studies have shown that after 5 days after the start of use of this medication, only 16% of the doses taken are detected. Consequently, the remaining percentages of this drug are involved in natural metabolic processes.
The instructions attached to the drug “Citicoline” say that it affects the body as follows:
- Reduces brain swelling.
- Stimulates biosynthesis and other biochemical processes that are associated with phospholipids of neuronal membranes. Such an effect favorably affects their work and the functioning of receptors of the corresponding type.
- It attenuates the pronounced signs of cerebral dysfunction, which occurs against the background of pathological processes, for example, traumatic brain injuries.
- Reduces the duration of post-traumatic coma.
- Eliminates the main symptoms of memory loss that occur after severe head injuries.
- It improves the general well-being of the patient and removes signs of disturbances associated with motor activity, the process of thinking or sensitivity.
In addition, such a drug helps to reduce the main symptoms that appear when the blood supply worsens and the brain lacks oxygen. It also returns the possibility of taking actions to the patient, aimed at performing self-care. The drug increases the level of emotional stability and creates conditions that impede the formation of free-type radicals.
Who is indicated for the use of this medication?
The drug "Citicoline", the instructions, the price and effect of which are discussed in this article, are sold strictly according to the prescription. They take such a medicine to treat circulatory problems caused by injuries to the brain or spinal cord.
Another similar medication is prescribed for severe brain injuries and complications after injuries. The drug is used if the patient is in a coma. It perfectly relieves swelling of the brain. The drug "Citicoline" helps to improve memory after injuries.
When taking the drug in tablet form, you must adhere to some rules. For example, you should not use “Cytocline” on an empty stomach. The instructions for it are in the package, which should be studied before proceeding with treatment. Tablets should be taken right with meals or between snacks.
The dosage is selected by the doctor, it all depends on the severity of the patient's condition. It must be divided so that at least 2-3 doses of the drug are performed per day. The duration of the course is also prescribed by a specialist, starting from the well-being of a person and the degree of brain damage. As a rule, the duration of therapy is more than 45 days.
Forms of drug release
The medicine “Citicoline”, instructions, analogs and indications for which should be studied, is sold in the form of tablets, a liquid solution for intramuscular, intravenous and oral administration.
Daily dose
"Citicoline", as is already known, is administered intramuscularly or intravenously, and is also taken orally. With drip intravenous infusion, 40-60 drops per minute are prescribed, and with injection, the drug is administered slowly for about 3 minutes. This route of administration is preferable to an injection in the muscle. Performing intramuscular injection, they always try to administer Citicoline in different places.
With an exacerbation of a craniocerebral injury or an acute violation of cerebral circulation, 1000 mg of the drug is administered every 12 hours. Such treatment lasts at least 1.5 months.
During recovery from ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, damage to the bones of the skull, cognitive and behavioral disorders in degenerative as well as vascular pathologies of the brain, 500-2000 mg of medicine are prescribed per day. The exact dosage and duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
The drug "Citicoline" (instructions for use, price, reviews will be studied by us) is compatible with many types of intravenous solutions of dextrose and even isotonic. If the patient has persistent intracranial hemorrhage, then it is not worth administering drugs more than 1000 mg per day. Elderly people do not need to adjust the dose when prescribing such a drug.
It is necessary to carefully use “Citicoline” when carrying out potentially dangerous activities that require a quick reaction and increased concentration of attention: work with equipment, a dispatcher, an operator, driving a car, and so on.
Contraindications
If the doctor prescribed the drug "Citicoline", the instructions for use for which are in each pack, it is necessary to find out all the negative consequences after its use. After all, this drug has many side effects and contraindications, therefore it is advisable to carry out treatment under the supervision of doctors and in the hospital. A specialist should track the appearance or absence of complications.
The main contraindications for taking such a medication are as follows:
- Allergy to a medicine.
- Intolerance to any substance in the composition of Citicoline.
- Age is less than 18 years.
The use of the drug during lactation and during pregnancy
The drug "Citicoline", the instructions for which do not recommend using it when carrying a child, is a prescription drug. This drug is not recommended to be used during pregnancy, since there is not enough information on its use during this period.
Animal studies have not found a negative effect of the drug on the body. Citicoline is prescribed if the intended benefit for the woman is higher than the possible risk to the baby. During treatment with such a medicine, you should refuse to breast-feed a baby, since there is no data on whether the active substance is excreted in milk.
Side effects of the drug
The drug "Citicoline", instructions for use, the analogues and price of which we are considering, can have a harmful effect on the body. After taking it, you may experience:
- Numbness in paralyzed limbs.
- Heat.
- Dizziness.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Nausea and loss of appetite.
- Headaches.
In addition to these side effects, taking "Citicoline" can lead to the development of an allergic reaction. In this case, a person has rashes on the skin and itching.
Sometimes this medication activates the parasympathetic nervous system and has a short hypotensive effect. The drug “Citicoline” (instructions for use, price and reviews are of interest to each patient with impaired brain activity) has low toxicity, which eliminates overdose. If it was stored in a cool place, then before use it should be slightly warmed until the crystals formed disappear.
"Citicoline": instructions for use, price
You can buy such a medicine in almost any pharmacy, but if there is a prescription from a doctor. The drug is not cheap, more than two thousand rubles, so many prefer analogs. For example, a solution of “Ceraxon” with the active ingredient citicoline for oral administration in bags will cost about 1,500 rubles.
"Citicoline": instructions for use, price, reviews, analogues
If there are contraindications to the use of the drug, then the doctor will most likely prescribe another drug that has a similar effect. There are many analogues of this medication, the main of which are "Noben", "Fezam" and "Memotropil". This drug is often replaced with Encephabol, which improves the overall performance of the brain and blood circulation in it.
The drug "Citicoline", instructions for use, the price, reviews, analogs and indications of which we are considering today, helps most people get better. The opinions of patients treated with this drug are almost always positive. They note a pleasant taste of the medication, improvement of well-being, restoration of memory and sleep. The only drawback, many consider not side effects, but the too high cost of the drug. "Citicoline" in ampoules costs 2500 rubles. At the same time, the packaging lasts only 5 days if the maximum dosage is prescribed. For this reason, the tool is often replaced with analogues.