Very often, diseases of the genitourinary system occur against the background of cardiovascular pathologies. In these cases, doctors try to select drugs whose interaction will not negatively affect the quality of treatment. One such universal medicine is Kardura. According to patients, this is an effective drug that generally copes with all tasks. Why and to whom is it prescribed, does this drug have side effects? You will receive the answer to these and many other questions by reading the article.
Description of the drug, its general characteristic
"Kardura" is a representative of a group of alpha-blockers that produce a hypotensive effect. First of all, such drugs are used to treat blood pressure. Over time, the researchers concluded that the active ingredients of this drug help relieve symptoms that occur in patients with prostatic hyperplasia. Also, this disease is known under a different name - prostate adenoma, but in medical practice it is the first option that is most often used.
Judging by the reviews, “Kardura” really has a positive effect on the patient’s body due to its antihypertensive properties. The medicine is available in tablet form. The cost of the drug depends on the dosage of the active substance (doxazosin) in each pill and the number of tablets in the package. On average, the price of "Kardura" varies between 500-750 rubles. The drug is released exclusively by prescription.
Mechanism of action
Explain the reason for the popularity of the use of "Kardura" in medical practice is possible only due to the pharmacokinetic properties of the main active ingredient. Doxazosin is an alpha-blocker that, penetrating the bloodstream, works in several directions at once, has a systemic and local effect.
First of all, the active substance helps to lower blood cholesterol, improves insulin sensitivity and inhibits platelet aggregation properties. Thanks to the systemic use of Kardura, according to doctors, it is possible to increase the plasma renin activity, which minimizes the risks of developing coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction. In addition, the course of administration gives good results in the treatment of hypertrophy of left ventricular tissue by normalizing atrial and vascular resistance.
In relation to the genitourinary system, doxazosin acts in a complex manner, blocking the alpha-adrenergic receptors present in the organs and vessels of the small pelvis, and improving general urodynamics. "Kardura" does not affect the course of metabolic processes, so it is often prescribed to patients of advanced years. It, unlike a number of alpha-adrenergic blockers, can be taken even with diabetes and gout.
According to reviews, "Kardura" is not addictive even in case of prolonged use. The active substance is absorbed in the intestine quite quickly, so the maximum concentration of doxazosin is noted in the blood after two hours after administration. It binds to plasma proteins by more than 95%, which guarantees a long therapeutic effect from the use of the drug - at least six hours. Decomposition products leave the body naturally in about 22 hours.
What is in the composition of the tablets
This medicine is available in white, round, oval or diamond-shaped tablets. In the middle of the pill, they have a fault line, and on one side there is a number that indicates the amount of doxazosin in one tablet - 1, 2 or 4 mg of the active substance. In addition to it, the composition of the drug contains other substances:
- magnesium stearate;
- starch glycolate;
- sodium lauryl sulfate;
- microcrystalline cellulose;
- lactose.
Particular attention should be paid to the last substance in the composition, since lactose intolerance is very common in adult patients. In this case, the drug can not be used.
Who is shown the reception of "Kardura"
Use the drug strictly according to the instructions. The use of "Kardura" should occur according to the dosage and schedule established by the doctor. He must individually determine for the patient the course of treatment with this drug. Depending on the diagnosis, general health, age and other indicators, a treatment plan is drawn up.
Take alpha-blockers, including the drug "Cardura", it is necessary in such pathological conditions as:
- prostatic hyperplasia;
- violation of the outflow of urine;
- arterial hypertension.
Precautions and contraindications
Like any other medication, this alpha-blocker has several limitations. All patients without exception who have a history of hypertension or prostate adenoma should not take Kardura tablets. Doctors do not prescribe this medication if:
- the development of anuria;
- low blood pressure and a predisposition to orthostatic hypotension;
- chronic renal failure;
- infectious and inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract;
- glucose-galactose malabsorption;
- obstructive pathologies of the upper respiratory tract;
- susceptibility to lactose or other components of the drug;
- the presence of stones in the bladder.
Patients older than 65 years of age are prescribed “Kardura” in minimal doses for heart failure, stroke, liver dysfunctions, mitral valve stenosis or right ventricular insufficiency arising from pericardial effusion or pulmonary embolism.
For children, Kardura medicine is not prescribed. This drug is also contraindicated for pregnant and lactating mothers, since the effect of doxazosin on the fetus, as well as its ability to penetrate into breast milk, is not fully understood. However, as an exception, this drug is prescribed to a woman if the probability of her well-being improving is higher than the potential risk of harm to the child.
It is necessary to store "Kardura" in the same conditions as most medicines - in a dark and inaccessible place for children at a temperature of no higher than 25 ° C. The maximum shelf life is 5 years from the date of manufacture. Expired tablets must be disposed of.
What dosage to take the drug
As already noted, the attending physician chooses the tactics of treatment. According to patients, “Kardura” for prostate hyperplasia is prescribed first in a minimum test dose. Prescribing one tablet per day with a dosage of 1 mg, the doctor wants to make sure that the patient normally tolerates the drug without causing fainting or postural hypotension. If the test is satisfactory, the dosage of the drug is increased, in accordance with the severity of the disease and the characteristics of the patient. The maximum daily dose should not exceed 8 mg, and it is important to increase it gradually, and not in one or two days.
For patients with hypertension, 16 mg of doxazosin is considered the optimal dose. In this case, the treatment is carried out according to the above scheme, starting from 1 mg per day. After 10-14 days, the dosage is doubled. Take tablets once a day after meals. If during the period of therapy with alpha-adrenergic blockers, the patient takes diuretics or other antihypertensive drugs in parallel, the dose of “Kardura” should be adjusted. If the pill was discontinued for any reason, but there is a need to resume treatment, you need to take them again with the minimum dose.
Can I take with other drugs?
Before taking "Kardura" in complex therapy, some features of this remedy should be considered. First of all, doxazosin enhances the action of diuretic and other antihypertensive drugs. At the same time, if non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used together with an alpha-adrenergic blocker, the effect of the latter may not be sufficient - reviews of “Kardura” confirm this.
It is considered not entirely safe to combine this antihypertensive drug with drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men of the PDE-5 group. As a result of the interaction of these two medicines, patients often experience symptomatic hypotension and develop liver failure. At the same time, their simultaneous administration is possible, but with a decrease in the dosage of one of the drugs. In accordance with the instructions for use, "Cardura" is undesirable to combine with drugs based on epinephrine - the risk of developing tachycardia, lowering blood pressure increases.
There are no restrictions on concurrent therapy with antibacterial agents, anticoagulants, beta-blockers or thiazide diuretics, since Kardura does not interact with such substances. Against the background of treatment with an alpha-adrenergic blocker, you should absolutely not drink alcohol.
Adverse reactions
Most often, they respond positively to this drug, but one of the reasons for patients' negative reviews about Kardura is a high risk of side effects. As a rule, this drug is tolerated by patients without any adverse reactions, but sometimes with prolonged use in men, the following symptoms are observed:
- a decrease in the level of leukocytes and platelets in the blood;
- dizziness and tinnitus;
- blurry vision;
- muscle and joint pain;
- dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea);
- stomach pains;
- dry mouth
- flatulence and bloating;
- stagnation of bile;
- the development of drug jaundice;
- headache, sleep disturbances;
- anxiety, tremor;
- shortness of breath, bronchospasm;
- frequent urination, hematuria;
- heartache;
- erectile disfunction;
- allergic reaction in the form of a rash, urticaria, edema.
The drug can cause drowsiness and lethargy of reactions, as evidenced by reviews and instructions. “Kandur” is undesirable to accept if it is impossible to refuse to manage transport and mechanisms due to professional activity. You need to warn the doctor about this and ask to prescribe another drug - an analogue. Among other side effects, anorexia, worsening or increased appetite, fatigue and swelling of the legs are possible.
In case of overdose
Signs that a person has taken too much of the drug are most often a sharp drop in blood pressure and fainting. To help the patient, it is necessary to put him on his back and raise his lower limbs. When pronounced symptoms of intoxication, cardiac and respiratory disturbances appear, an ambulance must be urgently called.
Drugs that have a similar effect
If, for any reason, taking "Kardura" is not possible, the doctor replaces it with a structural analog or a drug with a similar principle of action. Analogues of "Kardura" in composition are the following medicines:
- "Doxazosin" is a more affordable means that is prescribed to patients with prostate adenoma in complex therapy. As part of the drug, the active substance of the same name, which stops the symptoms of the disease, normalizes urination and reduces pressure. The effect of the medication can last up to two weeks. Doxazosin is available in the same dosage as Kardura - 1, 2 or 4 mg.
- Camiren is a vasodilator that is used in male urology to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. Available in a similar dosage. The price for packaging is on average 450-650 rubles.
- “Artesin” is an analogue of “Kardura” with the same active ingredient, but with other excipients. It is used to treat the same diseases as Kardura. In pharmacies dispensed with a prescription, costs an average of 370-460 rubles.
- "Magurol" is an alpha-blocker, which is more often used in the treatment of hypertension than prostate diseases. It is considered an effective tool to prevent narrowing of the lumen of the vessels, which is provoked by catecholamines. Thanks to the use of "Magurol" blood pressure decreases without the development of reflex tachycardia. In addition, this drug improves urodynamics in patients with adenoma.
All analogues of "Kardura" reduce the severity of symptoms, but are contraindicated for pregnant women and children. These funds can be used for hypertension, heart failure and a benign form of prostatic hyperplasia. Thanks to the use of drugs based on doxazosin, it is possible to achieve the expected therapeutic effect. These drugs differ only by the manufacturer and the cost in the pharmacy.
In addition to these analogues, you can use other products on the Russian pharmacological market instead of Kardura. Such funds include other active ingredients, but have a similar effect. It is worth noting a few drugs, which are often mentioned in reviews of "Kardura". The instructions for use for them contain more detailed information, but for now we will give each of them a few words:
- Prazosin. The drug belongs to the group of alpha-adrenergic blockers, has a hypotensive, antidysuric, vasodilating effect. It is used in the treatment of the same diseases as Kardura, as well as in the treatment of such a rare ailment as Raynaud's disease in the early stages. "Prazosin" is prescribed to children after 12 years. Judging by the reviews, the drug "Kardura" is found in pharmacies more often than "Prazosin".
- "Ebrantil" is a hypotensive agent that has an effect on the central and peripheral nervous system. The main active ingredient is urapidil, which acts on the vasomotor center by blocking alpha-adrenergic receptors and reducing overall vascular resistance. It is allowed to use pregnant women with hypertension, refractory and complicated hypertension.
The need to change "Kardura" can be caused by severe side effects or intolerance to any of the components of the drug. To continue treatment with another drug, similar in composition or principle of action, you need to consult a doctor. Only a specialist can correctly choose a replacement and prescribe the correct dosage.
The opinion of doctors
Based on the reviews about the drug "Kardura", we can conclude that this drug really helps in the treatment of diseases from which it is prescribed. Experts put it on a par with the best antihypertensive drugs and drugs for the treatment of the prostate. Urologists note that “Kardura” literally within a few days of taking can relieve inflammation and swelling, reduce the size of the prostate and normalize blood circulation in the pelvic organs.
At the same time, none of the experts considers Kardura a completely safe drug. It must be used with extreme caution, since side effects are more or less manifested in almost all patients. Many doctors claim that with prostate adenoma they try to prescribe safer drugs, but if they do not give the desired result, they prescribe "Kardura". Doctors recommend that their patients take the medicine for the first time before going to bed, because in many people it causes a fainting condition. At least they do not recommend drinking pills while driving or performing technically difficult work.
What patients say
Judging by the reviews, "Kardura" with prostatitis helps not bad. And yet, despite the fact that most of the comments are positive, there are many in which patients express their dissatisfaction with the duration of therapy. Some users praise the drug because it helped them get rid of the disease, while others complain of side effects, especially from the nervous and digestive systems. For some, the reaction to the drug is so strong that it affects well-being and performance.
Those who were treated for prostatic hyperplasia "Kardura" felt relief literally a week after treatment. In men, the pain disappeared, the outflow of urine returned to normal. It is convenient for most patients that when taking pills, there is no need to follow the treatment schedule. You need to drink "Kardura" only once a day, so here you will not be able to forget to take the medicine on time.
The reason for negative reviews is often the high price of the drug."Kardura" is 2-3 times more expensive than some alpha-blockers, and given that you need to take this drug for a long time, such treatment requires certain financial costs. According to most people, Kardura is a fast-acting and effective, but expensive medicine.
To avoid the adverse effects of taking “Kardura", the patient must inform the attending physician about serious deviations such as liver dysfunction, renal failure and other problems. If there are contraindications, "Kardura" is replaced with another, safer drug in the appropriate dosage. The attending physician has the right in any situation to prescribe medications at his discretion and adjust the treatment plan. Patients who are planning surgery on the organs of vision should inform the ophthalmologist that they are taking "Kardura" or have taken this medication in the recent past.