Sodium oxybutyrate - solution for intravenous anesthesia. Until recently, this white crystalline powder, soluble in water and ethyl alcohol, was the most common drug for anesthesia during mild surgical interventions. In a word, the drug had anesthetic, sedative, relaxing and sleeping pills.
Once, sodium oxybutyrate (Natrii oxybutyras), the instructions for which are used to identify indications for use, dosages and precautions, could be found in any surgical unit or ambulance. But today, a drug with the same name does not exist, it was withdrawn from sale, so it can not be purchased in any pharmacy. The absolute analogue is sodium oxybate, but there are other drugs with a similar composition and indications for use.
Surgery
In a simplified language, the drug was included in the category of drugs for “mild anesthesia,” that is, it was good to use it when performing surgical operations:
- children
- emaciated patients;
- older people with low blood pressure;
- elderly in a state of shock;
- people with kidney or liver failure.
Sometimes such anesthesia was used for diagnostic procedures, if there was no certainty that the patient would psychologically tolerate them.
The description of the substance sodium oxybutyrate primarily indicates that the drug is intended for administration in anesthesia during operations with a low degree of trauma, that is, not during abdominal operations.
Postoperative appointment
Sometimes it could be used after the operation, if the patient developed postoperative psychosis.
This is a fairly common occurrence, especially in elderly patients. A person shows all the signs of psychosis: hallucinations, motor excitement, confusion, memory and speech impairment, the only cause of these symptoms is surgical anesthesia, against which there was a violation of blood circulation or metabolic processes in the body, a sharp decrease in blood pressure, anemia, the lack of coordinated action side of the medical staff.
In this case, sodium oxybutyrate was used with a high degree of efficiency. Instructions for use contained information that it is necessary to dilute the drug in a glucose solution and slow intravenous administration. In the vast majority of cases, the patient returned to normal and safely emerged from anesthesia.
Today, after the drug has been discontinued and sold, other drugs, such as Sombrevin or thiopental sodium, are used as analogues in these situations.
Use in obstetrics
In delivery, sodium oxybutyrate has often been used previously. Instructions for use recommended using it as a so-called therapeutic anesthesia. The drug introduced allowed the woman in labor to rest during the period of intense labor, while positively affecting the resistance to lack of oxygen of both the mother and the fetus. Today, a drug that does not exist on the shelves of pharmacies can be replaced with Ketamine.
Sedation
Often sodium oxybutyrate has been used to treat mentally ill people with an acute stage of the disorder. Due to the fact that the drug had a sedative, anticonvulsant effect, sleep was normalized. If the dose is small, the effect of general anesthesia did not occur, but the patient could plunge into a deep and calm sleep, which would restore his strength and psycho-emotional balance.
For healthy people, the drug could be used for anti-shock effects in stressful situations. By reducing the severity of neurological sensations and autonomic reactions, a person retained the ability to self-control, protected himself from the late effects of acute shock.
Given the fact that the drug is no longer manufactured, we can distinguish its analogue in composition and action - "Droperidol".
Of course, such a drug was used only in a hospital setting. After its use, a person could not maintain the usual level of vitality: he felt lethargic, drowsy against the background of taking the drug, the main active substance of which was sodium oxybutyrate. The instruction, the indications of which were painted in great detail (basically it all comes down to an inhibitory effect on the central nervous system), prohibits after use driving a vehicle or performing any physical or mental work that requires concentration.
Cognitive enhancement
Sodium hydroxybutyrate is a good nootropic. It normalizes cognitive functions, improves memory, the process of perception and processing of information, and helps to reduce tissue hypoxia (oxygen deficiency). If necessary, the tool improves the activity of all body systems, increases resistance to negative external factors of the heart, brain, and kidneys.
Ophthalmology Application
At the time of the drug, there was another reason for using this particular drug (sodium oxybutyrate). Instructions for use suggested the use of a medicine with a diagnosis of open-angle primary glaucoma. The composition of the product is a catalyst for oxidative processes in the retina, as a result of which a person begins to see better.
Contraindications
Below is a list of diseases and conditions in which it was worth giving up the drug:
- myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease in which pathological muscle fatigue is detected;
- hypokalemia - a condition in which the level of potassium in the blood serum is steadily below the level of the permissible norm;
- when using the drug as obstetric anesthesia, it is impossible to administer the drug to pregnant women with hypertension and severe toxicosis;
- cramps.
In case of severe intolerance to the drug or overdose, the main symptom is a violation of the person’s breathing. A person needs urgent hospitalization, mechanical ventilation, support of the cardiovascular system. The introduction of potassium chloride is indicated intravenously.
Side effects
Subject to contraindications and proper use of the drug, there could be no side effects.
Complications could arise if the drug was injected into the vein too quickly. In this case, the following symptoms could occur:
- respiratory failure:
- severe drowsiness,
- nausea and vomiting;
- decreased potassium in the blood;
- agitation and tremor.
That is why it was prescribed to carefully and technically correctly introduce sodium oxybutyrate. The instructions for use allowed the simultaneous use of practically any other drugs with the drug, except for analgesics and anesthetics - the latter enhance the effect of sodium oxybutyrate. It was also not recommended to use analeptics with the drug and it was strictly forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages.
Reviews
In principle, we have outlined almost everything that can be told about the preparation “Sodium oxybutyrate” by the instruction. Reviews left on thematic forums, in most cases, do not tell about direct indications of the drug (anesthesia), but about the properties of the drug.
The sedative properties of the drug are highly appreciated. according to experts and patients, he is able to quickly calm the nervous system both in conditions of shock, when it is really necessary, and with any problems, the presence of anxiety, irritability. Doctors note that the drug copes with its task, and after taking it, the person feels calm and relaxed, falls asleep well and subsequently feels great. Some patients compare the injection of a drug with a portion of strong alcohol.
But at the same time, it should be noted that this is not the safest way to solve problems, since after taking sodium oxybutyrate, a dependence can develop that will not be inferior to alcohol. And, in the end, this can seriously affect the quality of human life.
In ophthalmology, the drug also enjoyed well-deserved success. When used correctly, under the supervision of the attending physician, the patients ’vision really improved.
Thus, the injection solution previously distributed under the name “Sodium hydroxybutyrate”, the instruction of which suggested using the liquid for anesthesia, was well-deserved popularity and a high degree of effectiveness. Today, the modern pharmaceutical industry offers a large number of new drugs with a similar effect, but until now, the same drugs are used in medicine under other names.