The drug "Dopegit" helps to stabilize high blood pressure. Reviews of doctors note that it acts quickly and effectively. It is inexpensive. Sold in almost every pharmacy. It is allowed to take pregnant women. The medicine has contraindications, so it should not be drunk without a doctor's prescription.
Composition and form of release
The drug "Dopegit" (reviews of experts confirm that this is the only medicine for pressure that is prescribed for pregnant women with hypertension) is available in tablets. The pills are white, slightly grayish in color. They contain about 282 mg of the active substance - methyldopa sesquihydrate. This amount is identical to 250 mg methyldopa. Additional components of the tablets are:
- corn starch;
- stearic acid;
- talc;
- sodium carboxymethyl starch;
- ethyl cellulose;
- magnesium stearate.
Tablets are packed in dark glass vials of fifty pieces. They are accompanied by instructions for use.
Pharmacological action of the drug
They belong to the vegetative-active antihypertensive drugs of the central action of the Dopegit tablet (reviews of medical workers note that many women drink this medicine throughout their pregnancy). Once in the body, the medication is transformed with the creation of alpha-methylnoradrenaline, which has a hypotensive effect by acting on some mechanisms. The drug lowers sympathetic tone. This is due to the activation of the major inhibitory presynaptic α2 receptors.
The medicine acts as a false neurotransmitter and replaces endogenous dopamine on the nerve dopaminergic endings. Reduces the activity of renin in the blood and likewise acts on the general peripheral resistance. Stops the synthesis of norepinephrine. Reduces the formation of adrenaline, dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin due to the suppression of the activity of the enzyme dopa-decarboxylase.
The active substance - methyldopa - does not affect the functioning of the heart organ and does not reduce cardiac output. Does not provoke the appearance of reflex tachycardia. Does not affect glomerular filtration rate. It does not affect the renal blood flow and does not exert any pressure on the filtered fraction.
Sometimes, while taking the medicine, the heart rate may decrease. The medication quickly lowers blood pressure. In rare cases, it can cause postural hypotension.
After the first pill, the greatest effect is observed after 4-6 hours and lasts from 12 to 24 hours. The medicine allows you to lower the pressure on the second or third day of taking the tablets.
Indications
Indication for the use of the drug "Dopegit" (reviews claim that the drug can be bought at any pharmacy without problems) is arterial hypertension. This medicine is very often prescribed for pregnant patients.
Contraindications
It is noted that the drug "Dopegit" gives a good effect on pressure, reviews of doctors. Despite this, the drug is not prescribed for hepatitis in the acute stage of development and cirrhosis of the liver. A ban on the use of a pathology of the liver organ in history. Contraindication to use is treatment with MAO inhibitors. You can not drink tablets in a depressed state, hemolytic anemia, as well as with myocardial infarction in the acute stage of development.
Do not prescribe a medicine for pheochromocytoma in children under three years of age and with special sensitivity to the constituent substances of the drug.
With extreme caution, patients with renal failure should take the tablets. A dose adjustment is required here. Patients with diencephalic syndrome, the elderly, children from three years old should be under medical supervision while taking the drug.
"Dopegit" during pregnancy and lactation
The drug "Dopegit" has been actively used in obstetrics for more than fifty years. During this time, there were no incidents with teratogenic effects of the drug on the fetus. As a result of clinical trials, the remote risk of exposure of the tablets to the embryo was established.
During pregnancy, the drug crosses the placenta, so patients in the "position" should be under the constant supervision of a doctor. “Dopegit” during lactation (reviews note that doctors do not recommend drinking tablets when breast-feeding a baby) is able to penetrate into breast milk. At the time of treatment, doctors are advised to interrupt breastfeeding.
During pregnancy, drug therapy begins from the twentieth gestational week. Children born to women treated with Dopegitis had no complications. A completely different picture was observed in pregnant women who refused treatment with this drug. Their babies were born with neurological abnormalities that appeared due to prolonged oxygen starvation.
The drug "Dopegit" during pregnancy:
- Reduces the resistance of peripheral vessels.
- Reduces renin production.
- It normalizes diastolic pressure.
- Partially replaces dopamine, a component that increases blood pressure.
- It has a mild sedative effect.
It has not been clinically proven that a medicine can harm a baby by passing through breast milk or the placenta. The “Dopegit” instruction during pregnancy (reviews say that this drug does not harm the baby) recommends prescribing when the intended benefit for the mother significantly exceeds the possible risk for the baby.
Method of application, dosage
The medicine "Dopegit" is taken orally. The tablets are not chewed and washed down with water. Pills are taken half an hour before meals or 30 minutes after it.
The first two days, the drug is advised to drink 0.25 g three times a day. The dosage is set based on the level of blood pressure. With good tolerability of the drug, the dose is gradually increased every two days. After three days of treatment with Dopegit, a mild sedative effect is manifested.
The norm for patients with hypertension is 0.5-2 g. It is divided into equal shares and consumed up to four times a day. The maximum daily dosage is 3 g.
If when taking a daily dose of 2 g, the treatment did not give a result, and the pressure decreases poorly, then Dopegit is prescribed in combination with other antihypertensive drugs or replace it with another medicine.
The medication can be given to patients who use other antihypertensive drugs in therapy, but with the condition of their withdrawal in the future. In this situation, treatment begins with 0.5 g per day, gradually, if necessary, the amount of medication is increased with a frequency of 48 hours.
Elderly people should start treatment with 0.125-0.25 g. They should not take more than 2 g per day. In children over three years of age, the medicine is prescribed at the rate of 10 mg per kilogram of the child’s weight. The resulting dosage is divided into several doses.
You can not take more than 65 mg of the drug per kilogram of weight, and the daily dosage should not exceed 3 g. After three months of use, "Dopegit" tolerance to the drug often appears. In this case, diuretics and antihypertensive drugs are additionally prescribed.
The medicine "Dopegit": instructions for use during pregnancy
Reviews of experts note that the tablets are easily tolerated and practically do not cause side effects. Because of this, they are often prescribed during the gestational period. The medicine has few contraindications and does not have a toxic effect on the fetus. This property makes it possible to take it to pregnant women for a long period, up to childbirth. During pregnancy, treatment with tablets should be accompanied by medical supervision and observation of a blood test.
They say that the pressure "Dopegit" during pregnancy quickly normalizes, reviews. Dosage is set by the doctor individually. First, a woman is examined. Then, according to the results of the analyzes, the dose is adjusted. Usually, treatment begins with one tablet of 250 mg per day. Watch how the drug is transferred. With good tolerance, the dosage is increased gradually, with an interval of two days. Take the drug until the pressure returns to normal. The maximum daily dose for pregnant women is 2 g.
"Dopepeg" ladies in position is assigned only in cases of emergency. Usually in the second and third trimesters. The drug is needed for pregnant women to prevent late gestosis, and so that the fetus develops normally.
The medicine helps to reduce blood pressure by 10-20%, which makes it possible for a pregnant lady to feel normal.
Side effects
Dopegit tablets are considered by pregnant women to be the best drug for stabilizing blood pressure. Despite this, the drug can cause such negative effects as drowsiness, lethargy, lethargy. When taking the medication, facial paralysis, dizziness, gait insecurity, and parkinsonism sometimes appear. From taking the medication there were headaches, orthostatic hypertension, myocarditis, bradycardia, increased heart failure and angina pectoris. Peripheral edema, hyperemia, pericarditis were observed.
During treatment with Dopegitis, glossalgia, dry mouth, diarrhea, vomiting reflex, and colitis appeared. The patient may be concerned about hepatotoxicity, jaundice, and pancreatitis when taking the pills. Leukopenia, agranulocytosis, hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia were recorded.
The drug can cause myalgia, gynecomastia and arthralgia. Provoke galactorrhea, amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia. Reduce libido and potency.
In isolated cases, fever, Lyell's syndrome occurred during treatment. Worried patients rashes on the skin, exanthema. Nasal congestion and inflammatory processes in the salivary glands were observed.
Shelf life, storage method
The drug is produced in Hungary by the company "EGIS". The medicine should be stored at a temperature of +15 to + 25 ° C. In a place protected from children and the sun. The shelf life of the tablets is five years. The medication should not be used after this period.
Cost of medicine
It is strongly recommended that you consult a doctor before using the drug "Dopegit" instructions for use. Reviews of doctors note that this medicine is the safest of all that reduce blood pressure, and therefore it is prescribed for pregnant women.
Medication can be bought in almost every pharmacy. The price of 50 tablets of 250 mg varies in the region of 200-250 rubles.
Doctors reviews
Doctors often prescribe Dopegit tablets during pregnancy. Doctors' reviews indicate that the medicine does not affect the functioning of the heart. It does not provoke the appearance of tachycardia and does not reduce cardiac output. In their opinion, the drug reduces pressure by reducing blood circulation, as well as the intensity of heart contractions.
Doctors allow the use of the medication during pregnancy, but remind you that you only need to drink it according to strict indications. Relate it to safe medicines. They say that pills can not harm an unborn baby and do not affect its development. The drug retains its effect during the day, which is its additional advantage.
Doctors consider this medicine to be weak and are not prescribed to anyone except pregnant women.
The drug "Dopegit" during pregnancy: reviews
Perhaps one of the most common drugs prescribed during pregnancy is Dopegit. Pregnant women who are concerned about hypertension drink it until birth. They say that it quickly and effectively reduces pressure. Everyone who took these pills was satisfied with the result and gave birth to healthy babies. They note that the medicine does not affect the development of the fetus, but, on the contrary, helps to prevent late gestosis, contributes to the normal intrauterine development of the baby.
“Dopegit” during pregnancy caused negative reviews. These people note the low effectiveness of the drug. They say that it poorly reduces pressure and practically does not help. May cause weakness and drowsiness. Some are not happy with the price and the fact that the drug needs to be drunk for a long time.