What sedatives and antidepressants are known to you? The most popular among doctors and consumers is such a normotymic drug as Sedalit. Reviews and instructions for this medication are presented below. Also in the materials of this article its cost, indications and special properties are indicated.
Drug packaging, its composition, shape
"Sedalite" - biconvex tablets, coated, and placed in a contour package of aluminum foil. The main ingredients of this medication are: lithium carbonate, potato starch, talc, calcium stearate, povidone, hypromellose, polysorbate, tropeolin and titanium dioxide.
Pharmacological action
What is a normotymic drug like Sedalite? The instruction for use claims that it normalizes the mental state of the patient and does not cause general inhibition. Also, this drug has anti-manic, sedative and antidepressant effects.
The effectiveness of the drug in question is due to lithium ions, which are antagonists of sodium ions. According to the instructions, they displace them from the cells and reduce the biological and electrical activity of brain neurons.
It should also be noted that the active substance of this medication contributes to the accelerated decomposition of biogenic amines. Thus, the concentration of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain tissue decreases, and the sensitivity of the hippocampal neurons and its other regions to the action of dopamine increases.
This tool interacts with lipids that are formed during the metabolism of inositol. In therapeutic doses, it blocks the activity of inosyl-one-phosphatase and reduces the concentration of neuronal inositol involved in the regulation of the sensitivity of neurons.
The beneficial effect of lithium in migraines is associated with a change in the amount of histamine and serotonin in platelets. And its antidepressant properties are due to increased serotonergic activity and a decrease in the regulation of beta-adrenergic receptors.
Pharmacokinetic indicators
When you take this drug after a meal, it is absorbed from the intestine and reaches its peak in blood plasma after about 9 hours. This product does not bind to proteins, but it crosses the placental barrier and is excreted in breast milk.
The drug is not metabolized and excreted by the kidneys in an amount of 95% (by means of the intestines - less than 1%, together with sweat - about 4-5%).
The drug "Sedalite": indications
In what cases can the drug in question be recommended for use? As a rule, this remedy is prescribed for the manic phase of psychosis, for the prevention of exacerbations of psychoses (affective) of various origins, aggressiveness (including chronic alcoholism), sexual deviations, psychopathies, and drug dependence. In addition, this medication is often used for Meniere's syndrome, addiction to psychotropic drugs and migraines.
Drug bans
When should you not use Sedalit sedative tablets? Instructions for use informs that this medicine is contraindicated in case of hypersensitivity to its ingredients, heavy surgical operations, leukemia, as well as during breastfeeding and throughout pregnancy.
With extreme caution, a normotymic drug is prescribed for heart diseases, central nervous system, psoriasis, diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis, hyperparathyroidism and renal failure.
Sedalit tablets: instructions for use
How should I use the drug in question? It is taken orally after a meal. In this case, the daily dose of the drug is divided into four times. The last pill should be taken in the evening, or rather, before bedtime.
Typically, the initial daily dosage of this medication is 0.6-0.9 g with a gradual increase to 1.2 g. After that, every day the amount of the drug is increased by 0.3 g and adjusted to 1.5-2.1 g.
It is strictly forbidden to exceed the daily dose of the drug, namely, to consume more than 2.4 g.
The duration of treatment in dosages above 2 g is 1-2 weeks. If the medication is used for prophylactic purposes, then the effectiveness of monotherapy in patients can be achieved by constantly maintaining the concentration of lithium in the blood at the level of 0.4-0.8 mmol / l (for six months).
After the manifestations of manic psychosis are stopped, the daily dosage of the drug is reduced within one week to preventive (that is, to 0.6-1.2 g).
When symptoms reappear, the amount of the drug is increased again.
Side effects
The antidepressant drug "Sedalite" can cause unpleasant effects such as:
- muscle weakness, heart rhythm disturbances, hand tremors;
- hyperreflexia, adynamia, dyspepsia, drowsiness;
- articulation disorders (with prolonged use), increased thirst;
- disorders in the thyroid gland, leukocytosis;
- hematopoiesis, weight gain.
Overdose cases
When using high doses of a medication such as Sedalit, the price of which is indicated below, the patient may experience: tremor, muscle weakness, dysarthria, severe cramps, vomiting, confused consciousness, as well as dizziness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, blurred vision, drowsiness, nausea, and polyuria. In this case, it is necessary to cancel the drug and conduct symptomatic therapy.
Interaction
Can I take Sedalit tablets with other medicines? Instructions for use reports the following interactions:
- When taken simultaneously with ACE inhibitors, Indapamide, NSAIDs and diuretics (thiazide), toxic effects and a sudden increase in the concentration of lithium in the blood may occur.
- When combined with iodine preparations, the risk of thyroid gland disorders increases.
- Parallel administration with sodium bicarbonate and xanthine derivatives enhances the excretion of lithium with urine, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the drug.
- With the simultaneous use of the drug with phenothiazines, its absorption from the digestive tract, as well as its concentration in the blood, decreases. In this case, the concentration of lithium inside the cells increases, as well as its rate of excretion along with urine.
Special recommendations
Weakened patients and elderly patients need to adjust the dosage regimen.
During the first 30 days of treatment, the concentration of lithium in the blood should be monitored every week.
During the period of therapy should not drink alcoholic beverages.
Similar drugs and cost
The drug "Sedalite" is a very effective and fast-acting sedative. As a rule, its price varies between 120-150 rubles. You can buy such a drug in any pharmacy. If this tool is not available to you, then it can be replaced by such analogues as “Lithium carbonate”, “Micalit”, “Lithosan-SR”, “Quilonum”, “Kontemnol”.
Due to the fact that the listed funds have their own characteristics in use, they can be used only on the recommendation of a doctor.
Reviews
What messages can be found about the drug "Sedalit"? Testimonials from patients and doctors will be presented right now.
Some patients claim that such a sedative is highly effective and relatively inexpensive. Other consumers constantly complain that this medication has a large number of side effects. As a rule, after taking it, patients increase weight and swelling appears. In addition, often this antidepressant drug causes apathy, general lethargy, severe thirst, drowsiness and arrhythmia.
As for the reviews of experts, they report that with the right dosage and regular monitoring of lithium in the blood, this remedy is quite effective.