Treatment of hypertension and heart failure has become possible since the discovery of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. One of the representatives of this group is captopril. Drugs based on it have been widely used to reduce high blood pressure and relieve hypertensive crisis.
Description of the drug
The medicine “Kaptopres” refers to complex preparations, which contain two active substances: captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, and diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. The drug exhibits a pronounced hypotensive and diuretic effect. It is produced in the form of tablets for oral administration by the Ukrainian pharmaceutical company Darnitsa.
There are two dosages of the drug, differing in the amount of the diuretic component. Tablets for pressure “Kaptopres” contain 50 mg of captopril and hydrochlorothiazide 25 or 12.5 mg. Additional ingredients are povidone, milk sugar, aerosil, potato starch and magnesium stearate.
Cost
For the drug "Kaptopres" the price ranges from 180 rubles per package. The cost is much lower than other alternative drugs that lower blood pressure, which does not reduce its effectiveness. In the country of the manufacturer for the medicine "Kaptopres" the price is about 89 rubles per pack with 20 tablets.
How does the drug work?
The active components determine the mechanism of action of the drug "Kaptopres", which determines its therapeutic effect on the human body.
By inhibiting the angiotensin converting enzyme captopril, the synthesis of type 2 angiotensin is suppressed. Under the influence of this oligopeptide hormone, blood vessels are narrowed, the production of aldosterone by the adrenal cortex is stimulated.
A decrease in angiotensin of the second type reduces pressure in the arteries, in the right atrium, vessels forming a pulmonary circulation, indicators of total peripheral vascular resistance, and the load on the heart muscle. Knowing the characteristics of captopril, you can determine the effect of the drug "Captopres", at what pressure to take this medication.
Thanks to hydrochlorothiazide, a moderate diuretic effect on the urinary system is carried out by removing water molecules, chloride, potassium and sodium ions from the body. The substance is able to reduce the level of sodium in the vessel wall, making it less sensitive to vasoconstrictor effects, and enhance the antihypertensive effect of captopril.
Kaptopres tablets: what do they help from?
The drug eliminates arterial hypertension of various forms, including hypertension resistant to other drugs.
With the help of this tool, emergency care is carried out during a hypertensive crisis.
Main indications
To help the medicine, it should be drunk only after measuring the pressure.
It is important to know when to take Kaptopres tablets. Indications for the use of the drug include:
- essential hypertension, which develops due to the action of various factors not related to the disease;
- symptomatic hypertension, which is a symptom of various diseases;
- malignant hypertension with angina attacks or cardiac insufficiency;
- Renovascular hypertension associated with kidney vessel problems;
- renoparenchymal hypertension in combination with a chronic or acute form of glomerulonephritis of primary and secondary etiology;
- hypertension with bronchial asthma;
- diabetic nephropathy;
- congestive heart failure, when cardiac glycosides are weak;
- Conn disease with a primary form of hyperaldosteronism.
The drug is used for emergency emergency care for hypertensive crisis.
How to take
You need to be extremely careful with Kaptopres tablets. At what pressure should I take the medicine so as not to harm my health? This question is asked by many patients with hypertension to their doctor.
Typically, 120/80 mmHg are considered normal pressure indicators. Art. At higher values, measures should be taken to reduce blood pressure. If Kaptopres medication is prescribed for patients for pressure, it should be drunk 60 minutes before a meal so as not to disturb the absorption of the active components.
The dosage is selected depending on the form of hypertension and the severity of each patient individually.
Treatment should begin with half the tablet, which contains captopril 25 mg and hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg. She is drunk 1 time a day. For further maintenance therapy, a whole tablet is already taken per day with the amount of captopril at 50 mg and hydrochlorothiazide at 25 mg. The maximum therapeutic effect is observed after 1.5-2 months from the first use. Dosage adjustment is carried out using a 6-week interval, taking into account the lack of need for its rapid change.
An insufficient decrease in blood pressure may be the reason for the inclusion in therapy of an additional amount of captopril and hydrochlorothiazide, which are taken as part of single-component preparations. The number of daily doses of captopril should be no more than 150 mg, and the content of hydrochlorothiazide - not more than 50 mg.
To stop a hypertensive crisis, I use one tablet, which is chewed and kept under the tongue.
Urinary Disorders
Excretion of captopril and hydrochlorothiazide is carried out using the kidneys. Violations in the work of this body (with creatinine clearance of 30-80 ml per 1 minute) lead to an increase in the level of active components of the tablet in serum.
To adjust the dose of active substances to therapeutic indicators, take half a tablet per day, which corresponds to the amount of captopril 25 mg and hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg. Usually take the medicine in the morning 1 hour before breakfast.
Drug effectiveness
Kaptopres tablets treat hypertension and heart failure, and their main component, captopril, was first used in the 70s of the last century. Many patients talk about the benefits of the drug, that with its help, blood pressure quickly decreases during a hypertensive crisis. It is important to take pills correctly and regularly to get an effective result.
In the course of numerous clinical studies of captopril-based drugs, it was proved that they lower blood pressure and reduce the number of deaths from diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Who is contraindicated in treatment
The Kaptopres medication instructions for use include a number of contraindications, which include increased individual sensitivity to the active ingredients of the tablets, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and sulfamide derivatives.
You can not take the drug with stenosis of the artery leading to a single kidney or two kidneys, after transplantation of this organ, with severe violations in its work, when the rate of blood purification from creatinine is 30 ml per 1 minute, and its concentration in plasma does not exceed 1, 8 mg per 100 ml.
The medicine is not used by patients who have signs of primary hyperaldosteronism, decreased levels of potassium and sodium ions in the blood, hypovolemia, gout and hypercalcemia, obstructive changes with aortic stenosis and impaired outflow of blood located in the left ventricle.
It is forbidden to take the drug during severe liver diseases, pregnant and breast-feeding women. Contraindication is children under 18 years of age.
Diuretics stop taking 3 days before the first use of a captopril and diuretic medication.
Particular care is required by older people, drivers of vehicles, immunocompromised patients whose creatinine clearance is 30-60 ml per 1 minute, the protein content is increased in the urine and its values exceed 1000 mg per day.
You need to be extremely careful when taking procainamide, heart failure, impaired renal function, diabetes mellitus, increased pressure in the renal arteries. To monitor the patient’s health, a periodic pressure measurement is usually prescribed, and kidney function and blood electrolyte levels are checked.
Undesirable consequences
When taking the Kaptopres preparation, the instruction describes the occurrence in some patients of various adverse reactions that affect different systems of the body.
With a negative effect on the digestive tract and liver, appetite decreases, the mucous membrane of the oral cavity becomes dry, you can observe nausea, vomiting, pain in the stomach, irregular stools, development of stomatitis, peptic ulcer, icteric state, hepatitis, increased bilirubin in the blood.
Influence on the heart, blood vessels and hemopoietic organs can be manifested by tachycardia, angina pectoris, low blood pressure, Raynaud's syndrome, redness or pallor of the skin, cardiogenic shock, neutropenia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, hemolytic or aplastic anemia.
The drug has an effect on the central nervous system that disrupts sleep patterns, vision and taste, cerebral circulation, causes headache, dizziness, emotional lability, confusion, numbness of the limbs.
The effect on the respiratory system is manifested by cough, impaired respiratory function, bronchospasm, allergic rhinitis.
Side effects on the urinary system are expressed by renal failure, polyuria, oliguria, nephrotic syndrome.
An allergy may develop in the form of skin rash, itching, urticaria, Quincke's edema, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, photosensitivity, erythema.
Treatment features
For many patients, it is important to know how Kaptopres works, at what pressure to take it. Typically, a medicine is drunk when blood pressure rises, which is not correct. We need a systematic medication according to the doctor’s recommendations.
During treatment, the electrolyte concentration, especially potassium ions, the amount of creatinine and urea should be checked and the blood counts of the peripheral sections should be monitored.
When taking the drug, you need to eat foods with a minimum sodium content, alcohol is contraindicated.
Having a diuretic effect, the drug can aggravate the state of disturbed water-electrolyte balance associated with diuretic therapy, diarrhea, vomiting, a diet with a low amount of sodium, hemodialysis, resulting in arterial hypotension. Before antihypertensive therapy, the level of electrolytes in the body should be adjusted.
Patients with impaired cardiac activity and the elderly are prescribed caution with Kaptopres tablets. At what pressure should I take the drug so that its performance does not become too low? Before taking the medication, blood pressure should be checked, it is also necessary to monitor renal function, the content of vital ions.
The Negroid race is considered resistant to drugs that inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme, which is why captopril has a lesser effect on such patients.
Advantages of Kaptopres tablets
- Captopril-based drugs reduce mortality in diseases of the cardiovascular system.
- Kaptopres tablets are able to reduce high blood pressure. They can be used in old and old age.
- With drug treatment, kidney damage, including diabetic nephropathy and cancer, is reduced.
- Does not reduce male libido, is able to exhibit antioxidant activity.
- The course of treatment with Kaptopres tablets will be cheaper than taking other modern drugs that reduce blood pressure.