"Picamilon" is a drug that refers to nootropic substances. With regular use, it has a stimulating effect on the brain: memory improves, stress resistance increases, sleep problems go away, anxiety worries recede into the background. The use of "Picamilon" today is possible even for children and adolescents (in the presence of certain indications). Of course, the drug also has side effects. An overdose of Picamilon is dangerous - therefore, prior to use, consultation and a prescription for the purchase of the drug from a neurologist, neurologist or psychiatrist are necessary.
Composition and form of release
The drug has two forms of release: these are tablets for oral administration and ampoules for injection. Both intramuscular and intravenous administration are possible (judging by the reviews of doctors and patients, the latter is preferable).
The main active component of Picamilon is nicotinoyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid (nicotinoyl-GABA). This component has long been proven effective; back in the last century, it was actively used in neurology and psychiatry. The formula of gamma-aminobutyric acid is enriched with nicotinoyl molecules, which allows to improve the blood supply to the brain. The drug has proven effective in a number of diseases: laboratory studies indicate that the benefit of taking is not a placebo.
The drug is available in various dosages:
- Tablets - 0.02 g or 0.05 g, which corresponds to 20 mg and 50 mg;
- Solution for injection - 50 mg / ml or 100 mg / ml, which corresponds to 5% or 10% concentration.
An overdose of Picamilon has a number of unpleasant consequences, so it is extremely undesirable to prescribe a dosage for yourself and start taking the drug. Optimally, if the course is prescribed by a competent neuropathologist. Most often, "Picamilon" is prescribed in conjunction with other nootropics, vasodilators. Indications for "Picamilon" - a prerequisite to start taking. Self-administration is fraught with unpleasant consequences for the psyche and nervous system of the patient.
Indications for use of the drug
Before you start taking, you should consult your doctor. The instruction for the Picamilon tablets indicates that the drug is effective in the following diseases and conditions:
- ischemic stroke of varying severity;
- recovery period after a stroke;
- cerebrovascular insufficiency of various etiologies;
- vegetovascular dystonia of varying severity;
- migraine with and without aura;
- head injuries;
- state of irritability, unmotivated aggression, apathy and asthenia;
- sleep problems - disturbance of phases and sleep cycles, nightmares, insomnia;
- depression and abnormal emotional lability;
- senile psychoses;
- withdrawal status due to alcohol abuse (chronic alcoholism);
- a period of excessive physical and psychoemotional stress;
- open-angle glaucoma (only subject to normal eye pressure);
- chronic diseases of the optic nerve and retina;
- urination disorders in adolescents, children and adults;
- delayed psycho-speech development in children;
- increased intellectual stress and recovery from stressful situations.
The injection form of the drug has a similar list of indications. "Picamilon" is most effective when administered intravenously if the following conditions are observed:
- acute alcohol poisoning;
- therapy of neurosis and asthenic conditions;
- acute and chronic cerebrovascular accident;
- therapy of cerebrovascular diseases.
Intravenous administration of the drug can be carried out only in a hospital setting. It is not necessary to go there on an ongoing basis - often neuropathologists prescribe the necessary course (dosage and duration), after which the patient visits the medical office daily to receive an injection.
Side effects of the drug
As mentioned above - self-administration of Picamilon is extremely undesirable. Side effects can develop suddenly and cause temporary disability.
- From the side of the nervous system: panic attacks, inability to concentrate, motor anxiety, headache, nervous tics, irritability, overexcitation, nervousness.
- From the organs of the gastrointestinal tract: nausea, pain in the epigastric region, redness (hyperemia) of the face and limbs - with the use of large doses of tablets or the introduction of an excessive amount of intravenous.
- From the endocrine system: allergic reactions (the most common - hyperemia of the skin, tingling of the hands and face after taking a dose), the appearance of a rash, eczema.
How to take "Picamilon" to guaranteed to avoid the development of side effects? For adults, the average dosage is two to three tablets per day (for asthenia, cerebrovascular accident, insomnia, irritability, nervousness. With rehabilitation therapy after a stroke or traumatic brain injury, this dosage can and should be increased at the discretion of the attending physician (a lot depends on of which drugs are used as part of complex therapy with Picamilon).
Dosage for withdrawal symptoms: two to three tablets per day for a week. If the symptoms do not alleviate, you should contact a narcologist or neurologist.
Children with a delay in psycho-speech development are prescribed the minimum doses (vary from the age and weight of the small patient), which can be increased as the body gets used to it. The drug is not addictive and is most often well tolerated by children. In the first weeks of admission, hyperactive behavior, difficulty with falling asleep in the evenings, is possible.
The consequences of an overdose of the drug
An overdose of "Picamilon" most often affects the nervous and mental state of the patient. The following symptoms are characteristic:
- dizziness, inability to concentrate, severe drowsiness, defocused attention;
- if the patient took other drugs in parallel, then, on the contrary, hyperactivity, manic state may develop;
- Strong headache;
- impaired liver and kidney function.
Taking the drug is prohibited during pregnancy and breastfeeding, in the presence of chronic pathologies of the kidneys and liver, hypersensitivity to nicotinic acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid.
Symptoms of an overdose of "Picamilon", as a rule, are most pronounced in the first weeks of admission. This fact does not exclude that an overdose can occur at any stage of therapy. You should call an ambulance and rinse your stomach if the patient has taken too large a dose of the drug.
Compatibility with other drugs
Often patients have the question - how appropriate is the simultaneous use of "Picamilon" and "Mexidol"? These drugs belong to various pharmacological groups, although at first glance it may seem to an inexperienced person in pharmacology that their therapeutic effect is identical. The similarities in these drugs are that they can both act as antioxidants. For Mexidol, this is the main action, while for Picamilon it is only concomitant.
Picamilon improves cerebral circulation due to direct exposure, and Mexidol indirectly, due to the antioxidant effect and increased resistance of the body, including the brain to oxygen deficiency. In the presence of serious diseases and cerebrovascular accident, it is definitely better to give preference to "Picamilon". Some doctors prescribe both of these drugs at the same time, making up a special course of treatment.
With concomitant use with barbiturates, Picamilon will enhance their effect. Therefore, similar drugs are not put in one course. The same can be said about the interaction of Picamilon and narcotic analgesics.
Compatibility "Picamilon" and alcohol
The simultaneous administration of a nootropic with alcohol almost always leads to inhibition of cerebral circulation, the lack of sufficient oxygen for the normal functioning of neurons, and a strong sedative effect. Depending on the individual characteristics of the body and the amount of alcohol, the result of intoxication may be different. A person who decides to take alcohol while taking nootropics should be aware that his nervous system is susceptible to toxic shock.
"Picamilon" is indicated for use during withdrawal periods - that is, when the metabolites of ethyl alcohol have already been removed from the body and the person is actually sober, but suffers from the effects of the toxic effects of ethanol on the nervous system.
What is better "Picamilon" helps with withdrawal symptoms? All nootropics in this situation will give approximately one effect: reduce anxiety, improve sleep, increase mental performance. You can combine the reception with "Mexidol" during withdrawal and post-withdrawal syndrome. The main condition is not to return to use again, this can lead to even greater disruption of the functioning of the nervous system.
Reviews of patients about taking the drug
Patient reviews about Picamilon are different: the drug helped someone return to a full life, and some people did not feel significant changes in their health.
In panic attacks, Picamilon received good reviews from those patients who did not suffer from pronounced manifestations of the condition at the physical level. Many people write that thanks to the drug they managed to completely get rid of the state of anxiety, excitement and unmotivated irritability. The most striking effect appears approximately two weeks after the start of the drug.
Patients with insomnia note that they began to fall asleep better. At the same time, they took the drug in the morning, and not before bedtime. Nicotinic acid in the composition has a positive effect on metabolism - therefore, in the reviews, people note that getting rid of excess weight while taking Picamilon is faster and easier.
Patient reviews on the use of injectable "Picamilon"
Using the injectable form of the drug allows you to achieve faster and more vivid results from therapy - this is confirmed not only by reviews, but also by instructions for use with Picamilon. Reviews about the analogues of the drug also report that, for example, the same "Mexidol" is also most effective precisely with intravenous administration.
Patients indicate that very quickly (already on the third or fourth day of therapy) significantly increases performance and cognitive abilities. People become more focused, attentive, more motivated to act. During the period of withdrawal syndrome, it is also recommended to use the injection form of the drug.
Testimonials from parents whose children received therapy
The use of Picamilon in the treatment of childhood behavioral disorders is a sore spot for many parents. Most often, the reviews reflect a rather incomprehensible picture: some children have clearly improved cognitive abilities and even have speech, but others have shown hyperactivity, and stereotyped behavior has intensified. How to understand if Picamilon is suitable for a particular child, how many tablets should be given to the baby, and how long should the course be? The answers to these questions can only be given by an experienced neurologist who observes a child long enough to make up the most complete clinical picture.
Reviews of parents of children with autism indicate that in most cases, taking Picamilon leads to an increase in unwanted behavior. Testimonials of parents of children with general speech underdevelopment indicate that Picamilon therapy has achieved fairly good results provided that classes with a psychologist and speech therapist are conducted in parallel.
List of effective analogues of the drug
The modern pharmacological industry offers quite a lot of analogues of "Picamilon" both according to the principle of action, and according to the structural formula. For children and adults, such an analogue as Pantogam is popular - it is available in the form of tablets and syrup. Pantocalcin is another inexpensive analogue of Pantogam and Picamilon.
"Fezam", "Piracetam", "Nootropil" are popular nootropics that have similar indications for use, but have a different way of affecting the nervous system (accordingly, side effects and consequences of overdose also differ).
"Vinpocetine", "Cavinton" also contribute to the restoration of cerebral circulation, but their composition is different from "Picamilon". Before choosing one or another drug substitute for yourself, you need to consult with your neurologist.