"Zilt" belongs to the group of antiplatelet medications. Platelets are the smallest particles of blood that connect to each other during coagulation. By blocking the ability to combine these particles, antiplatelet medications reduce the risk of blood clots (the process of their formation is called thrombosis).
"Zilt" is taken to prevent the formation of blood clots in blood vessels (arteries) affected by atherosclerosis. Atherothrombosis, in turn, can lead to a stroke or heart attack, including fatal.
The doctor prescribes "Zilt" to thin the blood and prevent a stroke or heart attack, because the patient:
- Suffers from atherosclerosis and has already suffered a heart attack or stroke, or suffers from a disease of peripheral arteries.
- He suffered severe chest pain, known as "unstable angina", or myocardial infarction (heart attack).
Your doctor may consider installing a stent in a blocked or narrowed artery as the best treatment option to restore normal blood flow. Acetylsalicylic acid is also given to the patient, this substance is part of many drugs designed to alleviate pain, reduce heat and prevent thrombosis. Thus, when "Zilt" is prescribed, indications usually include the use of aspirin.
Contraindications
You can not take "Zilt" if:
- You have an allergy or individual intolerance to clopidogrel or other components of the drug.
- You have been diagnosed with a disease or condition accompanied by internal bleeding (such as a stomach ulcer).
- You are suffering from severe liver disease.
If you are not sure whether the above statements apply to you, consult your doctor.
Use with caution
As a rule, people tend to follow the doctor’s prescription and take the "Zilt", the price of which allows not only to maintain health, but also not to go broke. Nevertheless, if at least one of the following statements is true in relation to you, be sure to inform your doctor:
- You may experience bleeding (see below).
- Over the past week, you have formed a blood clot in an artery or brain (ischemic stroke).
- You have a liver or kidney disease.
Bleeding may open when:
- You suffer from diseases that can be complicated by internal bleeding.
- You have been diagnosed with a blood disease that can cause internal bleeding (in tissues, organs, or joints).
- You have recently suffered a serious injury.
- During the week you are planning a surgical operation (including a dentist).
Taking the drug
Using the medicine "Zilt", you should remember:
- It is necessary to inform the doctor of any planned surgical operation (including visits to the dentist surgeon).
- You should immediately contact your doctor if you experience thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), the signs of which include an increase in body temperature and the appearance of subcutaneous hematomas in the form of small red dots. In thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, an unexplained sensation of extreme fatigue, disorientation in time and space, and yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice) can also be observed (but may be completely absent). It will be required to immediately stop using: Zilt is not intended for use in case of serious complications.
- If you accidentally cut yourself or otherwise violate the integrity of the skin and capillaries, you may notice that the bleeding stops more slowly than usual. This is due to the effect of a medication designed to thin the blood. Small scratches and cuts, including when shaving, usually do not cause anxiety. If the wound is more serious, you should consult a doctor.
- You may have to take blood tests.
The drug "Zilt" is not prescribed for children and adolescents.
Interaction with other substances
Be sure to tell the doctor what medications you are taking or have taken recently, as their properties may reduce the effectiveness of Zilt, or vice versa. In particular, the use of the following medicines should be mentioned:
- anticoagulants - blood thinners;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used to anesthetize muscles and joints;
- "Heparin" and other injections against thrombosis;
- "Omeprazole", "Esomeprazole" or "Cimetidine" - medicines for the treatment of the stomach;
- "Fluconazole", "Voriconazole", "Ciprofloxacin" or "Chloramphenicol" - antibacterial and antifungal drugs;
- "Fluoxetine", "Fluvoxamine" or "Moclobemide" - antidepressants;
- "Carbamazepine" or "Oxcarbamazepine" - drugs for epilepsy.
"Zilt" can be taken both with food and regardless of meals.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
During pregnancy, it is advisable not to use "Zilt 75": the price of such treatment may be too high.
If pregnancy occurs, as well as if it is suspected of occurring, you should inform your doctor about this before taking the medication. If conception occurred during treatment with Zilt, it is urgent to consult a doctor, since clopidogrel is contraindicated for pregnant women.
Do not breast-feed while using the drug.
Important Information About Some Features
Zilt contains lactose and hydrogenated castor oil.
If you have an individual intolerance to certain sugars, you should wait for the doctor's recommendations before taking the medicine.
Hydrogenated castor oil can cause indigestion and diarrhea. If such side effects were provoked precisely by Zilt, analogues may be safer.
Suction
After taking both a single dose (4 tablets) and regular doses every day (1 tablet), clopidogrel is rapidly absorbed. The average maximum level of unchanged clopidogrel in blood plasma is fixed 45 minutes after taking Zilt. Judging by the analysis of the urine of patients, exactly half of the substance is completely absorbed by the body.
Dosage
You should always take the medicine at the doses recommended by your doctor.
If you have suffered unstable angina or a heart attack, the doctor will prescribe you 300 mg of Zilt (4 tablets of 75 mg) in a single dose at the beginning of treatment. Then you will need to take maintenance doses - one tablet of "Zilt 75" per day inside - with meals or regardless of food intake. They drink medicine every day at the same time.
The duration of the course is determined by the doctor.
Overdose
In case of an overdose, contact your doctor immediately or call an ambulance, as increasing the amount of the drug increases the risk of bleeding.
If you forgot to take a pill, but remembered it within 12 hours from the usual time of taking the drug, drink "Zilt 75" and then follow your schedule as usual. If more than 12 hours have passed since the appointed time, skip the dose and then resume taking the tablets as usual. Do not drink two tablets to make up for lost time.
Do not interrupt the course of "Zilt" to the appropriate doctor's instructions.
Security
In the United States, preclinical studies of the effects of clopidogrel in rats and baboons were conducted. Based on the results of the experiments, scientists concluded that liver changes were the most common anomaly in animals. Anomalies occurred under the condition that the usual human dose was exceeded by 25 times and occurred due to the multiply enhanced effect on hepatic metabolism. When taking a therapeutic dose of 75 mg every day, such an effect on the liver is considered impossible.
Side effects
Like all medicines, Zilt, analogues and other medicines containing clopidogrel can cause a number of side effects. Of course, not all patients experience the undesirable consequences of treatment. Seek immediate medical attention if you have:
- Heat, signs of infection, or unexplained fatigue. Such side effects can occur due to a decrease in the number of certain blood cells, but this is extremely rare.
- Signs of liver problems: yellowing of the skin and / or whites of the eyes (jaundice), which in some cases may be accompanied by subcutaneous bleeding in the form of red dots and / or disorientation in time and space (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura).
- Oral inflammation or skin lesions in the form of a rash, itching, or blisters. So an allergic reaction can manifest itself.
The most common side effect is bleeding. It can open in the stomach, intestines, under the skin in the form of hematomas. Sometimes there is bleeding from the nose or the presence of blood in the urine. In rare cases, bleeding occurs in the eyes, brain, lungs, or joints.
Other side effects
Medical statistics agencies have also received reports of some other side effects of a drug such as Zilt. Reviews most often contain information about the following disorders of the body: diarrhea, sternum pain, upset stomach, heartburn.
Less common are headaches, stomach ulcers, nausea, vomiting, constipation, increased gas formation in the stomach or intestines, skin rash, itching, dizziness, numbness or tingling sensations in different parts of the body.
Extremely rare side effects: jaundice, severe pain in the sternum combined with back pain, fever, difficulty breathing and coughing, allergic reactions, inflammation in the oral cavity, blisters on the skin, skin allergy, stomatitis, decreased blood pressure, disorientation over time and space, hallucinations, pain in joints or muscles, changes in taste.
Changes in blood biochemistry or in the composition of urine are possible.
Storage
Keep "Zilt" is necessary in places inaccessible to children.
Do not use a medicine that has expired. The expiration date is indicated on the cardboard packaging and on the blister after the letters EXP. The date implies that the drug is suitable for use until the last day of the specified month.
Keep Zilt in its original packaging to prevent it from spoiling from moisture and light.
Zilt: analogues and preferences
The following medicines can be attributed to the most famous analogues of the drug:
- Clopidex.
- Plavix.
- Lopirel.
- Trombeks.
- Detrombe.
- "Clopidogrel."
Often, patients have the question of whether it is possible to use Zilt directly - perhaps it is better to prefer the “pure” drug “Clopidogrel” or the “Plavix” which is gaining popularity everywhere. The answer is quite clear: you should use only the drug that your doctor has prescribed. If you are not satisfied with its cost, you can discuss with your doctor options for replacing the prescribed drug with an equally safe medicine with the same effect. Clopidogrel contains not only Zilt, analogues like Plavix are also used to prevent blood clots.
As for the cost, it is difficult to compare the medication with similar drugs, since the price tags vary significantly both at the level of manufacturers and at the level of district pharmacies. Not only Zilt is comparatively cheap - the price of some other similar medicines is on average 500-600 rubles per pack.
Price summary
The drug can be purchased in boxes of 14, 28 or 84 tablets. Accordingly, the cost is:
- Packing 14 tablets - 500-590 rubles.
- Packing 28 tablets - 970-1050 rubles.
- Packing 84 tablets - 2100-2220 rubles.
Prices for Zilt are based on public offers of popular Moscow pharmacies.