Diseases associated with brain pathology and the nervous system are one of the most common ailments of the modern world. Not only people of age suffer from them, but also youth, and even children. In such cases, doctors prescribe nootropic drugs, one of which is Cerebrolysin. Reviews, instructions for use and analogues of the drug will be understood in this article.
What is this remedy? Can I take it for children? According to reviews, “Cerebrolysin” in injections is actively used in pediatrics. Below, it will be examined in detail at what dosage and at what ailments the drug is used to treat adults and children.
Also, the article will separately discuss the side effects and contraindications of Cerebrolysin. Instructions, reviews and analogues will also be given.
Briefly about the active substance
As mentioned above, “Cerebrolysin” is a nootropic drug, most often prescribed in the complex treatment of pathological processes that disrupt the coordinated functioning of the nervous system. What is the active component of this tool?
The main active ingredient of the drug is a concentrate obtained from the brain of an animal such as a pig. This peptide complex has a positive effect on the human brain. This information is confirmed by the instruction for “Cerebrolysin”. The reviews of specialists, as well as satisfied patients indicate that the main component of the drug has real effectiveness.
The active substance itself consists of 15 percent of neuropeptides and 85 percent of various amino acids (a total of eighteen).
What is the drug
What is the release form of this concentrate? These, according to the instructions for use, are intramuscular injections. According to reviews, “Cerebrolysin” in the form of a solution for injection just works wonders. The solution itself is a clear liquid of a bright yellow-brown hue.
Is there another form of release of the active substance, for example, in capsules or suspensions? The answer to this question is negative, since manufacturers do not produce Cerebrolysin in tablets. According to reviews, this is very inconvenient, especially when it comes to treating babies. Moms would love to give their beloved child a tasty suspension than inject him with the drug. But what can you do, such is life.
The composition of the drug
In addition to the complex of peptides, the amount of which in one milliliter of the drug is slightly more than 215 milligrams, the auxiliary components of the solution are sodium hydroxide and distilled water.
In glass ampoules, the drug is sold in volumes of one, two, five, ten and twenty milliliters. If you use the drug for intravenous infusion, then prescribe the drug in glass bottles, the volume of which is slightly more - thirty milliliters.
What do the reviews of specialists say about Cerebrolysin injections? How does the agent get into the human body?
Pharmacological effects
How does the drug work when it enters the body of children or adults? Reviews of Cerebrolysin injections show that the drug has a positive effect on the nervous system quite quickly. What makes this happen?
Once in the blood, a complex of peptides (or proteins) penetrates into neurons, resulting in a complex effect on the human brain. What is it like?
According to doctors, “Cerebrolysin” improves aerobic metabolism and accelerates the process of intracellular protein compounds. Also, the drug performs a protective function, for example, prevents the appearance of free radicals, reduces the negative effects of exciting amino acids, protects neurons and prevents their death from ischemia, intoxication, hypoxia or other negative factors.
According to reviews, Cerebrolysin injections for adults and children have a beneficial effect on the homeostasis of antioxidant trace elements such as magnesium, vanadium, selenium, manganese, and potassium. Moreover, regular use of the drug has a positive effect on the process occurring in the brain and is responsible for mental work, training, memorization and even good mood.
According to reviews, the use of “Cerebrolysin” can significantly slow down or even stop the progressive development of degenerative processes that occur in brain neurons. This function of the drug has been clinically proven by many studies. It is noteworthy that only Cerebrolysin injections have a similar effect. Indications for use and reviews about this tool will be presented below.
How is the remedy
The drug consists of active biological peptides. Therefore, reliable, clinically verified information on its pharmacokinetics does not exist. This is because it is impossible to study in a laboratory way how the active substance is absorbed by the body, interacts with blood cells and is excreted.
What diseases are prescribed intramuscularly “Cerebrolysin”? According to experts and patients taking this drug, the drug really helps in the fight against serious diseases and pathological processes. This will be discussed further.
What ailments are prescribed
What do doctors and patients say about this? According to reviews, the use of “Cerebrolysin” is advisable in the development of psychiatric and neurological pathologies of children and adults, which are accompanied by a deterioration in brain activity and impaired intellectual functions. The following diseases are primarily referred to such ailments:
- Dementia of various genesis.
- Alzheimer's disease.
- Ischemic stroke. It occurs due to a violation of blood flow in the tissues of the brain, because of which they atrophy.
- Damage to the spinal cord or brain due to injury.
- Cerebral pathologies that impair blood circulation in the brain (for example, atherosclerosis).
- Development delay in children (mental retardation).
- Various pathologies caused by attention deficit in children, hyperreactivity.
- Severe, prolonged depression that cannot be treated with conventional antidepressants.
This list of diseases is presented in the annotation to the drug. As you can see, the tool is actively used to treat small patients. This is confirmed by numerous reviews of “Cerebrolysin”. For children, instructions for use will be presented below.
How to take the drug. General information
Instructions, analogues and reviews about “Cerebrolysin” are of interest to many. Therefore, let us first study in detail how to take the drug, and only then we will get acquainted with its substitutes. Also below will be presented real reviews of patients or their relatives about the use of this drug.
As mentioned above, “Cerebrolysin” is an injection. Most often, the medicine is prescribed intramuscularly (if you need to enter up to five milliliters of the drug) or intravenously (if the recommended dose of injection is up to ten milligrams).
However, there are circumstances when it is advisable to enter from ten to fifty milligrams of the drug at a time. In such cases, “Cerebrolysin” should be administered with a dropper. The duration of the manipulation is from fifteen minutes to an hour.
It is clear that the method of taking the drug and the dosage depends on the disease itself, as well as on its severity. And although only the attending physician will prescribe specific appointments, in the annotation to the medication you can get general information about how to use the drug for adults and for children. According to reviews, “Cerebrolysin” is able to help as soon as possible, it is important only to strictly follow the instructions of the attending physician.
Diseases and their conditions
First, let's discuss how to use the drug to treat adults. Reviews about “Cerebrolysin” indicate that it is quite easily tolerated by older people or patients weakened by various pathologies.
In acute conditions caused by ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, complication of neurosurgery, “Cerebrolysin” is prescribed once a day. A single dose varies from ten to fifty milligrams.
In the acute stage of a stroke of the brain, trauma to the spinal cord or brain, the drug is also administered once, the daily dose varies between five and fifty milligrams of the drug. More detailed recommendations are given by a specialist.
For depression and the psycho-organic syndrome, five to thirty milligrams are prescribed once a day. Treatment should be carried out in combination with other necessary means.
Alzheimer's disease or other dementia involves the administration of a drug from five to thirty milligrams at a time.
Treating small patients
How is Cerebrolysin used in pediatrics? Here, the dosage of the drug depends not only on the disease and its stage, but also on the age of the child, as well as his body weight. Your doctor will tell you more detailed information. He will also write down an individual injection schedule and the optimal dosage, which is calculated by the following formula: 0.1 or 0.2 milligrams per kilogram of a child’s weight.
The duration of admission for both children and adults is prescribed by a specialist. The manufacturer recommends a course of treatment for ten to twenty days. Then a break should be made, the duration of which, again, is determined by the doctor in each individual case. According to numerous patient reviews, the interval between courses depends on the severity of the disease, as well as on the effectiveness of the treatment. In some cases, a second dose of the drug was prescribed after two or three months, sometimes after six months.
According to the manufacturer's recommendations, during the second course, the injection should not be done every day, but after two or three days.
When you can not take the remedy
The drug does not have a very long list of contraindications. First of all, it can not be prescribed to those patients who have found individual intolerance to the components of the drug. Also, the drug is contraindicated in people with a history of acute kidney failure, epilepsy, or similar conditions (uncontrolled muscle cramps that occur paroxysmally). Also, “Cerebrolysin” is recommended to be taken with caution in patients suffering from allergic diathesis. Pregnancy and feeding are also conditional contraindications to the use of the product. Although it has not been experimentally proven that the drug can have a negative effect on the fetus, it is better to refrain from its introduction during these special periods of every woman’s life. In any case, the justification for using Cerebrolysin for the treatment of a future or nursing mother is decided only by a doctor.
A little about the side effects of “Cerebrolysin”
What do patients and specialists note in their reviews of the drug? During the treatment period, allergic reactions can occur, manifested in skin rashes and itching. If administered incorrectly, you may experience a sensation of fever, sweating, or burning at the injection site. With a quick manipulation, the patient may experience such unpleasant symptoms as pain in the neck, back, head or limbs, chills, shortness of breath, fever.
Very rarely, nervous or mental disorders can occur, accompanied by agitation, insomnia, confusion, or even aggression. Seizures are extremely rare, and attacks of epilepsy are exacerbated.
In some cases, taking “Cerebrolysin” can be complicated by arrhythmia and an accelerated heartbeat. This especially happens, as patients note, in the presence of a concomitant disease.
Also, treatment may be accompanied by loss of appetite, disturbances in the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract (bloating, loose stools, constipation, and so on).
In patients aged, taking the drug can aggravate or aggravate the symptoms familiar to the elderly, such as fatigue, trembling limbs, high blood pressure, cough, apathy, and others.
If the above conditions have been noticed, it is necessary to inform the attending physician about this. If these symptoms persist for a long time or worsen, then treatment with “Cerebrolysin” will need to be canceled.
The drug can be used by those who drive a car and have a profession that requires an increased concentration of attention. However, if a person has side effects associated with taking “Cerebrolysin”, then it is better to refrain from the implementation of the above functions.
Interaction with other drugs
Interestingly, “Cerebrolysin” combines well with almost any drug. However, there are exceptions. For example, the drug enhances the action of MAO inhibitors and antidepressants. Therefore, during the treatment with “Cerebrolysin”, these drugs should be used in more minimal doses. It should also be borne in mind that the combined use of large doses of MAO inhibitors and a complex of peptides can provoke an increase in blood pressure.
The manufacturer also warns the joint introduction of “Cerebrolysin” and a balanced solution of amino acids.
Moreover, it is strictly forbidden to use the product with lipid-based drugs or drugs that change the pH environment.
If along with “Cerebrolysin” vitamins or blood circulation improvers are prescribed to the patient, then these medications should be administered separately, without mixing in the same syringe.
If the drug must be administered dropwise, then for this I use solutions of glucose (five percent), Ringer and sodium chloride (0.9 percent).
Storage Tips
The product must be stored in a dark place inaccessible to children and animals, at a temperature of up to 25 degrees with a plus mark. In no case should the drug be frozen!
The expiration date specified by the manufacturer for a solution in ampoules is five years, and for a solution in vials - four years.
When opening ampoules or vials, the drug is recommended to be used immediately. You can’t leave it next time.
How much is the tool
In connection with such an effectiveness of the drug, many are interested in its price. According to reviews, “Cerebrolysin” is not cheap, but, as patients note, it is worth it. In various pharmacies, a package of the drug in five ampoules of five milliliters can be purchased for 1000-1100 rubles. Accordingly, five ampoules with an increased dosage (ten milliliters) will cost from 1500-1600 rubles. The average price of ten ampoules of two milliliters varies in the region of 1100 rubles. If you need to buy ampoules with a dosage of twenty milliliters, then a package of five will cost from 3000 to 3300 rubles.
Real reviews
In short, almost all patients praise the drug as a very effective remedy. According to numerous reviews, one can understand that “Cerebrolysin”, prescribed after an ischemic stroke, helps the patient to stand up in the literal sense of the word. The tool positively affects the mental abilities of the elderly, resumes their brain activity, improves speech capabilities and other body functions.
Also, quite often “Cerebrolysin” is prescribed for small children. According to reviews, it effectively helps in the fight against delayed speech development. Many mothers say that after a few injections the child begins to pronounce the first words and, most importantly, he wants to speak!
There are cases when the drug was prescribed to infants. Often this was associated with severe childbirth or birth injury. In such cases, the result of the injection was also visible after a few tricks.
Injuries during adolescence are common. In severe cases, when the spine or brain is damaged, specialists also prescribe a course of injections of “Cerebrolysin”. According to reviews, the tool quickly helps the guys to their feet, eliminates troubling headaches, cramps, and so on.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia, depression and other difficult situations - all this can be eliminated by the drug. Many take the medicine even as a prophylaxis (of course, as prescribed by the doctor). This is advisable when it comes to poor heredity or a predisposition to strokes, Alzheimer's disease, and so on.
Is it possible to find negative reviews about the medication? Rarely. , , , .
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Drug Substitutes
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1. “Cerebrolysate”. This drug, produced in the form of a solution for intramuscular injection, is used for cerebrovascular insufficiency, the acute phase of ischemic stroke, as an aid in the rehabilitation process after hemorrhagic stroke, as well as in encephalopathy, neuropathy, radiculopathy, myelopathy, and various brain injuries (operations, concussions, traumatic brain injuries). Also, the drug is actively used in pediatrics with cerebral palsy and a decrease in concentration. The active substance of the drug is a brain hydrolyzate, however, not pigs (as is the case with Cerebrolysin), but cattle. The dosage and schedule for taking “Cerebrolyzate” is prescribed only by the doctor. According to the instructions for use, the daily dose of the drug varies between one and five milliliters of the drug. Injections should be done every day or every other day. dosage for children is reduced to one to two milliliters a day. The course of treatment, on the recommendation of the manufacturer, is twenty injections. You can repeat the therapy after three to six months of a break, after consultation with your doctor.
2. “Celllex”. The drug is for subcutaneous administration. The active substance is peptides obtained from the brain of embryos of animals such as pigs. The composition of the solution also includes glycine, sodium chloride, polysorbate, purified water, etc. Most often, the drug is prescribed in the early stages or during an exacerbation of cerebrovascular diseases characterized by cerebrovascular disorders. A medication of 0.1 or 0.2 milligrams of the active ingredient is prescribed once a day for ten days. The dosage and number of injections depends on the age of the patient and the severity of his illness. In pediatrics, the drug is not used. Contraindications of Cellex are epilepsy, manic psychosis, the age of eighteen years, pregnancy and lactation.
3. “Piracetam”. This is a synthetic drug that is actively used in neuralgia and psychiatry. Available in the form of capsules, tablets and twenty percent injection solutions. Used to treat dizziness, cortical myoclonia. It is prescribed to improve memory, concentration, and so on. Contraindications are hemorrhagic stroke, psychomotor agitation, renal failure and, of course, pregnancy and lactation. The dosage and schedule of taking “Piracetam” depend not only on the disease and age of the patient, but also on the form of release of the active substance. The daily dose of the drug is divided into two or four doses and taken during the day, preferably until five in the evening (so as not to provoke problems with sleep). The tool can cause drowsiness, insomnia, hallucinations, headache, depressive disorders, confusion, exacerbation of epilepsy and more. Therefore, prescribe "Piracetam" should only be a specialist. He also calculates the desired dosage of the drug and schedules the intake schedule.
4. “Cortexin.” The preparation in its composition contains polypeptide water-soluble fractions, as well as glycine. The form of release of the drug is a solution for intramuscular injection. It is prescribed for circulatory disorders in the brain, encephalopathies of various origins, memory and mental functions, epileptic seizures, traumatic brain injuries (and for the treatment of their consequences), developmental delays (speech or psychomotor) in a child, various forms of cerebral palsy. “Cortexin” is injected into the muscle, previously dissolved with special water for injection, sodium chloride solution (0.9 percent) or novocaine solution (0.5 percent). The daily dosage for adults and children weighing more than twenty kilograms is ten milligrams. For babies whose weight is less than twenty kilograms, the dose is calculated by the following formula: 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of the child’s weight. The course of treatment is ten days. After three to six months, therapy can be repeated as indicated. During the treatment of ischemic stroke, the drug is prescribed twice a day (in the morning and before bedtime). After ten days, you need to re-take the drug. Cortexin has practically no side effects and contraindications. However, during pregnancy and lactation it is better to refuse treatment with this medication. The same applies to the presence of allergic reactions to the components of the drug.
Other analogs or substitutes for “Cerebrolysin” include “Amilonosar”, which improves memory, eliminates headaches and normalizes sleep, “Vinpocetine”, prescribed for strokes and various circulatory disorders of the brain, “Picamilon”, which helps with migraines, depression, and also used for the treatment of alcohol dependence and severe psychoemotional conditions.
As you can see, these analogues of “Cerebrolysin” differ from each other not only in the spectrum of action and indications for use, but also in the composition, the presence of contraindications and side effects. The same applies to the cost of drugs. Some medicine can be purchased for one hundred and two hundred rubles, and some for a thousand and a half.
A few words in conclusion
We have reviewed the instructions for use for “Cerebrolysin”. Reviews and analogues were also presented in our review.
As you can see, any drug has its own list of indications and cautions. Therefore, only the attending physician should prescribe this or that drug on the basis of a personal examination of the patient and the results of the examinations.
“Cerebrolysin” is a serious drug whose active ingredient is a complex of peptides obtained from the brain of animals such as pigs. This remedy is prescribed according to indications not only for elderly people, but also for adolescents, and even infants. Most often, doctors prescribe a drug for ischemic stroke, Alzheimer's disease, various brain injuries, developmental retardation.
According to reviews, the tool is actively fighting the ailments listed above. After just a few injections, patients feel an improvement that becomes noticeable to the people around them. “Cerebrolysin” is prescribed individually. In most cases, it must be used for a long time and in several courses. In some cases, repeated use of the drug was avoided due to the complete elimination of the symptoms of the disease. In other cases, patients are regularly treated with Cerebrolysin to prevent relapse. Sometimes it is advisable to prescribe a medication as a prophylaxis.
The only thing that scares many buyers is the high price of the pharmacological product, especially when you consider that it must be used for a rather long period and several times a year. However, in this case, the investment is more than justified. Indeed, health is not known to be saved.