With neurological disorders, stress and overwork, nootropics are often prescribed to maintain the body. "Pantocalcin" refers to medications that stimulate brain neurons. This drug has many indications for use, among which are such serious conditions as epilepsy, mental retardation, and speech impairment. You can read the detailed instructions for using Pantocalcin in this article.
Structure
The medicine "Pantocalcin" is often prescribed by neurologists in Russia. It refers to nootropic drugs that affect the human nervous system. The drug is based on the active substance calcium hopantenate. In addition to this component, the medicine contains a number of excipients: magnesium hydroxycarbonate, calcium stearate, talc and potato starch. These are quite common components that rarely cause allergic reactions. The medicine "Pantocalcin" does not contain lactose, flavorings and sugar, therefore it can be used in diabetics and in people with milk intolerance. The drug is produced in Russia by the pharmaceutical plant "Valenta Pharmaceuticals".
You can meet the drug in pharmacies only in the form of tablets, in 10 and 50 pieces. Unfortunately, the medicine is not available in syrup form. The instructions for the use of "Pantocalcin" say that the medicine is very quickly absorbed into the blood, and the period of its excretion is about 12 hours. The minimum age for taking this medicine is 3 years, but if there are certain indications, it is also prescribed for babies. You can meet Pantocalcin in almost any pharmacy, it is sold without a prescription. However, only a doctor can prescribe a nootropic drug; taking the medicine on your own can harm your health and well-being.
Effects on the body
When buying a medicine, many want to know how to achieve the desired effect on the body. The secret of Pantocalcin is hidden in the active substance hopantenate, which has an extensive effect on GABA-b receptors. They are located in the human nervous system and are responsible for the transmission of nervous inhibition and excitement. Nootropics affect the GABA receptors, and thus the attending physician is able to adjust the patient's development. Nootropics are especially relevant for children and the elderly. The child’s body has great potential for development and is very plastic, easily amenable to changes, so the use of nootropics can positively affect the development of the child. When the body ages, many synapses are destroyed. Nootropics are also able to stop this process, since they have a stimulating effect.
According to the instructions for use, Pantocalcin (0.25 g) has several effects:
- Neurometabolic. When taking the drug, the conductivity of nerve fibers improves and the metabolism in the brain is accelerated. As a result, the patient already after some time feels a surge of energy and improved cognitive skills.
- Neuroprotective. Pantocalcin protects brain cells from various adverse effects that destroy synapses. For example, hypoxia that occurs in various conditions (alcohol intoxication, lack of oxygen, low hemoglobin, etc.) can make thinking and development difficult. "Pantocalcin" also minimizes the negative effects.
- The neurotrophic effect is achieved by improving the blood supply to the brain. Cells receive more oxygen and nutrients, and the patient's condition improves.
The instructions for use "Pantocalcin" for adults and children indicate a mild sedative effect of the drug, which is combined with a slight stimulating effect. Because of this combination, even children with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity can prescribe medication. After administration, the drug reaches a maximum plasma concentration in an hour. Pantocalcin is not metabolized and is in the blood for about 48 hours. After that, most of it is excreted with the patient's excrement.
Indications for use
Pantocalcin has a wide range of effects. It improves the conductivity of nerve fibers, increases blood supply to the brain, reduces excessive motor excitability, normalizes the functioning of nerve cells and protects them from damage. At first glance, the drug may seem like a "magic wand" for all diseases. But the instructions for the use of Pantocalcin tablets (it is often prescribed for children and adults) clearly indicate the problems in which this medicine is prescribed:
- Organic brain damage resulting from injuries and diseases. This category includes heart attacks and strokes, Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia and other ailments. At an advanced age, the body begins to malfunction, nerve cells are depleted, and Pantocalcin helps to ensure their proper nutrition and stimulation.
- Insufficiency of blood supply caused by atherosclerosis of blood vessels.
- Combined therapy of neurosis.
- Impaired thinking, fine motor skills, attention, or memory.
- Epilepsy.
- Increased emotional and mental stress (sessions, exams, nervous breakdowns, depression).
- Trigeminal neuralgia.
- Traumatic brain injuries.
- Schizophrenia.
- Past infections affecting the state of the brain (viral encephalitis).
- Hypoxia and asphyxia.
- Development delay in childhood.
- Stuttering and speech impairment.
- Intrusive movements.
- Cerebral palsy.
- ADHD
- Intrauterine brain damage.
In addition to affecting the brain and nervous system, Pantocalcin has another property. It reduces the gallbladder reflex, which helps eliminate some types of urinary disorders. In addition, it is believed that Pantocalcin is able to prolong the action of analgesics and anesthetics.
Instructions for use "Pantocalcin"
The medication is often used in complex therapy. In the treatment of brain damage, the main task is not to lose time, so doctors usually prescribe several drugs. When taking Pantocalcin, it is very important to drink the medicine regularly, as it has a cumulative effect. A visible result may not appear immediately, but after two to three weeks of the course. Pantocalcin is best absorbed if taken half an hour after a meal with a cool liquid. Tea, coffee and milk are not suitable for this purpose, since they can affect the pharmacokinetics of the active substance. In the instructions for use "Pantocalcin" for children, the dosage varies from 750 to 3000 mg per day. For adults, it is allowed to take from 1500 to 3000 grams per day. This number is divided into 2-3 doses, which are usually spread in the morning and evening. If after taking the drug you observe increased excitability, then the last dose of the drug must be postponed for 6 hours before going to bed.
For various diseases, different therapeutic doses of the drug are prescribed. For example, with a delay in the development of speech or mental deficiency, children are prescribed 500 mg 4-6 times a day for three months. Then take a break and evaluate the results of the course. If an adult patient needs to correct a neurological disorder after taking antipsychotics, then it will be enough to take Pantocalcin 500 or 1000 mg three times a day. Children should halve this dosage. The drug is also effectively used for epilepsy, allowing you to prevent brain disorders during an attack. To obtain a therapeutic effect, you need to take 250-500 mg three to four times a day for children and 500-1000 mg for adults. Instructions for use "Pantocalcin" (500 mg) provides for a rather long intake of this drug: up to 6 months. This is due to the fact that the correction of epilepsy requires a longer time.
If the patient has nervous tics, tremors, obsessive movements, then adults are prescribed a dosage of 1500-3000 mg and 250-500 mg for babies for 3-6 months. In all other cases, doctors usually prescribe 250-500 mg to children, and adults - 500-1000 mg three to four times a day. During the course of treatment, it is not recommended to take other nootropics, and in case of allergic reactions or side effects, stop taking the medicine and consult a doctor.
Pantocalcin for children and pregnant women
In the reviews of "Pantocalcin" and in the instructions for use, special dosages for children and pregnant women are indicated. Children under three years of age are not recommended to take nootropics, as they can disrupt the natural processes of brain development. The exceptions are serious diseases such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy and developmental delay. In these cases, the doctor selects the dosage based on the age, weight and diagnosis of the baby. From three to twelve years, the drug can be taken at the dosages indicated in the instructions for use. Pantocalcin for children is most conveniently bought in a dosage of 250 mg, such tablets do not have to be divided in half to reduce the dosage.
Pregnant "Pantocalcin" is contraindicated in the first trimester of pregnancy. In the second and third nootropic methods are allowed, but only if there are serious indications for this. But nursing mothers taking "Pantocalcin" is contraindicated. At the moment, there is no information about whether the active substance penetrates the body of a newborn through breast milk. When taking the drug, you also need to consider some of its features. For example, it lengthens the effect of barbiturates, which are prescribed for seizures. If the patient is taking antipsychotics or anticonvulsants (Phenobarbital, for example), Pantocalcin prevents some side effects from them. If you want to enhance the effect of the nootropic, then glycine should be included in the course of treatment. In combination with hopantenic acid, it gives a double effect.
Contraindications
Pantocalcin is a drug that has a protective, stimulating effect on the human brain. There are many indications for its use, but what about conditions in which the use of the nootropic is not recommended? There are not so many of them:
- Intolerance to some components of the drug.
- Allergic reactions.
- Renal and liver failure.
- Breast-feeding.
- The first trimester of pregnancy.
- Children's age up to three years.
Reviews about Pantocalcin and instructions for use prove that most people can take the medicine. Small restrictions are due to the fact that hopantenic acid, which is the basis of the drug, does not have serious side effects.
Overdose and side effects
Despite the fact that Pantocalcin does not belong to a number of prescription drugs, its use has its drawbacks. Excessive dosage is especially dangerous. That is why it is possible to start a course of treatment only after consulting a doctor, since prolonged overdose can lead to hepatic encephalopathy and increase the side effects of the drug. In such cases, it is necessary to do a gastric lavage and take enterosorbent. With a small increase in dose, it will be sufficient to continue taking the drug as planned.
According to reviews, instructions for the use of "Pantocalcin" in children and adults, the following side effects may occur:
- Rhinitis.
- Conjunctivitis.
- Hives.
- Sleep disorders.
- Impaired attention span.
- Hyperactivity.
If you notice one of the side effects, just eliminating Pantocalcin or reducing its dosage will be enough to eliminate it. In most cases, all undesirable reactions will go away after a while on their own.
Nootropics: the pros and cons
Considering nootropic drugs, one cannot fail to mention the attitude of physicians to them around the world. Around them are still heated debate. Some argue that the effectiveness of nootropics has not been proven and they were created only to increase sales, while others believe that their use can significantly improve memory, thinking and even increase intelligence. Who is right?
Official evidence-based medicine confirms that the effectiveness of nootropics has not been confirmed by any studies. The process of stimulating metabolic processes in the brain is very subtle and has not yet been sufficiently studied. According to the Society for Pharmacological Research, nootropics have not been shown to be effective compared to placebo. Moreover, in the USA, Europe, Canada and Israel, nootropic drugs are not prescribed. However, in Russia this practice is still very common. The decision to take the medicine should be made by the patient himself, based on the recommendations of the doctor.
Cost
The price of packing a drug with a dosage of 250 mg, which contains 50 tablets, is about 400 rubles. For 50 tablets of Pantocalcin (500 mg) will have to pay about 750 rubles. Taking the medicine is not budgetary, as often the doctor prescribes from 3 to 5 tablets per day for a long amount of time. Here analogues of the drug can come to the rescue.
Analogs
In the instructions for use of tablets "Pantocalcin" you can find the active active ingredient of the drug is hopantenic acid. It is also found in several other nootropic drugs:
- Pantogam.
- "Calcium Hopantenate."
- Gopantam.
The most commonly prescribed Pantogam. This is a nootropic medicine, which is also available in Russia and has a similar effect on the body according to the instructions for use. Reviews of the analogue "Pantocalcin" prove that the medicine is not inferior to it in effectiveness and can be successfully used as a replacement in case of allergic reactions. In addition to the synonyms "Pantocalcin," in pharmacies you can find many drugs with similar therapeutic effects:
- "Bilobil";
- "Glycine";
- Cavinton
- Carnitex
- Nootropil;
- "Tiocetam" and others.
Pantocalcin analogs (instructions for use must be studied before using any medication) are most often used to treat similar diseases, but dosages may vary.
Customer reviews
There are many opinions and reviews on Pantokaltsin on the Web. The instructions for use clearly state that the medicine can only be prescribed by a doctor. But due to the fact that the drug has few side effects, parents often prescribe treatment for their child, as a result of which various negative reactions and effects subsequently appear. But those who followed the doctor’s recommendations and underwent complex treatment note an improvement in their condition. Parents say that the nootropic helps with speech delay and stuttering. Pantocalcin also has a positive effect on stress and increased stress. Many parents also write that the appointment of a nootropic to their children in the first years of life significantly accelerated their development, and a slight delay in speech and thinking disappeared. On the other hand, with significant brain damage Pantocalcin does not have a significant effect.
Summary
Pantocalcin is widely used in Russia. Neurologists especially like to prescribe it to children under 6 years old, when the compensatory abilities of the brain are still high. Nootropic has many different actions that can increase efficiency, attention, improve thinking and protect brain cells from hypoxia and negative effects among. Pantocalcin has not many side effects, therefore it is possible to take it both for elderly people and children. Reviews about the drug are either positive or neutral. Many parents write that Pantocalcin helped their children overcome stuttering and enuresis. It is quite effective and affordable, therefore, it is in great demand among the population.