Iron is an indispensable element that a person needs for normal life. It enters the body mainly with foods of animal origin. When its concentration decreases, lethargy and apathy appear, dizziness and tinnitus, and susceptibility to infectious diseases increases.
Effects on the body and indications
According to the instructions for use, Ferinject is an antianemic drug for intravenous administration. As the active component, iron carboxymaltosate is used. Unlike other oral agents, it is more effective, which has been proven by research.
A medication is a complex that, after administration, is split into carboxymaltose and iron. The latter binds to blood protein transferrin and is delivered to cells for synthesis:
- enzymes;
- myoglobin;
- hemoglobin.
Indications "Feringzheta" - this is all types of anemia associated with iron deficiency. It is prescribed by a doctor with a laboratory-established decrease in the concentration of a substance.
When not to use
The medication is strictly prohibited:
- children under the age of 14;
- persons with individual intolerance to the components;
- if there are problems with the disposal of iron;
- with increased concentration of the substance;
- people with other types of anemia.
Pregnant women often experience a decrease in hemoglobin, however, for their treatment, doctors prefer drugs taken orally. If for some reason this is not possible, they resort to the intravenous administration of FERINJECT and its analogues.
Despite the slight penetration of the substance into breast milk, feeding during treatment is recommended to be discontinued.
When prescribing to patients in need of long-term dialysis, it is considered that 75 μg of aluminum is present in 1 ml of the drug.
With caution, the Ferinject iron preparation is prescribed to patients with:
- severe liver failure;
- atopic dermatitis;
- eczema
- bronchial asthma;
- acute infections.
To avoid overdose during treatment, periodic monitoring of indicators is necessary.
Mode of application
The solution of "Feringzheta" is administered only intravenously (drip or jet method). Self-administration can be dangerous by the development of an overdose and the accumulation of a component in the body.
Before starting treatment, the vial with the drug must be carefully examined, making sure that the contents have a uniform consistency, and there is no precipitate.
During therapy, severe allergic reactions in the form of anaphylactic shock are periodically observed, so the solution is administered within the walls of a medical institution that has the necessary equipment for resuscitation.
After droppers or injections "Ferinzhekt" the patient is monitored for 30 minutes.
Dosage is calculated individually based on laboratory parameters.
No more than 1000 mg of iron (up to 20 ml) can be administered once. Treatment with maximum dosages is carried out no more than 1 time per week.
When using a dropper "Ferinzhekt" the drug is diluted with a solution of sodium chloride (0.9%). This should be taken into account for patients on a sodium diet.
For hemodialysis patients, the maximum single injection should not exceed 200 mg of iron.
The cumulative dose for patients weighing from 35 to 70 kg is:
- 1500 mg with hemoglobin less than 10 g / dl;
- 1000 mg, if the indicator is 10 g / dl and higher.
With a weight of more than 70 kg, the level is:
- 2000 mg if the indicator is less than 10 g / dl;
- 1500 mg when the level is 10 g / dl or more.
If the patient's weight is up to 35 kg, then the level of cumulative iron is 500 mg.
Side effects and overdose
Reviews of the "Feringect" indicate that after the use of the drug, the appearance of headache is most often observed in about 3.3% of individuals.
Also observed:
- local and systemic allergic reactions;
- dizziness;
- paresthesia;
- dyspnea;
- lowering blood pressure;
- facial redness;
- nausea and vomiting;
- increased gas formation;
- heartburn;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- abdominal pain;
- change in taste preferences;
- bronchospasm;
- anxiety;
- loss of consciousness;
- myalgia, arthralgia;
- increase in AST, ALT, LDH.
Exceeding the recommended dosages leads to increased side effects. The treatment is symptomatic.
Reviews of the Ferinject indicate that sometimes the accumulation of iron provokes a severe metabolic disorder - hemosiderosis. It is characterized by an excessive accumulation of hemosiderin in the cells of various organs. Such a disorder is difficult to treat, so you should not risk it and use the drug yourself.
special instructions
In order to avoid serious complications, you must know that the solution:
- May be difficult to tolerate. Home use is unacceptable and sometimes fatal due to the untimely provision of medical care.
- It is not used intramuscularly. It will not have the desired therapeutic effect.
- It must be entered carefully. If fluid enters the space around the vein, this is fraught with the development of redness, swelling, burning and itching.
- It is applied immediately. Everything that remains in the bottle is discarded.
- Do not use when foreign impurities appear in the vial. They talk about the unsuitability of the medication.
- Assign in cases where the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia is confirmed. After receiving the form with the answers, the necessary dosage is selected.
- Used to treat pregnant women, but only in the 2nd and 3rd trimester. Studies proving the safety of the drug have not been conducted, so they are prescribed in cases where the potential risk to the mother is higher than the threat to the fetus.
If the contents of the vial enter the peritoneal space, the infusion should be stopped immediately.
Drug interaction
Ferinject solution is forbidden to be used with other iron preparations for intravenous and oral administration.
The medicine for the infusion infusion is diluted with only 0.9% sodium hydroxide. As a result of the use of other solutions, a precipitate may appear at the bottom of the container or another undesirable reaction may occur.
Average cost and release forms
The medicine is sold in clear glass vials tightly closed with a rubberized cap. The package contains 1 or 5 pcs. 2 or 10 ml of the solution and instructions for use.
The price of the “Funject” is quite high. For packaging of 1 or 5 pcs. will have to pay from 4.5 thousand rubles.
Due to the high cost of the drug, there is a risk of acquiring a fake. To reduce it, you must make a purchase in specialized institutions, and not via the Internet or third parties. Although the counterfeit drug also falls into the pharmacy.
Analogs
The selection of drugs for the treatment of anemia is carried out according to the results of analyzes, while the indicators are informative:
- hemoglobin;
- gland;
- ferritin.
Anemia is often indicated by low values of the first protein in the list, but not always. Empty depots can be diagnosed by iron and ferritin levels.
However, these data are not enough for prescribing a medicine. Doctors need to find out why an important element is missing. Depending on the pathology, oral or parenteral administration is preferred.
Injections are selected when a leak is associated with:
- malabsorption;
- profuse blood loss;
- learning problems.
For this, there are a number of preparations based on 3-valence iron. Ferinject is the most effective remedy in this group, but the cost often makes patients refuse droppers and look for a cheaper substitute.
There are no budget counterparts of the “Ferinzhekt” based on iron carboxymaltosate. There is a similar medicine “Ferinject”, but its cost is even higher.
At the discretion of the doctor, an expensive Swiss drug is replaced with medicines based on other components, namely iron (3):
- sugar (Ferkoven);
- polymaltosate hydroxide (Maltofer);
- hydroxide dextran (Cosmofer).
The latter is more than 2 times the cost of Ferinzhekt. Ferkoven and Maltofer are cheaper. A preparation based on polymaltosate hydroxide costs about 300 rubles.
Injectable drugs are prescribed by your doctor. If the purchase of the recommended drug is not available to the patient, then another drug is prescribed. Solutions cannot be replaced on their own.
Terms of sale and storage
According to the instructions for the use of "Ferinzhekt", the drug can be bought after providing a prescription from a doctor. Not available for free sale.
Purchased packaging must not be frozen and left in direct sunlight. The maximum storage temperature is 30 degrees Celsius. Shelf life - 2 years from the date of production.
To avoid accidental swallowing, the vials must be hidden from children.
The spoiled solution is discarded.
Reviews of doctors
Doctors praise the Ferinject preparation very much and prescribe it in cases when taking iron in the form of tablets does not work or replenishment is slow.
The solution is prescribed for patients with low hemoglobin, who have to undergo abdominal surgery, with malabsorption syndrome and many other pathologies.
Unlike similar drugs, carboxymaltose is not excreted through the kidneys, but is transmitted to the bone marrow and is deposited in the spleen and liver. Thanks to this mechanism, “Feringzhekt” helps to quickly accumulate iron, the level of which remains for a long time.
Often enough 2 droppers with the drug to get the effect for at least 2-3 months. Additional intake of iron-containing agents in maintenance dosages is not required.
The price of the Ferinzhekt is a bit high, but the result that it allows to achieve is impressive.
Some people are forced to take drugs for oral administration daily, for a long time. With frequent use, tablets can irritate the gastric mucosa and adversely affect the work of the digestive tract, which is not possible with intravenous administration.
Persons with temporary iron deficiency not associated with pathologies of internal organs do not need treatment with an expensive drug. It is enough for them to drink 1-2 tablets with 2- or 3-valence iron.
An intravenous solution is ideal for patients who do not benefit from the standard treatment regimen or are contraindicated for some reason.
Side effects of the “Feringect” are often present. Mostly patients complain of a headache, but with anemia it is also present, so many do not pay attention to it. To eliminate the symptom, painkillers are recommended.
Allergic reactions, even fatal, are slightly less common. Without emergency medical care, the outcome is sad.
The remaining side effects stated in the instructions are less common and are often associated with the presence of chronic diseases in the patient, improper dosage and administration, and additional administration of other medications.
Reviews of the Ferinject indicate that the purchase of counterfeit products is a common cause of disappointment in the drug. Given the cost of 1 ampoule, people in attempts to save money turn to the services of pharmaceutical sites on the Internet, where there are many fakes.
Sometimes the medical staff does not inspect the contents of the vial well, a sediment appears in them, which leads to a change in the pharmacological properties of carboxymaltosate.
The solution copes with the main task - the elimination of iron deficiency, but is not cheap.
Patient opinion
Many patients are tired of fighting anemia, which is caused by ulcers and erosion of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, Crohn's disease, tumors, and other pathologies. Taking pills is pointless, because when the absorption function is impaired, they do not reach the destination.
Relatively inexpensive drugs, such as Maltofer, have to be administered more often, but this is not always convenient. “Ferinzhekt” 500 mg allows you to feel significant relief after one bottle. Several injections of such iron replenish the depot for a long period.
After the droppers, people note a general deterioration in well-being, namely:
- headache;
- severe nausea;
- fainting condition;
- strange taste in the mouth and stuff.
Despite this, everyone claims that the tool is very effective. Hemoglobin returns to normal 2–3 days after the dropper and for some time does not fall to critical levels. Everything is individual here and depends on the cause of the iron leak.
After an accurate diagnosis, treatment of the main pathology and intravenous administration of “Fengject”, the condition normalizes.
Most pregnant women suffer from low hemoglobin associated with iron deficiency. Despite the warnings indicated in the annotation, this category of persons is prescribed droppers with carboxymaltosate. Information on their negative impact is missing.
In pediatric practice, the medicine is not used. Other drugs are used to treat children.
After allergic reactions occur, individuals have to discontinue therapy and use another drug.
It is not difficult to recognize iron deficiency anemia by symptoms, however, they appear with a pronounced decrease in iron levels. A person feels severe tiredness, lack of appetite, chilliness, wants to eat something inedible (chalk, clay, etc.). Reviews of the Ferinject indicate that the drug will help to quickly eliminate the deficit and fill the depot with iron. Do not forget that anemia is a secondary pathology, and in order to get rid of it forever, you must first eliminate the underlying cause.