In the article, we consider the instructions, analogues and reviews for the drug "Actovegin".
Tissue damage does not always go away quickly, especially without medical assistance. For certain indications, it is necessary to use drugs that accelerate cell regeneration. In pharmaceuticals, there are a lot of drugs designed for the speedy healing of various injuries. An effective medication of a wide spectrum of influence is Actovegin. Reviews about the drug are abundant.
The specifics of the form of release and composition
A unique medication containing a substance such as deproteinized hemoderivative isolated from calf blood. The advantage of the drug is also the variety of its release forms.
The drug is produced in the following forms:
- means for external use: ointment (from 20 to 100 mg) 5%; cream (from 20 to 100 mg) 5%; gel (20 to 100 mg) 5%;
- solutions: infusion in a 0.9% dextrose solution - a bottle of 250 milliliters; infusion in a solution of sodium chloride of the 0.9th - a bottle of 250 milliliters;
- tablets with a dosage of 200 milligrams.
Indications and contraindications affect the choice of a certain form of the drug.
Feedback on the use of Actovegin is mostly positive.
Characteristic
The drug has earned the trust of patients and doctors. It is well tolerated by both children and adults. And even the rather high cost of the drug does not interfere with this. For example, the average price of a package containing 50 tablets is 1,500 rubles. This cost is determined by the complexity of the manufacturing technology of the drug, as well as the fact that it is produced by a foreign company - a pharmaceutical company from Austria. At the same time, the medicine is in great demand, which means that Actovegin is effective.
In what cases does the drug help? Its main purpose is the treatment of diseases that are associated with blood circulation. External remedies are used for the treatment of pressure sores, abrasions and bruises. Also, the medicine is used to treat diseases caused by circulatory defects.
Its main component is hemodialysate (hemoderivative). The composition contains a complex of amino acids, nucleotides, glycoproteins and other low molecular weight components. This extract is obtained through hemodialysis of the blood of dairy calves. The active substance does not actually have proteins, and this significantly reduces the likelihood of allergic manifestations.
The action of the drug at the biological level is due to the stimulation of oxygen cell metabolism, an increase in the content of amino acids and nucleotides in the cells involved in energy metabolism, improved glucose transport, and stabilization of cell membranes. The effect of the drug begins thirty minutes after application and reaches the highest concentration after 2-6 hours.
Since the drug is made from natural biological components, its pharmacokinetics has not yet been established. It can be said that the pharmacological effect of the drug does not decrease against the background of impaired liver and kidney activity and in old age - in situations where such an effect would be expected. Reviews on the use of Actovegin confirm this.
Indications for use
First of all, it should be noted under which diseases and symptoms these or other forms of this drug are used:
- insufficient intake of blood in the brain;
- poor venous circulation;
- angiopathy;
- trophic processes on the skin;
- ulcers of various origins;
- varicose veins of the lower extremities, including a change in the external characteristics of the veins;
- pressure sores;
- treatment of radiation injuries and prevention of such a process;
- ocular membrane defects (transparent);
- damage to the opaque shell (sclera);
- burns or ulcers of the cornea;
- corneal abrasion after using contact lenses;
- condition after corneal transplantation.
The drug has proven itself as a mixture, through which it quickly eliminates pressure sores, trophic ulcers and any damage to the skin. In those or other situations, if the specialist does not recommend using the above medication, it is worth paying attention to the fact that Actovegin has analogues.
The instructions to "Actovegin" reviews and similar drugs are not indicated.
Mode of application
First of all, you need to remember that the application and dosage of the drug in the form of ampoules, ointments or tablets is determined by the severity of the disease, its form and nature. The drug is prescribed for internal use and local use. In reviews, the tool is characterized only on the positive side, since in many cases it had an effective effect. In addition, in the instructions for Actovegin tablets and reviews, the following dosages are highlighted: take one or two tablets three times a day before meals. No need to chew them, but should be washed down with a small amount of water to make it easier to swallow.
When "Actovegin" is used intraarterially and intramuscularly, the dose is 10-20 milliliters. It all depends on the severity of the patient's condition. Then five milliliters of the drug is prescribed slowly. The drug is administered intravenously at 250 milliliters, the rate of infusion should not be higher than three milliliters. When injecting requires fifty milliliters of solution, it is previously diluted in 200 milliliters of saline, glucose. For one course, you can not use more than twenty infusions. No additional components are added to the mixture anymore. Reviews about injections "Actovegin" should be read in advance.
With parenteral administration of the drug, you need to monitor this process very carefully, since allergic reactions can develop. To avoid such situations, doctors often check the patient’s reaction to the medicine, explaining to him why “Actovegin” is prescribed. Trial application is carried out only under medical supervision by entering five milliliters. In addition, all the conditions for the activation of emergency therapy should be provided in advance if necessary. The instructions say that the drug has hypertonic characteristics, as a result of which it is necessary to monitor the exact marks of the water-electrolyte process.
The use of ointment is advisable for burns, ulcers and wounds. The dressing with it must be changed four times a day if the patient has radiation burns and 2-3 times if bedsores.
The gel base is not as greasy as the ointment. Gel "Actovegin" in accordance with the instructions used in the treatment of burns (including radiation), pressure sores, ulcers, wounds. For burns, apply it with a thin layer, thick with ulcers, cover with a bandage that changes once a day, and with bedsores - three to four times.
The cream is used for weeping ulcers, wounds, for the prevention of pressure sores.
According to reviews, analogues of "Actovegin" are no less effective.
Contraindications
Although the instructions for use of the drug indicate its direct effect on blood composition and blood circulation, Actovegin has some limitations. The release form does not affect possible contraindications.
Forms for external use: reaction to the components of a gel or ointment.
A solution that is intended for administration to the body intravenously (drip) and intramuscularly:
- defects in fluid withdrawal from the body;
- oliguria or anuria;
- decompensated heart failure;
- intolerance to the active component or auxiliary;
- pulmonary edema.
In tablet form:
- sensitivity to composition;
- heart failure of the second and third degree;
- overhydration;
- pulmonary edema;
- anuria and oliguria;
- breast-feeding;
- pregnancy.
When choosing the form of the drug, contraindications can have a certain value.
Side effects
According to the instructions for use and reviews "Actovegin" in the form of ointments and other external forms can cause allergic side effects. During therapy at the initial stage, the gel can cause the appearance of mild pain. But this symptom is not a reason for stopping its use. If the pain does not decrease and does not disappear within a week, it is necessary to consult a specialist.
The use of injections must be carried out carefully, since intravenous or intramuscular injection of the solution can cause allergic manifestations, including anaphylactic shock.
Oral tablets "Actovegin", according to reviews, can cause allergic side effects, but only on the skin. During treatment, patients did not observe cases of overdose.
Pregnancy and lactation
A hemoderivative-containing drug is a popular remedy for oxygen deficiency that passes through the placenta. The drug "Actovegin" during pregnancy is often prescribed to women.
The use of internal or external forms during this period improves the blood supply to the placenta and enhances the nutrition of the fetus. During pregnancy, you can use any form of the drug, except for tablets.
The main advantage of the drug is the minimum ingress of substances from the composition to the fetus, and this is very important during pregnancy. Many women ask if the medication is harmful and why is it prescribed when carrying a child? According to the results of studies, the drug had only a positive effect on the baby during pregnancy and improved fetoplacental nutrition.
When breastfeeding, only a tablet form cannot be recommended for use. External preparations and solutions are prescribed in rare cases.
So it is said in the instructions to "Actovegin." Reviews of the drug are presented at the end of the article.
Analogs
The drug is not freely available, and therefore patients often seek to replace Actovegin with an analog that can be easily purchased at any pharmaceutical point. However, the drug does not have a complete analogue. To replace the original, you need to choose such generics that have an identical pharmaceutical effect. Analogs are Cortexin, Solcoseryl, Cerebrolysin.
It must be remembered that drugs have their own characteristics described in the instructions, and therefore, before using them, you need to consult a doctor.
Doctors reviews
Reviews about "Actovegin" from experts are mixed. They say that the clinical effectiveness of this drug has not been proven, although it is widely used and very popular.
The medication is not included in any foreign medical standard, there are no carefully planned studies that would confirm its effectiveness.
The drug is used both in neurology and in ENT practice for chronic and acute sensorineural hearing loss in children and adults, very carefully when there is an audiogram and an audiologist’s opinion.
In some cases, patients had an increase in blood pressure. Reviews about "Actovegin" confirm this.
The cost of the drug is high. In very rare cases, individual intolerance was observed in the form of a subjective feeling of discomfort, of a moderate nature - as a rule, treatment was not canceled. The effect of the use of tablets is not so noticeable.
Reviews of Actovegin doctors do not end there.
On the one hand, experts speak of him as a good remedy, but given the price category, they expect a much greater effect from him, especially in patients with long non-healing wounds and chronic venous insufficiency.
Patient Reviews
"Actovegin" is used for dizziness, it helps patients well. Effectiveness in pediatrics is observed - children have significant improvement in speech, while they are obtained as a result of monotherapy. People note that in the absence of positive changes there are more causes of pathology, which means that appropriate medications must be added to the treatment.
Actovegin is also prescribed in the treatment of gastric ulcers. He helped in such a situation. In addition, intravenous injections relieve back pain, improve well-being, pass muscle stiffness, the head becomes light and light, and performance increases. The drug is used after strokes, and relief really comes: the pain and dizziness disappear.
There are such reviews about Actovegin, which state the absence of a positive effect and undesirable effects of the drug. Instead of noticeable improvements, patients felt only worse: blood pressure decreased, headache became stronger, noise in the head and ears appeared, as a result, treatment had to be stopped. In addition, the lack of accurate scientific research raises doubts. Some reviews say that the drug does not match its value.
We examined the drug "Actovegin" instructions for use, reviews and analogues.