The cardiovascular system is an essential part of the human body, without the proper functioning of which it is impossible to maintain its life. Therefore, if there are any diseases associated with it, it is necessary to immediately begin treatment, which should be carried out under the supervision of a qualified specialist. In pathologies caused by impaired blood flow, as a rule, drugs are prescribed that improve its microcirculation, as well as angioprotectors. This category includes the popular and affordable Pentoxifylline. Instructions for use, reviews and analogues of this medication will be discussed in detail in our article.
Release Forms
This drug is a vasodilator. It helps improve blood circulation, and also protects the walls of blood vessels from premature exhaustion. Also, with its use, a weak vasodilating effect is observed. It is also worth noting that the drug is available in two forms - in tablets and in the form of a solution, which is sold in ampoules. The main advantage of the product is its low cost - a small package can be bought for about 60-80 rubles, so the drug is available even to low-income categories of the population, for example, elderly people.
As a rule, doctors prescribe pills when the patient is undergoing treatment at home, and ampoules are administered during the hospitalization of the patient. Since the drug significantly affects the work and condition of the cardiovascular system and has many contraindications, it can only be used under the strict supervision of the attending physician. Unauthorized to stop taking it, as well as changing the dosage is strictly not recommended. Instructions for use "Pentoxifylline" indicates that the drug is released only by prescription. The shelf life of both forms of the drug is 3 years. You need to store it in a dark, dry and cool place that children and pets cannot reach.
Now let's take a closer look at each of the forms of the drug we are describing.
More About Pills
Most often, this drug is prescribed in tablets. They are available in the form of biconvex pills of pink color - the Pentoxifylline instructions for use say so. 100 mg - the amount of active substance that contains one tablet. They are the eponymous drug - pentoxifylline. As auxiliary components, microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, talc, dibasic calcium phosphate and others are present in the composition. The tablets are additionally coated with a film and enteric coating. It consists of titanium dioxide, a copolymer of methacrylic acid and carmoisine varnish.
There is another form of release - retard tablets, they differ in the prolonged action of the active substance. Such pills are in the form of capsules, which are divided into two parts by a fault line. The active substance in them is much more - one tablet contains 400 mg of pentoxifylline. It is also covered with a pink shell and has a similar composition.
Instructions for use and reviews of tablets "Pentoxifylline" indicate that such a drug is sold in cardboard packages. The pills themselves are stored in plastic blisters - one of them contains 10 pieces. Packaging, in turn, may consist of 2 or 6 blisters.
Ampoules of the drug
Another form of the drug is a liquid solution. It is usually used when hospitalizing a patient in a medical facility. The drug is packaged in ampoules, which have a different dosage. Enter it intravenously or intraarterially. Since the solution should enter the bloodstream slowly, usually the patient is prescribed continuous droppers.
Instructions for use of "Pentoxifylline" in ampoules indicate that the solution is available in different forms. 1 ml of a liquid preparation contains 20 mg of the active substance. It is called exactly the same as the drug itself. In this case, ampoules are produced that contain either 40 mg or 100 mg of pentoxifylline. The solution is a colorless, transparent (sometimes yellowish) liquid. Additionally, it includes distilled water and sodium chloride. Ampoules are packed in transparent plastic pallets, which, in turn, are placed in cardboard boxes. In this form, they are supplied for sale. One box contains 5 ampoules of the drug.
Indications for use
As already mentioned above, this drug is prescribed for various diseases of the cardiovascular system. The instructions for the use of "Pentoxifylline" indicate that doctors usually prescribe it if the patient has the following pathologies:
- Various disorders of the peripheral circulation. As a rule, they are caused by atherosclerosis, some kind of inflammation, as well as diabetes.
- Hearing impairment, which is provoked by vascular diseases. The solution is also intended for the treatment of middle ear function and hearing loss.
- Cerebrovascular accident. With its help it is possible to stabilize both acute and chronic form. The solution is used to treat ischemic stroke.
- Trophic tissue disorders. Usually they cause varicose veins of severe stages, severe frostbite, gangrene, as well as post-thrombophlebic syndrome. Apply the drug for any violations of arterial and venous microcirculation.
- Encephalopathy of atherosclerotic or discirculatory etiology.
- Disorders of the vessels of the eyes, as well as impaired blood circulation in this area.
- Obliterating endarteritis. In this case, the drug helps to reduce the rate of narrowing of the vessels and arteries.
Feasible side effects
A large number of side effects that may occur while taking the drug are described by the instructions for use of Pentoxifylline. A dropper is much safer - there are only a few unpleasant symptoms. Among them are redness of the face, as well as a general burning sensation of the skin throughout the body, dizziness, the appearance of arrhythmias and minor pain in the chest. In some cases, a decrease in blood pressure is noted.
Pills also have a much larger number of side effects. Of course, at the first signs of their appearance, you should immediately stop taking it and consult a doctor immediately. Most often, patients note a violation of the gastrointestinal tract. They feel nausea, which may well develop into vomiting, cramping, pain and a feeling of fullness in the stomach. On the part of the nervous system, dizziness and severe headaches may appear. As in the case of the solution, the pressure when taking the tablets may also decrease. Various heart rhythm disorders and angina pectoris are rarely diagnosed.
Allergic reactions can occur when taking tablets, and when injecting the solution intravenously. Instructions for use "Pentoxifylline" indicates that they are expressed in the form of skin itching, urticaria and redness of the skin. In isolated cases, patients complained of the appearance of jaundice and impaired liver function.
It is also worth noting that when studying the drug, extremely severe reactions were discovered, caused by the patient's hypersensitivity to any component that is part of the drug. Individually, patients developed angioedema and convulsive cramps. Anaphylactic shock also developed. Sometimes experts diagnosed the appearance of bleeding in the digestive tract. Therefore, at the first suspicion, it is important to quickly seek help from a doctor. It is also recommended to constantly monitor the state of the blood, regularly conducting appropriate tests.
Who should not use the drug?
Since this drug quite seriously affects the state of the cardiovascular system, not all patients can take it. Instructions for use "Pentoxifylline" describes its following contraindications:
- Massive bleeding of any etiology, since it can only intensify them and lead to profuse blood loss.
- Acute myocardial infarction, as well as hemorrhagic cerebral stroke. The solution is strictly forbidden to use for cerebral hemorrhage.
- It is not recommended to use the drug in the presence of any pronounced cardiac arrhythmias.
- With massive hemorrhages that have occurred in the retina, it is also worth giving up taking the drug.
- Coronary or cerebral atherosclerosis.
Instructions for use "Pentoxifylline" (400 mg - the maximum dose of the active substance contained in one tablet) recommends taking the drug with caution in the presence of any pathology of the gastrointestinal tract. Under the strict supervision of a physician, the drug is used by patients who have a history of gastric or duodenal ulcer. It is necessary to monitor the condition of patients who have recently undergone surgery, since they have a higher risk of bleeding. For people who suffer from low blood pressure, the dosage of the drug is selected individually, prescribing the minimum dose first, gradually increasing it. Similarly, when patients take drugs, they suffer from kidney and liver diseases.
Instructions for use "Pentoxifylline"
It is important to carefully follow your doctor's prescriptions to minimize the risk of side effects. As a rule, patients do not administer the solution on their own - only a qualified specialist should do this. Very slowly recommends the introduction of "Pentoxifylline" in ampoules instructions for use. The dropper consists not only of the drug, but also of an isotonic solution of sodium chloride or glucose. They introduce 100 mg of the drug. The procedure itself is carried out within a half to three hours. A catheter is inserted into a vein or artery. Moreover, in the latter case, the rate of administration may decrease up to 10 minutes.
The patient can take the tablets on his own. The duration of treatment in this case is assigned individually. Choosing the duration of therapy, the doctor usually builds on the existing clinical picture and the effect that the drug has on the particular patient. Tablets must be taken orally, it is forbidden to chew them. They are consumed after meals, washed down with copious amounts of clean water. Adult patients should take 200 mg three times a day. Gradually, the dosage may be increased.
What happens with an overdose and how to treat it?
The most dangerous is an overdose if you enter "Pentoxifylline" in ampoules intravenously. Instructions for use indicate that even when taking pills, it is important to immediately consult a doctor if you suddenly exceed the dose prescribed to you. As a rule, overdose symptoms resemble common side effects. So, after a while, the patient begins to feel dizzy and nauseous, his temperature rises and his blood pressure drops, chills and tachycardia appear. If you do not stop taking it in time, then vomiting of "coffee grounds" and sometimes cramps are added to the described symptoms.
Treatment in such cases is prescribed symptomatic, that is, facilitating the patient's condition until the drug itself is removed from the body. In case of an overdose of a solution, it may be necessary to use agents that maintain or restore blood pressure, as well as stabilize the respiratory function.
If the maximum dose was exceeded several times, then the patient may develop severe anaphylactic shock. In this case, it is necessary to immediately stop taking the drug, administer adrenaline intravenously, and also provide the patient with a comfortable position that facilitates breathing.
Can I use the drug for expectant mothers and children?
This tool is not recommended for children under 18 years of age, since its safety for the growing organism and its effectiveness have not been fully investigated. Pregnant women taking the drug in tablets and in the form of a solution is also contraindicated, since it can adversely affect the development of the fetus. During breastfeeding, the medicine should also not be used, because it is able to penetrate the mother’s milk. In this case, as a rule, doctors either suspend treatment, or select a more gentle drug.
What does the instruction for the use of Pentoxifylline tablets say about their interaction with other drugs?
If the doctor has prescribed this medicine for you, he must definitely clarify what other drugs you are taking, because in some cases the effectiveness of therapy may decrease. For example, it has been proven that smoking negatively affects the action of the solution. Tablets are able to reduce the effect of taking antihypertensive drugs and anticoagulants - this is reported by the instructions for the use of Pentoxifylline. Its analogs have a similar composition, so the replacement of the drug is not always effective.
With caution, tablets should be taken for patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, especially if they are treated with insulin and other antidiabetic drugs. The drug reduces their effect, therefore, it can lead to the development of hypoglycemic coma.
What analogues does this tool have?
This drug has many side effects and contraindications, so not everyone can take it. In such cases, the doctor prescribes similar products containing the same active substance. They are called structural analogues of Pentoxifylline. The instruction for use does not recommend arbitrarily changing medications to similar ones - only the attending physician should do this.
A specialist may suggest that you replace Pentoxifylline with one of the following similar products:
- Trental is also available in the form of tablets and solution, but it costs significantly more.
- "Vazonit" - produced in tablets, is more expensive, but it contains 600 mg of active substance in one pill.
- "Agapurin".
- The Pentagon.
- Pentohexal.
- "Ralofekt" and others.
Positive drug reviews
Not all necessary information can sometimes be provided by instructions for use. Reviews of "Pentoxifylline" describe in detail how this drug is tolerated, its side effects. As a rule, patients were satisfied with the treatment with this drug, although they noted the presence of some shortcomings. But first, we list the main positive points:
- low cost of one package of the drug - it can be bought for less than 100 rubles, which, of course, attracts many patients;
- effectiveness - after taking a single dose, people feel that their condition has improved markedly;
- You can use the drug for a long time: some patients take it for years and do not feel any negative effect on their body;
- the drug is easily tolerated, therefore, a very small proportion of patients after taking it complained of side effects.
What caused dissatisfaction in some patients?
The presence of a large number of side effects and contraindications is described by the instructions for the use of Pentoxifylline. Reviews confirm their presence, and also indicate that they appear more often than when taking other drugs. Despite its effectiveness, not all patients liked the medication. People distinguish the following serious shortcomings:
- patients suffering from low blood pressure noted that after taking the tablets their condition worsened: tachycardia and nausea appeared;
- Often there are cases of individual intolerance to the solution, which sometimes can even be life-threatening;
- some patients were unsatisfied with the low effectiveness of the drug, noting that its analogues were more useful and had fewer side symptoms.
Thus, the drug Pentoxifylline can be called a cheap and effective drug. Instructions for use, reviews and analogues were discussed in detail in our article, however, we recall that only your doctor should prescribe the medicine and its dosage.