The heart for people is the most important organ. Therefore, you must carefully take care of him. Pharmacologists produce a wide variety of medicines that help maintain the functioning of the heart. One of them is Verapamil. It is prescribed for violations of the cardiovascular system, arterial hypertension. Consider what a medicine is, in which pathologies it is most effective. And what are the analogues of Verapamil?
Release Forms
The drug is available in several dosage forms:
- tablets (40 mg, 80 mg);
- iv solution (2 ml / 5 mg each);
- prolonged-release tablets (240 mg each).
The composition of the drug
Like many Verapamil analogues, the drug is an excellent tool in the treatment of heart rhythm disturbances. This feature is due to the main substance of the drug. The active ingredient in the drug is verapamil hydrochloride.
In addition to it, the medication contains many auxiliary substances:
- disubstituted calcium phosphate;
- purified talc;
- magnesium stearate;
- gelatin;
- hydroxypropyl methylcellulose;
- butylhydroxyanisole;
- indigo carmine;
- methyl paraben;
- starch;
- titanium dioxide.
Naturally, the Verapamil analogs containing one active ingredient are distinguished by additional ingredients.
pharmachologic effect
For Verapamil hydrochloride, the instruction indicates that the drug is included in the group of calcium channel blockers.
The medication has the following properties:
- antiarrhythmic;
- antianginal;
- antihypertensive.
In the human body, it performs several functions at once:
- Reduces myocardial oxygen demand.
- Promotes the expansion of coronary vessels.
- Reduces heart contractions.
- Helps reduce myocardial contractility.
- Provides a decrease in the tone of smooth muscles of the arteries.
- Improves coronary blood flow.
- Depresses the automatism of the sinus node.
- Helps slow down AV conduction.
Thanks to this pharmacological action, doctors very often prescribe Verapamil medicine to patients. Analogues of the drug have a similar effect on the body. But replacing the original product on its own is not recommended.
Indications for appointment
In case of disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, the use of the Verapamil preparation is recommended. Analogues of this tool are often prescribed for the same pathologies. However, doctors are more likely to include the original medicine in the therapy.
The medication is used for medicinal purposes. At the same time, the drug “Verapamil” can be used for the prevention of pathologies.
Indications for use:
- angina pectoris (stable, unstable);
- disturbed heart rhythm;
- supraventricular extrasystole;
- Prinzmetal angina pectoris;
- flutter, atrial fibrillation;
- variant angina pectoris ;
- supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardia;
- arterial hypertension.
But it should be recalled that any medication affects the body individually. Therefore, prescribing yourself is not worth the medicine "Verapamil". Indications for use - this is not an instruction for action. The doctor should prescribe the medication.
Contraindications
It is recommended that you initially read the instructions for the drug "Verapamil hydrochloride." Analogs and the original remedy have contraindications. That is why not one of the medicines should be used alone.
Consider the pathologies and conditions under which this tool can harm a person.
The main contraindications to the use of the drug are:
- high sensitivity of the patient to the components contained in the drug;
- chronic heart failure, stage 2b-3;
- cardiogenic shock (an exception is a condition caused by arrhythmia);
- myocardial infarction;
- sick sinus syndrome;
- syndromes: Morgagni-Adams-Stokes, Wolf-Parkinson-White;
- AV block 2 and 3 degrees;
- pregnancy (1 trimester);
- acute heart failure;
- lactation;
- sinoatrial block ;
- intravenous use of beta-blockers;
- severe bradycardia.
In addition, the medication is not intended for children under the age of 18.
When should medication be taken with extreme caution?
For some pathologies, the doctor may prescribe a medicine. However, its reception requires careful monitoring of the patient's condition. In case of undesirable effects, the doctor will immediately replace Verapamil tablets. Analogs that will be recommended to the patient will provide the necessary therapy, and at the same time they will not provoke undesirable effects.
According to the instructions, with great caution they use the remedy for the following pathologies:
- heart failure occurring in a chronic form (1, 2 degrees);
- bradycardia;
- AV block (only I degree);
- arterial hypotension;
- severe violations in the functioning of the liver.
Tablet dosage
It is recommended to take pills while eating or immediately after eating. Each pill should be swallowed with water.
According to the instructions, patients taking the medicine "Verapamil" must adhere to the following rules:
- In order to prevent angina pectoris and arrhythmia, the medicine is taken up to 4 times a day, 80 mg each.
- If the selected norm does not bring the necessary therapeutic effect, the doctor will prescribe a large dosage to the patient. In this case, 160 mg should be taken.
- It is important to remember that the daily rate of this drug is 480 mg.
- If the patient has impaired liver function and delayed elimination of the drug from the body, then therapy is started with a small dose. In this case, the daily dose is 120 mg.
Solution use
This form of the drug is administered only by drip. However, in this case, even despite the indications for use that are fully consistent with the Verapamil medication, such manipulation must be controlled.
The solution is administered slowly. At the same time, the patient constantly monitors the cardiogram, heart rate and pressure.
In the case of paroxysmal pathologies, with a hypertensive crisis, the patient is administered 5-10 mg of the drug. Within half an hour, the patient's condition will improve significantly. If such an effect is not observed, then the procedure is repeated.
Side effects
It should be taken only as prescribed by the doctor and at the prescribed dosage, the drug "Verapamil". Reviews indicate: any deviation from the rules can provoke undesirable reactions.
The medicine has the following side effects:
- Heart and blood vessels. Severe bradycardia, AV block, arterial hypotension may be observed. Some patients experience facial flushing. At high dosages, symptoms of heart failure may develop.
- CNS Fatigue, nervous irritability, headaches occur. Sometimes people experience lethargy, dizziness.
- Digestive system. Nausea, vomiting, and constipation may occur. In some cases, an increase in liver enzyme activity has been observed.
- Allergic manifestations. Possible reactions to the drug, such as itching, rashes on the skin.
In this case, you should know that such side effects lead to the use of Verapamil. Reviews of patients who use the medicine according to the scheme prescribed by the doctor show that such phenomena are extremely rare.
Analogues of the drug
Pharmacologists have developed many drugs that can replace the original drug. However, it is strictly forbidden to select analogues of Verapamil on their own.
If certain situations arise (for example, side effects have appeared), and it is necessary to choose another remedy, be sure to consult a doctor. Such a simple recommendation will protect against the consequences of improper therapy.
So, we will consider what are the synonyms and analogues of the Verapamil medication:
- "Veracard."
- Verapamil Sofarma.
- Vero Verapamil.
- Isoptin.
- "Verapamil Mival."
- "Verogalid EP".
- "Isoptin SR 240."
- Verapamil Eskom.
- "Lecoptin."
- Verapamil ratiopharm.
- "Caveril."
- Verapamil Lect.
- Finoptin.
special instructions
When taking Verapamil, the following should be considered:
- All patients need to control the functions of the cardiovascular, respiratory systems. Be sure to monitor the level of glucose and electrolytes in the blood, the volume of urine excreted.
- Drinking up to 6 g of the drug can cause loss of consciousness, arterial hypertension, sinus bradycardia, asystole. In such cases, the patient requires symptomatic treatment.
- The combination of the drug with inhaled anesthetics, antiarrhythmic drugs, β-blockers will lead to an enhanced cardiotoxic effect.
- Antihypertensive drugs and diuretics enhance the hypotensive effect of the drug.
- Phenobarbital and the medicine "Rifampicin" weaken the effectiveness of the medicine "Verapamil."
- The preparations “Lithium” and “Carbamazepine”, while used simultaneously with the aforementioned agent, increase the risk of developing neurotoxic manifestations.
- With a combination of Verapamil and Digoxin drugs, the content of the last drug should be controlled in the blood. Since there is a high risk of provoking intoxication of the body by him.
- A medication used in combination with muscle relaxants can enhance the effect of the latter.
- The preparations “Ranitidine”, “Cimetidine” contribute to an increase in the concentration of the active substance of the drug “Verapamil” in the blood.
- The combination of this drug with the medication "Acetylsalicylic acid" can lead to the development of bleeding.
- The active substance is excreted in breast milk. Therefore, it is extremely undesirable to use this tool during lactation.
- Pregnant women are prescribed the drug only when the use of the drug for the mother is significantly higher than the risk to the life and health of the baby.
Reviews about the drug
Like any medicine, this remedy is perceived by some patients as a life-saving medicine that can relieve unpleasant symptoms. And other patients criticize the drug, indicating the manifestation of adverse reactions.
However, almost all people taking the medicine are unanimous in one thing: the Verapamil medication really helps with problems with heart or pressure. Reviews of patients especially focus on the merits of the drug.
It can significantly reduce the incidence of arrhythmias. The medicine perfectly helps to lower blood pressure with hypertension. Good results were seen by patients who are diagnosed with angina pectoris. People experiencing painful jumps in blood pressure note that thanks to the medication they were able to return to natural life, normalizing their condition.
But almost all patients to whom the medicine brought a beneficial effect indicate that the drug was prescribed by a doctor.