In recent years, more and more people have complained of high blood pressure. In order to reduce it, doctors prescribe pills. Their huge variety is sometimes simply confusing. Among this large number, more often in pharmacies ask "Enap" or "Enalapril."
And then everyone has a question: "What are the differences between these two drugs?" Enap or Enalapril - which is better?
What is the difference between Enap and Enalapril?
Enalapril is the active substance of the drug, and Enap is the trade name. This medicine belongs to the group of angiotensin - converting enzyme inhibitors . Angiotensin is a hormone from a protein structure with different forms. The thing is that angiotensin causes spasms of blood vessels and in the shortest possible time can lead to diseases of the cardiovascular system. Enalapril tablets suppress the development of heart disease. Only a doctor should prescribe a medicine, based on your indicators.
Enalapril tablets are widely used. They are helping:
- lower blood pressure.
- reduce the frequency of angina attacks.
- prevent the development of a heart attack and cardiac arrhythmias.
Enap: application
Prescribe the drug "Enap" with essential and renovascular arterial hypertension and heart failure. Also, this medicine helps patients with severe clinical failure and asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction. The medicine is indicated in this case, since it can slow the progression of the disease.
Also, "Enap" indications for use has the following: in case of coronary disease, the drug perfectly reduces the incidence of stroke and heart attack, it helps with angina pectoris.
How do medicines work?
At that time, when Enap or Enalapril enters the body, hydrolysis of the main component takes place, as a result enalaprilat is formed - this is an active metabolite. This component inhibits the activity of enzymes, and as a result, there is a violation of the transformation of angiotensin. These drugs help to dilate blood vessels, significantly reduce blood aldosterone levels.
When using the drug inside, there is a decrease in blood pressure, but not sharply, but gradually. No changes in heart rate are observed.
Also, when taking, increased renal blood flow, and kidney function is significantly improved. These medicines prevent the progression of diabetic nephropathy. If you take Enalapril systematically, it improves the quality of life in people with arterial hypertension and reduces the number of deaths in heart failure.
It does not adversely affect fat and carbohydrate metabolism, does not cause sexual dysfunction. The effect of the drug does not depend on the sex and age of the person, the concentration of renin in the blood and the presence of a bad habit - smoking.
How to use the drug?
Now about how to use Enap. Tablets are taken without chewing, regardless of the meal. With arterial hypertension, it is worth starting with 5 mg per day, but depending on the condition and as prescribed by the doctor, the dose can be increased to 20 mg. And in the most difficult cases - up to 40 mg.
With heart failure, they start taking with 2.5 mg, but the dosage can be increased depending on the degree of the disease.
In those patients who took diuretics, especially if their dose was high, the use of Enap can reduce the volume of circulating blood, as a result of which hypertension may develop . That is why such patients should not exceed a dose of 5 mg per day.
But for those who have chronic renal failure, the dose should be selected based on the level of creatinine. If it is 30 ml / min, then you can prescribe Enalapril tablets in an amount of 5 mg per day, and if the level is below this figure, then you should start with 2.5 mg.
Enap for children
Most parents are interested in whether children can take Enap or Enalapril. Which is better and what to choose?
For each child, it is worth choosing a dose of the drug individually, depending on what disease and what its degree. It is also worth considering the level of blood pressure and the tolerance of the drug to the body. For children whose weight ranges from 20-50 kg, the daily dose is 2.5 mg. And if the weight is more than 50 kg, then you can start with 5 mg per day.
As for which of the two drugs to choose, there is no difference. If you decide to purchase Enap, the price will be slightly higher. Which medicine is worth choosing, the doctor will tell you.
Enalapril: contraindications
Choose among two drugs - Enap or Enalapril - which is better, it will not be difficult. The main thing, before taking pills, you must definitely familiarize yourself with the contraindications.
There are very few contraindications for the drugs, but they are worth paying attention to: this is sensitivity to enalapril or its metabolite - enalaprilat. There have also been cases when the patient received angioedema and porphyria during admission.
Side effects of Enalapril
It is necessary to read not only about how to take and what contraindications to the use of the drug "Enalapril". He also has side effects, and there are a lot of them. You need to know about them, so that when they occur, reduce the dose or stop taking the medicine. When taking the drug, the following symptoms may occur:
- blood pressure drops sharply;
- nausea and headache;
- angina pectoris;
- dizziness;
- heart attack and arrhythmia;
- weakness and insomnia;
- Anxiety
- fast fatiguability;
- noise in ears;
- dry mouth, etc.
Before taking the drug "Enalapril", side effects need to be studied so that in such cases, stop taking it and not aggravate your condition.
Reception during pregnancy
Women who are just about to become mothers are better off not taking Enap. And for those who have already become pregnant, you need to choose the right tactic with your doctor to take the medicine. In the II and III trimesters, the use of this drug is generally prohibited. After a woman gives birth and breast-feeds the baby, the medication is also not prescribed. And if you still can’t do without it, you need to regularly monitor the level of blood pressure, check the content of potassium in the blood and the functionality of the kidneys in the baby whom the mother breast-feeds while taking Enap.
Product release form
As we already said in our article, one drug is no different from the other, they both have one active substance - enalapril. Therefore, to answer the question of interest to many: “Enap” or “Enalapril” - which is better? ” - it will be easy. Both of these drugs are good, and they have the same release form, there should be no problems with the dosage. “Enap” and “Enalapril” are produced in tablets containing from 2.5 to 20 mg of the active substance.
The difference between the two drugs is small, but still it is, and the most significant - in price.
Cost of medicine
The main thing that worries many patients is the price of the drug, because very often it happens that the treatment takes place in a complex, which is quite expensive and not always affordable for everyone. As for the Enap and Enalapril preparations, their cost is not too high and consumers will like it.
The price of Enap ranges from 100 to 400 rubles, depending on the manufacturer and the amount of active substance. Domestic drugs are much cheaper than imported ones, but there is no difference: the effect of both is simply excellent. But Enalapril is several times cheaper - from 20 to 80 rubles. The cost of both of these drugs is low, so almost all patients are satisfied.
Analogues of Enalapril
If suddenly this drug is not found in the pharmacy, then with what to replace Enalapril? There is a huge list of similar drugs. In addition, most of them contain other additional components that enhance the effectiveness of the basic substance.
Most buyers are satisfied with the price of Enalapril. Analogs can cost several times more, within 100 rubles, but due to the fact that they have more additional components that increase efficiency. Here in this case, many do not pay attention to the difference in price.
The main analogues of Enalapril are:
- Enam.
- "Vazolapril."
- "Enarenal."
- Envas.
- Invoril.
- Bagopril;
- Renetek.
- "Korandil."
This is not a complete list, in fact, there are a lot of good analogues for this drug, and each patient can choose the one that is more suitable for him. All analogues help block the production of angionezin and significantly reduce the tension of blood vessels and all organs of the cardiovascular system. Each drug listed has its own individual characteristics, but the indications for use are almost the same.
The analogues for the Enap drug are identical in composition. You can add a few more, which are affordable and very good in terms of efficiency:
- "Burlipril 10 or 20."
- "Renipril."
Each of these drugs is good in its own way, but their composition also includes its additional components, which increase the effectiveness of medicines. To choose analogues and replacements from this huge list for Enap tablets is not difficult. And you still have to pick it up, because each person’s illnesses proceed differently, and the sensitivity to the components of the medicine is individual. Your doctor will help you make this difficult choice.
Interaction with other drugs
The medicine can be used before or after meals, as convenient for the patient. When taking Enalapril, the hypotensive effectiveness of nitrates, potassium ions, prazosin is observed. NSAIDs significantly reduce its positive effect.
The simultaneous use of this drug and diuretics with potassium often leads to the development of hyperkalemia.
This drug reduces the clearance of lithium, reduces the period of excretion of theophylline. "Cimetidine", on the contrary, increases the output.
The risk that arterial hypotension may develop in a short time increases if the patient is anesthetized or if he has been drinking alcohol. That is why it is better to refuse to take alcohol.
Which is still better?
Unambiguously answer the question: “Enap” or “Enalapril” - which is better? ” - it will be very difficult, because both of these drugs have one active substance. There is no difference between the two drugs. Perhaps the only difference is the price. But, as practice has shown, each patient chooses the drug that suits him personally.
Each of these drugs, although there is one active substance, but the additional components are different, which means that in each individual case, two almost identical drugs can act differently. Therefore, you need to carefully choose the drug.
Reviews
As for the opinions on Enap and Enalapril, the majority of patients who have personally tested the effects of these drugs respond only positively to them.
People with unstable blood pressure are also very pleased with these two drugs, since they quickly and, most importantly, gently reduce high blood pressure, and then for a long time keep it at the optimal level.
Even the mothers who give the children these medicines tell that if the dose is not exceeded, then Enap helps in the most difficult cases.
Enalapril has a lot of side effects, but if you take it without increasing the dose and take into account all the nuances of your disease, you can avoid them.