One of the popular remedies intended for local anesthesia, relieving inflammation in the ligaments, muscles, and tendons is Ketoprofen. The gel must be rubbed into problem areas.
Composition and form of release
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can quickly provide painkillers and anti-inflammatory effects. Ketoprofen gel is also referred to this group of drugs. Its composition, in addition to the main active substance, ketoprofen, also includes water, lavender oil, ethanol, carbomer, trolamine.
The gel is packaged in aluminum tubes of 30, 40 and 50 g each. It looks like a transparent ointment (it can be colorless or with a faint yellowish tint). Each gram of the drug contains 25 or 50 mg of ketoprofen, depending on what kind of gel you buy: 2.5 or 5 percent.
Indications
In the instructions you can find information that the tool is used for the following problems:
- inflammatory diseases of any part of the musculoskeletal system;
- muscle pains of both rheumatic and non-rheumatic origin;
- inflammation that develops as a result of trauma, for example, with injuries or ruptures of ligaments, various bruises.
So, a remedy is prescribed for the joint syndrome that accompanies exacerbation of gout, for psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis, radiculitis, osteoarthritis with radicular syndrome, spondylitis, bursitis, lumbago, sciatica and inflammatory lesions of tendons and ligaments.
Operating principle
Before you start using the drug called Ketoprofen, it is important to understand that it is not able to eliminate the cause of the problem. Its action is aimed at alleviating the condition of the patient. He can anesthetize well, relieve inflammation, but he can not stop the progression of the disease. This information contains the instructions for use attached to the drug "Ketoprofen" (gel). Reviews, a description of the remedy by people who are far from medicine, can be misleading. Indeed, many say that with the help of this tool they were able to temporarily get rid of a particular disease. But in fact, the drug helps to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. The tool reduces the feeling of morning stiffness in the joints, eliminates swelling, weakens arthralgia with articular syndrome.
The active substance of the drug "Ketoprofen" can relieve inflammation and anesthetize due to the fact that it inhibits the activity of COX-1 and COX-2 (cyclooxygenase), which regulate the production of prostaglandins.
Method of use
If you are concerned about pain in the muscles, ligaments or joints, then you can buy "Ketoprofen" (gel). The instruction contains all the necessary information about how to use it. So, it can only be applied externally. To do this, a small amount of the product (a thin strip 3-5 cm long) is squeezed onto the problem area and rubbed in a circular motion. You can do this up to 3 times a day.
If it is necessary to treat children, then note that for them a smaller amount of the drug is sufficient. On the skin of young patients, you need to apply no more than 1-2 cm of the gel up to 2 times a day. It can be used starting from 6 years.
It is important to know that you can use the drug on your own for no more than two weeks in a row. If the condition has not improved over this period, then it is necessary to consult a specialist.
Often, doctors prescribe “Ketoprofen” (gel) for phonophoresis. The instruction for this drug allows the use of funds for the treatment of problem areas with the physiotherapeutic method mentioned.
Contraindications
If you decide to self-medicate or the drug was prescribed by a doctor who is not familiar with your medical history, then before using the drug, you need to find out in which cases it is forbidden to do this.
So, if your skin is damaged in the intended place of application, then you cannot use this drug. So says the instruction “Ketoprofen” gel attached to each tube. The price of it, of course, can attract you, but with eczema, wounds, weeping dermatoses, infected abrasions, you can not use the drug.
Also, contraindications include a complete or even partial combination of recurrent hay fever (a complex of allergic reactions), the presence of bronchial asthma and intolerance to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including acetylsalicylic acid.
Ketoprofen gel is not prescribed for children who are not yet 6 years old, women during the third trimester of pregnancy and during lactation.
Important Nuances
Before you start using the drug, you must familiarize yourself with the information contained in the instructions that came with the Ketoprofen (gel) product. Reviews can be contradictory, and in this document those cases are clearly prescribed when you need to use the drug with caution. So, if you have severe impairment of liver or kidney function, ulcerative or erosive gastrointestinal tract damage, hepatic porphyria or chronic heart failure, bronchial asthma, then it is better to consult a doctor before using the product. It is also necessary to be neat during pregnancy and in old age. You should not prescribe the drug on your own for children aged 6 to 12 years.
Regardless of whether the doctor prescribed Ketoprofen gel to you, or whether you decide to purchase it yourself, you need to know that when used externally, the active substance is absorbed into the body slowly. Moreover, its bioavailability does not exceed 5%. So, when rubbed into the skin of a drug containing up to 150 mg of ketoprofen in plasma after 5-8 hours, its amount will not exceed 0.15 μg / ml.
Features of use
Having bought the drug "Ketoprofen" (gel), you need to understand how it can be used. So, it can only be applied to intact skin areas. It is important to ensure that it does not get on open wounds, ulcerative surfaces, as well as on mucous membranes and in the eyes.
After rubbing the product into the skin, wash your hands thoroughly with soap. In addition, Ketoprofen should not be used in places where occlusive dressings are applied . This type of dressings include those that are applied in order to seal the wound. For example, they are necessary for injuries in the chest area so that the victim can breathe.
The specified drug does not affect the patient's ability to drive complex mechanisms or vehicles.
Side effects
In addition to the list of contraindications, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with what side effects Ketoprofen (gel) can cause. It is better to search for analogues of the drug in those cases when it is contraindicated to you or you are afraid of any problems. So, experts point to the possibility of developing a number of adverse reactions. They are divided into local or systemic.
The first include skin hyperemia, eczema, exanthema, photodermatitis, bullous or allergic dermatitis, purple. Among the systemic reactions, the following are found: edema, stomatitis, photosensitivity, generalized rash, urticaria.
If you notice any of the side effects, then it is advisable to stop using the drug immediately and consult a doctor.
The cost of the drug, storage features and method of dispensing from pharmacies
Many people wonder why this drug is popular, and what is the price of Ketoprofen gel. Testimonials of patients indicate that at an affordable cost in terms of effectiveness, it is not inferior to more advertised means, for example, such as Fastum Gel. It is worth noting that “Ketoprofen” is a generic of the specified foreign medication. Your doctor may prescribe any of these drugs, but before you change one to the other, it is better to consult a specialist.
Before figuring out how much Ketoprofen (gel) costs, you need to clarify what dosage of active ingredient you need. For example, a 30-gram package containing 2.5% ketoprofen may cost about 55 rubles, and 5% - 100 rubles. Also, the price will depend on the capacity of the tube: the more money in the package, the more expensive it is.
Ketoprofen gel is sold in pharmacies without a prescription, so you can buy it without visiting a doctor. The product is stored for 2 years in a dry, dark place. The temperature should not exceed 15-25 degrees. Freezing the drug is not allowed.
Analogs
If patients are interested in how to notice the drug, then the doctor in the hospital or the pharmacist in the pharmacy can offer several options. So, “Fastum gel” can be prescribed instead of Ketoprofen. It contains the same active substance, but it costs a lot more. So, a 30-gram package with a concentration of ketoprofen of 2.5% will cost you about 205 rubles.
A cheaper analogue is Bystrumgel, although it is also more expensive than Ketoprofen. A tube containing 30 g of 2.5% of the product costs about 188 rubles. It contains the same active substance, therefore, according to the principle of action, the preparations are not particularly different. And although manufacturers claim that Bystrumgel is more effective, it is difficult to prove it.
The “Flexen” gel is somewhat more accessible than the indicated analogues: a tube with 30 g of the drug can be purchased for 130 rubles.
Another analogue is Arthrosilen gel. It contains the lysine salt of ketoprofen 5%. A package with 50 grams of this gel will cost about 350 rubles.
In all these funds, the list of indications for use, contraindications and possible side effects is approximately the same. After all, they all contain one active ingredient - ketoprofen.
Patient Reviews
If you choose the best remedy for pain caused by arthritis, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, spondylitis, traumatic lesions, you can read the patient reviews. Reviews on the gel for external use "Ketoprofen" are mostly positive. Most patients are rather using ketoprofen-based drugs. But to determine which of the funds is right for you, the doctor should. Many people do not trust the domestic pharmaceutical industry and purchase only Western original drugs, such as Fastum Gel. Others do not see the point of overpaying and use domestic generics such as Bystrumgel, Arthrosilen, Ketoprofen. Gel “Ketonal”, for example, is also its analogue, but at the same time it is produced in Switzerland.
Many patients note that any of these remedies relieves pain well. Of course, if the patient suffers from chronic problems, he should consult a doctor to prescribe a comprehensive treatment. In other cases, the gel is quite enough.
Features of choice
The Ketoprofen-Werth gel developed by domestic pharmacists is often used to anesthetize joints or relieve muscle pain. The Bulgarian drug Ketoprofen Vramed Gel is no less popular. These drugs are cheaper substitutes for Fastum Gel, which is produced by the German company Berlin-Chemie AG.
The method of application of all these funds is the same. Squeeze a strip up to 5 cm long onto the problem area and carefully rub the preparation into the skin with massaging movements. If you need to process a small surface, then the amount of funds can be significantly reduced.
Indications for use of Fastum Gel, contraindications, method of use and even possible side effects are no different from those indicated in the instructions for the drug Ketoprofen. Given this, each patient can independently choose which medicine to buy for him.