What kind of medicine is Pentoxifylline? Does he have side effects, who is prescribed and what contains? We will try to answer all these questions in the article. In addition, we give the feedback of ordinary people and the opinion of doctors, which will help to make up the whole picture.
general information
The drug "Pentoxifylline" refers to angioprotectors. It is prescribed in cases where it is necessary to improve microcirculation and blood flow. The drug slows down phosphodiesterase and accumulates cAMP in the smooth muscles of blood vessels and blood cells. The drug slows the connection of platelets and red blood cells. Pentoxifylline enhances fibrinolysis and reduces plasma fibrinogen levels.
All this helps to thin the blood and reduce its viscosity.
The drug also has a vasodilating myotropic effect. That is, the coronary vessels only expand slightly.
It can be said that Pentoxifylline supplies oxygen to tissues, mainly in the extremities and central nervous system, and the effect is less noticeable in the kidneys. In addition, the drug improves microcirculation.
Pharmacokinetics
Reviews about the use of "Pentoxifylline" are mostly positive, all due to the fact that the instructions for the drug are very detailed. In particular, it describes how the medicine behaves in the human body.
So, "Pentoxifylline" is almost completely absorbed into the gastrointestinal tract, while it does not interact with proteins. The drug metabolism occurs in the liver, but its kidneys are excreted in the form of soluble metabolites.
Who is shown to?
Like any drug, Pentoxifylline also has a side effect, and we will talk about it later, but now it’s more important to figure out who can take the drug.
Pentoxifylline can be treated:
- People with acute and chronic cerebrovascular accident. Patients with cerebral ischemic stroke.
- With peripheral circulatory disorders associated with diabetes mellitus (diabetic angiopathy), atherosclerosis, inflammation.
- People with dyscircular and atherosclerotic encephalopathy.
- Those with trophic tissue disorders due to venous or arterial microcirculation disorders. For example, frostbite, trophic ulcers, gangrene, post-thrombophlebitis syndrome.
- With angioneuropathy. This includes Reno disease, paresthesia.
- People with obliterating endarteritis.
- Those with identified hearing impairment of vascular origin.
- In chronic, acute, subacute circulatory failure in the choroid or retina.
How is it produced?
Reviews about the use of "Pentoxifylline" also depend on the form of release of the drug. There are not so many, just two. The medicine is available in the form of tablets of different dosages and solutions for injection. The form of release of the latter can be both in a dropper and in ampoules.
Tablets are sold in a dosage of 100 milligrams or 400.
How to use pills?
The instructions for the use of "Pentoxifylline" and reviews about it say that it is quite easy to use the medicine. The tablets must be swallowed whole and washed down with water, this should be done after meals. 200 milligrams are consumed at a time, the usual course of treatment involves taking the tablets three times a day.
As a rule, after one or two weeks the dose is reduced, from this moment the patient takes one tablet three times a day. The instructions for use of Pentoxifylline and reviews about it warn that no more than 1200 milligrams of the drug can be consumed per day.
Usually, doctors prescribe a month-long treatment, after which they look at the dynamics.
What to do with ampoules?
Pentoxifylline dropper instructions are also included. It states that the medicine should be administered slowly. The dose should be calculated so that 250-500 milliliters of isotonic sodium chloride solution fall on 100 milligrams of the drug. Pentoxifylline can also be diluted in a 5% glucose solution in the same proportion. The dropper should go one and a half or three hours.
Instructions for use "Pentoxifylline" was created primarily for medical personnel. The final dosage depends on the prescription of the doctor. It is important to remember that the patient cannot prescribe treatment for himself and perform it.
As for intra-arterial administration, the drug is administered in a dosage of 100 milligrams. In this case, for the first time, you need to dilute the drug with 20-50 milliliters of an isotonic sodium chloride solution. In the next days of treatment, 200-300 milliliters of Pentoxifylline are already diluted with 30-50 milliliters of solution. The use of "Pentoxifylline" intravenously should be strictly on time. So, 100 milligrams is administered within ten minutes.
Side effects
Despite the fact that the drug is very effective, it does not save the people who are being treated from side effects. Of course, if you strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations, then there will be no problems, but still it is better to know what to prepare for.
What is the side effect of Pentoxifylline?
- Neurologically. Most often, patients report problems with sleep, headaches, unreasonable anxiety or fears, mood swings, dizziness, convulsive muscle twitches.
- The content of leukocytes and platelets in the cell may decrease.
- Cutaneous. Redness and swelling of the face, brittle nails and hair, a sensation of heat throughout the body or its individual parts.
- From the digestive system. Vomiting, nausea, full stomach, loose stools, loss of appetite. If a person has a history of chronic cholecystitis, then while taking the medicine, he may worsen. Much less often, but still there is the development of cholestatic hepatitis and intestinal atony.
- From the cardiovascular system. Pain in the heart or chest discomfort, decreased blood pressure, change in heart rate, increased heart rate. In patients with angina pectoris, the picture may be aggravated while taking Pentoxifylline.
- Respiratory system. An attack of bronchial asthma, bronchospasm, respiratory failure.
- Immunity. Most often, people are faced with allergic manifestations and are not aware that the immune system signals this way. Urticaria may occur on the skin, the skin becomes swollen or itching appears. If the drug is used in very large doses, then anaphylactic shock or angioedema may develop.
- Rare manifestations include visual impairment or internal / external bleeding.
As you can see, the side effect of "Pentoxifylline" can be completely different. Especially thoughtful need to approach the use of the drug and not engage in self-medication.
To whom is the medicine contraindicated?
We have examined the side effects of Pentoxifylline, but have not yet mentioned contraindications, but meanwhile they need to be known so as not to endanger our lives.
So, the medicine should never be used by those people who have suffered:
- Myocardial infarction.
- Acute hemorrhagic stroke.
- Extensive bleeding.
- Severe heart rhythm disturbances.
- Cerebral or severe coronary atherosclerosis.
In addition, people under the age of eighteen, pregnant and lactating, cannot use Pentoxifylline. The same applies to those people who have hypersensitivity to the main component of the drug or additional. Patients with hemorrhages in the retina should also not use the drug.
Can pregnant and lactating?
Often patients ask if Pentoxifylline can be taken during the period of bearing and feeding the child or not. Of course not. There is no exact data on how the drug affects the child, so the manufacturer forbids taking the medicine at this time.
Is it possible for children?
This question is asked no less often, referring to the fact that some of these drugs are allowed for use in children. I would like to remind you that the instructions for Pentoxifylline and its analogues are different and, if one drug is suitable for children, it does not mean at all that the second one will be just as suitable.
This drug is strictly contraindicated in children under eighteen years of age.
Overdose
If a person does not follow the doctor’s instructions or takes the medicine as horrible, then he may develop overdose symptoms. In the case of tablets, it is still difficult to make a mistake, but during the injection, an inexperienced medical professional can increase the dose. It is important in this situation to immediately seek medical help. And so that you do this as soon as possible, we present the symptoms of an overdose.
In this state, a person often appears dizzy, headache. The patient is vomiting, and the masses are similar to coffee grounds in structure. The general weakness of the patient is also a characteristic symptom, as is nausea.
A person may drop blood pressure, breathing problems appear. Fainting and cramps or tremors of the limbs are frequent. In the most acute situation, things can go to anaphylactic shock.
How to provide first aid?
It doesn’t matter what dosage of Pentoxifylline (100 mg, 200 or more) you have exceeded the required amount of medication, you need to provide first aid in a short time, because delay can cost a person life.
If an overdose occurs, you must first rinse the affected stomach. After washing, you need to give the person activated carbon or another sorbent. We remind you that coal is given at the rate of one tablet per 10 kilograms of weight.
When necessary, the patient needs to be given a medicine that will restore blood pressure or breathing.
With loss of consciousness and other serious complications, adrenaline is administered to the patient. Of course, only specialists can do this. An ordinary person can only rinse the stomach and call an ambulance.
By the way, if a person vomits and the masses resemble coffee grounds, then this is a clear sign of the onset of gastric bleeding. To stop him, doctors carry out more than one rehabilitation measure.
Application features
"Pentoxifylline" from varicose veins is used much more often than with many other diseases. Moreover, sometimes people are self-medicating, and this can not be done in any case, if only because each drug has special instructions. We will consider them.
The manufacturer recalls that the compatibility of the drug and the infusion solution must be checked every time. Here the proverb "measure seven times - cut once" just works. It’s better to check several times than to act quickly.
The instructions for Pentoxifylline on intravenous administration say that this can only be done if the patient is lying.
So that there are no problems with the tolerability of the drug, you need to strictly observe the speed regimen during infusion and injections.
If a person has low or unstable blood pressure, the dose of Pentoxifylline should be reduced.
The instruction of "Pentoxifylline" and analogues differs in many ways, for example, how to prescribe the drug to older people. The fact is that in patients aged, the drug is not completely withdrawn. For this reason, it is Pentoxifylline that is reduced in dosage for consumption.
The drug may act less effectively on smokers than on patients without bad habits.
Interaction with other drugs
Instructions for use of "Pentoxifylline" in ampoules or tablets warns that the medicine can enhance the effect of drugs that lower blood pressure or prevent blood clots.
If the drug is taken by a person with diabetes mellitus during treatment with antidiabetic drugs or insulin, then Pentoxifylline can further enhance the hypoglycemic properties, which can lead to a hypoglycemic reaction. It is important to take this warning seriously, because an incorrectly calculated dosage can cause hypoglycemic coma.
Taking the medicine with Meloxicam or Ketorolac can cause open bleeding. Due to the use with vasodilator drugs and ganglion blockers, blood pressure may drop.
If you take "Pentoxifylline" with "Heparin" or similar means, then the effect of the latter will intensify. The use of other xanthines during treatment will lead to nervous excitement.
Experts do not recommend combining the drug with Cimetidine, because such a compound can increase the level of active pharmaceutical compounds in the blood, which increases the degree of manifestation of side effects.
Pentoxifylline should not be mixed with antibacterial drugs, because the consequences of such a duet cannot be predicted.
Sales form
The law prohibits the free sale of medicine. A prescription for Pentoxifylline can only be prescribed by a doctor. Accordingly, if pharmacists dispense medicine without a document, then they break the law.
How to store?
The instruction "Pentoxifylline" in ampoules indicates that it can only be stored in a dark place. The same thing is written about tablets. General recommendations for the two forms of the drug are inaccessibility for children and a temperature regime of no higher than 30 degrees.
The medicine is suitable for three years. We draw your attention to the fact that before use it is necessary to check the date of manufacture so that expired medicine does not cause irreparable harm to health.
Generics
Pentoxifylline analogues are sometimes prescribed (according to the instructions), while the reviews about the drugs are completely different, despite the fact that many of them can be much more expensive. Let's look at which drugs are the same in their properties.
So, the most common analogues are Trental, Vasonit, Agapurin. If everything is clear with the main active ingredient, then let's explain what features these drugs have.
- Trental. Available in the form of dragees. Doctors prescribe it for vascular disorders, encephalopathies, as a restorative therapy after ischemic stroke. The drug has worked well for the treatment of auditory problems associated with a decrease in the functionality of the blood channels.
- "Flowerpot". Long-acting tablets, they contain 600 milligrams of pentoxifylline. It has an extended shelf life of 5 years instead of three.
- "Agapurin." Release form - a solution containing 20 milligrams of substance per milliliter. The tablets are also sold and have two dosages: 400 milligrams and 100.
Many people arbitrarily replace one drug with another, and by the way, this can not be done. This is because some dneuriki, in addition to the main substance, also contain additional ones, which with a certain disease can only aggravate the situation.
Of course, the reviews on Pentoxifylline analogues are very impressive, but it’s better to think about your health and consult a doctor before replacing the drug. This should be done first of all in order to correctly calculate the dose of the medicine.
Exceptional Cases
Although it is written in the annotation that it is impossible to use the drug during pregnancy, but sometimes it is necessary to do this. In what cases can you deviate from the rules? If a pregnant woman has phytoplacental insufficiency against a background of a violation of the blood supply to the placenta. If the condition is ignored, then fetal hypoxia will develop in the future, and this may already end in termination of pregnancy or the death of the child.
It is important to understand that the dosage and form of the drug is selected for each case individually. As soon as treatment begins, the doctor will constantly monitor the performance of the fetus. After the situation improves, the drug is canceled.
Reviews from pregnant women are the most positive, but we recall once again that you can’t self-medicate, because you endanger not only your life, but also your child.
What do doctors think?
Doctors respond mostly positively to Pentoxifylline. This is due to the fact that the medicine has relatively few indications and side effects, but the treatment result is very good. In addition, “Pentoxifylline intravenously according to the instructions can be used in many pathological conditions. If the doctor has correctly selected the dosage, duration and schedule, then in almost 100% the drug will help.
When the course is fully observed without interruptions or shifts, the patient's condition becomes noticeably better.
For those who do not need to be treated
Bodybuilders are increasingly using the drug, because Pentoxifylline helps to quickly and efficiently gain muscle mass. For these purposes, you need to contact a sports doctor, it is he who will choose the right dosage. During the course, it is necessary to monitor vital indicators and blood composition.
How much is?
What is the price of Pentoxifylline? The cost depends on several factors: manufacturer, country of manufacture, dosage form. Naturally, a domestic product will be much cheaper than an imported one. It can be bought within 50 rubles for a dosage of 100 milligrams.
But the medicine of an imported manufacturer will cost more, already in the region of five hundred rubles. The solution is very cheap - 50 rubles for 10 ampoules.
With vascular disease
The drug is popular among patients with discirculatory encephalopathy. It is vascular problems that are the leading cause of mortality in older people. Disturbance of cerebral circulation is not only acute, but also chronic. So they call those ailments in which the violation of brain functions caused by insufficient blood circulation progresses.
Such diseases accompany cognitive, emotional, and neurological symptoms. For example, a person loses his memory, thinks more slowly, falls asleep worse, and so on. It is for treatment that Pentoxifylline or generics are prescribed. Such drugs reduce platelet aggregation, improve microcirculation, and increase blood flow.
Studies have shown that if you start taking medication within the first 3-4 weeks, then cerebral flow will improve by 17%. By the way, the same study found that taking the medication does not cause intracerebral robbery syndrome.
The drug showed anti-inflammatory properties that allow you to treat the following diseases:
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Brain tumor necrosis.
- Crohn's disease.
- Psoriasis.
- Acute cerebral ischemia.
"Pentoxifylline" copes with the treatment of lameness caused by damage to the lower extremities. The drug is also used to treat trophic ulcers. About them further.
With trophic ulcers
A very unpleasant ailment, if only because the ulcer heals for a long time and can appear again.
Pentoxifylline helps to heal trophic ulcers because it improves blood circulation.
With liver ailments
The drug is able to reduce the number of complications of cirrhosis. As more and more studies of the drug are carried out every year, the scope of the drug is expanding. Not so long ago, the ability of Pentoxifylline to treat acute alcoholic hepatitis was revealed.
Patient Reviews
Many patients note the positive properties of the drug. The main emphasis is on the treatment of vascular diseases, and Pentoxifylline copes with this very well. Patients like the therapeutic effect, because they have to take the medicine quite often, otherwise the disease can no longer be controlled.
Usually people are looking for what is cheaper or, conversely, more expensive. In the case of this medicine, this is not observed, because the price for it is quite adequate, and the properties of the medicine are beyond praise. It also bribes that Pentoxifylline has few contraindications and side effects.
In general, despite its cheapness, it is a truly good drug that really cures. But we repeat that taking the medicine is possible only after the appointment of a doctor. By the way, reviews of Pentoxifylline analogues are also very good.
Conclusion
Today we talked about the Pentoxifylline preparation, instructions for intravenous use, its properties, indications and contraindications. You probably managed to notice how little the medicine has contraindications, which is very important. Often in the elderly, a whole bunch of diseases and wide contraindications can aggravate a particular ailment. In this case, “Pentoxifylline” fits in the best way, because it contains the very minimum. The same goes for side effects, which are extremely few.
The main thing is to observe the dosage and never exceed it. In order to prevent sad consequences if the dose is exceeded, it is necessary to provide first aid in time. It is important not to harm, and if you do not know what to do, then simply call an ambulance.
Everyone knows that you can not self-medicate, and this is true. Only a doctor has the right to prescribe drugs and prescribe their dosage. This is his work, and he is responsible for the result. Therefore, before using any drug, you should consult a doctor. This will help to avoid unpleasant health effects.