Diseases accompanied by soreness and inflammation can hardly be considered a rarity in modern medicine. Naturally, there are thousands of different anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs that can eliminate discomfort. One of them is the medicine “Lornoxicam”. Instructions for use in this case are quite simple, and doctors often recommend this remedy. But what is the drug? How to apply it correctly? Are there any complications? These questions are asked by many patients.
Composition and form of release of the drug
This medicine is available in two forms - these are tablets and powder for the preparation of injections.
In the pharmacy you can buy small rounded tablets with a hard film coating of white, sometimes yellowish color. The main active substance is lornoxicam. The drug may have a different dosage - 4 or 8 mg of the active component. One blister contains 10 tablets, and in the package can be 1 or 3 of these blisters. As auxiliary components, there are substances such as talc, lactose, hydromellose, titanium dioxide, magnesium stearate, polyvidone K25 and croscarmellose sodium.
There is also a lyophilisate for injection, which is a dense yellow mass placed in an airtight glass bottle. The active substance is also lornoxicam (dosage - 8 mg). Disodium edetate, as well as mannitol E-421 and trometamol are present as auxiliary substances.
The main pharmacological properties
This drug is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug belonging to the class of oxycams. The active substance of the drug inhibits the activity of the COX-2 isoenzyme, which, in turn, slows down the synthesis of prostaglandins. Thus, the drug slows down the development of the inflammatory process.
In addition, this tool inhibits the release of free oxygen radicals from activated white blood cells. The drug also has a pronounced analgesic effect.
Pharmacodynamics of the drug
Lornoxicam tablets are well absorbed in the gastric tract, after which they enter the bloodstream, where approximately 99% bind to plasma proteins. By the way, if you take the drug with food, then the maximum concentration in the blood decreases by about 30%. The bioavailability of the drug is 99-100%. The half-life is relatively short and is four hours.
The metabolism of the active substances of the drug occurs in the tissues of the liver. The drug does not cause the induction of liver enzymes. Metabolites are excreted through the intestines and kidneys (approximately 30% of the total).
The main indications for use
In fact, the drug is widely used to relieve almost any type of pain. For example, it is becoming an indispensable companion for people suffering from arthritis, including infectious, rheumatoid, acute gouty and psoriatic forms of the disease. In addition, the medicine effectively relieves inflammation and soreness in sciatica, deforming osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis, radicular syndrome.
Tablets are also prescribed to relieve toothache, menstruation and severe muscle pain. Injections are widely used in medicine to eliminate post-traumatic and postoperative pain.
Lornoxicam tablets: instructions for use
In the presence of inflammation and pain, an urgent need to consult a doctor. Using any medication without authorization is categorically not recommended, since first a professional medical examination is necessary. Only the attending physician can prescribe Lornoxicam tablets. Instructions for use contain only general recommendations and are intended for reference only.
As a rule, doctors recommend taking one tablet two or three times a day (depending on the content of the active substance). The maximum allowable dose is 16 mg of the active substance. The duration of treatment is determined by the doctor. Although the drug normally does not accumulate in the body, long-term therapy requires constant monitoring, in particular, verification of peripheral blood, coagulation level, etc.
The drug "Lornoxicam": instructions for use, injections
If the doctor has prescribed injections for you, then first you need to prepare a solution. To do this, draw 2 ml of purified water for injection into a clean syringe and insert it into the vial with a needle. Shake it thoroughly until a homogeneous solution forms. After that, put the medicine into a new syringe, change the needle. Injection should be carried out immediately after preparation of the solution.
The drug can be administered both intramuscularly and intravenously. In some cases, the injection can be painful, but this can be avoided. If you inject the drug into the muscle, then the duration of the procedure should exceed 5 seconds. In a vein, one dose of the drug must be administered for 15 seconds.
The dosage in this case, again, is determined by the doctor. Typically, 8 mg of the active substance (contents of one vial) is administered to a patient once. With really severe pain, the procedure can be repeated again. But it is worth remembering that the maximum daily dose is 16 mg of lornoxicam, and it is strictly forbidden to exceed it.
In some cases, patients require additional examinations. For example, in the presence of mild or moderate hypertension, it is extremely important to monitor blood pressure throughout the course of treatment. Patients with impaired renal function should be constantly monitored by medical personnel and regularly tested for kidney function.
Are there any contraindications to therapy?
Can Lornoxicam be used for all categories of patients? Instructions for use indicate that there are contraindications to therapy, although there are not so many:
- First of all, it is worth noting hypersensitivity to the components - such patients have an increased risk of developing an allergic reaction.
- The drug has some age restrictions - it can not be taken by children and adolescents under 18 years of age, as well as by the elderly.
- Contraindications include periods of pregnancy and lactation.
- The medicine can not be taken with certain diseases of the digestive tract, including ulcerative lesions, intestinal inflammation, acute bleeding.
- Impaired liver and kidney function are also a limitation to this kind of therapy.
- Other contraindications include severe forms of hypertension, congestive heart failure, as well as leukopenia and prostaglandin bronchial asthma.
Possible adverse reactions
It is immediately worth noting that the drug "Lornoxicam" rarely causes any complications. On the other hand, it is impossible to completely exclude the probability of their occurrence, so you should read the list of side effects:
- Most often, the drug affects the digestive system. Some patients complain of periodic nausea, as well as abdominal pain, vomiting, and stool disorders. Dry mouth, flatulence appears much less often. The most rare adverse reactions include impaired liver function, intestinal bleeding, the formation of peptic ulcers, gastritis and esophagitis.
- Allergic reactions are sometimes possible, which are most often accompanied by skin rashes, hives, itching, redness, swelling, less often - shortness of breath and increased heart rate.
- The effect of the drug on the nervous system is also possible, which is expressed in periodic headaches, dizziness, states of increased excitement, and sleep disturbances.
- Occasionally, a medicine affects metabolism, which is accompanied by a change in body weight, excessive sweating, and chills.
- In some cases, during therapy, a change in the blood coagulation system is observed, which is accompanied by nasal and hemorrhoidal bleeding.
Overdose, its symptoms and treatment
Many patients are interested in questions about whether an overdose of Lornoxicam is possible. The instruction indicates that such cases are observed, but extremely rare and, as a rule, are associated with metabolic disorders of the patient or uncontrolled medication.
The first symptoms of an overdose are nausea and vomiting. In the future, some cerebral signs may appear, including severe dizziness and ataxia. In the most severe cases, this condition turns into convulsions and even to whom. Serious bleeding disorders as well as liver and kidney damage can also be attributed to overdose results.
A patient with these symptoms needs to be rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, a specific antidote does not exist today. Gastric lavage and the use of activated charcoal are effective only if the drug has not yet had time to assimilate. Due to the short decay period, active substances are eliminated quite quickly from the body. In the presence of seizures and other complications, symptomatic therapy is performed.
How much is the drug?
Of course, for many patients, price is an important factor in choosing a medicine. It should be understood that the figure will fluctuate depending on the form of release and dosage, as well as the city of residence, the manufacturer, the pharmacy you have chosen, etc.
So how much does Lornoxicam cost? Injections, or rather, 5 bottles for the preparation of the solution, will cost about 800–950 rubles. Pills are a little cheaper. For example, a drug with a dosage of 4 mg costs 150-200 (10 tablets) or 350-450 (30 tablets). But “Lornoxicam 8 mg” will cost about 200-250 rubles for ten tablets. A package of 30 pieces costs about 550-650 rubles.
Are there any effective analogues?
For one reason or another, not all patients are suitable for the drug “Lornoxicam”. Analogues of the drug, of course, exist. Some of them are even cheaper and easier to get at the pharmacy. For example, Xefocam, Lornoxicam, and Xefocam Rapid are essentially the same medicine with the same constituent substances, but only from different manufacturers.
There are other substitutes. For example, Lorakam is considered quite effective, which also provides an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. In any case, do not self-medicate and arbitrarily exclude the drug “Lornoxicam” from the course of therapy. Analogs can only be selected by the attending physician. He will adjust the dosage and mode of administration, if necessary.
Reviews of doctors and patients about the drug
For patients who have been prescribed Lornoxicam, patient and specialist reviews are a very important source of information. To begin with, it is worth noting the positive opinion of doctors. This drug really quickly relieves pain and helps to cope with inflammation, therefore it is widely used in various branches of medicine. In addition, despite a rather impressive list of side effects, in fact they are recorded relatively rarely.
What do patients say about the drug “Lornoxicam”? The reviews in this case are also mostly positive. Both pills and injections help to quickly cope with pain, and the effect of them can last up to ten hours. Injections are accompanied only by slight discomfort, especially if you follow all the instructions. Perhaps the only drawback is the relatively high cost, especially when it comes to injectable solutions - not everyone can afford it. Nevertheless, the medicine works theoretically and costs such money.