“Danazol” is an effective drug that is included in the pharmacological group of inhibitors of pituitary hormones, hypothalamus, gonadotropins, as well as their antagonists. The use of the drug should be started only on the advice of a doctor. In addition, you should carefully study the instructions attached to the Danazol preparation.
Form of release and composition of the medicine
The drug is available in the form of capsules placed in blister packs. They, in turn, are packed in a cardboard box.
Another packaging option is a plastic bottle tightly sealed with a cap.
The main and only active ingredient in the composition is the substance danazol. Its amount in each capsule is 100 or 200 mg (depending on dosage). Auxiliary elements are not provided.
Pharmacokinetics
The drug "Danazol", according to the instructions, is included in the list of inhibitors of the production of gonadotropic hormones. When taken regularlya reduction in the production of the pituitary hormones FGS and LH is achieved. This effect is observed in men and women. At the same time, after the drug is discontinued, hormone production is restored.
Capsules do not have gestagenic and estrogenic activity, while there is a slight androgenic activity and anabolic effect.
Getting into the body, the active ingredient acts in several directions:
- Ovulation is delayed.
- Ectopic and normal endometrial tissue is damaged. As a result of such changes, the cells lose their ability to further activity and atrophy. Such characteristics are important in endometriosis.
- Pain syndrome in endometriosis is reduced.
- An immunosuppressive effect is achieved. Uncontrolled division of lymphocytes in vitro is blocked.
- Immunoglobulin level is decreasing.
Pharmacokinetics
When increasing the dose, there is no increase in bioavailability. At the same time, plasma concentration can increase by 35-40% with a 2-fold increase in dose.
The half-life of the active ingredient is from 4.5 to 29 hours (depending on dosage). Biotransformation of the drug is carried out in the tissues of the liver and kidneys.
Indications for use
Appointment of Danazol capsules, according to the instructions, is possible in several cases:
- endometriosis, which is accompanied by infertility;
- primary menorrhagia;
- benign breast tumors (including fibrocystic mastopathy);
- signsprecocious puberty in children;
- gynecomastia;
- premenstrual syndrome;
- angioneurotic edema of a hereditary nature.
“Danazol”: instructions for use and doses
The treatment regimen and the dosage of the drug depend on the patient's diagnosis.
Endometriosis. The initial daily dosage reaches 400 mg. This volume is divided into 4 doses. During therapy, the doctor monitors the results and may reduce the daily dose to 200 mg or increase to 800 mg.
Premenstrual syndrome. To eliminate symptoms, danazol 200 mg per day is prescribed. This volume is divided into 4 doses. Subsequently, the amount of medication consumed per day can vary from 100 mg to 400 mg.
Mastopathy. The standard daily dose of the drug for mastopathy is 300 mg. This volume is divided into several receptions. The duration of therapy can be 3-6 months.
Precocious puberty is considered the only indication in which children are prescribed Danazol. The instructions and description of the capsules indicate that it is required to take into account the age and body weight of the child. In this case, the daily dosage can vary from 100 to 400 mg.
The first day of taking the capsules should coincide with the first day of the menstrual cycle in women. The duration of the course of treatment depends on the diagnosis, but cannot exceed 6 months.
Contraindications
You need to prescribe this drug withtaking into account the existing contraindications. In this list:
- pregnancy and lactation period;
- genital bleeding;
- malignant tumors of the prostate and breast;
- porphyria;
- acute renal failure;
- liver failure and other severe liver pathologies;
- epilepsy;
- disorders of hemostasis;
- migraine;
- heart failure;
- epilepsy.
Side effects
Not every person is suitable for taking Danazol capsules. From the instructions for use and patient reviews, you can find out about the presence of a large number of side effects.
Digestive system. Here, the appearance of disorders of the functions of the gastrointestinal tract is possible. Diagnosis may reveal increased activity of liver enzymes.
Endocrine system. Treatment may be accompanied by:
- flushing;
- amenorrhea;
- heavy sweating;
- nervousness;
- signs of acne;
- low libido;
- strengthened work of the sebaceous glands;
- edema;
- signs of hirsutism;
- weight gain;
- pathologies of spermatogenesis.
Central nervous system. The list of the most common reactions includes dizziness, headaches, depression, sleep disturbances, tremors of the limbs, a feeling of weakness.
Dermatology. With individual intolerance, skinrash.
Cardiovascular system. In rare cases, arterial hypertension and tachycardia may occur.
You may also experience back pain, cramps or muscle spasms, visual disturbances.
If the above symptoms appear, you should stop taking the medicine and consult a doctor for treatment correction.
Overdose
If the patient took "Danazol" according to the instructions, an overdose is excluded. If the recommended doses are exceeded, the following symptoms appear:
- nausea;
- vomit;
- dizziness;
- severe headache;
- convulsions;
- tremor.
With such manifestations, you must immediately call an ambulance. Doctors first perform gastric lavage, after which symptomatic therapy is prescribed.
Drug interactions with other drugs
It is extremely important to study the interaction of Danazol in the instructions for use. With endometriosis, benign breast tumors and other diseases, the drug is prescribed as part of complex therapy.
With insulin. A hormone inhibitor reduces the effectiveness of insulin. This can lead to an increase in blood glucose levels. To avoid this, dose adjustment of hypoglycemic agents is recommended.
With indirect anticoagulants. The therapeutic effect of such drugs is enhanced. At the same time, hepatic synthesis of procoagulant factors decreases and there is a riskopening bleeding.
With carbamazepine. There is a danger of inhibition of the metabolism of carbamazepine, resulting in an increase in the concentration of the substance in the blood (toxic effect).
With antiepileptic drugs (including Phenobarbital and Phenytoin). The effect of these drugs is enhanced.
Impact on driving
The drug "Danazol" - according to the instructions and reviews of patients - does not affect the ability to drive a car or complex mechanisms. However, the list of side effects includes symptoms such as dizziness and blurred vision. Therefore, you need to be careful while driving.
Special Instructions
In the presence of primary hypoparathyroidism, this drug may cause hypercalcemia if the patient is taking alfacalcidol.
When prescribing a gonadotropic hormone inhibitor, the doctor should periodically check the level of bilirubin and liver transaminases.
Diabetic patients need to adjust their doses of danazol and insulin.
Analogues
It happens that a drug is not suitable for the patient. In this case, doctors can replace Danazol. Analogues are not indicated in the instructions for the use of the drug, and some patients act at their own peril and risk, which in the future turns into even greater he alth problems. Drug analogues are divided into 2 categories:
- Drugs similar in active ingredient. The element danazol is present in drugs such as Danol, Vero-Danazol, Danodiol, Danogen and Danoval.
- Drugs that differ in composition but have a similar therapeutic effect. This list includes Klimadinon Uno, Nemestran, Remens, Onagris.
It is strictly forbidden to make a decision to replace a medicine on your own. This is due to the fact that the instructions for Danazol and the instructions for analogues differ. A different drug may require a different regimen.
Reviews from patients and doctors
Despite the large number of possible side effects, many patients were satisfied with the effect of the drug. Some women note that their diagnosis of endometriosis was accompanied by infertility. After a course of treatment with Danazol, sexual desire was restored, the diagnosis was removed and the childbearing function returned.
Doctors characterize this drug as one of the most effective of this drug group. In most cases, therapy is well tolerated by patients. To eliminate side effects, it may be enough to reduce the prescribed daily dose of the drug.
At the same time, doctors emphasize: in each case, the attending physician selects an individual treatment based on many indicators. For this reason, self-administration of this drug is prohibited.
