A body cleansed of toxins is the key to well-being and he alth. Any doctor will tell the patient this when prescribing drugs to support the liver. After all, it is this organ that passes liters of blood through itself, cleansing them of dangerous substances. With a number of problems with the liver, the drug "Heptral" is effective. The manufacturer claims that with the available indications, it can be taken even by pregnant women. Therefore, it is easy to imagine how widely this remedy is used as part of complex therapy. In the article we will note the most necessary information about Heptral: manufacturer, release forms, indications and contraindications.
General characteristics
In order to help the liver cope with its main tasks, doctors recommend taking hepatoprotectors. These preparations, despite their diversity, contain only fourgroups of active substances. Interestingly, many of them fall into the category of dietary supplements in most European countries. However, in Russia, such drugs are registered as full-fledged drugs, such as Heptral (the country of origin is always indicated on the package).
Patients often leave reviews about this medicine, as it is prescribed by doctors very widely. The drug has antidepressant and antioxidant properties, which allows it to be used as an additional agent in body cleansing therapy.
Besides, it has a pronounced neuprotective effect. Therefore, "Geptral" (there are several manufacturers supplying the drug to the Russian market today) should not be used at night. It tones the nervous system and encourages the patient to take action.
However, the drug is mainly used for its intended purpose - for problems with the liver. The list of indications includes cirrhosis at the initial stage. Often, doctors carry out Heptral therapy in the process of removing the patient from the state of alcohol intoxication caused by hard drinking. In such cases, Heptral injections are prescribed, they are more effective. And only after the condition is normalized, the course of treatment continues with taking pills.
Manufacturer of "Heptral": which one is better
Patients prescribed this drug face a choice problem. This is due to the fact that different manufacturers of Heptral are found in pharmacies. Pharmacists rarelyrecommend this or the company that produces this tool. Therefore, patients themselves have to look for information about which manufacturer of Heptral is better. Finding the answer to this question is not so easy.
Most often on the packaging of the drug is indicated by the manufacturer Italy. "Heptral" was developed by Italian specialists and after long clinical trials it was released for sale. Very quickly, the drug began to be exported abroad and was purchased for sale in Russia. Today in pharmacy chains there are medicines of two Italian companies:
- ABBOTT SrL (Italy) is a well-known manufacturer of Heptral. Most of the export of the drug comes to Russia under this pharmaceutical brand.
- HOSPIRA S.p. A. is a well-established pharmaceutical company from Italy. She also has the right to release Heptral, so her name may well be on your packaging. Under this brand, many drugs come to our country.
Producers of Heptral from Italy are considered the most proven. However, they are not the only ones supplying the drug to Russia. On some batches, France can be seen in the "Producer" column. "Heptral" of the French pharmaceutical company is no worse than the Italian one in terms of quality and efficiency. But it appeared on the market a little later, and therefore the attitude of buyers towards it is wary. They often ask themselves the question “Which country is the best manufacturer of Heptral from?”. Physicians always have the same answer. They arebelieve that the quality of the drug is not affected by the pharmaceutical company that puts it on sale. Regardless of the brand, the drug will be of high quality and will help the patient cope with existing he alth problems.
Product form: lyophilisate
In emergency cases, when an immediate result is required, the therapist prescribes "Heptral" in ampoules. Their contents are called "lyophilisate", from which the doctor prepares a solution for administration. Injections are given intravenously or intramuscularly, when prescribing a remedy, the therapist usually gives recommendations on the treatment regimen, where the method of administration of the drug fits.
The manufacturer produces a lyophilisate together with a special dissolution agent. Each box contains five vials of both substances. Visually, the powder, which is the basis of the drug, is white. Let's say a yellowish tint, but without additions and blotches. The solvent is identical in color to the lyophilizate, but it is more transparent. Sediment and inclusions are not allowed. The drug ready for administration should be colorless with a high degree of transparency.
The lyophilizate consists only of the active substance. It is ademetionine 1, 4-butane disulfonate. In each ampoule, its concentration is equal to seven hundred and sixty milligrams. Often, the dosage of the main substance is compared with the concentration of ademetionine ion. If we conduct a comparative analysis, then the vial will contain four hundred milligrams of ademetionine ion.
The solvent is packaged in ampoules of five milligrams. In themcontains the following substances:
- lysine;
- sodium hydroxide;
- distilled water.
One vial of lyophilisate requires one ampoule of solvent. It is necessary to prepare the drug immediately before administration. It is forbidden to store it ready-made, so the unused medicine is thrown away.
Tablet release form
If your disease does not require immediate intervention, then the doctor will most likely prescribe pills. The use of "Heptral" in this form is the most common. For a number of diseases, capsules are prescribed after a course of treatment with the drug by injection.
The manufacturer gave the capsules an oval shape. They are convex on both sides, without notches and inscriptions. Each tablet is coated with an enteric coating having a film structure. The color of the capsules is white, but in the instructions for "Geptral" (analogues of the agent are not indicated in it), it is noted that it can turn into a yellowish tint. These deviations are acceptable and do not affect the quality and effectiveness of the medicine.
The dosage of tablets is different, which makes the selection of the right one convenient and fast. The most commonly prescribed dosage of "Heptral" is 400 mg or 500 mg (the manufacturer is unimportant). But in especially difficult cases, tablets with a concentration of the main component in the amount of 760 milligrams are used.
The main component of the capsules is the same ademetionine 1, 4-butane disulfonate. But in this form of release there are much more additional components than in the previous one. The tablet contains:
- silicon dioxide;
- magnesium stearate;
- sodium carboxymethyl starch.
Soluble shell has its own composition:
- simethicone;
- sodium hydroxide;
- macrogoal;
- water;
- talc;
- polysorbate and so on.
Pharmacokinetics
"Heptral" in ampoules (manufactured by Italy and France) is considered more effective, as it has a high bioavailability. Due to this, the improvement of the patient's he alth occurs faster and the disease recedes in a matter of days. The bioavailability of the drug in tablets does not exceed five percent.
The maximum concentration of the active substance in the body is reached after six hours with a single dose of the drug. Metabolism occurs in the liver, the components of the drug are excreted through the urinary system.
Communication with plasma proteins is characterized as insignificant, which is also characteristic of analogue drugs. The instructions for use for Heptral indicate that with its regular use, a high concentration of active substances in the cerebrospinal fluid is observed.
Indications for prescribing the drug
Reviews on the use of Heptral allow you to get an idea of the list of he alth problems for which it is advisable to use this drug.
It is indispensable in the treatment of hepatitis. Moreover, the genesis of the disease is unimportant. "Heptral" is effective for toxic, medicinal andother types of hepatitis.
The drug is also prescribed for cirrhosis of the liver, as well as conditions close to this disease. It should be borne in mind that fatty degeneration of the liver is also treatable with Heptral. Doctors know that this problem usually precedes cirrhosis.
Taking a large number of drugs for a long time causes serious liver damage. The body cannot cope with them on its own. Therefore, if a viral, alcoholic, drug or other types of lesions are detected, it is necessary to start treatment with Heptral.
For pregnant women, the drug is prescribed for intrahepatic cholestasis. This disease is very insidious and threatens with problems not only for the mother, but also for the fetus. The drug effectively relieves unpleasant symptoms and reduces the risk of preterm birth.
Depression is also an indication for taking the drug. In this case, it is used as part of complex therapy.
List of contraindications
There are few he alth problems that can interfere with the medication. Therefore, we will list them in full:
- Intolerance to ingredients. Rarely, but patients experience allergic reactions to the components of the drug. In such situations, treatment should be suspended and a doctor should be consulted to replace Heptral with another remedy.
- Children's age. It is strictly forbidden to prescribe the drug to children under eighteen years of age. Only in the most extreme cases, the doctor can take such a step, but at the same time he must carefully monitorlittle patient's condition.
- Associated with hyperazotemia cirrhosis of the liver. With such a diagnosis, during the treatment with Heptral, an increase in the nitrogen content in the blood plasma is likely. If it is impossible to replace the drug with an analogue, then the doctor is recommended to place the patient in a hospital under the constant supervision of specialists.
- Genetic problems. Some diseases due to genetic predisposition affect the methionine cycle. Therefore, treatment with Heptral cannot be prescribed to patients from this group.
In addition to the problems already mentioned, there are a number of situations in which the drug is taken with great care. First of all, this applies to women at the beginning of pregnancy. During the first trimester, taking any drugs is not desirable, the same applies to Heptral. But in difficult situations, the doctor has the right to prescribe it, referring to the patient's diagnosis. Breastfeeding women should also avoid this drug. It easily passes into breast milk, and then the baby enters the body during feeding.
With great care, "Heptral" is prescribed to patients with bipolar mental disorders. It has a strong stimulating effect on the nervous system, which aggravates the human condition.
Possible negative effects
Referring to the reviews of Heptral (the instructions for use list all the negative consequences of treatment that have ever occurred in patients), we can confidently state thatit is very well tolerated. Most of the patients write in the comments that even long-term medication did not affect their he alth negatively. However, we still need to educate readers about the problems they may encounter during treatment.
The manufacturer claims that Heptral causes excessive sweating, itching and skin rashes. Occasionally, patients experience dizziness, sleep problems, headaches, and unreasonable anxiety.
In some patients, the gastrointestinal tract reacts sharply to the drug. This is expressed in bloating, diarrhea, pain and bleeding.
There are known cases of patients complaining of chills, fever and a developed urinary tract infection.
Features of using the product
Most often, doctors prescribe intravenous administration of Heptral, this is done through a dropper. For any diagnosis, the drug in the form of injections is used only at the very beginning of treatment, then it is replaced by tablets.
The course of treatment lasts no more than two weeks, the dosage these days is about 0.8 grams of the drug. This scheme is relevant in the treatment of liver diseases.
Depressive syndrome requires a lower dosage. No more than 0.4 grams of "Heptral" is administered to a person (one or two ampoules of the drug per day). Injections are given for three weeks. Then the patient's condition is assessed by the doctor, and he decides to cancel the injections and replace them with a tablet form of the drug.
CapsulesIt is recommended to drink before lunch. This is due to the tonic effect exerted on the nervous system of the patient. It is not necessary to chew the tablets, otherwise the shell will be damaged and ademetionine 1, 4-butane disulfonate will be absorbed earlier than it reaches the duodenum. This will reduce the effectiveness of the product and may provoke indigestion.
Usually, the doctor prescribes a minimum dosage to see the patient's response. It cannot exceed the limit of twenty milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. Then the dose is adjusted by the doctor depending on the diagnosis and the person's well-being. For example, with intrahepatic cholestasis and depression, the remedy described by us is taken in a dosage of eight hundred milligrams for twenty-four hours. The maximum concentration cannot exceed one thousand six hundred milligrams of the drug. The patient can drink 2 to 4 tablets per day.
Analogues of "Heptral"
The reviews noted that in case of intolerance to the drug, the doctor will be forced to prescribe analogues of the drug to the patient. They have a similar therapeutic effect and are often in the same price range.
The price of the original drug starts from one thousand three hundred rubles. However, often in pharmacies, medicine can be purchased for only two thousand rubles. This makes it not too accessible to the general mass of patients and forces them to look for analogues. Among them are the following drugs:
- "Heptrazan".
- "Heptor N".
- Ademetionin-Vial.
- Heptor.
If we talk about the prices of the listed drugs, they are slightly lower than the original. For example, "Heptor" costs in pharmacies from one thousand rubles.
Reviews on the treatment of "Heptral"
There are a lot of comments about the use of this medicine on the Internet. We were unable to find negative ones, so we can conclude that all patients received the desired effect.
If we analyze all the reviews, one common feature that all patients mention will become noticeable - "Heptral" shows itself well in combination with other drugs. In diseases of the liver, a course of treatment with two or three drugs is very effective and gives a long-term result. The last nuance is very important when it comes to pregnant women. Usually, one course of taking the drug is enough for them, so expectant mothers do not have to worry about the he alth of their crumbs.
Often, reviews of Heptral are given by patients who took it after treatment with statins. It is known that they negatively affect the condition of the liver. Therefore, doctors recommend supporting her with Heptral injections.
Many questions arise on the forums regarding the advisability of using this remedy for neurotic depression. But positive feedback on the results of treatment suggests that the drug relieves the effects of depression very well.
Often it is Heptral that doctors prescribe to oncology patients between courses of chemotherapy. Herestores appetite and allows the body to recuperate before the next stage of chemotherapy.
Patients suffering from hepatitis note that after the first course of treatment they noticed improvements in their condition. For a complete recovery, three to four courses are required at intervals of two months.
About alcohol addiction, people in the reviews are reluctant to write. But such comments still exist and I would like to mention them. It is known that large and regular doses of alcohol quickly disable the liver. And this becomes immediately noticeable after the refusal of alcoholic beverages. Almost everyone who has gone through a difficult recovery process writes about the feeling of fatigue, lethargy, apathy and depression that rolls after two or three days of absolute sobriety. No one can deal with this on their own. Therefore, in addition to the internal mood, medical support is required. The reviews noted that already two days of taking Heptral brought significant relief. And the full course helped to return to normal life.
And what do doctors write about the drug? In their reviews, only positive effects from the treatment were noted. Therapists write that patients notice the first changes in the process of taking after two or three days of treatment. And after the first week, the indicators in the patient's analyzes also change dramatically.
Some doctors believe that Heptral is today the only hepatoprotector in the world whose effectiveness is real, not imaginary. Therefore, they recommend this drug, despite its highcost.
Doctors in the comments point to some contradictions in the action of the drug. It has a somatic focus, which is what determines its effectiveness in the treatment of depression. However, Heptral still has a psychoactive effect. It manifests itself mildly, but in a certain group of patients it reduces the effectiveness of the drug.
Referring to everything written above, we can conclude that Heptral is a highly prescribed drug with a wide spectrum of action. Due to the fact that it is well tolerated by patients, it is prescribed for many diseases.
