Magnesium sulfate is a drug that contains active magnesium ions. It has been used in medicine for quite a long time, which allows us to conclude that it is effective in the treatment of many diseases.
Composition of the drug and release form
Magnesia - magnesium sulfate refers to a chemical compound that is presented in the form of a white powder. It is part of natural sea water. Magnesium sulfate is found in the waters of the Caspian Sea, it is odorless and easily soluble in water.
Magnesia can be purchased in several varieties of dosage forms:
- Ampoules with powder. The drug is used for intravenous and intramuscular administration.
- Powder bags. Suspensions are prepared from them for internal use.
Powder in ampoules for injection does not contain any excipients. The kit contains water, which serves to dissolve it. The main active ingredient of the drug is magnesium sulfate.
For oral use, the powder is packaged in 5, 10 and 25 g.
Actiondrug
Magnesium sulfate has a large number of therapeutic effects, which differ only in the way the drug is administered: as an injection or orally.
The main properties of the drug include:
- Vasodilation.
- Relief from cramps.
- Normalization of blood pressure levels.
- Relieve spasms.
- Calming effect.
- Relaxing the muscles of the uterus.
- Laxative action.
- choleretic effect.
When using magnesium sulfate in the form of a suspension, the drug has a choleretic and laxative effect. After it enters the body, irritation of the nerve endings of the duodenum occurs, which allows you to achieve the desired effect.
With this method of application, magnesium does not enter the bloodstream, but causes an increased filling of the intestines with fluid, which contributes to a laxative effect. Faecal liquefaction occurs and bowel movements are much faster.
A small amount of the drug that enters the body is excreted through the kidneys. Therefore, magnesium sulfate has a slight diuretic effect. The withdrawal period is 4-5 hours.
Specialists prescribe it for poisoning with s alts of heavy metals. In this situation, the remedy acts as an antidote. It can remove them from the body.
Magnesium sulfate solution is used in the form of injections or topically. In the latter case, the agent is impregnatedbandages and place them on the wounds. The solution is also used during electrophoresis for the treatment of diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Intramuscular or intravenous use of magnesium sulfate helps to quickly lower blood pressure, relieve convulsions, promote vasodilation. The drug can have a hypnotic effect and depress the central nervous system. Dosage specialists select individually, it depends on the disease and age of the patient.
Magnesium sulfate is widely used in obstetric practice, especially with the threat of preterm birth. In this case, the smooth muscles of the uterus relax, the vessels expand and the contractile activity stops. Therefore, the risk of preterm birth is reduced.
Indications for use
Magnesium sulfate is used in the treatment of various diseases. It is used in therapy as a symptomatic drug. In some situations, the drug is prescribed in the form of a solution for injection, and in others - in the form of a suspension.
According to the instructions, magnesium sulfate is administered intramuscularly and intravenously in such cases:
- Myocardial infarction.
- Arterial hypertension, as well as hypertensive crisis.
- Late toxicosis in pregnant women.
- Decreased levels of magnesium in the body, resulting from stress, alcoholism and taking diuretics.
- Conditions that require an increased need for magnesium. This may be necessary during pregnancy or during prolonged stress.
- Complex therapy of pregnant women with the threat of premature birth.
- Convulsions that occur when calcium metabolism is disturbed.
- Arrhythmia.
- Poisoning with s alts of heavy metals (barium, arsenic and others).
- Complex therapy of bronchial asthma.
- Concussion.
- Epilepsy.
Magnesium sulfate can be taken as a powder in the following cases:
- cholangitis;
- poisoning;
- cholecystitis;
- constipation;
- as a bowel preparation before surgery;
- biliary dyskinesia.
Magnesia as a powder or granules is widely used by professional athletes, they use the drug to cleanse the body and remove harmful substances.
Using the drug as a laxative
According to the instructions, magnesium sulfate is used as a laxative and has some advantages over drugs of this kind. It is not addictive.
It is possible to achieve the desired effect of the drug earlier than from other similar means.
Before taking it is necessary to consult a specialist in cases where the cause of constipation is not established. To do this, it is used in powder. The medicine should be taken at night or in the morning, immediately after waking up and before eating.
Before starting treatment, a suspension is prepared from the powder. The dosage for adolescents over 15 years of age and adults is 10-30 g diluted in 100 ml of water.
If the medicine is intended for a child under 15, then the dosedetermined based on his age (1 year - 1 year, 6 years - 6 years).
To speed up the process of bowel movement, according to the instructions, a suspension is prepared from magnesium sulfate powder, and then consumed orally, the drug must be washed down with a significant amount of warm water. The positive effect of the drug will come within 1 hour. Taking magnesium sulfate continuously for 2-3 days is not recommended because inflammation of the intestinal mucosa may occur.
Most often it is taken once to prevent acute constipation. The drug can be used after anthelmintic treatment.
Magnesium sulfate for injections
Produced in ampoules, the drug is completely ready for use. Its concentration is 20 or 25%. Depending on how quickly the therapeutic effect is required, magnesium sulfate is administered intravenously or intramuscularly. This is carried out according to the doctor's prescription.
The rate of intramuscular or intravenous administration should not be more than 1 ml per minute. Patients usually feel heat that spreads from the injection site throughout the body, so during the administration process it is necessary to monitor the patient's condition.
The maximum dosage per day is 40 g. The amount of solution administered at a concentration of 20% should not exceed 200 ml, and at 25% - 160 ml.
According to the instructions, the use of magnesium sulfate intramuscularly is carried out in all cases, except for emergencies. Serious pathologies include hypertensive crisis, convulsiveseizures.
Patients are most often prescribed a remedy 1-2 times a day. To perform one injection, 5-20 ml of the drug is used. The course of therapy is carried out within 2-3 weeks.
To prevent spastic pain in the intestines and other organs, magnesium sulfate is mixed with 0.5% Novocain.
Intravenously administered drug for myocardial infarction, hypertensive crisis and other diseases that threaten the patient's life. If the condition is critical, then it is administered 2 times a day. The dose of a 20% solution is 5-20 ml. The positive effect is achieved within 10-20 minutes. The result is evaluated after 40-50 minutes, and the positive effect lasts for 6 hours.
During the period of prolonged treatment, specialists must constantly measure the patient's blood pressure, monitor the functioning of the kidneys and tendon reflexes.
Colour Cleansing
The drug has positive properties in the treatment of various diseases.
To ensure that the cleansing procedure does not cause complications, it is necessary to carry out preliminary preparation. To do this, 14 days before cleansing, you must completely change your menu. Fried, spicy, smoked and s alty dishes should be excluded from it. The basis of the diet should be fresh and baked vegetables, fruits, whole grain cereals.
According to reviews, magnesium sulfate for bowel cleansing is used as follows:
- Need to purchase 10-30g of medicine.
- Best to spendcleansing in the morning, no later than 7 hours. To do this, dilute 20-30 g of magnesium sulfate in 100 ml of water. The prepared solution should not contain sediment or it should be present in a minimum amount.
- Then the remedy is taken orally. The taste of the solution is not very pleasant, so you can then eat a slice of lemon or grapefruit. Sometimes the remedy is drunk through a straw.
- After 2-6 hours, the urge to defecate is felt. As the bowel empties, the patient may experience bloating and pain in the abdomen.
- After the procedure, you can eat only after 3-4 hours.
Some experts advise to clean the intestines for 2-3 days. You need to be careful when using the product, because magnesium sulfate has side effects.
When Pregnant
For pregnant women, magnesium sulfate may be prescribed to prevent increased uterine tone. This is done in order to avoid premature birth. The drug quickly stops the contraction of the uterine muscles, which prevents the rapid development of labor.
How to take magnesium sulfate? Self-treatment with the drug is prohibited. It is administered exclusively under the supervision of doctors.
As for the safety of the unborn child during therapy, such studies have not been conducted. Despite this, the drug is used to treat pregnant women, thanks to which many he althy children were born. Therefore, magnesium is considered one of the safest drugs if used correctly.
Uncontrolled treatment is prohibited, it is used only in cases where it is not possible to use other drugs. Experts should have no doubts about the benefits of magnesium sulfate for the body of a pregnant woman and child.
During intravenous administration, the drug passes through the placental barrier into the blood of the unborn child. Exactly the same concentration of the active substance is created in his body. And the therapeutic effect passes to the fetus. He may have low blood pressure and respiratory depression if the medication was given before labor began.
Therefore, doctors refuse to use magnesium sulfate 2 hours before the birth of a child. The exception is convulsions due to eclampsia.
If necessary, the drug is administered continuously. The flow rate cannot exceed 1 ml per minute. The main thing is that doctors should constantly monitor the woman's condition.
Drug overdose
According to the instructions, magnesium sulfate can cause an overdose with any method of use, even orally. When this occurs after an injection, the symptoms appear as follows:
- nausea and vomiting;
- lower blood pressure;
- lack of knee jerk;
- bradycardia.
To reduce these symptoms, it is necessary to administer calcium chloride or calcium gluconate in a 10% concentration. The solution is used as an antidote, and the dose is 5-10 ml. In somecases, the patient is attached to an artificial respiration apparatus, and also undergoes a hemodialysis procedure.
If an overdose is due to the use of magnesium sulfate powder, patients develop severe diarrhea. To stop its action, drugs such as Loperamide or Regidron are prescribed. This will stop bowel movements and restore fluids and electrolytes.
Contraindications and side effects
Like any other drug, magnesium sulfate in ampoules and powder has restrictions on admission. There are the following contraindications for injections:
- Individual intolerance to the active substance.
- Elevated levels of magnesium in the blood.
- Two hours before labor starts.
- Severe kidney disease.
- Antrioventricular block.
Disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys after taking the drug may be irreversible. Solution for injection is not recommended for patients with low blood pressure and those suffering from respiratory failure.
If bleeding is suspected in any part of the gastrointestinal tract, oral intake of magnesium sulfate is prohibited. Among other contraindications, there are: intestinal obstruction, a foreign body in any part of the gastrointestinal tract, the process of inflammation in the digestive organs. In case of dehydration, the drug is also prohibited.
The use of magnesium sulfate may cause the following adverse reactions:
- from the digestive tract - heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
- from the side of the central nervous system - dizziness, fatigue, headache, impaired consciousness;
- from the side of the cardiovascular system - fever and sweating, arrhythmia, anxiety.
When taking the drug in powder form, diarrhea and inflammation of the digestive tract may develop.
During pregnancy and lactation, magnesium sulfate is approved for use. Dosages correspond to the usual. If negative symptoms occur, the drug should be discontinued.
Reviews
Opinions about the drug were mostly positive. Magnesium sulfate has been used in some women in the first trimester of pregnancy when there is a threat of miscarriage. As a result, hypertonicity passed and a he althy baby was born.
Many patients are prescribed the drug in the treatment of arterial hypertension. The effect was observed to be fast and long-lasting.
Excellent remedy for constipation. It promotes good bowel movements. In some patients, the laxative effect was so strong that it led to pain in the abdomen.
Magnesium sulfate is a drug that is used to treat various diseases. It has a convenient release form, which contributes to its more efficient use. When using the drug, especially in injections, all its features and contraindications should be taken into account. Self-medication is unacceptable.