Iron is an indispensable element that a person needs for normal life. It enters the body mainly with food of animal origin. When its concentration decreases, lethargy and apathy appear, dizziness and ringing in the ears, and susceptibility to infectious diseases increases.
Action on the body and indications
According to the instructions for use, "Ferinject" is an anti-anemic drug for intravenous administration. The active ingredient is iron carboxym altose. More effective than other oral products, proven by research.
The drug is a complex that, after administration, is split into carboxym altose and iron. The latter binds to the blood protein transferrin and is delivered to cells for synthesis:
- enzymes;
- myoglobin;
- hemoglobin.
Ferinject's indications are all types of anemia associated with iron deficiency. Prescribed by a doctor with laboratory establisheddecrease in the concentration of a substance.
When not to use
The drug is strictly prohibited:
- children under 14;
- persons with individual intolerance to components;
- if there are problems with the disposal of iron;
- at an increased concentration of the substance;
- people with other types of anemia.
Pregnant women often experience a decrease in hemoglobin, but for their treatment, doctors prefer drugs taken orally. If for some reason this is not possible, they resort to the intravenous administration of Ferinject and its analogues.
Despite the slight penetration of the substance into breast milk, it is recommended to stop feeding during treatment.
When prescribing to patients requiring long-term dialysis, take into account that 75 μg of aluminum is present in 1 ml of the drug.
With caution, the iron preparation "Ferinject" is prescribed to patients with:
- severe liver failure;
- atopic dermatitis;
- eczema;
- bronchial asthma;
- acute infections.
To avoid overdose during treatment, periodic monitoring of indicators is necessary.
How to use
Ferinject solution is administered only intravenously (by drip or jet method). Self-administration can be dangerous in the development of an overdose and the accumulation of a component in the body.
Before starting treatment, the bottle with the drug must be carefullyinspect, making sure that the contents have a uniform consistency and that there is no sediment.
During therapy, severe allergic reactions are periodically observed in the form of anaphylactic shock, so the solution is administered within the walls of a medical institution that has the necessary equipment for resuscitation.
After droppers or Ferinject injections, the patient is monitored for 30 minutes.
Dosage is calculated individually based on laboratory parameters.
No more than 1000 mg of iron can be administered at a time (up to 20 ml). Treatment with maximum dosages is carried out no more than 1 time per week.
When using the Ferinject dropper, the medicine is diluted with a solution of sodium chloride (0.9%). This should be considered in patients on a sodium diet.
For patients on hemodialysis, the maximum single injection should not exceed 200 mg of iron.
The cumulative dose for patients weighing 35 to 70 kg is:
- 1500mg for hemoglobin less than 10g/dl;
- 1000 mg if 10 g/dL or higher.
Weight over 70kg, the level is:
- 2000 mg if less than 10 g/dl;
- 1500 mg when levels are 10 g/dL or more.
If the patient weighs up to 35 kg, then the level of cumulative iron is 500 mg.
Side effects and overdose
Reviews about "Ferinject" indicate that after the use of the drug, the appearance of a headache is most often noted in about 3.3% of people.
Alsoobserved:
- local and systemic allergic reactions;
- dizziness;
- paresthesia;
- shortness of breath;
- reducing blood pressure;
- facial redness;
- nausea and vomiting;
- increased gas formation;
- heartburn;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- abdominal pain;
- change in taste preferences;
- bronchospasm;
- alarm;
- loss of consciousness;
- myalgia, arthralgia;
- increased AST, ALT, LDH.
Exceeding the recommended dosage leads to increased side effects. Treatment is symptomatic.
Ferinject reviews indicate that sometimes the accumulation of iron provokes a severe metabolic disorder - hemosiderosis. It is characterized by excessive accumulation of hemosiderin in the cells of various organs. Such a disorder is difficult to treat, so you should not take risks and use the drug yourself.
Special Instructions
To avoid serious complications, you need to know that the solution:
- May be hard on the body. Home use is unacceptable and sometimes results in death due to delayed medical attention.
- Does not apply intramuscularly. Will not have the desired therapeutic effect.
- Need to enter carefully. If fluid enters the space around the vein, it is fraught with redness, swelling, burning and itching.
- Applies immediately. All that remains inbottle, discard.
- Do not use when foreign impurities appear in the vial. They talk about the unsuitability of the medication.
- Assign in cases where the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia is confirmed. After receiving the answer sheet, the required dosage is selected.
- Used to treat pregnant women, but only in the 2nd and 3rd trimester. Studies proving the safety of the drug have not been conducted, so they are prescribed in cases where the potential risk to the mother is higher than the threat to the fetus.
If the contents of the vial enter the paravenous space, stop the infusion immediately.
Drug Interactions
Ferinject solution should not be used with other intravenous and oral iron preparations.
Medicine for infusion is diluted with only 0.9% sodium hydroxide. The use of other solutions may result in sedimentation or other undesirable reaction at the bottom of the container.
Average cost and release forms
The medicine is sold in transparent glass bottles, tightly closed with a rubberized cap. The package contains 1 or 5 pcs. 2 or 10 ml of solution and instructions for use.
The price of "Ferinject" is quite high. For a pack of 1 or 5 pcs. you will have to pay from 4.5 thousand rubles.
Due to the high cost of the drug, there is a risk of acquiring a fake. To reduce it, you need to make a purchase in specialized institutions, and not throughthe Internet or third parties. Although pharmacies also get counterfeit.
Analogues
The selection of drugs for the treatment of anemia is carried out according to the results of the tests, while the indicators are informative:
- hemoglobin;
- iron;
- ferritin.
Often, low values of the first protein in the list indicate anemia, but not always. Empty depots can be diagnosed by iron and ferritin levels.
However, these data are not enough to prescribe a medicine. Doctors need to find out why an important element is missing. Depending on the pathology, oral or parenteral administration is preferred.
Injections are chosen when the leak is associated with:
- malabsorption;
- profuse blood loss;
- absorption problems.
To do this, there are a number of preparations based on 3-valent iron. Ferinject is the most effective of this group, but the cost often forces patients to abandon IVs and look for a cheaper substitute.
There are no budget analogues of Ferinject based on iron carboxym altose. There is a similar drug "Ferinject", but its cost is even higher.
At the discretion of the doctor, the expensive Swiss drug is replaced by medicines based on other components, namely iron (3):
- sugarat ("Ferkoven");
- hydroxide polym altose ("M altofer");
- dextran hydroxide (Cosmofer).
The latter exceeds the cost of "Ferinject" more than 2 times. "Ferkoven" and"M altofer" is cheaper. A drug based on polym altose hydroxide costs about 300 rubles.
Injectable drugs are prescribed by the attending physician. If the purchase of the recommended remedy is not available to the patient, then another remedy is prescribed to him. You cannot replace solutions yourself.
Terms of sale and storage
According to the instructions for use of "Ferinject", the drug can be bought after providing a prescription from a doctor. Out of stock.
Purchased packaging should not be frozen or left in direct sunlight. The maximum storage temperature is 30 degrees Celsius. Shelf life - 2 years from the date of production.
Vials should be kept away from children to prevent accidental swallowing.
Spoiled solution is thrown away.
Medic reviews
Doctors praise Ferinject very much and prescribe it in cases where taking iron tablets does not work or replenishment is slow.
The solution is prescribed for patients with low hemoglobin who are to undergo abdominal surgery, with malabsorption syndrome and many other pathologies.
Unlike similar drugs, carboxym altose is not excreted from the body through the kidneys, but is transferred to the bone marrow and deposited in the spleen and liver. Thanks to this mechanism, Ferinject helps to accumulate iron faster, the level of which is maintained for a long time.
Often 2 droppers with the drug are enough to get the effect for at least2-3 months. Additional intake of iron supplements in maintenance dosages is not required.
Ferinject's price is a little high, but the result it can achieve is impressive.
Some people are forced to take oral drugs daily, for a long time. With frequent use, tablets can irritate the gastric mucosa and adversely affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, which is not the case with intravenous administration.
Persons with temporary iron deficiency, not associated with pathologies of internal organs, do not need treatment with an expensive drug. It is enough for them to drink 1-2 tablets with 2- or 3-valent iron.
Intravenous solution is ideal for patients who do not respond to the standard treatment regimen or for some reason it is contraindicated.
Side effects of "Ferinject" are often present. Mostly patients complain of a headache, but with anemia it is also present, so many do not pay attention to it. Painkillers are recommended to relieve the symptom.
Slightly less common allergic reactions, up to death. Without the provision of emergency medical care, the result is sad.
The rest of the side effects stated in the instructions are less common and often associated with the presence of chronic diseases in the patient, improper dosing and administration, additional intake of other medications.
Ferinject reviews indicate that a common causedisappointment in medicine is the purchase of counterfeit products. Given the cost of 1 ampoule, people in an attempt to save money turn to the services of pharmaceutical sites on the Internet, where there are many fakes.
Sometimes the medical staff does not properly examine the contents of the vial, they contain sediment, which leads to a change in the pharmacological properties of carboxym altose.
The solution does an excellent job with the main task of eliminating iron deficiency, but it is not cheap.
Patient feedback
Many patients are tired of fighting anemia, which is provoked by ulcers and erosion of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, Crohn's disease, tumors and other pathologies. There is no point in taking pills, because when the absorption function is impaired, they do not reach their destination.
Relatively inexpensive drugs, such as "M altofer", have to be administered more often, and this is not always convenient. "Ferinject" 500 mg allows you to feel significant relief after one bottle. Several injections of such iron replenish the depot for a long period.
After droppers, people note a general deterioration in well-being, namely:
- headache;
- severe nausea;
- pre-fainting;
- strange taste in mouth and stuff.
Despite this, everyone claims that the remedy is very effective. Hemoglobin returns to normal 2-3 days after the dropper and does not drop to critical levels for some time. Everything is individual here and depends on the cause of the iron leak.
After an accurate diagnosis, treatment of the underlying pathology and intravenous administration of Ferinject, the condition returns to normal.
Most pregnant women suffer from low hemoglobin associated with iron deficiency. Despite the warnings indicated in the annotation, droppers with carboxym altose are prescribed to this category of people. There is no information about their negative impact.
In pediatric practice, the medicine is not used. Other means are used to treat children.
After allergic reactions occur, some people have to stop therapy and use another drug.
Iron deficiency anemia is easy to recognize by its symptoms, but they appear when iron levels are severely reduced. A person feels very tired, lack of appetite, chilliness, wants to eat something inedible (chalk, clay, etc.). Reviews of "Ferinject" indicate that the drug will help to quickly eliminate the deficiency and fill the depot with iron. Do not forget that anemia is a secondary pathology, and in order to get rid of it forever, you must first eliminate the main cause.
