Nifedipine is a drug widely used to treat patients with hypertension. It will help lower blood pressure in a relatively short time. It is also worth saying that when buying any type of Nifedipine drug, you do not need a prescription, it is available in pharmacies for free sale.
Therapeutic action
What is the effectiveness of the drug? What properties does it have, are there any analogues of Nifedipine, what results do they give in treatment? This drug:
- Improves the blood supply to the coronary arteries.
- Helps reduce peripheral vascular resistance.
- Slightly shrinks myocardium.
- Reduces blood pressure.
- It is also a kind of blocker that prevents calcium from entering the cells of the vascular muscles and has a positive effect on ischemia.
Issue form
The drug "Nifedipine" is produced in the form of tablets, dragees, capsules, drops intended for oral administration.
Efficiency and safety of administration to a greater extent depends on which form of medicine you have chosen. Since the early 1970s, mostlyfast-acting Nifedipine tablets or capsules are used, and about 20 years ago, a prolonged form appeared in pharmacies. The drug, which in a short time lowers blood pressure, is also quickly excreted from the body. It has a rather low efficiency and tolerance is also not very good, when compared with those forms that act slowly and more effectively on the body during the day.
The fast-acting drug "Nifedipine" (the price for it is much lower - within 25-30 rubles per pack) in most cases helps a lot, especially when a person has a sharp jump in pressure. It will help to reduce it in the shortest possible time, although this effect may not last long.
The action of the drug depends on how much its concentration fluctuates in the blood, and how quickly it rises and falls. Ordinary pills dramatically lower blood pressure, the answer to this circumstance is a reflex release of adrenaline and other stimulant hormones. All of these hormones can cause a person to experience palpitations, headaches, fever, and even reddening of the skin.
You should also remember that when taking a fast-acting drug that is excreted from the body in a short time, a “rebound” symptom may occur. This means that after a short time, the pressure may jump even higher than it was before you took the pill. Therefore, although the price of prolonged Nifedipine is slightly higher - from 40 to 50 rubles per pack (50 tablets), its effect on the body is milder and longer. Harm to the statewill almost never hurt a person.
Nifedipine pills for what?
This medicine is prescribed for hypertension, coronary disease, which is accompanied by an attack of angina pectoris. In combination with a drug such as Verapamil, it is prescribed to patients who have kidney problems, or rather, to slow the development of kidney failure. With its help, a complex treatment of heart failure is performed, and together with drugs that dilate the bronchi, it is used in the treatment of asthma.
Every drug has side effects, and Nifedipine is no exception.
Side effects
For whatever purpose the doctor prescribes you to take this drug, be prepared for the fact that it can cause side effects, such as:
- Disruption of kidney function.
- Violation of sleep and vision.
- Muscle pain.
- Skin rash.
- Heartburn and nausea.
- Peripheral edema.
If the side effect persists, then you should consult your doctor, you may need to reduce the dosage or have to stop the drug.
Medication use
To achieve positive results in treatment, you need to know how to take Nifedipine tablets correctly. The application is quite simple and does not require special knowledge and skills from you.
Take it for 1-2 months 3-4 times a day, 100 mg. With a hypertensive crisis, it is worth taking it as a sleepy. ForTake one tablet and put it under your tongue. To make the resorption of the drug go even faster, you can bite the pill. During this procedure, the patient must be in a supine position.
After half an hour, the medication can be repeated, in some cases the number of tablets can be increased to 3 pieces.
The pharmacy also sells Nifedipine extended-release tablets. Instructions for their use gives a detailed regimen of administration, while noting that they give the desired effect only with long-term use.
If you need to get the patient out of a hypertensive crisis, then use Nifedipine in solution, it must be administered within 4-8 hours.
Pills "Nifedipine" from what else is used, for what diseases are they considered effective? Raynaud's phenomenon is considered one of these diseases.
Nifedipine for Raynaud's phenomenon
Raynaud's phenomenon is considered one of the most "beautiful" diseases of the cardiovascular system. It affects the upper limbs and gives out a whole range of colors. It is the hands that this disease affects most often. Behind all this "beauty" lies a huge number of complications associated to a greater extent with microcirculation disorders at the ends of the fingers and numerous changes in the composition of the blood. The mystery of this disease is due to the fact that the causes of its occurrence are still not known, and no doctor can give a 100% guarantee that the patient really has this disease.
Assumptions of the occurrence of the Raynaud phenomenon
Still not fully understood the reasonsoccurrence of this disease, but some of them still managed to be identified. Each person, especially in winter, supercooled, this is one of the reasons for the further development of the disease. Also, frequent stressful situations can affect the development of the disease. Chronic finger injuries can also affect, especially those who work in the construction industry.
All these factors lead to Raynaud's phenomenon. And what symptoms should indicate a person to the disease:
- Spasms of the vessels of the hand.
- Swelling and blue discoloration of terminal phalanges.
- Tendency to ulcers and felons.
- Necrotic phenomena.
Also very often a sign of the disease can be constant chilliness of the fingers and very severe pain when cooling.
There are two ways to treat the disease: the first of them is Nifedipine tablets or Nifedipine analogues, and the second method is a surgical intervention in which the patient is cut the nerve fibers that conduct impulses.
As for drug treatment, not only Nifedipine analogues, but the drug itself showed excellent results in treatment.
Can this medicine be used during pregnancy?
Many women wonder if Nifedipine can be taken during pregnancy? Reviews of doctors and expectant mothers showed that it can be taken only in extreme cases and under the supervision of the attending physician.
Although studies on pregnant women have not been conducted, animal experiments have shown thattaking Nifedipine can lead to perinatal asphyxia, premature birth and intrauterine growth retardation.
Although it is impossible to say for sure whether the drug causes such consequences, or whether some diseases of the mother lead to such pathologies. But after careful study in pregnant women after taking this drug, similar symptoms were noted. Therefore, it is best not to take Nifedipine during pregnancy. Reviews about the drug are not confirmed by laboratory tests, and it is best not to risk the he alth of the mother and fetus.
I also want to say that for children under 18 years of age, Nifedipine is categorically contraindicated.
What can replace the drug "Nifedipine"?
Each patient often faced such a problem as the lack of the right medicine in the pharmacy. This often happens with the drug "Nifedipine". This is a very popular medicine, and it may not be available in pharmacies, but there are analogues of "Nifedipine ". Among their huge number, you can choose the one that may suit your body even better.
If you are prescribed Nifedipine emulsion, but the pharmacy does not have it, you can choose a similar drug from this list:
- Adalat.
- Kordafen.
- "Cordaflex".
- Corinfar.
- Kordipin.
- Nikardia.
- Procardia.
- Farmadipin.
- "Fenigidin".
All these drugs are available in tablets or capsules, except for "Farmadipin" - it is in drops. There are alsoprolonged analogues of Nifedipine:
- Adalat-SL.
- "Corinfar Uno".
- "Corinfar-retard".
- "Kordipin-retard".
- "Nifebene-retard".
- "Nifedipine SS".
As you can see from the above lists, this drug has a large number of synonyms, and this is due to its popularity. Most pharmaceutical companies are engaged in the production of an analogue of the drug "Nifedipine". Feedback from patients suggests that most of them are in no way inferior to him in terms of effectiveness.
Before you choose the right analogue, you need to clearly indicate for yourself for what purposes and what kind of drug you need, short-acting or extended.
Thus, a fast-acting drug is not recommended for long-term treatment of hypertension and diseases of the cardiovascular system. In these cases, it is better to stop the choice on a prolonged-acting drug, but in a hypertensive crisis, a quick-acting drug will be useful to you.
Before choosing an analogue or the main drug for yourself, carefully study the instructions for the drug "Nifedipine", indications and contraindications, so as not to harm your he alth with the wrong medicine.
But also be prepared for the fact that in a pharmacy a pharmacist can ask you a question: do you need Nifedipine - gel or tablets? It is better to consult a doctor about this in advance.
"Nifedipine" (gel): indications
Emulsion or, as it is often called, gel is a drug for the treatment of cracks in the anus,hemorrhoids in the early stages.
This drug contains lidocaine, nifedipine and isosorbite dinitrate and is available in 40g tubes.
Thanks to nifedipine, which is part of the gel, there is a relaxation of smooth muscle tissue and a rapid expansion of peripheral vessels. This substance in the composition of the emulsion relaxes the muscles of the anus, lowers rectal pressure.
Lidocaine, in turn, relieves pain, and isosorbite dinitrate also helps to dilate blood vessels, penetrating into smooth muscle cells. It is thanks to such a properly selected composition that Nifedipine (gel) helps in the healing of fissures, removes fallen hemorrhoid nodes, relieves pain and stops bleeding.
The instructions for the drug indicate that the pain after the start of the use of the drug will disappear after a couple of days, after 14 days all cracks in the anus area are healed, and a month later there is a complete recovery, subject to regular use of the Nifedipine gel. Reviews of patients about the drug are only positive. Most of them note that in a short time they got rid of the pain and bleeding that tormented them.
The Israeli manufacturer of Nifedipine emulsion claims that the drug has no side effects and contraindications, since its effect extends only to inflamed areas in the tissues and their healing. You can even prescribe the gel to pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding.
It is highly recommended to combine Nifedipine treatment with diet. The diet should contain foods rich in fiber,enough liquid. Do not eat anything spicy or s alty. If possible, do at least 10 minutes a day of physiotherapy exercises.
You can only keep an open package of Nifedipine gel for two weeks, so you will need 2 packages to complete the entire course of treatment.
Summarize
In conclusion of our article, I would like to summarize and repeat the most important points. So, Nifedipine gel and tablets help from what?
The main role "Nifedipine" and its analogues play in the treatment of hypertension in patients with complications such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome. That is why such a drug and its analogues do not disrupt metabolism, to put it simply, they do not affect the level of blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides. But still, it is better to give preference to a daily drug in the form of GITS for patients with diabetes mellitus and a high risk of cardiovascular disease.
"Nifedipine" daily action will help not only reduce blood pressure in hypertension, but also protect all internal organs. Organoprotective qualities of the drug "Nifedipine":
- Reduces left ventricular remodeling of the heart.
- Optimizes blood circulation in all tissues of the human body.
- Good for kidney function.
- Significantly improves the functional state of the retina.
In the treatment of hypertension, the drug "Nifedipine" is combined with almost all groups of drugs frompressure, which are currently in great demand among doctors and patients:
- diuretics (diuretics);
- beta blockers;
- ACE inhibitors;
- angiotensin receptor blockers.
If you use the drug "Nifedipine" in combination with drugs from other groups, then you can significantly increase the effectiveness of treatment, reduce the dosage of tablets and reduce their unwanted side effects.
"Nifedipine" is a drug that helps with a hypertensive crisis and in general with hypertension. If the doctor makes an appointment and selects a few more drugs for him, then in this case you can be sure of the effectiveness of the treatment. Never self-medicate, so as not to harm the body and aggravate the course of the disease.
Also "Nifedipine" (gel) can help in the treatment of anal fissures and hemorrhoids, the results from its use are only positive.
Any drug has its contraindications. Be sure to read the instructions before starting treatment, even if the drug has no contraindications, no one will give you 100% guarantees that you will not experience your own discomfort from its use. There were cases that one tablet of "Nifedipine" quickly lowered the pressure, but at the same time a severe headache appeared. Always take care of your he alth and take only those drugs prescribed by your doctor, after passing a complete examination of the body.
