Every person periodically experiences discomfort caused by various stimuli. There are many pharmaceutical drugs that effectively relieve pain. The most commonly used are NSAIDs. Alka-Seltzer is one of the representatives of the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
According to the instructions, the drug is intended to eliminate pain caused by various causes. Based on the reviews, "Alka-Seltzer" is most often used for symptomatic treatment after excessive drinking. The drug has become so familiar that not many people read the instructions and know that it has contraindications and side effects.
Alka-Seltzer description
The remedy belongs to the drugs of symptomatic action. It relieves the manifestations of the pathological condition, and does not eliminate the cause. It is produced by the well-known German pharmaceutical company Bayer. Medicinalform "Alka-Seltzer" - effervescent tablets. They are packaged in strips of 10 per pack.
The drug has a combined effect, since there are several active substances in Alka-Seltzer:
- acetylsalicylic acid - 324 mg;
- anhydrous citric acid - 965 mg;
- anhydrous sodium carbonate - 1625 mg.
Additional ingredients: povidone, polydimethylsiloxane, sodium benzoate, sodium saccharin, lemon and lime flavors.
Medicinal action
"Alka-Seltzer" has antacid (reduces acidity in the stomach), anti-aggregation (prevents thrombosis), antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic action.
Pharmacodynamics is determined by the composition of the drug. Some components of Alka-Seltzer are familiar, but not all. For example, sodium bicarbonate, which is part of the composition as an active ingredient - what is it? But about all substances in order.
Acetylsalicylic acid:
- affects subcortical centers responsible for thermoregulation and pain sensitivity;
- reduces temperature by dilating blood vessels and increasing the secretion of sweat glands;
- reduces pain sensitivity by acting on receptors in the postcentral gyrus;
- eliminates pain and inflammation, but only in the initial phase, without affecting the pathological process;
- reduces redness of the skin, eyes;
- promotesdischarge of excess fluid from capillaries, arterioles;
- dilates blood vessels, prevents blood clots.
The anti-aggregation effect is maintained for a week after a single application of the Alka-Seltzer tablet.
Sodium bicarbonate - what is it? Such a complex name has a familiar substance - baking soda. Component Action:
- neutralizes the acidity of gastric juice, relieving pain in the abdomen;
- promotes increased osmotic diuresis - the release of a large amount of urine, due to this action, the elimination of toxins from the body is accelerated;
- relieves symptoms of seasickness - feeling of nausea, kinetosis (a condition of motion sickness).
Citric acid alkalizes urine - blocks the negative effects of organic acids. Normalization of urine pH helps to restore the acid-base balance of the blood and the body as a whole. It also enhances the absorption and bioavailability of the drug.
Indications for use
In the instructions, "Alka-Seltzer" is listed as a drug to relieve the symptoms of pain. Manufacturer indications:
- Headache attacks of varying intensity;
- dentalgia - pain in the tooth or its surrounding tissues;
- pain and aching joints;
- lumbago - occasional pain in the lower back;
- sharp and dull pain in the muscles (myalgia);
- discomfort in the abdomen during menstruation(dysmenorrhea);
- sore throat due to colds and inflammatory diseases;
- fever with chills.
Alka-Seltzer is available without a prescription. Among ordinary people, it is known as an effective remedy for a hangover. The drug helps to relieve the post-toxic condition.
Who is contraindicated
The combined active pharmaceutical substance of the Alka-Seltzer preparation includes substances known to science for a long time. They underwent numerous clinical studies, in which all the negative effects of the components were revealed.
Contraindications to the active ingredients of Alka-Seltzer also apply to the drug itself:
- hypersensitivity to any of the substances of the remedy;
- erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, hemorrhagic erosion, duodenitis, lymphoma;
- predisposition to hemorrhage;
- I and III trimesters of the gestation period;
- breastfeeding;
- children under 15 years of age with respiratory disease due to the risk of fat accumulation in the liver parenchyma and the development of acute liver failure;
- bronchospasm resulting from the use of salicylates;
- use of Methotrexate at a dosage of more than 15 mg per week.
With extreme caution, and preferably as directed and under the supervision of a doctor, Alka-Seltzer is taken under the following conditions and pathological conditions:
- treatment with drugs that inhibit blood clotting;
- a disease characterized by the deposition of urate crystals in tissues(gout);
- a history of gastrointestinal ulcers accompanied by episodes of intestinal and gastric bleeding;
- low hemoglobin in the blood, prone to anemia;
- kidney failure.
If there is at least one of the above contraindications, the use of the drug should be abandoned. In any case, before using the tablets, it is better to consult a doctor.
Using Alka-Seltzer during pregnancy
The use of any drugs during the gestation period should be carried out under the supervision of a gynecologist. In the period from 1 to 12 and from 28 to 40 weeks, the use of the drug is prohibited. During the second trimester, salicylates are used only after a rigorous assessment of the ratio of harm to the unborn child and benefit to the mother. The dosage is selected by the doctor for each woman and in each case individually.
There are practically no reviews on the use of Alka-Seltzer during pregnancy. This is not surprising - the remedy is prescribed quite rarely. Usually acetylsalicylic acid is replaced with paracetamol. In case of emergency, the use of Alka-Seltzer or other salicylates is prescribed in an amount of not more than 150 mg per day. Higher doses may cause certain developmental anomalies: cleft palate, heart defects.
Salicylates and their metabolic products are secreted through the blood into breast milk in small amounts. If the substance entered the body of a woman once and in a small dosage, then side effectsThe child will not react. If long-term use or high doses are expected, breastfeeding should be avoided.
Application Features
In order not to worsen the painful condition even more, you need to know how to drink Alka-Seltzer correctly. If it is prescribed by a doctor, then you should take the drug in strict accordance with his recommendations. If the tool is used independently, you must read the instructions.
The drug is allowed from the age of 15, earlier use is possible only as directed by a pediatrician. The tablet is completely dissolved in a glass of water:
- for moderate pain - 1 tablet up to six times a day;
- for intense pain, very high temperature - 2-3 tablets as a single dose;
- the maximum allowable number of tablets per day is 9 pieces (3 g of active substance);
- interval between doses - 4 hours, no less;
- Duration of use of the drug as an anesthetic should not exceed 5 days and three days as an antipyretic.
Painful sensations, especially intense ones, are difficult to endure. First of all, patients are interested in how long Alka-Seltzer works. The drug is rapidly hydrolyzed by special esterases. Symptoms are relieved within 15 minutes.
If you follow the regime, you can control the fever and reduce the intensity of the pain. If the symptoms worsen, you should undergo an examination and treat the pathology,the clinical manifestations of which are discomfort.
Alka-Seltzer for a hangover
The abuse of drinks containing ethanol is fraught with the development of a post-intoxication state. It is characterized by unpleasant symptoms, manifested in the following:
- headache;
- increased blood pressure;
- dry mouth, intense thirst;
- nausea, often accompanied by vomiting with temporary relief;
- feeling "internal trembling";
- involuntary movements of arms and legs;
- brokenness;
- sluggishness;
- bad mood, feeling guilty for actions committed the day before.
Those who often get hangovers keep drugs in their first aid kit that alleviate the condition. Judging by the reviews, Alka-Seltzer is used by many. Tablets in the amount of two pieces are dissolved in a mug of water and drunk, preferably on an empty stomach. It must be remembered that the maximum allowable number of tablets is 9 pieces.
The active ingredients of the remedy alleviate physical suffering. Emotional discomfort pills do not eliminate. The effectiveness and duration of action depends on the degree of intoxication. If an hour after the use of the drug, the condition does not improve, you should not increase its amount. An overdose combined with a hangover can be hazardous to he alth.
Possible side effects
Side effects in most cases occur due to non-compliance with the recommendations prescribed in the instructions for Alka-Seltzer. The first reason for the development of unwanted symptoms is taking pills in the presence of contraindications, the second is overdosing.
Side effects:
- From the gastrointestinal tract. Heartburn, belching with the taste of drinking soda, intense pain in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting with blood. With frequent illiterate use, anemia may develop, in rare cases - liver dysfunction.
- From the side of the hematopoietic system. Increased chance of bleeding.
- Allergy symptoms. Skin rash, cough, difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, eyelids.
Clinical manifestations of overdose:
- Medium degree - tinnitus, dizziness, throbbing headache, impaired perception of sounds, confusion. When the dosage is reduced, the symptoms gradually disappear.
- Severe - heavy breathing, fever, ketosis, abnormal blood pH, heart failure, pathologically low blood glucose.
In case of severe overdose, the patient is hospitalized. Symptomatic therapy is carried out in the hospital, a neutral solution is injected into the bronchi, activated charcoal is given, therapeutic measures are carried out, as a result of which the acid-base balance is normalized, diuresis is eliminated.
Special Instructions
Judging by the reviews, Alka-Seltzer is considered a safe remedy, and few people read the instructions before use. The drug has some features that you need to know and consider:
- To people who observediet with limited sodium intake, when using the drug, it should be borne in mind that one Alka-Seltzer tablet contains 445 mg of sodium.
- In the treatment of vascular pathologies, the daily dose of the drug should not exceed 300 mg.
- When using the drug with other NSAIDs, the likelihood of developing gastric ulcers and bleeding increases.
- Simultaneous use of Alka-Seltzer tablets and drugs that affect the metabolism of uric acid (Benzpromarone, Purinol, Clofezol) helps to reduce the uricosuric effect.
- Pills should be taken with caution for people with diabetes. Increases hypoglycemic effect of hypoglycemic drugs.
- With the simultaneous use of Alka-Seltzer and agents capable of dissolving blood clots (Urokinase, Retaplaza, fibrinolysin), the effect of the latter is reduced.
- After the pills, you can not drink alcohol. The likelihood of damage to the mucous membrane and the development of bleeding increases.
- The use of the product does not affect driving.
- The drug increases the tendency to bleed. This should be taken into account if it is necessary to perform surgical procedures, such as tooth extraction.
Analogues of the drug
A wide range of products of the same pharmacological group as Alka-Seltzer is presented on the pharmacy shelves. Most of them are generics, that is, they have an almost identical composition. The choice of Alka-Seltzer analogues depends on the purpose. Drugs to help relieve hangovers:
- Zorex Morning. Effervescenttablets from the manufacturer Vitale-HD LLP (Estonia). The drug has an absolutely identical composition to Alka-Seltzer. The only thing is that the content of sodium carbonate is slightly higher - 2.013 g. In this regard, it is allowed to take no more than eight tablets per day.
- "Alka-Prim" - effervescent tablets from the Polish pharmaceutical plant "Polshpharma". The active pharmaceutical substance of the drug is acetylsalicylic acid (330 mg). The remaining substances are auxiliary, contained in much smaller quantities: aminoacetic and citric acid, sodium bicarbonate. For the treatment of pain, dissolve 1-2 tablets in water and drink 2-4 times a day.
- Drink OFF is a semi-synthetic drug produced in Russia. Dosage form - capsules. They include pomace of ginger, licorice, eleutherococcus, ginseng, mate, succinic and citric acid. Dosage depends on weight: 2 capsules per 80 kg of body weight, but a single dose should not exceed five capsules.
NSAIDs - analogues of "Alka-Seltzer", eliminating pain:
- Tylenol. Producer "McNeil-Ppc", USA;
- "Efferalgan". UPSA SAS, France;
- Paracetamol-Hemofarm. Hemofarm, Serbia;
- Calpol. Oldesloe GmbH, Germany;
- "Tsefekon N". Nizhpharm, Russia.
Reviews of Alka-Seltzer hosts
Most of the people who took these pills with a hangover were unhappy. The drug practically does not eliminate the symptoms, the head also continues to hurt, nausea does not go away. But most of all, the cost of Alka-Seltzer causes dissatisfaction. The main active ingredient, acetylsalicylic acid, produced by Russian companies, has a price 17 times lower.
But there are also users who have been helped with a hangover.
Positive feedback is also left by those who took the drug as an antipyretic for respiratory diseases. The drug acts quickly and retains the effect for a long time. But after all, the indications for use are pain and fever, and not alcohol intoxication.
Alka-Seltzer: reviews of doctors
The opinion of narcologists is even more skeptical than that of patients. Experts believe that hangover is an intoxication, the main method of treatment of which is to remove toxins. "Alka-Seltzer" in case of alcohol poisoning can be used as an additional means of complex therapy.
The remedy relieves headaches, nausea, but not for long, it all depends on the characteristics of the body. The last factor is of particular importance. The drug relieves symptoms and patients take it uncontrollably.
The product has an anti-aggregation effect that persists for seven days after taking 500 mg of acetylsalicylic acid. With alcohol intoxication, especially severe, people are not limited to one tablet. As a result, the components accumulate and there is a high risk of bleeding.
