Drotaverin in pregnancy

Drotaverin in pregnancy is prescribed to get rid of the pulling pains in the lower abdomen and spasms of the uterus or cervix. The causes of muscle spasms are very diverse (constipation, gastrointestinal problems, cystitis, etc.). Like all medicines, drotaverine has contraindications and side effects.

Drotaverin is an antispasmodic of synthetic origin, an effective vasodilator. The drug helps reduce spasms of smooth muscles of internal organs. Usually drotaverin well eliminates the pain and discomfort associated with spasms of smooth muscles, either. The drug also lowers blood pressure, dilates the blood vessels and improves blood circulation.

It is not advisable to use such a drug during pregnancy, but nevertheless there are cases in which the benefits of the drug to the mother far exceed the possible risk for the unborn child. The drug is effective in the threat of miscarriage, with difficulty opening the throat of the uterus during childbirth, for removal of postpartum labor. The drug, acting directly on the smooth muscles, removes the tone (tension), reduces the activity of the intestine, dilates the vessels.

Drotaverin is a domestic preparation, in Hungary an analog of a drug called No-shpa (a drug more familiar to us) is produced, the chemical composition of drugs is exactly the same. Many women do not even suspect that there is a completely identical No-shpe drug, only much cheaper.

Drotaverin dosage in pregnancy

Drotaverin is taken internally, on average the drug is prescribed up to 6 tablets per day (240 mg), depending on the disease and the severity of the condition.

Drotaverin during pregnancy in the first trimester is usually prescribed in the form of tablets. Indications for the administration of drotaverin are pulling, aching pain in the abdomen in a pregnant woman, increased uterus tone, which leads to the threat of spontaneous rejection of the fetus, oxygen starvation of the child, and also to facilitate labor activity, etc. If the drug is not effective enough, drotaverin is administered in the form of injections, usually 10 ml twice a day. If drotaverin does not have the expected effect, a specialist can increase the dosage, if this does not lead to effective treatment, another drug is selected. Drotaverin cleanses the spasms of the internal organs, which are the cause of the arising pains in the abdomen. Unpleasant sensations can be associated with the tone of the uterus, dysfunction of the intestine or other internal organs, the work of which is greatly influenced by hormones in this period.

[3], [4], [5], [6]

Whether it is possible drotaverin at pregnancy?

Do not take drotaverin during pregnancy. It should be prescribed only by a specialist, after a preliminary examination and a careful study of an anamnesis of a pregnant woman. Drotaverin has a number of side effects and before prescribing the drug the doctor should think carefully about all possible consequences. Drotaverin in some cases lowers the pressure, provokes arrhythmia, dizziness, the drug is not prescribed for cardiac and renal insufficiency, cardiac conduction disorders, increased susceptibility to the components of the drug.

Self-administration of drotaverine (as well as analogues of the drug) is able to disrupt the clinical picture, which in the future will lead to a mismatch of complaints and the condition of a woman. In Hungary, a series of studies were conducted, which were aimed at studying the effect of the drug on the fetus during the first months of pregnancy. As it turned out, the drug does not cause significant damage and abnormalities of the child's development. The drug during pregnancy is used only in the CIS countries, in other countries the drug is either not registered or banned during pregnancy. However, as practice shows, the use of drotaverine effectively helps to remove hypertension of the uterus, which leads to oxygen starvation of the fetus and has been widely used by specialists for a long time.

Instructions for drotaverin in pregnancy

The active substance of the drug is drotaverine hydrochloride.

The drug is used mainly for abnormalities of the digestive tract, has an antispasmodic effect.

Drotaverin lowers the tone and spasms of the smooth muscles of the internal organs, completely eliminates or significantly reduces the soreness associated with it, has a moderate vasodilating effect. The drug does not affect the autonomic nervous system when taken.

The drug is prescribed for diseases that are accompanied by spasms of internal organs. Also, the drug is used as an aid for gynecological diseases, gastrointestinal diseases (ulcer, gastritis, constipation, flatulence, etc.), to reduce tension in headaches.

Adults usually receive 1-2 tablets 2 or 3 times a day.

Children and adolescents from 12 to 18 years are usually prescribed one tablet 2 to 3 times a day.

The course of treatment depends on the disease and severity of the disease, in each case, the doctor must determine the individual duration of treatment.

Side effects, with the use of the drug in doses recommended by a doctor, are extremely rare. In rare cases, pressure may drop, tides (fever), allergic rashes appear.

Very rarely there is arrhythmia, constipation, nausea, headaches and dizziness, sleep disturbances, there may be swelling of the nasal mucosa or bronchospasm.

Drotaverin is contraindicated if the body is susceptible to an active substance, with dysfunctions of the heart or kidneys, deficiency of lactase, prostatic hyperplasia, closed-angle glaucoma, during breast-feeding in children under 12 years.

Drotaverin during pregnancy can be used only after the appointment of a doctor who will assess the positive effects of the drug on the mother's body and the possible risks to the fetus and will make the most correct decision in each case.

There are no data on the taking of the drug during breastfeeding, as there have been no studies in this area, therefore it is not recommended for women at this time to use drotaverin for the treatment and removal of unpleasant symptoms or to refuse treatment for breastfeeding.

An overdose of the drug is manifested by pallor of the skin, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, AV blockade, paralysis of the center of breathing, cardiac arrest. On average, symptoms of liver damage appear in three days. Negative effects are eliminated by washing the stomach, taking salt solutions. In case of an overdose of the drug, you should always consult a doctor.

Drotaverin is available in the form of tablets or injections, the shelf life is not more than three years in a place protected from light and heat.

The composition of the drug: the main substance of drotaurine hydrochloride, which is contained in one tablet 40 or 80 mg. As auxiliary substances, potato starch, calcium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, etc. Are used.

The drug should be used with extreme caution in the presence of arterial hypotension and coronary artery atherosclerosis.

If the pain should be reduced as soon as possible, then do not take medicine while eating. It is not recommended to exceed the prescribed dosage of the drug. Do not take drotaverine at the same time as alcoholic beverages.

If the drug is used for more than three days or in high doses, it is necessary to monitor the liver and blood test.

Pricks of drotaverin in pregnancy

In medicine, along with tablets of drotaverine, a solution of the drug for injections is widely used. Doing self-injections is not recommended, because in case of an overdose, there may be a weakening of the heart activity and respiratory depression. Injections drotaverina do both intramuscularly and intravenously. It is recommended to administer the drug under the supervision of a doctor in a hospital. Since there is a risk of collapse, the patient must be in a recumbent position during injection.

After the administration of the drug (especially after intravenous injections), you must give up driving and also refrain from working on complex machine equipment for at least one hour.

The drug is used with caution in atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, angle-closure glaucoma. Drotaverin in pregnancy is used only after the appointment of a doctor who decides that the benefit to the mother exceeds the possible risks for the developing child. Since there is no accurate data on the use of the drug during lactation, the drug is not recommended. If there is an urgent need, then breastfeeding for the duration of treatment with drotaverine stop.

After the injection of drotaverine (especially intravenous), a feeling of heat, headache, dizziness, heart rhythm disturbances, sleep, increased sweating, nausea (sometimes vomiting), constipation may appear. People with increased susceptibility to bisulfites may develop allergic reactions, in patients who suffer from asthma or have had severe allergic reactions in the past, bronchospasm or anaphylactic reactions of the body may develop.

Drotaverine tablets in pregnancy

One tablet of drotaverine may contain from 40 to 80 mg of the basic substance (drotaverin hydrochloride). When administered, the absorption of the drug is high enough, the effect can be observed after 15-20 minutes. Drotaverin in pregnancy in the form of tablets is usually prescribed in the first months of pregnancy with hypertension of the uterus, the threat of spontaneous abortion, pulling pains in the lower abdomen, etc. At later dates, drotaverin is used in the form of injections. The drug allows a woman to quickly get rid of the pulling or aching pain in the lower abdomen, which occur most often, with an increased tone of the uterus. Since the remedy acts relaxing on smooth muscles, after taking drotaverin cleanses the uterine spasm, relaxes the muscles, thereby contributing to a reduction in pain and early pregnancy.

The drug has a direct effect on the smooth muscles, reduces the activity of the intestine, slightly dilates the vessels, reduces the tone of the uterus. Drotaverine tablets are light yellow in color, flat in shape. Usually 1-2 tablets are prescribed 2-3 times a day. With enough severe pain in the lower abdomen, the doctor can increase the dose of the drug.

[1], [2]

Reviews about drotaverine during pregnancy

Usually reviews about the drug are very diverse. Women who took drotaverin during pregnancy can be divided into two types: the first are those to whom the drug helped to save the child and endure, get rid of the pulling pains in the lower abdomen, eased the birth process, etc. And the second, to whom drotaverine did not bring the expected effect.

Before taking any medications, first of all, you need to consult a specialist, as, as already mentioned, independent use of drugs can affect the clinical picture, an incorrect assessment of which may lead to the doctor not appointing timely effective treatment.

Drotaverine in the CIS countries is considered to be a completely safe drug for women who are in the position, but even doctors do not recommend taking it without acute need. When the doctor gives you drotaverine, but you doubt the safety of such treatment, you have the right to ask a specialist to choose a safer treatment.

Drotaverin during pregnancy is used in medical practice quite widely. Tablets are most often prescribed in the first month of pregnancy, when a woman may have increased uterine tone, there is a threat of termination of pregnancy, etc. The drug well cleans spasms, relaxes smooth muscles and allows you to keep the baby in the early stages. In the second and third trimester, as well as during labor and after childbirth, injections of drotaverine are most commonly used, which have a stronger effect.