Gastropin

Very often, various disorders in the digestive system are accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the form of spasms and pain in the epigastric region. In this case, as part of the complex therapy of these diseases, doctors prescribe drugs that have an antispasmodic and analgesic effect. It is better if such a remedy consists not of synthetic, but of natural components, such as, for example, herbal drops "Gastropin".

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Indications Gastropin

The name "Gastropin" itself indicates that the drug is used to treat gastropathologies, i.e. diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which may be accompanied by painful spasms. Such pathologies include:

• Functional (non-ulcer) dyspepsia, i.e. a disorder of the stomach that is not associated with any gastrointestinal pathology and is accompanied by a feeling of fullness in the stomach, nausea, heaviness in the epigastrium, hunger and spastic pain.
• Chronic gastritis against the background of decreased secretory function of the stomach, which causes problems with digestion of food and, as a consequence, pain syndrome.
• Hyperkinetic biliary dyskinesia (also known as bile duct dysfunction, better known as biliary dyskinesia). The disease develops due to changes in the tone and motility of the gallbladder and the pathways through which bile enters the pancreas. The predominance of the tone of the parasympathetic nervous system leads to frequent contractions of the gallbladder and spasms of the sphincters (muscular organs that ensure the movement of bile from the liver to the pancreas), resulting in a disruption of the outflow of bile and abdominal pain.

All the above pathologies are accompanied by cramping attacks of pain (gastralgia), which negatively affects the well-being of patients. "Gastropin", of course, is not able to cure various diseases of the digestive system, but it is quite capable of relieving unpleasant symptoms. That is why the use of this drug is advisable as part of complex therapy.

Release form

The drug "Gastropin" is produced in the form of an alcohol tincture of medicinal herbs of a brownish-red color with a specific smell. The composition is packaged in dark glass bottles of 25 ml.

The packaging of the medicine states that the drug is made in the form of oral drops, which means it is intended for internal use.

"Gastropin" is a complex drug. Three active substances provide the medicinal properties. Basically, the drug is a mixture of alcohol tinctures of three medicinal plants: wormwood (herb) - 10 ml, belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade (herb) - 2.5 ml, valerian (roots) - 12.5 ml.

Pharmacodynamics

The medicinal effect of the drug "Gastropin" is due to the natural extracts included in its composition. Thus, belladonna tincture provides an analgesic effect, while the alcohol extract of valerian roots effectively relieves spasms and has a sedative (calming) effect.

But the alcohol tincture of wormwood in this medicinal composition not only relieves the symptoms of digestive system diseases, but also treats the diseases themselves, normalizing the functioning of the stomach and improving the process of digestion. It also has an irritating effect on the receptors of the stomach, thus increasing the production of gastric juice, which is very important for gastritis with reduced secretion of digestive enzymes.

Pharmacokinetics

It is not possible to provide pharmacokinetic data, since the drug is multicomponent, and it is very difficult to trace the path of each component of the drug in the body.

Dosing and administration

The drug "Gastropin" is intended for oral administration. In this case, it is recommended to dilute the alcohol tincture in a small amount of cooled boiled or purified water. The drug should be taken 30 minutes before meals.

An effective single dose, as prescribed by a doctor, can range from 15 to 30 drops. The frequency of taking the medicine is 3 or 4 times a day.

The duration of therapy depends on how well the patient tolerates the drug and what the treatment results are.

Use Gastropin during pregnancy

The use of Gastopin during pregnancy and lactation is considered unacceptable. Breastfeeding should be suspended during therapy with the drug.

Contraindications

Despite the fact that the drug "Gastropin" contains mainly natural components, the medicine has an impressive list of contraindications for use, due to the properties of the plants themselves and the presence of ethanol (alcohol).

So, the drug is not used to treat patients with:

• increased production of gastric juice (with increased acidity of the stomach),
• ulcerative lesions of the stomach and duodenum,
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), characterized by the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus,
• cholelithiasis, in which stimulation of gallbladder motility can lead to complications,
• urinary retention in the body
• obstruction of the stomach or intestine.

Among the contraindications to the use of the drug, one can also find pathologies not related to the work of the gastrointestinal tract and excretory system. Thus, "Gastropin" is not used for some diseases of the heart and blood vessels, since the drug can increase the heartbeat. High heart rate rates in atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease, CHF, tachycardia, mitral stenosis and severe cases of hypertension can be dangerous not only for the health, but also for the life of patients,

The drug is not prescribed for conditions characterized by CNS depression, such as depression, a sharp increase in temperature above 40 degrees (hyperthermic syndrome), bleeding (even if there was bleeding in the pelvic area before), anemia. Contraindications to taking the drug include diseases such as epilepsy, glaucoma, thyrotoxicosis (excess thyroid hormones), myasthenia (rapid fatigue of striated muscles), individual sensitivity to at least one of the components of oral drops.

The drug is not used in pediatrics to treat children under 12 years of age.

While taking the drug, it is not recommended to perform work that requires concentration or to drive a car.

Side effects Gastropin

Taking the drug "Gastropin", which is an alcohol tincture of medicinal herbs with antispasmodic, analgesic and sedative effects, in some cases may be accompanied by some side effects from various functions and systems of the body.

The nervous system may react first. In this case, general weakness and drowsiness, depression, inhibition, decreased emotional response, speech disorders, dizziness and fainting are observed. A person's performance decreases. In some people, taking the drug provokes epileptic seizures.

But most often, the drug's side effects find a response from the gastrointestinal tract. It manifests itself as dryness of the oral mucosa, the appearance of intense thirst, changes in taste perception, difficulty swallowing, the appearance of nausea and vomiting, deterioration of intestinal motility, and, as a result, constipation. A decrease in the tone of the gallbladder and its ducts may also be observed, and abdominal spasms may increase.

The heart may react to the drug with heart rhythm disturbances and the development of myocardial ischemia.

Sometimes patients experience:

• allergic reactions, including severe ones (Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock),
• skin rashes in the form of urticaria or exfoliative dermatitis, the appearance of a cough with difficult-to-separate sputum,
• dry skin with decreased sweat secretion,
• problems with urination,
• photophobia,
• impaired visual acuity for nearby objects,
• increase in intraocular pressure.

Despite the fact that the above symptoms do not always appear, you should not ignore their appearance. If any side effects of the drug occur, you must inform your doctor about them and raise the issue of the safety of further therapy with a drug with this composition.

Overdose

If patients do not follow the doctor's instructions and take Gastropin in large doses or for a long time, symptoms of an overdose of the drug may appear. Patients complain of headaches and dizziness, severe weakness, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain. Their pulse rate increases and blood pressure drops, they become nervous and excited, their hands start shaking, their sleep worsens, their temperature rises, their hearing and vision worsen, breathing difficulties are diagnosed, and sometimes they lose consciousness.

If signs of overdose appear, stop taking the medicine and take measures to remove it from the body. Effective measures in this case will be gastric lavage with water or saline solution and taking absorbents, such as activated carbon. Then symptomatic treatment is carried out to relieve unpleasant symptoms.

Interactions with other drugs

In the case of multi-component drugs, such as Gastropin, their various components can react with the active ingredients of other drugs, which often leads to unpleasant consequences. For this reason, one cannot ignore the drug interaction of Gastropin tincture with other drugs, caused by the valerian and belladonna included in its composition.

Thus, valerian, with its calming effect on the psyche, is able to enhance the effect of drugs that have a sedative and hypnotic effect, as well as antispasmodics, painkillers and cardiac medications.

The alkaloids contained in belladonna counteract the effects of:

• m-cholinomimetic agents (pilocarpine, aceclidine, benzamone),
• anticholinergic agents (physostigmine, proserin, fosfacol, etc.),
• increase the side effects of antiarrhythmic drugs (cardiac glycosides), antihypertensive drugs based on clonidine and antidepressants from the MAO inhibitor group (for example, they cause heart rhythm disturbances),
• potentiate the anticholinergic properties of novocainamide and quinidine,
• enhance the effect of barbiturates (phenobarbital, butisol, talbutal, etc.) and tranquilizers (buspirone, meprobamate, diazepam, midazolam, gidazepam, mebicar, etc.),
• potentiate the action of alpha and beta adrenergic agonists (methasone, naphthyzine, galazolin, dobutamine, ginipral, volmax, salbutamol, etc.) and anti-allergy drugs with antihistamine action (diazolin, tavegil, zyrtec, treksil, etc.).

A precipitate may form when the drug "Gastropin" interacts with lead acetate, calcium salts, tannin and lily-of-the-valley alcohol extract.

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Storage conditions

It is recommended to store in a cool room at a temperature of no more than 15 degrees in its original packaging tightly closed, and also keep away from children and direct sunlight.

Shelf life

The expiration date of the drug, which must be checked when purchasing the medicine, is 24 months from the date of manufacture.

One name - two drugs

By searching for "gastropin" on the Internet, you can find another drug of imported production. Like the Ukrainian "Gastropin", this medicine is used for various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, but its list of indications is much longer.

The whole point is that imported and Ukrainian "Gastropin" are 2 completely different drugs. In the first case, we have a synthetic drug with an antiulcer effect, which is achieved by reducing the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. In the second case, we are dealing with a herbal medicine that provides an antispasmodic and analgesic effect and is used for cramping pain caused by some pathologies of the digestive system.

Let us dwell in more detail on the imported drug called "Gastropin". This drug belongs to the group of m-anticholinergics based on pirenzepine hydrochloride and is available in the form of tablets or injection solution.

Forms of drug release:

• tablets with a dosage of 25 mg,
• tablets with a dosage of 50 mg,
• ampoules with a solution of 2 ml volume, containing 10 mg of solution.

The drug is indicated for various types of gastritis, duodenitis, esophagitis, reflux disease, erosive and ulcerative lesions of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (pancreatic islet tumor), unspecified gastrointestinal bleeding, colitis, non-infectious gastroenteritis, mixed diseases of the digestive system (specified and unspecified). In other words, it is effective wherever protection of the gastrointestinal mucosa from the aggressive effects of gastric acid is required.

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Method of administration and dosage

For most gastrointestinal pathologies, preference is given to oral administration of the drug. The drug in tablet form is taken in a single dose of 50 mg (if there are no special indications for reducing the dose by half) 30 minutes before meals, washed down with clean water.

At the beginning of treatment (the first 2 or 3 days), tablets are given 3 times a day, then the frequency of administration is reduced to 2 times. The therapeutic course, depending on the severity of the pathology, can be from 4 to 8 weeks.

In case of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (gastrinoma), severe ulcer disease, and also in case of severe pain syndrome, use a solution of "Gastropin" in ampoules, administering it intramuscularly or intravenously (in the form of injections and droppers with slow administration). For the system, the drug is diluted in saline, 5% glucose solution or Ringer's solution.

In case of bleeding ulcers on the gastrointestinal mucosa and pain syndrome, a single dose of the drug in the form of a solution is from 5 to 10 mg, and in case of gastrinoma - 20 mg. In these pathologies, the drug is administered intramuscularly or intravenously 2 or 3 times a day. As soon as the patient's condition improves, after 2-3 days you can switch to taking the tablet form of the drug.

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Overdose

There are no known cases of drug overdose to date. However, there is clarified information that large doses of pirenzepine can cause symptoms such as dryness and redness of the skin and oral mucosa, hot flashes, delirious states, increased heart rate, muscle and limb twitching, convulsions, fever, intestinal and urinary obstruction, and acute attacks of glaucoma.

First aid measures for drug overdose include gastric lavage and administration of activated charcoal; in severe cases, intravenous administration of physostigmine is indicated. In the case of acute glaucoma, the use of eye drops with m-cholinomimetic action is indicated.

Contraindications for use

The drug is contraindicated only for pregnant women (first 3 months) and hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

Patients with prostate adenoma, closed-angle glaucoma, urinary disorders and fluctuations in blood pressure take the drug under the supervision of a physician.

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Side effects

Side effects of the drug include a feeling of dryness of the oral mucosa, bowel disorders (usually constipation, less often diarrhea), decreased visual acuity, increased appetite after taking the drug. An allergic reaction to the drug is very rare, mainly in cases of hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

Interaction with other drugs

"Gastropin" improves the tolerability of anti-inflammatory drugs without affecting their effectiveness.

The parallel use of Gastropin and H2-histamine receptor blockers _contributes to an even greater reduction in the production of hydrochloric acid.

Concomitant use of drugs that reduce gastric acidity and other oral medications may reduce the effectiveness of the latter.

Storage conditions

The drug in tablet form should be stored at room temperature according to the expiration date indicated on the packaging.

Best before date

The shelf life is 2 years. The prepared infusion solution can be used within 12 hours, after which it will become unsuitable for use.

Special instructions

As we can see, both drugs with the name "Gastropin" are effective in diseases of the digestive system, but their action and indications are significantly different. When buying a drug in pharmacies, you must definitely clarify which drug, in what form of release and with what action the doctor prescribed. Otherwise, instead of benefit from taking the drug, you can get the opposite effect and harm your health. For example, reduce the already low acidity.