Selofen

Selofen - a medical product with a hypnotic and soothing effect.

Indications of the selofen

The drug is used for short treatment of patients with sleep problems who have difficulty falling asleep.

[1], [2], [3]

Release form

The medication is issued in a dosage form of capsules, ten pieces per blister. The package can have one or two blisters.

[4], [5], [6]

Pharmacodynamics

In the structures of central nervous system neurons, there is a benzodiazepine GABA receptor. In turn, the alpha-substance of the receptor has an omega-1, a subtype of the GABA-receptor, which actively reacts with the active substance of Seloven-Zalepton. Sleeping, sedative, anticonvulsant, relieving tension and anxiety action occurs due to changes in the parameters of the chlorine channel of the membrane.

[7], [8]

Pharmacokinetics

There is almost complete (at least 71%) absorption of Zalepton in the gastrointestinal tract. After a maximum of an hour and a half, its concentration in the blood plasma will be 37.1 ng / ml. The active substance, seeping into the intercellular space, quickly finds itself in the tissues of the body, but its concentration will be lower than in the blood serum.
Bioavailability, after biotransformation of Selofen in the liver, will be approximately 30%. Further pharmacologically inactive metabolites, having passed the transformation to glucuronide, excreted in the urine.
The half-life of the drug occurs in a fairly short time, approximately one hour. This time can be increased to two hours, if the patient will eat high-fat foods. Also fatty foods will reduce the concentration of the drug in the blood plasma in half.

[9], [10], [11]

Dosing and administration

Selofen can be used in therapy only for adults.
The maximum daily dose should not exceed 10 mg. Do not use the second dose of the drug on the same night as the first.
Duration of treatment is no more than two weeks.
There are some features of the drug:

1. Patients with hepatic insufficiency of mild or moderate degree: the daily dose should be maximal 5 mg. The drug should not be used at all, if such a dose does not provide the proper effect. Patients with severe liver damage, Selofen contraindicated.
2. Patients with renal insufficiency of mild to moderate degree do not require dosage adjustment.
3. Patients with chronic respiratory failure - the recommended dose per day 5 mg.
4. Elderly patients: the maximum daily dose, due to the high sensitivity in this category of the population to drugs with hypnotic effect, should be 5 mg. If the effect of it is felt weakly, Selofen should not be used.
5. Children: In this group of patients, the use of Selofen is contraindicated due to the inadequacy of clinical studies.

Do not associate the use of the drug with food intake, because it will significantly delay the adsorption of the drug. 

Drinking alcohol together with Selofen is strictly forbidden.
For maximum effectiveness, the drug should be consumed immediately before and not earlier than four hours before awakening.

[18], [19], [20]

Use of the selofen during pregnancy

There are no data on the use of the drug in the gestational period. Therefore, in the case of planning or the onset of pregnancy, you should immediately stop treatment. Newborns whose mothers used Selofen in the last weeks of the gestational period or during labor may have low blood pressure or hypothermia. And also they can have a small respiratory depression or develop a "withdrawal syndrome".

Contraindications

It is not necessary to use in therapy Selofen:

• if the patient is under the age of eighteen;
• during periods of bearing and breastfeeding
• if there is severe hepatic or respiratory failure;
• if diagnosed - muscle weakness;
• if a history of the patient noted the fact of a night apnea;
• with individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

[12], [13], [14]

Side effects of the selofen

When taking the drug, possible side reactions of the body:

• Systemic: poor health, increased sensitivity to light;
• CNS: myalgia, nightmares, anxiety, irritability, psychosis, amnesia, incoherent speech, numbness of limbs, disorientation.
• Gastrointestinal tract: nausea
• Genitourinary system: violation of menstruation, which manifests itself in the form of pain.
• Immune system: anaphylactic or pseudo-anaphylactic reaction

Selofen can cause physical or mental dependence.
If, immediately after reducing the symptoms of insomnia, stop taking medication, you can re-enter sleep problems and abstinence.

[15], [16], [17]

Overdose

If the dose of the drug is exceeded a little, the patient will feel drowsy and disoriented in space, and lethargic sleep is possible.
In cases of severe overdose, respiratory depression, decreased muscle tone, arterial pressure, sometimes coma may occur, very rarely - death.
Patients who drink alcohol-containing beverages may experience life-threatening conditions during therapeutic treatment.
Therapeutic treatment is aimed at maintaining the body and reducing the symptoms of overdose. You can induce vomiting or rinse the stomach, and also enter a sorbent, if the patient is conscious.
The high effectiveness of antidote therapy, when carrying out studies on animals, shows the drug Flumazenil. But there is no data on the possibility of its acceptance by man.

[21]

Interactions with other drugs

Selofen interacts with some medications:

1. Cimetidine - the drug refers to strong inhibitors of liver enzymes. When interacting with the active substance of Selofen, significantly (up to 85%) increases the concentration of the latter in the blood serum. That's why you should not combine these drugs.
2. Erythromcin is a selective inhibitor of CYP3A4 with a strong effect. Slightly increases the concentration in the plasma zaleplona (up to 34%) in the interaction, so no dose adjustments are required. The patient can only feel the intensification of the calming effect of Selofen.
3. Rifampicin is an inducer of strong liver enzymes. During the interaction, significantly (up to the fourth time) decreases the concentration of the Selofen. Also, when prescribing drugs such as carbamazepine, phenobarbital, rifampicin along with Selofen, significantly reduces the effectiveness of the latter.
4. Digokin and Warfarin. Selofen can be combined with the administration of these drugs with a narrow therapeutic effect.
5. Ibuprofen. Does not have any interaction.
6. Venlafaxine. In the dosage form with prolonged action, interaction with Selofen occurs. However, it does not cause any memory impairment and a decrease in psychotropic reactions.
7. Opioid analgesics. Increases the dependence of the physical nature, and also increases the euphoric effect.
8. Alcoholic beverages. Interacts and enhances sedation.
9. Antihistamines. With simultaneous reception increases the calming effect.

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Storage conditions

Selofen is stored in a place protected from light and moisture, making sure that the temperature does not exceed 25 ° C.

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Special instructions

Reviews

Quite a good drug, it has a good soothing, relaxing and sleeping pills. The main rule is to strictly adhere to the dosage prescribed by the doctor.

[30], [31]

Shelf life

The drug is stored for no more than four years.

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