"Naloxone": instructions for use, reviews, analogues

In medical practice, there are situations in which the use of drugs leads to an overdose or a negative reaction from various organs and systems. Especially often such complications are caused by opioid preparations. To speed up their withdrawal from the body, doctors use special medications. The drug "Naloxone" is a remedy that helps to correct a situation with an overdose of opioid analgesics. What is it and what is the mechanism of its impact? Let's try to understand these issues.

Description of the drug, composition and form

The drug "Naloxone" instructions for use refers to the antagonist opioid receptors. Its active ingredient is naloxone hydrochloride. Dosage forms that can be found on the pharmaceutical market are not so diverse, it is a solution for injections and tablets. The latter are very rarely used in medical practice. Liquid form for intravenous or intramuscular injection, on the contrary, is very in demand. In the solution, in addition to the active ingredient, there is a set of standard auxiliary components: sodium chloride, purified water, organic acids and salts.

The medicine "Naloxone" is produced in ampoules of transparent glass with a volume of 1 ml each. The concentration of the active substance in a single dose is 0.4 mg.

The product is packaged in contour packs of lacquered clear plastic with a plug of aluminum foil or without it. Each such package contains 5 ampoules.

1 or 2 contour packs are placed in a cardboard box together with instructions for use of the drug and an ampoule scarifier. In case the ampoules are equipped with a special ring or break point, the knives for their opening into the box are not put.

The mechanism of action of the drug "Naloxone"

As mentioned above, the Naloxone preparation refers to opioid receptor antagonists. This means that the agent is capable of blocking these receptors, thereby eliminating the central and peripheral action of compounds from the opioid group. In addition, the drug when administered can cause withdrawal symptoms in patients with drug dependence.

When using the Naloxone solution, the mechanism of action of which is described above, the effect occurs within a short time. With intravenous administration of the drug begins to act after 1-2 minutes, with intramuscular after 5 minutes. The duration of the therapeutic effect in this case also depends on the method of administration of the solution. If the solution was injected into the muscle, the drug lasts about 45 minutes, and for intravenous infusion - not less than 4 hours.

Specialists most often use Naloxone solution for treatment of patients. Tablets, unlike him, act weakly and for a short time.

The active substance of the drug decomposes into metabolites in the liver. The period of its half-elimination is small, only 30-80 minutes. 70% of the administered dose of Naloxone is excreted by the kidneys within 3 days.

The main advantage of the drug "Naloxone" is the impossibility of forming dependence on it.

Indications for use

In what cases is the use of Naloxone medication recommended? Instructions for use of the drug contains a detailed list of situations in which its use is highly desirable. First of all, it is prescribed to patients after a surgical procedure. The use of Naloxone (analogs are also often used in the postoperative period) in this case helps to quickly remove the patient from the state of medical sleep. The drug "Naloxone" is also used to eliminate the effects of ethanol poisoning, analgesic overdoses, barbiturates and benzodiazepines.

Often, its use is justified also in the case of the birth of a child in conditions when opioid analgesics were introduced into the mother during the delivery. Typically, these children have difficulties with self-breathing. The drug "Naloxone" eliminates them and helps to activate the respiratory function. The solution is often used and as a diagnostic tool in case of suspicion of the presence of drug dependence in the patient.

It should be noted that the only condition for the use of this tool is strict testimony. That is why in medical practice it is used strictly according to the doctor's prescription and under his supervision.

Contraindications

Among the contraindications to the use of the drug "Naloxone" instruction for use mentions the following conditions and diseases:

• Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to one of the components of the drug;
• Heart disease (organic);
• Severe liver and kidney disease;
• Physical dependence on opoid analgesics.

With caution should prescribe the drug to pregnant women with drug dependence, because the manifestations of the withdrawal syndrome, which appeared as a result of the introduction of the solution, can negatively affect the condition of the fetus. The same applies to the use in newborns, whose mothers during the whole pregnancy abused opoid drugs.

In any case, the benefit of the drug should exceed the possible risk of complications in the patient. We remind you that only the prescription of Naloxone is practiced. The prescription written in the appropriate form by the attending physician means that the patient does not have serious contraindications to the use of this medication.

Methods of application and dosage

The dosage of the drug and the way it is administered are determined by the specialist based on the patient's current condition. Here are the generally accepted treatment regimens for Naloxone.

An overdose of analgesic drugs in adults requires the administration of 0.4 to 2 mg of the drug (1-4 ampoules) intravenously or intramuscularly. Single dose for children is calculated based on body weight, it is 0.005-0.01 mg / kg.

To remove the patient from medical sleep (during the postoperative period), the drug is administered intravenously in the following amounts: adults at a dose of 0.1 mg followed by a second injection until self-respiration is restored, to children 0.01 mg / kg body weight until respiration is restored.

The solution is administered intravenously, intramuscularly or percussionally to newly born children in an amount of 0.1 mg / kg body weight once.

If it is necessary to carry out the diagnosis of drug dependence, the drug is administered intravenously at a dose of 0.08 mg.

Adverse Reactions

Among the negative consequences of using the drug "Naloxone" the instruction mentions the following conditions:

• Nausea, possibly with a urge to vomit;
• Increased blood pressure;
• Heart rhythm disturbances;
• Tremors and convulsions;
• Increased sweating.

In patients with opioid dependence, the drug can cause diarrhea, pain of unclear localization, edema of the nasal mucosa, a feeling of severe fatigue, chills, stomach and bowel spasms. These phenomena are considered typical for narcotic "breaking". They pass for several tens of minutes.

Analogues of Naloxone

Is it possible to replace the drug "Naloxone" with similar drugs? Analogues of this tool for today are few. These include drugs "Narcan", "Naltrexone", "Cyclosocine" and "Narcantin". Their pharmacological properties, indications and contra-indications are similar to those found in Naloxone's solution and tablets. That is why they are undesirable to use in the presence of allergies to a compound such as naloxone hydrochloride in patients.

Nevertheless, they have their own merits. For example, the drug "Naltrexone" lasts for a long time (about 24 hours) and is released mainly in the form of tablets or capsules for oral administration. It is often used for coding from drug addiction by sewing a capsule with a solution under the skin.

Reviews about the drug

Among doctors, the drug "Naloxone" has a good reputation. According to them, it helps to save many patients in case of accidental or deliberate overdose with drugs from the group of analgesics and / or opioids. Despite contraindications and a large number of side effects, the drug is considered relatively safe to use. In addition, it is with his help that you can identify latent drug addiction.