Pain always comes uninvited, and our task is to help get rid of it. The reasons for its appearance are very diverse and headaches can occur in different ways. All the nuances need to be known and taken into account so as not to make mistakes when purchasing medications. When communicating with a pharmacist or pharmacist, you can hear a large list of painkillers for headaches, and the list is confusing. But this is only at first glance. The same chemicals or combinations thereof may have different trade names drugs. The classification is not that complicated, and once you understand the main thing, helping yourself will become much easier.
When you have a headache, you need, first of all, to understand the root cause, whether it is a signal developing disease? If chronic course there is no process observed, and there is no need to visit a doctor; it makes sense to figure out which painkillers are used for headaches at the moment.
Episodic pain that does not cause discomfort does not require special treatment. But if such a situation affects the quality of life, and in order to work productively, you just need to take a painkiller, is it worth suffering?
Medicine is moving forward, studying the peculiarities of various processes in headaches. Old drug formulas are being improved, fundamentally new combinations are being created that selectively act on specific areas of pain, be it migraine or tension headache.
Headache is caused by various factors, and only a well-chosen medicine is almost 100% likely to hit the target.
Pain is the leading complaint when visiting a doctor for most patients. It is divided into chronic and acute, respectively, and can be treated with various types of medications. Migraine, tension headache and cluster headache also require individual attention.
Painkillers for headaches have the following classification:
The group of analgesics occupies the largest sector of the total number of painkillers prescribed by a doctor.
|
Preparation |
Indications for use |
Directions for use |
Contraindications |
|
|
Mefenamic acid 0.5 g |
Mefenaminka |
Symptomatic treatment of pain syndrome; feverish conditions - as an antipyretic agent |
1-2 tablets 3 times/day after meals. Reception up to 20 days |
Children under 5 years of age; pregnancy; lactation; peptic ulcer and 12 duodenum; liver and kidney dysfunction |
|
Analgin 0.5 g |
Metamizole sodium |
Pain of various origins: headache, neuralgia; feverish conditions, rheumatism |
1-2 tablets 3 times/day |
Bronchospasm; hematopoietic disorders; children under 14 years old |
|
Paracetamol tablets 0.5 g; tablets 0.2 g; |
Efferalgan; Tylenol |
Headache; toothache; myalgia; neuralgia; arthralgia; febrile conditions |
Adults: 0.325-0.5 g 3 times/day. Children 9-12 years old - up to 2 g per day. Children 3-6 years old - 60 mg per 1 kg of weight 3 times / day |
Severe liver and kidney failure; Individual intolerance |
|
Preparation |
A drug with the same active ingredient |
Indications for use |
Directions for use |
Contraindications |
|
Acetylsalicylic acid 0.5 g |
Headache; dental; articular; muscular; periodic pain in women; febrile conditions |
1 tablet 3 times/day. No more than 10 days |
Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum in the acute phase; I and III trimesters pregnancy; lactation; children under 15 years of age; individual intolerance |
|
|
Etodolac 0.2 g and 0.3 g |
Etol-forte; Etodin-forte |
Headache; dental; osteoarthritis; arthrosis; arthritis |
1-2 twice a day with meals |
Children under 15 years of age; peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum; bronchial asthma; pregnancy; lactation; individual intolerance |
|
Ibuprofen 0.2 g; 0.3 g; 0.4 g |
Solpaflex; Moment |
Headache; dental; radiculitis; osteoarthritis; gout; neuralgia |
1-3 tablets 3-4 times/day |
Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum in the acute phase; hematopoietic disorders; pronounced violations kidney and/or liver function; childhood up to 6 years; individual intolerance |
|
Flurbiprofen 0.1 g |
Headache; dental; neuralgia; dysmenorrhea; osteoarthritis; arthralgia; arthrosis |
1 tablet 2-3 times/day |
Children under 15 years of age; peptic ulcer or gastrointestinal bleeding; pregnancy; lactation |
|
|
Naproxen |
Nalgesin |
Migraine; headache; toothache; myalgia; arthritis; arthrosis; febrile conditions |
2-4 tablets/day. For migraine attacks - 3 tablets at once. If necessary, increase the dose |
Exacerbation phase peptic ulcer stomach, duodenum; tendency to bleed; children under 13 years of age; pregnancy; lactation |
The prescription of painkillers during lactation, pregnant women and children is strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
The analgesic effect of drugs from the antispasmodic group is no less strong than that of analgesics, but is based on different mechanisms of action. They eliminate attacks of spastic pain by acting on the muscular wall of blood vessels. Under the influence chemicals their walls relax and they expand, improving blood circulation. Pain and noise in the head go away, especially if they are caused by high blood pressure or stress.
No matter how effective and efficient analgesics are, they do not help if you need to relieve spasms and relax vascular muscles.
Classic representatives of this group:
When migraine headaches occur and proven analgesics no longer help, a specific group of drugs designed specifically for the treatment of this disease comes to the rescue.
In cases where muscle tension is to blame for headaches, complex therapy using muscle relaxants is prescribed. The therapeutic effect is an order of magnitude higher than that of NSAIDs.
Representatives of this group:
The painkillers presented here have been designed to make life easier and more comfortable. For each type of pain you can choose your own pill. But we should not forget that pain relief is a temporary measure, symptomatic therapy, which does not eliminate the very cause of the pain syndrome.
Most people on the planet constantly experience headache, for others this phenomenon is also not distant and alien, since it still occurs periodically. A state of discomfort appears due to a number of different factors; in addition to diseases and pathologies, the reasons can be physiological and quite banal, for example: lack of sleep, stress load. Almost every person immediately reaches out to home medicine cabinet for pain medication, but sometimes they are disappointed because the drugs are not there or they do not help. What are the best pills for headaches and how they differ, we will look at this article.
Obviously, a person does not always know which pill to take for a headache and what triggered this pain syndrome. Let us note that a specialist can reliably diagnose the cause of pain and which pills are best for headaches in a particular case; this is not always possible at home.
When choosing the best means the following factors are taken into account:
Today we will try to consider the main ways to get rid of painful symptoms. It is important to consider that not all tablets are equally effective for each individual disease, so you need to sensibly assess the expected results of therapy, only a doctor is fully capable of this.
Migraine is characterized by a condition in which paroxysmal, throbbing pain appears in the area of the temples and forehead, and their duration can be 4 hours or up to 3 days. Nausea and vomiting accompany migraine in a large proportion of cases.
The following medications help with migraine-type headaches: Ditamine, Rapimig and Zolmigren. The disadvantage of the presented drugs is that they can cause unwanted effects.
Tension headaches often occur after prolonged and sustained stress on the neck, head, or brain (even though it itself has no nerve endings). The nature of the manifestations is dull, perhaps aching; some patients describe it as if they were wearing a thick headdress. Simple, high-quality rest is enough here; you may have to numb the area, but no more.
Pain syndrome can be provoked by nervousness, depression or other undesirable psycho-emotional state. Long time You shouldn’t hold on to this feeling, because you can help yourself and take a pill.
The most common and effective drugs groups:
All the described names of medicines have approximately the same principle of use - at the end of a meal. The most effective action is achieved after dissolution, absorption into the intestines and distribution through the blood throughout the body. This takes 30-120 minutes. The long-lasting effect is about 4-6 hours.
Some patients prefer folk remedies and that's not bad, but best solution- this is to trust a specialist who will indicate what you should drink when this disease.
Contraindications to the use of non-steroidal drugs are also present, because some pathologies can aggravate the health condition, instead of the expected help.
The most common and common reasons refusal of drugs:
If the pills do not help, then you should not delay changing the course of treatment; you need to notify your doctor about this, just find out in advance the period of time until the first expected results.
If it happened that non-steroidal drugs no relief from headaches desired result, you should pay attention to other types of drugs, for example, antispasmodics.
The most common painkillers for headaches with antispasmodic effects:
Antispasmodics also have contraindications, their list is below:
Good pills allow you to normalize both intracranial and arterial pressure. Since the expansion of blood vessels significantly increases their area, the pressure in the intracranial box is highly dependent on this. At the same time, dilated vessels prevent high-quality blood circulation. When the vessels narrow, the pressure in them increases significantly, which can provoke hemorrhage, which is characterized by a high intensity of flow.
Medicines from the analgesic group:
Important! For some of the drugs described, it is normal for the urine to turn red.
This type of drug is characterized by the following contraindications:
This type of discomfort is characterized by the presence of intense pain with a feeling of fullness. Symptoms worsen when sneezing. In fact, the situation is very serious, so you should seek the help of a doctor.
When using tablets, little effectiveness is observed.
During pregnancy, you need to take care not only of your own well-being, but also the health of the child, which is why many drugs are prohibited altogether, while others must only be used carefully and adequately.
It is allowed to use Citramon, No-shpa and Paracetamol, and other medications only as prescribed by a doctor. Nurofen, Analgin and Aspirin are probably prohibited for use.
For children the situation is similar; some drugs are also not allowed until of a certain age. You can use Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. It is best to use Paracetamol; if there is no effect, a consultation will be required.
Important! The dosage is selected individually, as it directly depends on the child’s age and weight.
Some drugs are used more often than others, their list is below:
Treatment with medications is the basis for eliminating pain and normalizing lifestyle.
Don't forget to leave comments with your favorite drugs and ask questions, we will be happy to help you.
Choosing pills for headaches?
If you have a headache and it becomes impossible to work, do any business, or even communicate with people, today they use large number the most different tablets for headaches and do right choice sometimes it's very difficult.
Symptomatic headache occurs when infectious diseases, arterial hypertension, cervical osteochondrosis and goes away after the underlying disease is cured.
But if it occurs regularly, and it is not associated with any other diseases, then it may be a symptom of a migraine or tension headache.
Headache can be caused by constant tension, when due to constant stress, fatigue, lack of physical activity and overstrain of the muscles of the shoulder girdle (when constantly sitting in an uncomfortable position at a table, in front of a computer monitor, and so on), the blood vessels spasm and the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients. It occurs more often towards the end of the day, intensifies when staying in a stuffy, smoky room, there is no clear localization of the pain, the patient feels a feeling of heaviness and pressure throughout the head.
Pain in the temples or in the frontal area of the head, which occurs suddenly and often completely deprives a person of the ability to move and do something, is a characteristic manifestation of migraine, chronic disease nervous system associated with transmission disorders nerve impulses in the brain. Until now, the exact cause and treatment methods for migraine have not been precisely clarified.
Before taking the pills, try a head massage or acupressure faces.
There are many different painkillers, but no doctor can accurately answer the question: which headache pills are best to take.
Medicines for headaches can be divided into 3 groups, depending on the main active substance:
You can see a lot more in any pharmacy different names headache pills. But, if you carefully study their composition, then, in most cases, it will contain all the same active ingredients, and the rest will be various additives and flavorings.
Headaches can occur suddenly, even in healthy person and cause him a lot of trouble. Unpleasant sensations interfere with work, think and relax, and sometimes can completely ruin all plans. Constant and severe pain is usually a symptom serious illnesses. Therefore, you should not take this problem too lightly.
Pain in the head may appear due to various reasons. Doctors divide them into primary and secondary headaches. Primary signs can be triggered by the presence of a problem mainly in the head itself, and secondary ones are considered a manifestation of other abnormalities of the body.
Classification:
As a result, we can conclude that you should not take acetaminophen to relieve a hangover headache. In such situations, it is better to take Acetylsalicylic acid.
In most countries of the world, Analgin is prohibited for use due to the likelihood of problems in the hematopoietic system. You should not get carried away with this medicine, but it is better to replace it with a safer analgesic.
Almost all analgesics have a negative effect on the mucous cavities gastrointestinal tract. It is necessary to limit the use of painkillers for people suffering from peptic ulcers and increased acidity stomach.
The following most common medications should be taken according to the following scheme:
"Citramon" is recommended to be taken three times a day, one tablet. One dose is enough to eliminate headaches. The drug should not be used before surgery, since the active substance weakens blood clotting.
"Pentalgin" should be taken one to three times a day, one tablet. The maximum dosage is four capsules. It is used as an analgesic for no longer than five days, and as an antipyretic - no more than three days. The drug can be used for a longer period of time only with the permission of the treating doctor. During therapy it is necessary to abstain from alcoholic beverages.
Solpadeine is a strong pain reliever. For headaches, adolescents over sixteen years of age and adult patients can take one tablet three times a day. The interval between doses should be at least four hours. The maximum daily dosage is eight tablets, one-time dosage is two capsules. Teenagers are recommended to take one tablet three times a day. The highest dosage, compared to adults, is halved: the daily dose is equal to four tablets. It is important to take the drug after meals.
It is not difficult to relieve the headache symptom. As a rule, taking one tablet of analgesic medication is sufficient. Constant pain indicate a serious problem within the body. If they are identified, it is important to consult a doctor to diagnose the disease and choose optimal therapy.
Updated: 07/23/2018 18:14:01
Headache is one of the most serious problems clinical medicine. Only the brain cannot hurt in the head, since it does not contain any receptors. All of them are located on the periphery, and therefore, during operations, thin electrodes can be inserted into the substance of the brain, and the patient is fully conscious, without experiencing any pain. All other tissues are supplied with pain receptors to varying degrees.
The skin in your head may hurt, subcutaneous tissue and periosteum, meninges and vessels. The cause of the headache may be neuralgia of the occipital nerves and trigeminal nerve, migraine and severe vascular spasm, infectious and inflammatory conditions such as meningitis, irradiation of odontogenic or toothache.
All this makes the problem of headache quite complex, and even a competent and experienced doctor will sometimes need more than one day to understand the causes of this pathological condition. That's why the rating the best drugs for headaches can be built only on their membership in action groups. It is clear that there is not and cannot be a medicine “separately” from stabbing, aching, squeezing or boring headaches - you need to know its cause.
So, for meningitis, the ideal remedy would be to prescribe antibiotics, since they destroy pathogenic microorganisms - the cause of the disease, and for migraines, ergotamine or sumatriptan will be prescribed. But this edge cases. Largest number medications sold over-the-counter for headaches include either nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory compounds (NSAIDs), combination medications, or directly to an anesthetic drug. Therefore, first of all, we will consider these means. We will also mention several prescription drugs - they are purchased by prescription because they contain codeine.
There are several dozen, or even hundreds of varieties of these drugs in the world, the ancestor of which is the well-known aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid. All non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have three properties: analgesic, or analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects. In different representatives these properties are expressed in varying degrees, so here we will look at those medications that most help eliminate headache attacks.
It should be said in advance about the most well-known side effect of these drugs, which manifests itself in the occurrence of increased risk formation of stomach or duodenal ulcers, erosive gastritis and in violation of the mucous membrane digestive tract, which is called an ulcerogenic effect.
An ulcerogenic, or ulcer-forming, effect develops with long-term use of high doses of NSAIDs, as well as in patients with an existing predisposition, such as a pre-existing peptic ulcer or gastritis. Therefore, these patients should definitely consult a doctor before starting to take the drugs included in the rating.
Another way out of the situation is to take special proton pump blockers together with NSAIDs, which will protect the gastric and duodenal mucosa from harmful effects medicines. An example of such a gastroprotective drug is ordinary omeprazole.
Finally, patients should be cautioned against believing in the so-called “enteric” form of tablets. Manufacturers claim that if the drug is protected by a special acid-resistant coating, and is dissolved and absorbed not in the stomach, but further in the intestines (for example, like “heart” aspirin - Cardiomagnyl), then this can supposedly protect the gastric mucosa from harmful effects. Alas, this is not true.
It has been proven that the same aspirin has an ulcerogenic effect systemically, that is, being already dissolved and in the blood. Therefore, it does not matter in which shell the active substance will be located, and the fact that it will dissolve not in the stomach, but in the intestines, will not help protect the mucous membrane. The whole point is to take the headache medications included in the rating in the shortest possible courses and in minimal dosages.
Paracetamol and its numerous analogues, for example, children's Panadol, Calpol and other drugs are a reliable assistant for eliminating tension headaches and vascular headaches in both adults and children. This drug is indicated for pain coming from the ENT organs, for rhinitis and sinusitis, for odontogenic pain, the source of which is diseased teeth, for migraines and other conditions.
Paracetamol has a strong antipyretic effect, so it is indicated for the treatment of headaches that are a symptom of a febrile state, such as influenza. The analgesic effect of paracetamol is also quite good, although not so pronounced, but it has almost no anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, taking paracetamol for joint diseases, rheumatism and other similar conditions is practically pointless. Most often, paracetamol is available in tablets of 500 mg of active ingredient each. Adults should take no more than two paracetamol tablets four times a day. Taking more than 4 grams of paracetamol per day by an adult is contraindicated, since in high doses it has a harmful effect on the liver, even causing necrosis of hepatocytes in rare cases.
Paracetamol is so popular that it is available not only in tablets, but also in suspensions, in syrup and even in rectal suppositories for children. This allows you to take it even if the child refuses to eat and drink due to severe intoxication or high temperature. Very important positive quality is wide availability and low price. So, 20 tablets of paracetamol 500 mg each can be bought even at a price lower than 10 rubles.
TO negative aspects Various analogues of paracetamol include the need for careful use in cases of impaired liver and kidney function, as well as dosage restrictions. As stated above, it can be used no more than 4 times a day.
It should be said right away that the rating of painkillers includes only forms of acetylsalicylic acid, which are taken in concentrations significantly exceeding 75 mg per single dose. The standard dosage of one tablet is 500 mg. Low-dose ASA preparations (50 mg, 75 mg, 100 mg per tablet) belong to the so-called “heart aspirins”, the task of which is to provide an antiplatelet effect, or, as they say, “thin the blood” and prevent the formation of blood clots, thereby preventing heart attacks and strokes. Therefore, for headaches you should absolutely not buy drugs such as Kardiask, Trombo ACC, Cardiomagnyl, and other acetylsalicylic acid in low doses. As for acetylsalicylic acid drugs that actually work with an analgesic effect, among them we can list: aspirin, aspirin UPSA, Aspro-C and many other drugs.
It is very important to remember that without exception, all drugs containing acetylsalicylic acid in any form, from suppositories and tablets to suspension and syrup, are strictly contraindicated for children under 12 years of age. And it doesn’t matter that the baby may have fever and pain, which are direct indications for use in adults. Aspirin is strictly contraindicated in early age, due to possible development rare, but very serious and often fatal complications.
In adults, aspirin helps well with cold headaches that are combined with fever, with neuralgia and neuritis, with toothache, with temporal arthritis, and with other conditions. Acetylsalicylic acid preparations for adults are not recommended to be used in a dose higher than 1 gram per day for more than 5 days. Aspirin can cause a decrease in platelet concentration, contribute to the development of non-steroidal gastropathy, which causes abdominal pain, heartburn, nausea, allergies, or symptoms of liver and kidney disorders. Acetylsalicylic acid is prohibited in the first trimester of pregnancy.
The range of prices for acetylsalicylic acid is extremely wide. So, if you ask at a pharmacy for acetylsalicylic acid tablets in a dose of 500 mg number 10, and at the same time the cheapest, then they will offer you such tablets for 3 rubles! In the same case, if you simply ask for “Aspirin”, in the same dosage and the same quantity, but no longer produced by the domestic enterprise Medisorb, or the Borisov Belarusian pharmaceutical plant, then it will cost 235 rubles, that is, 78 times more expensive! Such a range in prices must be taken into account, keeping in mind the quality of the original substance and the different results of treatment.
Perhaps the biggest drawback is the insufficiently expressed analgesic effect of acetylsalicylic acid. It copes best with fever and mild pain, for example, when feeling unwell with a cold. If the pain is severe enough, then combined drugs or agents with a more pronounced analgesic effect are needed. At the same time, acetylsalicylic acid is contraindicated in patients with inflammatory diseases of the stomach and intestines, with reduced blood clotting. As for the “pros”, acetylsalicylic acid preparations are always available, cheap, at the same time they can prevent thrombosis and “thin” the blood, and help reduce the symptoms of fever.
This is the name given to a medicine containing another NSAID that has a more pronounced analgesic effect, we are talking about ibuprofen. Mig-400 contains 400 mg of ibuprofen in a film-coated tablet. These tablets have the most pronounced analgesic effect, followed by an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effect. The drug was included in the rating due to its ability to reduce headaches mainly with inflammatory diseases. Therefore, first of all, it will help with such types of headaches as temporal arteritis in elderly men, symptomatic cephalgia, which is associated with chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, frontal sinusitis and ethmoiditis. The drug is effective for shooting pain in the ear, which is a symptom of otitis media, and for toothache.
Adults can use the drug in a dosage of no more than 3 tablets (1200 mg) per day, and for children, starting from the age of six, no more than one and a half tablets per day, or 600 mg. The drug is produced by the German manufacturer Berlin-Chemie, and 20 tablets of the drug can be purchased for 118 rubles.
Ibuprofen preparations are capable of good pain relief and help very quickly, it’s not for nothing that the medicine is so called - “Mig”. The peak analgesic effect occurs within 10 minutes and lasts for at least 12 hours, and sometimes up to a day. The drug contains only pure ibuprofen, which is usually well tolerated even by patients with various polyvalent and drug allergies. As for the negative aspects of the medicine, it must be prescribed for the first time after consulting a doctor. Ibuprofen should be used in the lowest possible dose, and possibly for the shortest possible course. It can often cause heartburn and abdominal pain (NSAIDs - gastropathy), diarrhea and constipation, exacerbation of stomach and duodenal ulcers, and even by itself in rare cases can cause headaches and dizziness.
If the level of headache is sufficiently strong and it is not relieved by drugs from the NSAID group, then, if necessary, you can directly use those drugs whose main advantage is a pronounced analgesic effect. But when switching to these analgesics after several days of unsuccessful NSAID treatment It is very important to consult a neurologist, since there are persistent headaches that require emergency hospitalization, for example, meningitis, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or focal formation of the brain - malignant tumor. However, let’s look at the most popular painkillers included in the “strong painkillers” rating.
Ketorolac, or more precisely ketorolac tromethamine, also, like other NSAIDs, inhibits cyclooxygenase, and therefore belongs to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. But its analgesic effect is the strongest of the entire group of NSAIDs. That is why it is used intramuscularly even in early postoperative period for severe pain, and for some oncological diseases when you can still do without narcotic analgesics.
Despite the pronounced analgesic effect, this drug does not suppress the respiratory center, and at the same time it does not cause such dependence as occurs with the use of opioid drugs. Some researchers believe that the pain-relieving power of Ketorolac is comparable to morphine, but it does not have its side effects.
The maximum analgesic effect after taking the tablets develops after 3-4 hours. The indications for taking this drug are persistent and acute headaches that are permanent or are a consequence of surgical intervention, or injury. These medications are used after ENT surgeries, otitis media, for migraines, for severe and persistent headaches and especially toothache. It is indicated for various volumetric and focal neoplasms, including those associated with impaired cerebrospinal fluid dynamics.
It must be remembered that this drug is symptomatic, it only reduces pain and will not in any way affect the course of the disease or the prognosis. As in other cases, ketorolac and its analogues can be used only in the shortest possible courses and with the lowest possible dosages, and only after consultation with a doctor.
You can use this medicine in tablets either once a day or several times, but in any case, the maximum daily intake can be no more than 40 mg of the drug, and the course of such self-medication should not last more than 5 days. The drug is contraindicated in children under 16 years of age, pregnant and lactating women. This product is not intended for long-term use or for the treatment of chronic headaches. This is a highly effective ambulance» with severe pain.
Of all the analogues of ketorolac, the most affordable are ketorolac tablets (INN), dosage 10 mg, number 10, and you can buy them starting from 12 rubles, they are produced by the domestic company Synthesis. As for the most popular Indian drug “Ketanov”, produced by Ranbaxy, a package of 20 tablets with a dosage of 0.01 g can be purchased for 46 rubles.
The main advantage of “Ketanov” and its analogues is a strong and lasting analgesic effect, when even severe toothache is relieved. The disadvantage of drugs is a large list of contraindications, frequent development side effects, especially in elderly patients with diseases of the stomach and intestines, and especially when long-term use, interactions with various drugs that increase the risk ulcerative lesion. Therefore, ketorolac and its analogues must be prescribed by a doctor taking into account other medications taken by the patient.
Immediately after the highly effective ketorolac, we will mention the popular favorite in Russia - Analgin, which is found in almost every home medicine cabinet. From the very beginning, it must be said that when using the supposedly “safe” Analgin, you do so at your own peril and risk. In domestic instructions you can simply read that when long-term treatment and consumed in large doses, analgin promotes the development of agranulocytosis, or a decrease in the number of neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils. These are blood cells that belong to leukocytes and perform numerous functions, primarily protective.
But this is “half the truth”. The whole truth is that in developed countries Western Europe, in Israel and the USA, where rich Russians go for treatment, this drug was generally banned at the end of the last century (in the USA in general since 1977). In those countries where it is used, for example, in Germany, it is prescribed only for strict indications (it is a prescription).
According to statistics, a severe case of the development of agranulocytosis after taking analgin occurs in approximately one case per 2000 prescriptions, or 0.05%. This is very high rate. Moreover, out of every 100 cases of such a dangerous complication, there is a risk of death in 7–10% of cases, and even with normal level providing medical care. In our conditions it will be even higher. So, on average, there may well be severe agranulocytosis with fatal in every 20 thousand cases of analgin being prescribed for a trivial reason. This situation is aggravated by the very wide distribution of this drug, its high availability, sale everywhere without a prescription and low price. Thus, 10 tablets of analgin with a dosage of 500 mg can be bought for 7 rubles, it is produced by Tatkhimfarmpreparaty OJSC.
As for the “advantages”, all of them (availability, low cost, quick effect) are also found in other drugs. Therefore, if it is necessary to choose a drug with sufficient analgesic activity, it is better to abandon this old and far from safe means. Let's list some more effective and safe medicines that are worthy of the painkiller rating.
One of these modern drugs that helps well with various forms headaches for migraines, otitis, for facial and toothaches, for tension headaches and post-traumatic cephalgia, is the drug Nalgesin and Nalgesin-Forte, which contain naproxen sodium, and also belong to NSAIDs.
In the case of regular Nalgesin, each tablet contains about 300 mg of naproxen; in the case of Nalgesin-Forte, this dose is increased to 0.55 g. This drug must be taken orally, no more than 2 tablets per day. The exception is very severe headaches, when you can increase the dose by one more tablet, but take it for no more than 10 days. This drug can be used not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of migraine attacks, then it is used one tablet daily. The analgesic should be taken when the first signs of migraine occur, for example when symptoms of visual, sensory or motor aura occur.
The drug Nalgesin and Nalgesin - Forte is produced by the Slovak company KRKA, a package of 20 tablets costs 340 rubles. and more.
Nalgesin is an excellent alternative if the patient does not tolerate aspirin or paracetamol. However, it should be remembered that Nalgesin, despite its analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity, only reduces the symptoms of the disease, but does not eliminate their cause. Nalgesin, and especially Nalgesin-Forte, acts very quickly and provides good pain relief for pain in other locations, for example, painful periods, endometriosis, and in other cases. But it should be remembered that Nalgesin is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, it is contraindicated for children and adolescents under 15 years of age, various groups patients, especially with erosive and ulcerative lesions of the stomach, with blood clotting disorders and pathology of the liver and kidneys. Therefore, this drug, especially when prescribed for the first time, can only be prescribed by a doctor.
The vast majority combination drugs with analgesic activity contains metamizole sodium, or the ill-fated analgin. A drug like Saridon, like Next, like Tempalgin, and many others. Therefore, we will try to describe in the rating those drugs that have a pronounced analgesic effect in cephalgic syndrome or headaches, and which do not contain analgin. The choice is quite large. Basically, this will include those medications and agents that act on vascular headache, or angiocephalgia. They often contain caffeine and other substances.
In some ratings you can find drugs that reduce smooth muscle tone, and for this reason they are recorded in effective means for headaches. So, you can find Papaverine, Galidor, Drotaverine, No-shpu. In fact, best way the use of these antispasmodics of myotropic action - pain of a spastic nature in diseases of the liver, intestines and biliary tract, when pain of a “pulling” nature or spasms occurs. Antispasmodic effect in relation to cerebral vessels does not always lead to pain relief, because sometimes sharp pain do not cause spasm of blood vessels, but their sharp re-expansion.
This is the name of a highly effective combination containing paracetamol, propyphenazone, caffeine and codeine. This drug is a prescription drug because it contains the opioid cough suppressant codeine. Also, headache tablets contain propyphenazone, which is a psychostimulant. This drug is very helpful for migraine headaches, toothaches, tension headaches, and post-traumatic cephalgia. The tablets have an extruded inscription - kaffetin - in Latin on one side and the number 5 on the other side of the tablet.
In general, the medicine has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antitussive and psychostimulating effects. Caffeine helps reduce drowsiness and reduces fatigue, codeine - in addition to reducing cough, stimulates special receptors that change the emotional perception of headaches, which also improves the patient's condition. The psychostimulant propyphenazone can relieve pain. After taking one tablet of Caffetin maximum effect develops after an hour, and this action continues for 6 or 8 hours. Adults should take one tablet three times a day, but no more than 6 tablets a day. The duration of treatment should not exceed 5 days. This headache medicine is produced by the Macedonian company Alkaloid; one package of 12 tablets is sold at a price of 80 rubles, but a prescription is required.
The disadvantages of this drug include the need to purchase a prescription and the possibility of symptoms of caffeine overdose when consuming several cups of natural coffee at the same time. This can cause anxiety, worsen headaches, and cause palpitations - so you should avoid drinking coffee during treatment. The unconditional negative aspects of using these effective tablets headaches can be attributed to suppression of the activity of the respiratory center. Therefore, it is strictly not recommended to use them for persons with sleep apnea syndrome, severe snoring and sleep-disordered breathing.
Pentalgin-plus contains an even greater number of active and balanced components. It differs from Caffetin in that in addition to caffeine, codeine and propyphenazone, it also contains paracetamol and phenobarbital. One tablet contains 300 mg of paracetamol, and propyphenazone, caffeine, phenobarbital and codeine account for 250, 50, 10 and 8 mg, respectively. The effect of the drug is determined by the components that are included in it. Propyphenazone and paracetamol mutually enhance each other's effects, helping to fight pain and high fever. Caffeine can tone the body and give vigor. Codeine improves headache tolerance and somewhat reduces its emotional intensity. Phenobarbital is a derivative of the group of barbiturates, and at the same time is capable of having an antispasmodic and mild sedative effect.
It should not be surprising that the drug contains components that are opposite in nature: caffeine stimulates, and phenobarbital calms. All together leads to a balanced state of mood and optimization of behavioral reactions. This medicine is indicated for the most different forms headaches, including toothaches, tension headaches, migraines, cluster or cluster headaches, temporal arteritis and with fever. Pentalgin-plus is produced domestically pharmaceutical company Pharmstandard, and its cost starts from 130 rubles. per pack of 12 tablets.
As in the previous case, a relative disadvantage of the drug is the need to write out a prescription form, since these headache pills are subject to strict quantitative accounting. These headache tablets should not be used more than 4 tablets per day. Otherwise, not only may problems arise allergic reactions, but also nausea and vomiting in case of overdose. Signs of interaction with other medications are possible. It is undesirable to use them for sleep apnea and snoring. Pentalgin-plus should not be taken together with other barbiturates if you have epilepsy; you should not drink alcohol while taking it, as the risk of liver damage increases. But, on the other hand, these headache pills are highly effective and quickly reduce the severity of cephalgic syndrome.
This drug, unlike the previous ones, can be freely purchased without a prescription. It also contains paracetamol and caffeine, but also has acetylsalicylic acid added to it. Each tablet contains 320, 240, 40 and 7 mg of acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol, caffeine and citric acid, respectively. Products shown subject to availability various types headache, toothache, headache associated with intoxication and fever in the complex therapy of various infectious diseases. It is recommended to take Citramon-Forte no more than one tablet three times a day. As for a headache that comes on suddenly, for example, due to fatigue, a one-time dose of one or two tablets is taken. Citramon Forte is an affordable and effective domestic drug. It is produced by the Ozon company, and one package of 10 tablets can be purchased for 23 rubles.
The advantages of Citramon-Forte and its other analogues include high efficiency, over-the-counter release, widespread in all pharmacies and low price. On the other hand, this remedy, despite its apparent harmlessness, can cause such side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, decreased blood clotting and bleeding, nosebleeds, and even headaches, allergic reactions and kidney damage. Therefore, Citramon-Forte must be prescribed taking into account the presence of diseases such as stomach ulcers, portal hypertension, renal and liver failure. The drug is prohibited for children under 15 years of age, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Unfortunately, in one small review of popularity ratings it is impossible to consider all the effective remedies for headaches, since they are of an extremely different nature. The most common are tension headaches, vascular cephalgia, as well as symptomatic headaches associated with damage to the ENT organs or due to diseases dental system. And all of the drugs listed above cope well with such pain.
But there are also completely different headaches, for example, with trigeminal neuralgia, for which it is necessary to prescribe special medications. They are classified as anticonvulsants and do not have a direct analgesic effect. Once a migraine diagnosis has been accurately established, patients soon switch from commonly used medications to special medications that can very quickly eliminate an attack. These are drugs from the group of triptans, some other drugs in the form of nasal sprays. All of them are specific, they are prescribed only by a neurologist, and therefore there is no need to mention them. In any case, the most important fact is the need for the primary prescription of any medication for headaches, taking into account the opinion of the doctor, avoidance of any types of acetylsalicylic acid in children under 12 years of age, as well as information about harmful influence analgin. Currently there are a large number of different medicines, which can relieve headaches well, or significantly reduce its severity, without resorting to this remedy.
Finally, you need to remember about the so-called overuse headache. This is the name given to headaches caused by overuse of headache medications. In some cases, refusal of all medications, normalization of work and rest regime, refusal bad habits, normalizing sleep, limiting coffee consumption can lead to complete relief from long-term and persistent headaches, which were difficult to relieve with various pills.
