The same question regularly comes up on medical forums. Patients are trying to understand why a neurologist prescribes Eufillin for a herniated disc, whether it is worth following his unclear recommendations, and how this medicine can help. Moreover, for some reason, almost everyone cannot ask the doctor about this, although the doctor is obliged to answer all the patient’s questions directly related to treatment. Therefore, this material is intended to fill this knowledge gap.
Hernia on MRI.
What kind of medicine is this, what does it have to do with protrusions and herniations of intervertebral discs? But first, let us remind you what a hernia is and what its symptoms are.
Composition and release form
The composition of the drug depends on the form of release of the drug. Eufillin is produced in the following versions:
- Pills. One piece contains the active substance - aminophylline (150 milligrams), as well as auxiliary components. The latter include calcium, stearic acid and potato starch.
- Ampoules (solution for injection). Aminophylline is also the main substance. Each ampoule contains 24 milligrams of the active ingredient. In addition to it, the composition also contains water for injection.
Mechanism of action of Eufillin
Most often it can be found in the closet of a doctor or paramedic, in a hospital, in the pulmonology department in the form of fairly large ampoules. Each ampoule has a volume of 10 ml and is a solution for intravenous injection with a concentration of 2.4%. Eufillin is a cheap “folk” drug. One box consisting of 10 such ampoules will cost very little in the pharmacy - from 40 to 65 rubles.
Eufillin is a domestic drug, and mainly it is produced either by the Armavir biological factory or by Dalkhimfarm JSC. There are Eufillin tablets in a dosage of 150 mg, 30 pieces in a package. They are produced by the Borisov pharmaceutical plant and the pharmaceutical company Ozon, and are very cheap - from 10 rubles. up to 45 rub. per package. What kind of medicine is this, what does it have to do with protrusions and herniations of intervertebral discs?
Pharmacological effects
The main effect of the drug is antispasmodic. However, it also has other effects on the human body, namely tocolytic, diuretic and bronchodilator.
According to the Vidal classifier, Eufillin is included in the pharmacological group of phosphodiesterase inhibitors.
What does Eufillin help with? Indications for use
Indications for use of the drug Eufillin may vary slightly depending on the form of release. Tablets are most often prescribed for:
- Bronchial asthma of varying severity.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Paroxysmal attacks of apnea at night.
- Right ventricular heart failure.
- Emphysema.
The injection form of the drug is used for:
- Cerebrovascular insufficiency of the brain (the drug is used in combination with other drugs and helps reduce intracranial pressure).
- Pulmonary hypertension.
- Left ventricular heart failure (also used in combination with a number of other drugs).
- For diseases of the respiratory system accompanied by spasm and broncho-obstructive syndrome (COPD, emphysema, bronchial asthma).
Groups of drugs recommended for IV use for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
- Complex droppers combine several medications (for example, analgin + no-spa + reopirin), block pain and serve as a means of quick relief.
- With the help of a magnesium dropper for cervical osteochondrosis, you can effectively relieve a hypertensive crisis; it has a sedative effect.
- Actovegin improves tissue trophism, normalizes energy metabolism, removes swelling, dilates blood vessels, and relieves dizziness.
- Droppers with Trental (based on 0.9% sodium hydrochloride solution or 5% glucose solution) for cervical osteochondrosis and severe headaches optimize the rheological qualities of the blood and improve blood flow.
- Euphellin relaxes spasmed muscles and relieves pain. In droppers it is used on the basis of isotonic sodium hydrochloride solution.
- Halidor and Dibazol are used in the treatment complex. The drugs have a relaxing and vasodilating effect.
- Desamethasone belongs to a group of hormonal drugs, glucocorticosteroids, which are secreted by the adrenal cortex. It fights inflammation and pain well, and promotes tissue restoration.
Contraindications
Eufillin is not a completely safe drug and has a fairly wide list of contraindications for its use:
- Individual hypersensitivity to one or more components of the drug.
- Children under 3 years of age.
- From the cardiovascular system: acute period of myocardial infarction, acute and severe chronic heart failure, atherosclerosis, dissecting aortic aneurysm, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, high-grade arterial hypertension, and low blood pressure.
- From the digestive tract: exacerbation of gastric or duodenal ulcer, GERD, decompensated liver failure.
- Hormonal disorders: hypothyroidism, thyrotoxicosis.
- From the blood system: coagulation disorders and spontaneous bleeding in the anamnesis.
- Acute infectious diseases, sepsis.
- Severe renal failure.
- Epilepsy.
Side effects
When taking Eufillin, in addition to the main pharmacological action, side effects may also occur. Most often, patients develop insomnia, dizziness, weakness, tachycardia, arrhythmia, dyspeptic syndrome, allergic reactions, hypoglycemia, hypotension, increased sweating, pain in the head, chest and abdomen.
Against the background of a drug overdose, muscle cramps, increased body temperature, polyuria, hematuria, albuminuria and even disturbances of consciousness may occur.
To eliminate adverse symptoms, it may be necessary to reduce the dosage or stop taking the drug.
If the rules of asepsis and antisepsis are violated during injections of Eufillin, infectious complications sometimes develop.
What is a hernia, why does it hurt?
In humans, there are 24 vertebrae in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions. Seven cervical, 12 thoracic and 5 lumbar. Between each adjacent vertebrae there is an elastic cartilage pad - an intervertebral disc, which acts as a shock absorber. As we age, intervertebral discs become dehydrated, become more fragile, and sometimes collapse when a critical load occurs.
Each disc consists of two parts: a softer, inner part - the nucleus pulposus and strong outer fibrous fibers, which in the form of a ring surround the disc, maintaining its geometric shape. If the pressure on any part of the disc exceeds a critical limit, then the part of the disc bulges, and this condition is called protrusion. At the same time, the integrity of the outer layers of the disc is still preserved. If the fibrous ring ruptures in any place, then the inner part of the nucleus pulposus rushes into the gap under pressure, and thus a hernia occurs.
A cartilage hernia can only be eliminated through surgery; no other treatment method will help remove it. The hernia compresses surrounding structures, such as spinal ligaments, nerve roots and muscles. In response to periodic friction and hernia pressure, the following situation arises:
- The cartilages themselves do not have nerve endings, so they do not feel pain. The hernia “doesn’t care” because it doesn’t hurt;
- but the resulting edema due to hernial compression, first of all, irritates the sensitive nerve roots entering the spinal cord at this level on the right and left, and shooting pain occurs, similar to electric shocks. It arises very abruptly, leading a person to immobility so as not to provoke it. This radicular pain intensifies when coughing, sneezing, bending, turning;
- Constant irritation of the herniated ligament receptors, as well as inflammatory swelling, causes a reaction in the surrounding deep back muscles, which manifests itself as spasm.
The fact is that the muscle knows how to react to any irritation in only one way - contraction . Prolonged pain and swelling from a hernia causes persistent, constant muscle contraction. But in order for the muscle to feed normally and normally remove waste products, periodic contraction must be replaced by relaxation. Only a relaxed muscle can be well supplied with blood; only a relaxed muscle has adequate venous outflow.
When a protrusion or hernia worsens, venous outflow is obstructed, lactic acid accumulates in the muscles, such a chronic spasm no longer causes sharp, shooting, radicular pain, but aching, constant pain in the back, which is well known to people who lead a “sedentary” lifestyle.
Eufillin instructions for use
The single and daily dose of the drug is selected depending on the form of release, the disease and the age of the patient.
Adult patients are recommended to take 15 milligrams per kg of body weight 1 to 3 times a day. The pediatric dosage is 7-10 mg per kilogram of body weight 4 times a day. The course of treatment with tablets can vary from 3 days to several months.
When administered intravenously, the average daily dose ranges from 400 to 800 milligrams.
While taking the drug, it is necessary to monitor blood pressure, blood glucose and heart rate daily.
Reviews about the drug
Reviews of Euphylline, like any other medicinal drug, are very diverse on the Internet. However, most patients note its high effectiveness and rapid elimination of symptoms of the disease.
There are also negative reviews, but they are most often associated with the development of adverse reactions due to individual intolerance to a component of the drug or as a result of an incorrectly selected dosage.
Some patients use Eufillin in combination with Dimexide and a number of essential oils for weight loss and getting rid of cellulite. The effectiveness of the drug in this regard has not been proven, so it is impossible to objectively judge its effectiveness.
Attention! Before taking the medicine, consultation with a specialist is required. Only a doctor will be able to select the correct dosage of the drug, calculate the duration of the course of treatment and take into account all the indications and contraindications for taking Eufillin. Otherwise, there is a high risk of developing negative side effects.
What can treatment do?
Therefore, if a person is not indicated for surgical treatment, and he begins to be treated conservatively, then he has only two ways to influence the source of inflammation. Eliminating a hernia as a change in the intervertebral disc is not indicated. But with the help of medications, and then physical procedures and therapeutic exercises, it is possible to eliminate inflammation and relieve swelling of the nerve roots. Using muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants) you can reduce muscle spasms and also improve blood supply to the muscles. By influencing these two key links in pathogenesis, it is possible to achieve a lasting reduction in back pain, increased mobility, return to work capacity and improved quality of life.
To do this, in the first days of acute pain, intramuscular injections of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Movalis, Ketonal, are used. Taking ibuprofen, diclofenac, nimesulide helps. These drugs reduce swelling, reduce inflammation, hyperemia and pain. You can influence long-term spasming muscles using central muscle relaxants. These are drugs such as Mydocalm (tolperisone) and Sirdalud (tizanidine). They are also used in a course, first intramuscularly, and then in tablets.
Of course, I would like to improve the blood supply to the muscles as soon as possible, but, unfortunately, only active movement fully helps. But in the first days, therapeutic exercises cannot yet be used, since the swelling of the nerve roots has not subsided, and in the area of hernial compression in this segment of the spine, not everything is calm. And that’s when Eufillin comes into play. A little about this drug.