Cortexin is a peptide drug with nootropic properties.
It is made from a protein extract of animal brains and has the properties of restoring cognitive properties in humans.
The medicine is not a narrowly targeted drug and is used for various therapeutic purposes, but one of them is the elimination of convulsions and seizures in the complex treatment of epilepsy.
Can it be used for treatment in adults and children?
Cortexin for epilepsy is the only nootropic that can be used to treat children.
Some medications of this group can also be used in childhood, but due to the large number of contraindications and side effects, such drugs are used as a last resort.
For epilepsy, such a nootropic began to be used only in the 21st century, and only as a neuroimmune agent to eliminate the physiological prerequisites for the manifestation of epilepsy symptoms.
The medicine is equally safe for children and adults suffering from this disease, but it is important to strictly follow the dosages, which differ for these age categories.
When using the composition in patients with epilepsy, the following positive effects are observed:
- oxidation processes slow down in brain cells;
- in the tissues of brain cells, metabolic processes are activated and nerve cells are regenerated, as a result of which the functions of the central nervous system are improved;
- convulsive activity of the brain decreases, which helps to stop seizures for long periods.
According to studies, the drug demonstrated the greatest effectiveness in the treatment of patients with acquired epilepsy (in particular, people who developed the disease due to traumatic brain injury).
But to achieve positive results, long-term treatment is necessary: in general, a noticeable beneficial effect appears after 4-5 years.
Cortexin contraindications for epilepsy
"Cortexin" - the medicine belongs to the group of nootropics. Intramuscular injections of the drug are prescribed for the treatment of cerebral microcirculation disorders of various origins.
The medication is produced in the form of a lyophysilate for the production of a solution for injections into the muscle. “Cortexin” is produced in 5 ml bottles of 10 pieces per package. The contents are white powder with a yellowish tint.
The main active component of the drug is considered to be a complex of water-soluble polypeptide fractions. Glycine acts as an additional substance. What are the side effects and contraindications of Cortexin?
Medicinal properties
This is a nootropic medicine. Under the influence of Cortexin, the functioning of the brain improves, and attention also increases. When using this medicine, a person becomes more susceptible to stressful situations and psycho-emotional stress.
Frequent use of this medication has an antioxidant effect on the body, and also protects cells from the effects of free radicals, strengthens the resistance of nerve cells in stressful situations and oxygen starvation. What is "Cortexin" for?
Indications and contraindications
The drug is prescribed to patients when a number of pathological processes occur:
- Traumatic brain injuries.
- Previous hemorrhagic strokes (acute cerebrovascular accident with vascular rupture and hemorrhage in the brain).
- The phenomena of cerebral ischemia (a complex pathology in which the blood vessels of the brain narrow, which impairs the flow of blood to the brain, and accordingly causes a lack of oxygen in the brain tissues).
- Encephalopathies (a general name for pathological processes of various origins, the basis of which is the degeneration of brain neurons due to disruption of their metabolism).
- Memory impairment.
For what diseases is Cortexin still used? The drug is prescribed for the following conditions:
- Decreased attention.
- Absent-mindedness.
- Forgetfulness.
- Epilepsy (a chronic neurological disease manifested in the body’s predisposition to the sudden onset of seizures).
- Poor performance.
- Failure to perceive new information.
- Vegetative-vascular dystonia with panic attacks (a polyetiological syndrome characterized by dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system).
- Birth injuries in newborns.
- Cerebral palsy (the result of brain damage received during pregnancy, childbirth and during the first 28 days of the baby’s life).
The drug can be used by patients only on the recommendation of a doctor after examination. The main contraindication for Cortexin is individual intolerance and increased sensitivity, pregnancy.
How to use the medicine
According to the annotation, Cortexin is prescribed only for intramuscular injection.
The powder in the bottle is pre-dissolved in 1-2 milliliters of novocaine solution (0.5%), water for injections or isotonic sodium chloride solution.
The injection is given once a day, the dosage of the medicine is calculated by the doctor individually for each person, which depends on the weight, as well as the severity of the disorders and characteristics.
The duration of treatment should be at least 10 days; if necessary, therapy can be repeated after 3 months.
For people with stroke, a second course of treatment is carried out 10 days after the end of the previous one.
For children
As is already known, Cortexin has no serious contraindications. Therefore, according to the annotation, the drug is allowed to be used by young patients from the first days of life.
The opinions of medical experts confirm the manufacturer’s statements that the medication causes almost no side effects.
The use of Cortexin in neurology, as well as neonatology and pediatrics, helps improve the child’s behavior, normalize memory and speech, and eliminate headaches.
Lactation and pregnancy
A contraindication to Cortexin is pregnancy; the medication is prohibited during this period of time due to the lack of clinical experience and information regarding the safety of the effect on the intrauterine development of the fetus.
If medication therapy must be carried out during breastfeeding, the woman is advised to stop it.
What adverse reactions does the drug cause?
Cortexin is well tolerated by patients, and adverse reactions occur in rare situations; as a rule, they are caused by the patient’s individual increased sensitivity to the medication.
The most common side effects are pain and burning at the injection site; allergic rashes or nettle rashes rarely appear.
Interaction with other drugs
There is no information about the combination of Cortexin with medications. It is not recommended to mix several drugs in one syringe at once; if it is necessary to administer several medications, injections to a person are made with different syringes. Is it possible to inject Cortexin at a temperature? Let’s look at it below.
Adviсe
"Cortexin" is used only on the recommendation of a doctor. The bottle with the dissolved medicine must be used immediately; if the medicine still remains, then for the next injection a new ampoule with powder is opened, and the previous one is thrown away.
If the patient has forgotten to give an injection, a double dosage of Cortexin cannot be administered; during the next injection, the usual concentration of the active substance is used. When carrying out the procedure, you must adhere to the rules of antiseptics so as not to provoke the occurrence of post-injection complications. Is it possible to take Cortexin for a cold?
It must be remembered that if the temperature rises, therapy with this drug is discontinued until recovery. This must be done to avoid complications. The same goes for colds.
This medication does not suppress the functioning of the central nervous system and does not inhibit the speed of psychomotor reactions, therefore it can be used for the treatment of vehicle drivers. The drug is dispensed with a prescription from a medical specialist.
How to store the drug, price
From the instructions for use of Cortexin it is known that the drug must be stored away from children at a temperature of no more than 8 degrees. Do not allow sunlight to penetrate the bottle. Shelf life: 3 years. The cost of Cortexin ranges from 700 to 1300 rubles per package.
Source: https://barhmel.ru/protivopokazanija-korteksina-pri-jepilepsii/
Indications for use
This is a multidisciplinary nootropic, which, in addition to treating epilepsy, helps with the following pathologies and diseases:
- cerebral palsy;
- encephalomyelitis;
- encephalitis;
- asthenia;
- speech development delays;
- memory impairment and problems concentrating;
- neuroinfections (bacteria or viruses that attack the nervous system);
- hydrocephalus;
- circulatory disorders in the brain;
- encephalopathy.
As a supplement, the drug is often prescribed for any serious traumatic brain injury to eliminate or prevent complications associated with impaired brain function.
Find out more about epilepsy treatment:
- medications, including anticonvulsants;
- drugs Mexidol, Pantogam, Glycine, folic acid and magnesium;
- folk remedies and surgical methods;
- Can epileptics take antibiotics?
- Is therapy possible at home?
Release forms and composition
Cortexin is available in powder form, from which an injection solution is prepared. One bottle may contain 5 or 10 mg of the active ingredient. For the treatment of children, a dosage of 5 mg is used. Each bottle contains 11 mg of medicinal substance: 5 mg of cortexin and 6 mg of glycine.
Attention! Cortexin is available only in the form of a lyophilized powder, from which an injection solution is prepared. Tablets and capsules with the same name are fake.
Externally, Cortexin is a white or yellowish powder, which is an extract made from the brain of calves and piglets. The molecules of these proteins are so small in length and mass that they can cross the blood-brain barrier and go straight into the human brain.
Recommendations
The drug, like any other nootropics, is sold in pharmacies only with a prescription. For epilepsy, a prescription can be issued by a neurologist, psychiatrist or pediatrician (if prescribed to a child).
The drug is administered intramuscularly once a day for ten days. Considering that Cortexin has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, it is better to inject it in the first half of the day in order to avoid problems with night sleep and administer it later in the evening.
For epilepsy, long-term treatment is indicated, but the duration of the course cannot be more than 10 days.
Between such courses you should take breaks of 4-5 months.
Injections are given every day, but if for some reason the injection is missed on one of the days, you should not inject a double dose the next day.
This will not enhance the therapeutic effect, but the development of allergic reactions is quite possible. In such situations, treatment is simply extended by the number of days missed.
Directions for use and dosage
The dosage for adults is 10 milligrams. The drug for this purpose is diluted in water for injection or saline (sold separately) with the addition of 2 milliliters of the anesthetic procaine.
To calculate the dosage in children, it is necessary to know the child's body weight. If it weighs less than 20 kilograms, the weight is multiplied by 0.5.
The resulting number is the number of milligrams that the child needs to be administered per day. For children weighing more than 20 kg, the adult dosage is relevant.
Despite minimal side effects and contraindications, the medicine for epilepsy cannot be used at will.
Before prescribing such a course, you must undergo an examination with your doctor and agree with him on the possibility of using this nootropic.
