Popular and cheap substitutes for Valz: TOP 4 analogues

Prohibited during pregnancy

Prohibited during breastfeeding

Prohibited for children

Has restrictions for older people

Has limitations for liver problems

Prohibited for kidney problems

Valz (INN - Valsartan) is a peripheral vasodilator, belongs to angiotensin 2 receptor antagonists. Dosage form - film-coated tablets with different dosages of the active substance - 40, 80 and 160 mg. The composition includes the active component – ​​valsartan.

The drug lowers blood pressure by blocking angiotensin 2 receptors. The onset of action becomes noticeable only 2 hours after administration, and the maximum effect occurs after 4-6 hours, but the effect lasts almost the whole day. Excreted in urine and bile.

Indications for use of Valza

They are used primarily for hypertension, as well as after myocardial infarction with complications of the left ventricle to improve recovery processes, and as complex therapy for CHF. It has many substitutes, both Russian and foreign. It is the Valz analogues that we will consider in detail in this article.

Content:

1. Characteristics of the drug
2. The most popular substitute is Lyrica.
3. Other pregabalin substitutes
4. Non-addictive medications

Many drugs have “duplicates” - drugs with similar characteristics that cause similar effects, and therefore are interchangeable for the treatment of a particular pathology. Pregabalin is used in the treatment of a number of neurological diseases; its analogues are more preferable for various reasons. Some are cheaper, others (which are the most valuable), unlike it, do not cause drug addiction.

Characteristics of the drug

It is used in the treatment of neurological pathologies such as:

• diabetic neuropathy - damage to peripheral nerves due to diabetes mellitus;
• postherpetic neuropathy is a similar disorder that occurs after suffering from herpes;
• epilepsy - seizures;
• neuropathic pain - those that arise due to overexcitation of nerve cells;
• fibromyalgia - musculoskeletal pain;
• generalized anxiety disorder is a condition characterized by restlessness, worry, and panic.

Addicts use higher doses of this medication to induce a feeling of euphoria. Quite quickly it leads to disorders of various organs. In addition, literally after one or two doses, dependence on pregabalin is formed - replacement with analogues is extremely important because of this.

Of the psycho-emotional disturbances that can be provoked by this drug, the most common are irritability, depression, and hallucinations. The most common neurological disorders are insomnia, headache, dizziness. Typical somatic consequences are disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems.

The cheapest drugs: Valsartan and the drug Hydrochlorothiazide

When faced with a particular disease, people try to choose not only effective, but also relatively cheap medications. Especially if we are talking about a long course of treatment. Most often, specialists prescribe Valz, containing 40 mg of valsartan, to patients with hypertension. But, despite its relatively cheap cost, people are trying to find more profitable analogues.

The table presents 2 drugs that are prescribed for high blood pressure, but they belong to different drug groups and radically differ in their mechanism of action.

Valsartan is the cheapest and closest substitute for Valza, therefore it has an identical list of contraindications, except that this analogue is approved for children over 6 years old. Country of origin: India.

Hydrochlorothiazide is the most accessible of all thiazide diuretics. And it is an excellent substitute for antihypertensive drugs. But, despite a number of advantages, it, like other medications, has a number of contraindications and possible adverse reactions. Contraindications include:

1. Hypersensitivity to thiazide diuretics.

2. 
   Lactose intolerance.

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3. Impaired glucose metabolism.
4. Anuria.
5. Liver dysfunction.
6. Severe kidney disease.
7. Pancreatitis.
8. Systemic lupus erythematosus.
9. Diabetes.
10. Gout.

The drug has a number of advantages, but due to the complexity of administration, it has not gained much popularity among residents of the Russian Federation. Frequent urge to empty the bladder, taking pills hourly and depending on meals, causes some discomfort in people and forces them to abandon the medicine, despite its effectiveness and low cost.

The most popular substitute is Lyrica.

This is a medicine whose active ingredient is pregabalin. It has analgesic and anticonvulsant effects. It causes euphoria, which is why it is popular among those who like to “expand consciousness”. The side effects are the same as when taking pregabalin - analogues, as it turns out, are not always a solution to the problem. With uncontrolled use of Lyrica, addiction is formed and disorders occur:

• mental - irritability, depression, panic, aggressiveness;
• neurological - dizziness, drowsiness, nervous exhaustion, convulsions.

The most common somatic disorders are system failures:

• cardiovascular - arrhythmias, signs of heart failure;
• respiratory - increased breathing, cough, nasal congestion;
• digestive - nausea with vomiting, constipation or diarrhea;
• urinary - enuresis (urinary incontinence).

Please note: An addiction to Lyrics develops quickly. When prescribing it, it is necessary to monitor patients who have been identified as drug dependent. They may experience suicidal thoughts, and this is also an indication for medical supervision.

Analogues of Valza N

In addition to Valz, there is also a combination drug based on valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide - Valz N. It has identical properties, indications and contraindications as Valz, only with a more pronounced therapeutic effect due to the simultaneous action of several active substances.

Hydrochlorothiazide, being a diuretic, significantly enhances the effect of valsartan and expands the spectrum of action of the drug. Diuretics, like antihypertensives, can lower blood pressure by reducing fluid in the body.

Valz N also has its own analogues, which are represented by 3 drugs described in the table.

All analogues of Valza N are in approximately the same price category, have completely identical composition, indications and contraindications. The average daily dose of all three drugs is 80 mg. When taken for more than 2 weeks, the dose may be increased to 160 mg after consultation with your doctor. The maximum daily dose should not exceed 320 mg of valsartan.

Side effects from Valza N and its analogues:

• dyspeptic disorders;
• nausea and vomiting (rare);

• 
  kidney and liver dysfunction;

• weakness and fatigue;
• hyperglycemia;
• dizziness;
• visual impairment;
• tachycardia;
• sleep disorders;
• violation of water-salt balance;
• decreased immunity;
• problems with potency.

It is worth noting that side effects are extremely rare and most often occur against the background of violation of the prescribed dosage.

Other pregabalin substitutes

Of these, the following should be noted:

• Pregabalin Richter;
• Pregabalin Canon;
• Algerica.

The first medication is a generic. This is the name for medicines containing the same amount of active substance as the original. The described medicine is more affordable than Lyrica; patients with different levels of financial security can buy it.

And the second medicine is pregabalin-containing. It has the same biochemical properties (digestibility, dosage and side effects). It's also more accessible than Lyrica.

Algerica is produced by a Croatian manufacturer. Its side effects are more pronounced. There is a single dosage (300 mg), it is intended for an intensive course of treatment. Due to the lack of a release form in a lower dose, the risk of drug addiction is increased.

Prices for the medicine and its analogues

The medication can have a large number of adverse reactions, so many people prefer to use Valza analogues with identical effects, but with a shorter list of unwanted side effects.
Pharmaceutical companies producing analogs of Valz are trying to reduce possible negative consequences by introducing additional shells, adding new components and changing the concentration of active substances. Each manufacturer, as a rule, focuses on one thing, thereby reducing the list of adverse reactions and contraindications.

Most analogues in composition have an identical amount of the active component in their composition. But if the maximum concentration of Valza reaches 160 mg of valsartan, then some manufacturers of similar products include only 80 mg of this component in their drug.

Price also plays an important role when choosing a medication. Average prices for the drug and its analogues are shown in the table.

Prices for analogues depend on the manufacturer. Russian and Ukrainian substitutes are, as a rule, cheaper than their foreign counterparts.

Non-addictive medications

The free sale of pregabalin and its substitutes in pharmacies is prohibited. But over-the-counter sales are allowed. These include medications, the composition of which is fundamentally different, but the effect is the same.

For fibromyalgia, the following are used as analgesics:

• nimesulide;
• diclofenac;
• ketoprofen.

These pregabalin substitutes inhibit the enzyme cyclooxygenase, which is responsible for the production of prostaglandins, bradykinins and leukotrienes. These are biologically active compounds on which the severity of pain in various pathologies in general and fibromyalgia in particular depends. The described remedies are not ideal - for example, they can cause individual intolerance. But they are valuable because they are not capable of provoking drug addiction.

Popular analogues include gabapentin, finlepsin and carbamazepine. Gabapentin is prescribed for relief of:

• epileptic seizures;
• neuropathic pain;
• postherpetic and alcoholic neuralgia.

Finlepsin and carbamazepine act as agents:

• antiepileptics;
• painkillers;
• normothymic (mood stabilizing);
• antimanic;
• antidiuretic.

Thanks to finlepsin and carbamazepine, the amount of chemicals in the body that lead to excitation and overexcitation of nerve structures is reduced. They do not cause drug addiction, but have other side effects. That is why they should only be prescribed by the attending physician - he knows the physiological characteristics of his patient well.

Anticonvulsant substitutes include Depakine Chrono. It acts like:

• muscle relaxant (relaxes muscles);
• sedative (calming).

Depakine Chrono does not cause mental and physical addiction, like pregabalin - its replacement is justified. It is used in the treatment of epileptic seizures - generalized (the so-called convulsive motor activity that extends to all muscle groups) and partial (those in which there is no impairment of consciousness). It is also effective in treating Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe encephalopathy (brain damage) that first appears in childhood.

Literature:

1. Pharmacology of antiepileptic drugs: a textbook for students in specialty programs “General Medicine”, “Pediatrics”, “Pharmacy” / I. A. Vinogradova, V. D. Yunash, S. V. Goranskaya [etc.]; Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education Petrozavodsk State University. — Petrozavodsk: PetrSU Publishing House, 2021. — 32 p.
2. Kozlovsky, Vladimir Leonidovich. / Brief reference book on psychopharmacology, pharmacotherapy and mental pathology - St. Petersburg: SpetsLit, 2015.
3. Neurology: national guide / Avakyan G. N. et al.; Ch. ed.: E.I. Gusev [etc.]; Assoc. honey. Island for Quality, ASMOK, All-Russian Society of Neurologists. - Moscow: GEOTAR-Media, 2009. - 1035 p.