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- Compatibility of Valocordin and alcohol
- In what cases can you combine drugs with alcohol?
- What can you buy at the pharmacy for a hangover?
- Traditional medicine for hangovers
Preparations containing phenobarbital are incompatible with alcohol. This rule applies to Corvalol, Valocordin, Valoserdin. You can drink such heart remedies some time before drinking alcohol, or after drinking libations, having agreed upon this possibility with your doctor.
Corvalol and alcohol - compatibility
Corvalol is created on the basis of phenobarbital. This substance belongs to the group of psychotropics, which requires extremely careful use of the drug.
Combining Corvalol and alcohol can provoke:
- Severe delirium (mental disorder).
- Impaired brain function.
- Pain in various parts of the body.
- Withdrawal syndrome, reminiscent of withdrawal in drug addicts.
- Comatose states.
The instructions included with Corvalol contain information regarding its incompatibility with alcoholic beverages . Ethanol can greatly enhance the toxic properties of this drug, as well as unwanted side effects. If shortly before or after taking Corvalol a person drinks even a small amount of alcohol, this can cause the development of negative consequences (pronounced “inhibition” and others).
Valocordin, validol, corvalol, Zelenin drops
Surprisingly, heart medicines originally from the early 20th century are still found on pharmacy shelves. They are not only witnesses to the popularity of pyramidon, in the past they had to coexist with cocaine and morphine. But this is not the main thing; what is much more important is that, in general, “old people” do not work, being drugs of reflex action. They also contain harmful substances and help prolong heart problems.
Behind
These drugs are time-tested. Our mothers and grandmothers drank and continue to drink them; many without “fifteen drops” of Valocordin or Corvalol (and also validol under the tongue) will not be able to calm down a restless heart, what else can they do to relieve heart pain.
Cons This is the main problem with these drugs. After all, among their components there are only soothing ones. And heart problems are associated with vascular atherosclerosis and impaired blood flow to the myocardium. “Drops and lollipops” are not able to adequately dilate the heart vessels and reduce the load on the heart (as nitrates do), and people often waste time relying on their effectiveness. As a result, a stable attack of angina becomes unstable, and a heart attack may occur.
Every time you don’t want to take serious medications, “magic drops” help not only relieve discomfort in the heart area, but also help you calm down and fall asleep. Cons Modern doctors recognize that Corvalol and its brothers are effective only in the case of cardioneurosis and general agitation, helping to relieve both. But this is where their danger lies. The fact is that the drugs (in particular Valocordin, Corvalol) contain the sleeping pill phenobarbital, which has been banned for use in the European Union for many years. Because the drug is from the first generation of sedatives, which is called “hard”. And those who use these drugs every day (and this often happens) can harm their health.
Pros The drugs are easy to use and cheap. This is a real lifesaver for retirees. Our fellow citizens are accustomed to them, and leaving the market will be negatively perceived by society.
Cons As one doctor said, banning Valocordin is the same as introducing prohibition. Alas, society’s habit of “drops” and “lozenges” is largely due to the fact that these drugs often cause drug addiction. Due to the content of the same phenobarbital, valerian, ethyl alcohol and other components that calm the nerves, and thereby accustom us to ourselves. According to the observations of psychiatrists, stopping these medications after long-term regular use causes all the symptoms of “minor withdrawal” - irritability, aggression, a sharp deterioration in well-being, headaches and tremors.
Conclusions "Health".
We are not calling for a ban on “heart lollipops and drops.” Although some of them, containing outdated components banned in many countries, are questionable, to put it mildly. Another thing is important - they should finally begin to be used exclusively for indications. Perhaps they will have to be made prescription, or perhaps a certain monthly sales rate per patient may be introduced. The situation when many people waste time and do not receive adequate treatment for coronary heart disease is too costly for society. As is the widespread phenobarbital addiction among pensioners.
The old guard
Validol
Validol was first produced in Germany in 1897. The instructions say that this is a “Drug with a reflex vasodilator effect,” and according to the chemical structure it is menthol in the menthyl ester of isovaleric acid. There have been no clinical studies of the effectiveness of validol in coronary heart disease, and the indications for use are vague.
Valocordin This well-deserved drug consists of a whole chemical cocktail, the basis of which is bromovaleric acid, the sleeping pill phenobarbital (by the way, prohibited for use in the European Union) and ethyl alcohol. The instructions say that the medicine can help with mildly expressed spasms of the coronary vessels (I wonder who measured their severity?), but in fact it is a sedative with a slight hypnotic effect.
Corvalol
A brother of Valocordin, which inherited not only its chemical structure, but also its popularity. Unlike his older brother, he is not known outside the republics of the former USSR.
Zelenin drops
This miracle medicine contains tincture of lily of the valley, belladonna, valerian and menthol. Previously, it was positioned as a remedy for cardiac neurosis (now we will say cardialgia), and, like previous medications, it can be used under one important condition - if the ischemic nature of heart pain is excluded in advance.
Author: Alexey Fedorov Published: March 20, 2019
Is it possible to combine Valocordin and alcohol?
Valocordin and alcohol are an equally dangerous combination. This drug also contains phenobarbital, the combination of which even with small doses of alcohol is fraught with the development of colic, tachycardia, and increased load on the liver.
Libations that occurred simultaneously with the use of the medicine can result in:
- a sharp drop in blood pressure;
- coordination and speech disorders;
- dizziness;
- confusion.
Valocordin is also unsafe in case of severe hangover. In such a condition, there is a possibility of developing serious disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, leading to myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease.
Also, you should not take Corvalol or other drugs containing phenobarbital while on a binge. In this state, their use can result in coma and the need for serious treatment.
Phenobarbital is also contained in Valoserdin, Tetralgin, Pentalgin, Luminal, and therefore you should avoid taking them simultaneously with alcoholic beverages.
VALOCORDIN (drops)
and Russian-made Corvalol - much cheaper).
Valocordin is sold in a box like this: Each of the four sides of the package contains, in general, useful information. This one, for example, indicates that the box contains a sedative and the country of origin (Crevel-Meuselbach, Germany).
Here we see an explanation of what these are drops, the indicated dosage and conditions of release (without a prescription).
Indications for use: disorders of the cardiovascular system, neuroses, insomnia, states of nervous excitement.
And finally, the most informative side of the box is the composition. As you can see, in the first place is nothing more than phenobarbital (smacks of mild drug addiction, because it is a barbiturate; used as a sleeping pill/sedative). Next comes such a masterpiece of organic chemistry as ethyl bromizovalerianate (I have no idea what it is, but bromine and valerian are weak sedatives, and bromine also has side effects). The oils - mint and hop - do not raise any questions, but the ratio of water and alcohol in the composition suggests that the contents of our bottle have a strength of about fifty degrees (for core drinkers - just that... just kidding). Where are the components that have a positive effect on disorders of the cardiovascular system? But they are not there, ladies and gentlemen.
Storage conditions are from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius, but for some reason everyone stores it in the refrigerator, including me.
On the top cover, as usual, the series, production date and expiration date are indicated.
Below is a barcode, scanning of which confirms the German origin of the drug.
Now let’s open the box and admire our “funfirik”:
By unscrewing the cap, you can see the dispenser:
I will not provide instructions here, since there is nothing in it that contradicts what is written on the box; all it contains is more detailed information from the packaging, nothing more.
Let's talk about application. Everything is simple here: pour a little water into a glass, so that the water barely covers the bottom. Next, open the bottle and drip, counting 20 (or as many as you need) drops. Here you should be careful and keep the bottle exactly perpendicular to the floor - otherwise the drops will flow down the neck. It’s easy to determine where exactly the drops are coming from - they drip from the dispenser quickly and they are small, but if they flow down the neck, the drops will be larger and drip much more slowly. In a word, you need to get used to it.
When drops get into the water, the water becomes cloudy, this is due either to the oils in the composition, or to alcohol, which, when it gets into the water, also produces cloudiness. In general, this is a normal reaction; for those who drip for the first time, don’t be alarmed, this is how it should be. After dripping, you should drink this dregs, wash it down with a couple of sips of water and go lie down for half an hour, preferably without thinking about anything, which is not always possible for everyone. Actually, the whole process of taking Valocordin consists of this.
It is impossible not to mention the smell of Valocordin. I would not say that it is unpleasant, but it is very persistent - you drip, say, in the kitchen, and the smell spreads throughout the living space and hangs in the air for another half hour if you do not ventilate it. If you ventilate, it still does not evaporate as quickly as we would like. This means that if you - or someone in your household - took the droplets, everyone who shares your living space will know about it. So, it will not be possible to take this drug quietly.
Now let’s figure out how in this way a remedy that contains nothing but a sedative “quenches” discomfort in the heart. I’ll tell you a secret - it doesn’t extinguish it; all that happens during the appointment is that the patient feels that something is wrong with his heart, begins to get nervous, takes this set of sedatives, lies down on the sofa for about twenty minutes and gradually calms down. The effect is aggravated by the same phenobarbital, which also causes slight drowsiness (those who take twenty drops often fall asleep - as you can see, for good reason). Our heart perceives this simple calming mechanism as first aid.
This implies the following - Valocordin IS NOT a drug useful for heart patients, it is nothing more than a weak, over-the-counter sedative. Why then do heart patients unanimously claim that Valocordin helps them, and each of them has such a bottle in the refrigerator? Again, pure psychology - the nerves will calm down - the heart will calm down, because the cardiovascular and nervous systems are very closely connected: a stabbing in the heart - a person begins to get nervous, if nervous - the pulse and pressure rise, such a vicious circle. And Valocordin only suppresses the feeling of anxiety, after some time after which the heart function returns to normal.
Thus, for heart patients, Valocordin only postpones the problem, but does not solve it. And at this time the heart continues to wear out... The conclusion is not to run to get drops for any reason, but go to a competent cardiologist; An illiterate person will prescribe what for you? That's right, Valocordin.
We've sorted out the heart problems, now let's talk about those suffering from neuroses and insomnia. With insomnia, everything is clear, because it contains phenobarbital (although there is not enough of it to “put to sleep” a person with insomnia, and not with hypochondria - that is, who believes that he has insomnia, which he actually has) no matter). For neuroses - yes, it helps, but not for such a long time; however, in this situation, 20-25 drops 3 times a day - i.e. the recommended dosage - may well help you out. But, again, this will not be a solution to the problem, it will be another delay in its solution. Therefore, if I were in such a situation, I would look for a competent psychotherapist instead of swallowing drops - there would be more benefit, and there would be no harm to the body at all.
From everything I’ve written here, it seems to follow that Valocordin is completely useless. This is not true; in two cases it brings tangible benefits. The first case is if you cannot sleep; for example, some thoughts pop into your head, and that’s it. In this case, you can take twenty drops to make it easier to fall asleep - it helps, I checked it (and now I check it from time to time). However, it will help you fall asleep only if this situation happens to you only from time to time, and does not happen every night. If you can’t sleep every night, it’s better to buy a normal sleeping pill (now there are sleeping pills even without barbiturates, like Melaxen), go to a psychotherapist, or try treatment with all the well-known Russian folk remedies - for the most severe ones.
The second case when Valocordin can be beneficial - and this is the non-standard use I promised at the beginning of the review - is precisely related to the above-mentioned Russian folk remedy. Imagine a situation - a birthday, a corporate party, but who knows, there are many cases in life when a person at the festive table did not calculate his strength, and in the morning he, to put it mildly, does not feel very good? Valocordin will not alleviate a hangover in any way - but it does an excellent job of removing the characteristic smell from the mouth, twenty drops - that's all. If necessary, repeat, but keep in mind: this method is only suitable for absolutely healthy people, if there are any abnormalities in the nerves and especially the heart, it is better not to do this (everything said in this paragraph applies to a lesser extent - to Valoserdin, and does not apply - to Corvalol, which is less “smelly”.
The conclusion suggests itself: for heart patients, Valocordin is useless (not in terms of sensations, but from a medical point of view), for neuroses, in general, too; It can only be useful for making it easier to fall asleep, and with reservations - for a hangover. It’s a little expensive to buy such a product for 250 rubles, isn’t it? However, it is everyone’s personal business what to treat and how to treat it; In this review I only expressed my opinion and tried to substantiate it. Whether to take note of it or not is not for me to decide. Due to the price and (in)action, the drug does not deserve more than a two, and I also cannot recommend it - since I do not have a diploma in medical education.
