Vikair and Vikalin tablets: indications, composition, comparison

Compound

• Bismuth nitrate basic (subnitrate) 350 mg. It has a number of excellent qualities. Able to reliably protect the stomach and other digestive organs from inflammatory diseases. At the same time it is an antacid and an adsorbent, reduces the acidity of gastric juice, binds bile acids. Bismuth in Vikair has antiseptic properties aimed at the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Cytoprotective and astringent effect - coagulates proteins, forming a protective film, protecting the walls of the stomach from damaging factors, reduces the inflammatory process.
• Magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) 400 mg and Sodium hydrocarbonate (NaHCO3 or baking soda) 200 mg. Antacids neutralize hydrochloric acid, reduce pepsin activity, relieve pain and heartburn. It should be noted that these representatives belong to absorbed antacids, an old group that is characterized by a fairly rapid onset of effect, but its short duration and a high probability of “Acid rebound”.
• Calamus rhizomes 25 mg. Moderate antispasmodic, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects. Has a relaxing effect on smooth muscles. Increases the tone of the gallbladder, improves digestion.
• Buckthorn bark 25 mg. Due to the content of anthraglycosides, it provides a mild laxative effect, enhances intestinal motility, and normalizes the movement of the food bolus.

The difference between the composition of vikalin and vikair is the presence of two additional components:

• Kellyn 5 mg. The substance is isolated from the annual plant Amia dentis, of the Apiaceae family. The main effect is antispasmodic. Reduces the tone of blood vessels, intestines, and bladder. Has a weak sedative effect. The drug is considered to have low toxicity, but side effects such as drowsiness and dizziness are possible.
• Rutin 5 mg. Strengthens the walls of capillaries, significantly increases their strength and elasticity.

It is difficult to answer unequivocally whether Vikair or Vikalin is better; the drugs are identical and differ only slightly. Kellyn in the composition of Vikalin, on the one hand, enhances the effect, on the other hand, it can cause a greater number of unwanted side effects.

Vikalin

The instructions for use refer to the drug Vikalin as a gastrointestinal drug with an antacid, astringent, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, laxative and antispasmodic effect. Produced by Russian pharmacists.

Experts prescribe this drug for the treatment of stomach ulcers, heartburn, and normalization of acidity.

Release forms and composition

Dosage form - tablets, light brown in color, interspersed, round flat-cylindrical shape with a chamfer and a score (10 tablets each in blister or cellless packages, in a cardboard pack of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 packages and instructions for use Vikalina).

Composition of active ingredients in 1 tablet:

• Magnesium carbonate – 400 mg;
• Buckthorn bark – 25 mg;
• Rutin (rutoside) – 5 mg;
• Calamus root – 25 mg;
• Sodium bicarbonate – 200 mg;
• Kellyn – 5 mg;
• Bismuth subnitrate – 350 mg.

Excipients: stearic acid, potato starch, talc.

Indications for use

What do Vikalin tablets help with? The instructions indicate that this drug is intended for the treatment of:

• peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum (including those caused by Helicobacter pylori);
• hyperacid gastritis;
• gastroesophageal reflux disease;
• non-ulcer dyspepsia.

Instructions for use of Vikalin: dosages and rules of administration

The drug should be taken 45-60 minutes after eating. The tablets, according to the instructions for Vikalin, must first be crushed. For adults, as a rule, doctors recommend taking two tablets of medication twice a day. You need to take Vikalin with 100 ml of clean water at room temperature.

The course of treatment is no more than three months. Repeat therapy can be carried out no less than a month after the end of the previous course.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

Vikalin is a tableted drug that acts on sensitive nerve endings.

• Sodium bicarbonate and magnesium carbonate alkalize (reduce acidity) gastric juice, suppressing the activity of pepsin (a digestive enzyme that destroys the protective factors of the gastric mucosa).
• Buckthorn has a laxative effect and helps eliminate constipation, which very often accompanies hyperacid gastritis.
• Calamus rhizome has an antispasmodic effect, reduces the intensity of convulsive muscle contractions and pain in the stomach.
• Under the influence of bismuth subnitrate, a kind of protective film is formed on the surface of the mucous membrane, protecting the organ from self-digestion.

At the same time, this active component reduces the severity of inflammation and suppresses the activity of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which is the main cause of the development of stomach ulcers.

Side effects

Vikalin can provoke an allergic response, transient dyspeptic disorders, and diarrhea.

Contraindications

The drug is not used:

• in case of individual intolerance to any of the components of the drug;
• children under adulthood (up to 18 years old);
• pregnant and lactating women;
• in case of severe kidney dysfunction;
• with chronic appendicitis;
• with simultaneous inflammation of the large and small intestines (enterocolitis);
• with gastritis against the background of low acidity.

During treatment with Vikalin, you should not take other bismuth preparations. In order not to exceed the permissible concentration of the metal in the blood. Due to the bismuth in the drug, the stool changes color to dark green or black. This is fine. The color will return after stopping use.

Children, pregnancy and breastfeeding

The use of Vikalin is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding).

Use in children

Contraindicated in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Drug interactions

When used simultaneously with bismuth-containing drugs, a sharp increase in the concentration of this element in the blood is observed.

When using Vikalin simultaneously with other antiulcer drugs, a dose reduction is recommended.

When interacting with tetracycline antibiotics, bismuth, which is part of the tablets, reduces their absorption.

Features of application

During treatment, the stool becomes dark green or black.

Long-term use of the drug Vikalin can lead to the development of encephalopathy (organic brain damage that is non-inflammatory in nature). This side effect is associated with the accumulation of bismuth in the CNS (central nervous system).

Taking the drug requires increased concentration and speed of psychomotor reactions. That is why caution must be exercised when driving vehicles and engaging in hazardous activities.

Prices in pharmacies

For reference: the average price of Vikalin in Russian pharmacies is 30 rubles for 10 tablets.

Conditions of release and storage

The medicine is dispensed from pharmacies without a doctor's prescription. Subject to storage rules - dry, cool (not higher than 25ºС) and protected from direct sunlight - its shelf life is 5 years.

Mode of application

Vikair is prescribed as standard: one or two tablets orally, 3 times a day between meals. The course of treatment is usually one to two months.

What to pay special attention to! Many people do not drink Vikair correctly, how to take it to get the full therapeutic effect: the tablet must be crushed. So the surface of interaction with active substances will be larger, first of all, this seriously affects the effectiveness of bismuth. When crushed, it will create a uniform protective film throughout the stomach.

Comparison of side effects of Vikalin and Vikair

Side effects or adverse events are any adverse medical event that occurs in a subject after administration of a drug.

Vikalin's state of adverse events is almost the same as Vikair's. They both have few side effects. This implies that the frequency of their occurrence is low, that is, the indicator of how many cases of an undesirable effect of treatment are possible and registered is low. The undesirable effect on the body, the strength of influence and the toxic effect of Vikalin are similar to Vikair: how quickly the body recovers after taking it and whether it recovers at all.

Comparison with the drug "De-nol"

There are various products containing bismuth; when comparing Vikair with other drugs, let’s take the most popular ones - De-nol and its analogue Novobismol. If we consider: de-nol or vikair, which is better to use for treatment, first you need to carefully look at the form of bismuth in the composition of these analogues.

Write in the comments. Feel free to understand the problem that interests you together. >>>

1. Vikair contains basic bismuth nitrate . The main disadvantage is that this is a poorly soluble compound, which is why Vikair and Vikalin tablets must be crushed before use in order to achieve results. This is inconvenient, and even when grinding, the efficiency is an order of magnitude lower.
2. De-nol contains bismuth tripotassium dicitrate . The peculiarity is in the colloidal properties of this compound; it has much better enveloping abilities and lingers longer in the stomach. Studies have shown that the dosage of colloidal bismuth, to achieve the minimum inhibitory concentration against Helicobacter, is 10-15 times less than in the form of nitrate. Considering that by chemical nature it is a heavy metal, and with large quantities or prolonged use it causes severe intoxication and methemoglobinemia, the safety of low dosages is obvious. In addition, tripotassium dicitrate provides better protection of the mucous membrane due to its film-forming properties.

Vikair also has advantages, these are components of plant origin. But the main active ingredient is still bismuth, and its activity in the second example is an order of magnitude higher.

Methemoglobinemia is a condition in which red blood cells lose their basic ability to transport oxygen to cells.

Comparison of the effectiveness of Vikalin and Vikair

The effectiveness of Vikalin is quite similar to Vikair - this means that the ability of the drug substance to provide the maximum possible effect is similar.
For example, if the therapeutic effect of Vikalin is more pronounced, then using Vikair even in large doses will not achieve this effect.

Also, the speed of therapy - an indicator of the speed of therapeutic action - is approximately the same for Vikalin and Vikair. And bioavailability, that is, the amount of a drug reaching its site of action in the body, is similar. The higher the bioavailability, the less it will be lost during absorption and use by the body.

conclusions

Despite the seemingly attractive composition of Vikair, by today's standards it is considered obsolete due to the ineffective form of bismuth and the simplest antacids (which can cause a reverse reaction), and besides, the laxative effect of buckthorn bark is not always appropriate. Vikalin, due to kellin, can have too versatile an effect on the body, since it can reduce the tone of blood vessels, the gallbladder and the bladder.

The use of the drug is permitted without a doctor's prescription, but if possible, it is worth considering more modern advances in pharmacology.

Comparison of addiction between Vikalin and Vikair

Like safety, addiction also involves many factors that must be considered when evaluating a drug.

So, the totality of the values ​​of such parameters as “o syndrome” in Vikalin is quite similar to the similar values ​​in Vikair. Withdrawal syndrome is a pathological condition that occurs after the cessation of intake of addictive or dependent substances into the body. And resistance is understood as initial immunity to a drug; in this it differs from addiction, when immunity to a drug develops over a certain period of time. The presence of resistance can only be stated if an attempt has been made to increase the dose of the drug to the maximum possible. At the same time, in Vikalin the meaning of the “syndrome” is quite small, however, the same as in Vikair.

What does Vikair help with? Vikair

Photo of the drug

Latin name: Vicair

ATX code: A02BX

Active ingredient: Calamus rhizome + Buckthorn alder bark + Bismuth subnitrate + Magnesium carbonate + Sodium bicarbonate (Acori calami rhizomata + Rhamni frangulae cortex + Bismuth subnitrate + Magnesium carbonate + Sodium hydrocarbonate)

Manufacturer: Pharmstandard OJSC, Russia

Description valid as of: 10/16/17

Vikair is a drug that has a complex therapeutic effect, including an antacid effect, used in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Release form and composition

Available in the form of tablets, packaged in 10 pieces. The tablets are pink or mauve in color and may have white or dark spots on the surface.