Take "Drotaverine" during pregnancy is prescribed to every third woman. It is harmless to the child and the future mother, but it helps to get rid of discomfort and remove dangerous conditions. The drug is universal, so it is prescribed at any time, but for different purposes.

In which cases drotaverinum is prescribed during pregnancy

"Drotaverinum" during pregnancy in the early stages is prescribed as an antispasmodic. It helps to relieve uterine muscle hypertonicity. This relieves pain and normalizes the delivery of oxygen to the fetus. The drug is used not only in monitoring the patient in a antenatal clinic, but also for treatment in hospitals.

In the later stages, this medicine is used to improve the opening of the cervix. This is important in the first stage of childbirth, since trauma can occur with her spasm.

To get rid of hypertonicity in the third trimester, antispasmodics are not used because of the risk of provoking premature disclosure.

Characteristic of the drug, composition

There is "Drotaverinum" in injections and in tablets.

  • In 1 ml of liquid for injection is 20 mg of the active ingredient. The package includes 10 ampoules, in each of which 2 ml of the drug.
  • In 1 tablet, the concentration of the active substance reaches 40 mg. They are packed in 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100 pieces. in cardboard bundles.

As an active substance, the drug contains drotaverine hydrochloride. It is a powder of crystalline texture of a yellowish tint without a characteristic odor.The tablet form also consists of potato starch, magnesium stearate, lactose monohydrate, talc, polyvinylpyrrolidone and crospovidone.

The medicine has a myotropic, vasodilating, hypotensive and antispasmodic effect. It acts on smooth muscle fibers, reducing the amount of calcium ions entering them. This is achieved by inhibiting phosphodiesterase and preventing the growth of cAMP inside the cell. As a result, the muscles relax, the vessels expand, blood pressure drops, and more blood enters the heart.

With oral administration, the drug is absorbed by almost 100%. It is able to penetrate smooth muscle cells and accumulate in tissues. Excretion occurs through the kidneys.

How to take medicine

The medicine can be administered intravenously, intramuscularly or subcutaneously in the form of injections, as well as orally (for tablet form). The choice of method of use depends on the indications, gestational age, as well as the patient's condition. In the presence of gross pathologies of peripheral circulation (Raynaud's disease, endarteritis obliterans), it is allowed to use the drug intraarterially, but this must be done very slowly.

In the early stages

In the first trimester, Drotaverin removes an increased tone of the uterus, which can threaten a miscarriage. The frequency of administration of the drug depends on the frequency of attacks.

  • It ranges from 1 to 3 injections under the skin or muscle. The volume of medication per injection can be from 2 to 4 ml.
  • In the form of tablets, the agent is taken orally by 1 to 2 pcs. with a frequency of 2 to 3 times a day. From 24 to 40 mg of drotaverine can be used per day.

In late terms

To reduce the severity of pain in the first stage of labor and to exclude cervical spasm, patients are prescribed an injection of 40 mg of Drotaverin into the gluteus muscle. If one injection does not help, within 60 minutes. you can repeat the introduction of the drug. This will speed up the disclosure process and reduce the duration of the most painful stage of the birth of a child.

Contraindications, side effects

"Drotaverinum" acts on the body systemically.

Therefore, it has several contraindications:

  • glaucoma;
  • allergy to the components of the drug;
  • cardiogenic shock;
  • severe renal or liver failure;
  • atrioventricular block 1 and 2 degrees;
  • heart failure of the last stage;
  • low blood pressure.

In the presence of one of the contraindications, the drug is not prescribed. He selects an analogue suitable for pregnant women. It may vary in composition, but should replace Drotaverin in action.

The medicine is among the safe for use by pregnant women, and the number of possible side effects after taking it is small.

Possible unpleasant symptoms include:

  • dizziness due to the expansion of the vessels of the brain and an increase in the flow of blood into it;
  • dermatitis of an allergic origin with individual intolerance to the components in the composition of the drug;
  • a feeling of heat due to the expansion of peripheral capillaries and arterioles and a sharp influx of blood to the skin;
  • a drop in blood pressure, as this is one of the main effects of the drug, and it should be taken into account when prescribing to patients with a normal level of blood pressure;
  • increased sweating due to activation of sweat glands by the influx of blood to them;
  • arrhythmia due to the restriction of calcium intake into the muscles, without which heart contractions can become pathological;
  • the feeling of a heartbeat is due to an increase in the minute volume of blood, since it requires more strength to push it into the artery.

Side effects from the drug can be avoided if you choose the right dosage and use the medicine according to the schedule prescribed by your doctor. In the event of unpleasant phenomena, it is worth contacting a specialist with the question of replacing Drotaverin with an analog.It is not recommended to choose a new tool on your own because of the difference in the concentration of the active substance and possible contraindications.

Drotaverinum is widely used in obstetric practice as a safe antispasmodic. It is allowed even at an early date, and does not adversely affect the fetus. But taking it without a doctor’s prescription is not recommended because of the need to select the optimal dosage, eliminating side effects and undesirable consequences.