We are surrounded by a huge number of factors that cause stress, anxiety, tension, poor sleep, anxiety, and depression. Rest and change of environment are universal remedies, but sometimes they turn out to be insufficient, do not bring relief, anxiety states intensify, all this affects the usual rhythm of life. At this point you should consult a doctor. There is nothing shameful or wrong about this, because constant stress negatively affects the entire body, especially the cardiovascular system. If the indications are clear, the doctor may prescribe Afobazole.
Afobazole is a medicine belonging to the group of anxiolytics (tranquilizers). It has a moderate stimulating effect, and at the same time reduces anxiety. Mild sedation is more of a side effect than the main manifestation of the use of anxiolytics.
Afobazole effectively copes with stress, tension and anxiety
Manufacturer, composition, dosage form
Afobazole is produced by a Russian pharmaceutical company. The active ingredient of the drug, aphobazolum, is a selective tranquilizer. It does not affect benzodiazepine receptors, which are responsible for basic mental functions. The medicine stimulates sigma-1 neurons, which regulate emotional state, memory and fine motor skills.
The drug has one release form: flat-cylindrical tablets in dosages of 5 and 10 mg: white with a bevel. Pills are packaged in cell plates or plastic jars. The package contains from 10 to 100 pieces.
Analogs
The pharmaceutical market provides a fairly wide range of analogues of Afobazol tablets in terms of therapeutic effect. Among these drugs are Fabomotizol, Tenoten, Grandaxin, Stresam, Mebicar, Adaptol, Tranquilar, Novo-Passit, Grandaxin, Persen, Phenibut. Their effectiveness in a particular clinical case can only be assessed by the attending physician. It all depends on the individual tolerance of the active substance and components, the patient’s well-being, the individual characteristics of his body, and the severity of symptoms. Therefore, before buying a medicine at a pharmacy or replacing one with another, consult your doctor.
Analogs of the drug for therapeutic effect
Adaptol , for example, just like Afobazol, is effective, low-toxic, does not cause drowsiness, addiction and, accordingly, withdrawal syndrome. It has a positive effect on cognitive functions and eliminates moderate heart pain that is not related to angina pectoris. Unlike Afobazole, Adaptol is used in pediatrics. It is approved for use by children from 10 years of age.
Tenoten is used as a sedative and nootropic. It strengthens the central nervous system, improves memory and increases concentration, and stimulates the body's resistance to stress. Tenoten, unlike Afobazole, is used to treat children from 3 years of age.
Novo-Passit is used as a muscle relaxant that has a hypnosedative effect. It is prescribed for the treatment of anxiety and psycho-emotional stress. Unlike Afobazole, Novo-Passit is a combination of medicinal plant extracts and guaifenesin. Novo-Passit can be used by children from 12 years of age. However, given the composition of the drug Novo-Passit, adverse reactions in the form of allergies are more pronounced with the drug than with Afobazole.
Another effective analogue of the drug Afobazol is Grandaxin . It is indicated for fairly severe stress, increased and pronounced anxiety, deep depression and panic attacks. Grandaxin can be prescribed during pregnancy, excluding the first trimester. But for such effectiveness you have to pay for a rather large list of side effects.
Persen is a herbal preparation with a targeted sedative effect. It has shown itself well in the treatment of insomnia and increased irritability. Persen normalizes the emotional state and sleep, but it is worth remembering that the plant base can cause a number of side effects (most often allergic reactions). But Persen does not eliminate the cause of the symptoms described above. Whereas Afobazol has a targeted effect.
Phenibut and Afobazole are tranquilizers. Also, Phenibut is a nootropic. It is low-toxic and, unlike Afobazole, is used for the treatment of children over 8 years of age in the prevention of motion sickness, treatment of tics and stuttering.
Mechanism of action of Afobazole
The drug belongs to the category of nootropic. It gently stabilizes the activity of specific CNS receptors, restores their sensitivity to inhibitory mediators, and protects nerve cells from damage. Afobazole has a pronounced neuroprotective effect, being both an anti-anxiety and a moderate stimulant. Reduces feelings of fear, emotional stress and irritation, reduces their vegetative manifestations: trembling, breathing problems, dizziness, muscle stiffness. With regular use, it eliminates the signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, restores good mood, improves concentration and performance.
It has been established that the effectiveness of taking Afobazole is higher in people of asthenic character:
- timid;
- overly suspicious;
- those who react painfully to changes in life;
- suffering from mood swings and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Treatment with the drug does not cause addiction, subsequent withdrawal symptoms, and does not provoke the development of drowsiness, absent-mindedness or physical weakness. After administration, the active substance is quickly absorbed from the stomach into the blood and interacts with plasma proteins. It is excreted unchanged from the body within 1–2 hours.
How to take Afobazol?
Afobazol tablets are taken after meals with a glass of clean water. One tablet contains 10 mg of the substance. Per day, according to the instructions for use, you can drink 30 mg. This dose is considered the maximum and should be divided into 3 doses throughout the day.
How to take Afobazol correctly
The duration of the therapeutic course is determined solely by the treating specialist. Since Afobazol does not accumulate, there is no addiction or dependence on the drug. That is why on average the therapeutic course lasts from 2-4 weeks. If the patient’s condition reveals the need for adjustments in taking the drug Afobazole, the doctor may prescribe doubling the daily dose (60 mg) and prolonging treatment for up to 3 months. Then a 1-2 week break is required. At this time, the therapeutic effect remains.
Indications
The drug is prescribed for
- a state of high causeless anxiety;
- asthenic neuroses;
- violations of mental adaptation mechanisms;
- anxiety disorders provoked by serious illnesses, traumatic events and situations;
- somnic disorders with stress causes;
- disorders of the psychoemotional state during PMS in women;
- withdrawal syndrome caused by dependence on nicotine, alcohol;
- impaired concentration under stress.
Depending on the severity of the mental state, the drug is used independently and as part of complex treatment.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding period
Afobzaol should not be taken by pregnant women.
Since there are no reliable clinical studies and data on the effect of Afobazole tablets on the body of a pregnant woman, nursing mother, fetus and child, taking Afobazole is prohibited. During breastfeeding (lactation), since the active component passes into breast milk, it is necessary to consult with the supervising obstetrician-gynecologist and transfer the child to artificial formula.
Side effects and interactions
In the first days of treatment, a reaction from the nervous system is occasionally recorded:
- mild dizziness;
- drowsiness.
After the body adapts to the drug, they disappear on their own. Exceeding recommended doses does not lead to severe intoxication.
With the simultaneous use of Afobazol and Diazepam, the nootropic effect is enhanced. An antiepileptic effect may be observed when used together with Carbamazepine.
Contraindications for Afobazol
Contraindications for Afobazole are:
- hypersensitivity or intolerance to the active substance or any of the auxiliary components of the drug;
- galactosemia (galactose intolerance);
- monosaccharide intolerance (glucose-galactose malabsorption);
- lactase deficiency (lactase deficiency).
The drug is also contraindicated for children and adolescents under 18 years of age , women during pregnancy and women who are breastfeeding .
Reviews about Afobazole
Reviews about Afobazole on forums are quite varied. The main advantages are the effectiveness of the drug for anxiety and panic attacks, availability, relatively low price and almost complete absence of side effects (sedative tablets do not cause drowsiness, weakness or addiction). The effect of their use is noted already on days 4-7 of the course of treatment.
A disadvantage in reviews of Afobazole is that the drug has contraindications (that is, it is not suitable for all groups of patients).
As for the reviews of doctors about Afobazole, they allow us to draw the following conclusion: the drug is effective, but only for conditions that are characterized as moderately severe. But with deep depression it is unlikely to help.
Afobazole price, where to buy
The cost of Afobazol tablets depends on which city and which pharmacy chain sells this drug.
How much do tablets cost in Russia? Approximate prices: from 342 to 484 rubles. You can buy tablets in online pharmacies for an average of 360-470 rubles. The price of Afobazole in St. Petersburg is 350-450 rubles, in Moscow pharmacies - 330-460 rubles.
The price of Afobazol in Ukraine varies from 295 (in pharmacies in Lviv and Odessa) to 440 (in some pharmacies in Kyiv and Kharkov) UAH.
- Online pharmacies in RussiaRussia
- Online pharmacies in KazakhstanKazakhstan
ZdravCity
- Afobazole for anxiety and stress 10 mg tab.
60 pcs. JSC “Pharmstandard-Leksredstva” 380 rub. order - Afobazole Retard tab. with prolong. vysv. p/o captivity. 30 mg 20 pcsPharmstandard-Leksredstva OJSC
610 rub. order
Pharmacy Dialogue
- Afobazol tablets 10 mg No. 60FS.-Leksredstva
422 rub. order
- Afobazol (tab. 10 mg No. 60) FS.-Leksredstva
RUB 419 order
- AFOBAZOLE RETARD (long-lasting high-release tablet vol. 30 mg No. 20) FS.-Leksredstva
RUR 611 order
show more
Advantages
1. Dorozhenok I.Yu., Terentyeva M.A. Afobazole in the treatment of anxiety disorders in dermatological hospital patients. RMJ. 2007. Butko D.Yu., Davydov A.T. and others. Experience in diagnosing and treating anxiety disorders in the post-stroke period in patients who have suffered an ischemic stroke. RMJ. 2008. Medvedev V.E. Therapy of anxiety and depressive disorders in therapeutic patients. Psychiatry and psychopharmacotherapy named after. P.B. Gannushkina, 2015. Pogosova N.V. et al. Clinical and epidemiological program for studying psychosocial risk factors in cardiological practice in patients with arterial hypertension and coronary heart disease (COMETA). Cardiology. 2021.
2. Ivanov SV. The range of use of modern anxiolytics in psychiatry and general medicine (systematic review of clinical studies of the selective anxiolytic afobazole). Effective pharmacotherapy. Neurology and psychiatry. 2012;3:1-8.
3. Instructions for medical use of the drug Afobazol, tablets, 10 mg, LS-000861 + Seredenin S.B., Voronin M.V. Neuroreceptor mechanisms of action of afobazole. Experimental and clinical pharmacology 2009, No. 1, T.71. — P. 3-12, 19-22.
4. Instructions for medical use of the drug Afobazol, tablets, 10 mg, LS-000861.
5. Instructions for medical use of the drug AFOBAZOL RETARD, extended-release film-coated tablets, 30 mg, LP-006555.
6. RU 2694837 - Long-acting pharmaceutical composition based on 5-ethoxy-2-[2-(morpholino)-ethylthio] benzimidazole dihydrochloride and/or base (Afobazole).
7. Patent for invention of the Russian Federation No. 2061686, no analogues are registered.
8. An open, non-comparative study of the effectiveness and tolerability of Afobazole, involving 30 patients (12 men and 18 women, aged 20-63 years) with non-organic sleep disorders. Yastrebov D.V., Mikhailova O.I., Kostycheva E.A. Use of the drug Afobazole for sleep disorders in patients with anxiety disorders. Psychiatry and psychopharmacotherapy. 2013, T.15, No. 5
9. An open comparative non-randomized study of the effect of Afobazole on psychosomatic manifestations of anxiety, involving 60 patients (30 men and 30 women, aged 18-55 years) who experienced emotional stress and suffered from neurotic disorders with severe symptoms of autonomic dystonia. Akarachkova E.S., Shvarkov S.B., Mamiy V.I. Afobazole in the treatment of autonomic manifestations of anxiety and maladjustment in neurological and general somatic patients. RMJ. 2007. volume 15, no. 2, pp. 100-106.
10. An open controlled study of the effectiveness of Afobazole, involving 48 patients (39 women and 9 men, aged 45-68 years), with chronic cerebral ischemia stage I-II and anxiety. Sholomov I.I. et al. The effectiveness of Afobazole for anxiety disorders in patients with chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency. Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry. S.S. Korsakov. 2008. – T.108, N 6. – P. 75-77
11. Medvedev V.E et al. Psychopharmacotherapy of anxiety disorders in patients with cardiovascular diseases: the use of Afobazole. Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry, 2007 – No. 7. – pp. 25-29.
12. Statistically significant improvement in sleep in the Afobazole group according to the VAS test, Kalinina S.Yu. et al. The effect of the anxiolytic Afobazole on the effectiveness of treatment of hypertension in elderly women. Review of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology named after. Bekhtereva No. 4 2009
13. Improved sleep quality. Tatarsky B.A., Biserova I.N. Treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: the use of anxiolytics. Directory of a polyclinic doctor, 2007 - No. 9. – P.28.32
Overdose
An overdose of Afobazole (meaning a significant excess of the therapeutic dose) provokes the development of a sedative effect and increased drowsiness, which is not accompanied by a decrease in the tone of skeletal muscle tissue and a decrease in motor activity .
If symptoms of intoxication of the body of caffeine-sodium benzoate 20% solution for injection as emergency aid to the patient The drug should be injected 2-3 times a day.
Afobazole and alcohol
The instructions for the drug indicate that it has no effect on the narcotic effect of alcohol (which is why it differs from other tranquilizers that are incompatible with alcohol).
However, before consuming Afobazole with alcohol, you should weigh the pros and cons. After all, the drug is prescribed for a reason, but to relieve symptoms of neurosis and withdrawal syndrome , hormonal disorders in the female body, and normalize the function of internal organs.
Phenibut: compatibility with alcohol for neuroses
Neuroses mean various types of mental disorders that are the result of neuropsychic overload and stress . Since alcoholic beverages inhibit the activity of the central nervous system , some people try to combat such conditions with alcohol.
But if at first this partially gives a positive effect, then excessive alcohol consumption causes poisoning of brain cells , which, in turn, intensifies and aggravates the symptoms of neurosis .
This is especially true in people with severe alcohol dependence. A patient suffering from chronic alcoholism changes his character and behavior, his aggressiveness increases, he becomes touchy and irritable.
Afobazole has a completely opposite effect: that is, it does not inhibit, but, on the contrary, stimulates the activity of the central nervous system , eliminating signs of tension. Thus, by combining the drug with alcohol, you can simply negate its positive effect.
It is also a mistake to believe that Afobazole can be used to treat hormonal disorders in women when drinking alcohol. Alcohol has a toxic effect on the brain and, in particular, on the hypothalamus , which is responsible for the smooth functioning of the elements endocrine system .
That is, the simultaneous use of alcohol and Afobazole will only increase hormonal disorders . Moreover, somewhat dulled after drinking, the symptoms of hormonal disorders, as a rule, later return in an even more pronounced form.
