Mildronate: what is it for, indications for use, how to take

Some time ago, a scandal broke out around a drug called Meldonium among professional sports. The drug was entered in the register of prohibited doping substances. And since it was and remains a very affordable tool, the benefits and harms of Mildronate naturally aroused curiosity even among people not associated with sports activities. To understand the useful and harmful properties of Meldonium, you need to understand what he actually represents.

What is Meldonium

Meldonium, also known as Mildronate, is a medicine that speeds up the body's metabolism. It was developed back in 1975 by the professor of medicinal chemistry Ivars Kalvins, who nowadays is the head of one of the departments of the Latvian Institute in Riga. In his research, Kalvinsh discovered a unique substance gamma-butyrobetaine, which has the useful property of redistributing cell resources if the body is exposed to regular intense overloads. The modified gamma-butyrobetaine formed the basis of Meldonium dihydrate, which is the main active component of Mildronate.

The composition and principle of action of Mildronate

Since its inception, Mildronate has aroused genuine interest among the military and athletes - both amateurs and professionals. It was widely used in almost all countries of the post-Soviet space, since there was a belief among the people about the miraculous beneficial properties of Meldonium, in particular, its ability to increase the physical strength and speed of human reflexes. However, there is no scientific evidence for this statement.

Nevertheless, in 2016, Mildronate was officially recognized as a drug that is forbidden to be taken by participants in big sports. At the same time, the popularity of the drug among ordinary people has increased. The unprecedented demand for Mildronate is explained by its pharmacological properties.

So, the useful properties of Meldonium include its ability to protect the heart muscle from wear and tear at high loads. In any process of human life, energy is expended, that is, the internal energy resources of the body are burned. These resources are made up of fat and glycogen. When the body works for a long time at its maximum strength, the cells begin to suffer from a lack of oxygen, and the breakdown of nutrients is not so efficient. Minimal effort is required to process glycogen, while fat is burned more slowly. When oxygen is deficient, the cells do not have time to process fats completely, which is why the body is "clogged" with harmful decomposition products. This entails the risk of various diseases of the cardiovascular system, for example, coronary heart disease.

Mildronate does not allow fats to be processed if a person experiences oxygen deprivation. It activates the breakdown of glycogen, thereby releasing fast energy and retaining oxygen in the cells. In simple terms, the property of Meldonium is to put a person into a kind of energy-saving mode and allow the body to function with less harm to the heart.

However, the beneficial properties of Mildronate are not limited to this. This tool can bring many benefits not only in sports, but also serve as an addition to the complex treatment of a whole range of diseases.

The benefits of Mildronate for men and women

Since the properties of Meldonium help to endure physical stress without harm to health, it, along with professional drugs, copes with the prevention of ischemia. In addition, it protects heart cells from premature wear and tear, increases the overall human resistance to stress and stress.

Other medicinal properties of Mildronate include its ability to accelerate blood circulation in the brain and retina, and therefore it is often prescribed for the prevention of blood clots.

Important! Meldonium is addictive.After a long course of treatment is completed, a withdrawal syndrome is possible: increased fatigue, a feeling of general weakness.

Indications for the use of Mildronate

The beneficial properties of Mildronate are actively used to treat various ailments. Doctors recommend using it if you have:

ischemia;
vascular disease;
chronic heart pain or heart failure;
physical and mental overload;
diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
alcohol addiction;
damage to the eyes.

Important! If, when prescribing Meldonium, other medications are taken in parallel, it is worth carefully monitoring any changes in the body and reporting them to a specialist.

Admission rules and standard dosage of Mildronate

In most pharmacies, Mildronate can be purchased in various forms: it is sold in capsules and tablets of 250 and 500 mg, as well as in the form of a solution for injection. When taking this medication, you must carefully follow the instructions to reduce the risk of harmful effects. The dosage of Mildronate depends on the purpose of its administration. You can calculate the dosage yourself, at the rate of 20 mg of Mildronate per 1 kg of weight, but it is better to consult a professional beforehand.

Important! The maximum dose of Mildronate for 1 person is 2 g.

Application of Mildronate

Mildronate is used by people over 18 years of age for various health conditions, regardless of gender. As a rule, it is prescribed to athletes or mental workers, but also its benefits are noted by those suffering from diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, hypertensive patients and people with alcohol dependence.

For athletes

The benefits of Mildronat will be appreciated primarily by lovers of an active lifestyle. It restores oxygen metabolism in tissues during hard training, prevents the accumulation of harmful toxins and cellular metabolic waste, and protects cells from untimely destruction.

To restore energy, athletes should take 250 mg capsules 4 times a day for 2 weeks. A 2-week course of Mildronate injections - 500 mg once a day will also bring tangible benefits.

With alcoholism

Meldonium has a beneficial effect on the central autonomic nervous system and is often used in the fight against alcohol dependence, as it helps stabilize mental processes and helps to cope with the symptoms of "withdrawal syndrome".

For the treatment of chronic alcoholism, Mildronate is used in a dosage of 500 mg. It is taken 4 times a day for a total duration of 1 to 2 weeks.

Mildronat's injections are also beneficial in treatment.In this situation, the procedure is carried out 2 times a day, 500 mg for the same period of time.

Important! Intravenous injections of Mildronate are not recommended to be combined with other medications, since the beneficial properties of the drug will come to naught.

With diabetes

Often, the beneficial properties of Mildronate are also effective in diabetes mellitus due to the effect on the functioning of the blood supply system. In addition, when it is used, there is a decrease in blood glucose levels and a decrease in the risk of retinopathy and neuropathy.

Important! The benefits of Mildronate will be noticeable only in the complex treatment of diabetes mellitus. In the presence of serious complications, in no case should you refuse qualified medical care.

With arrhythmias of the heart

Mildronate has proven to be useful in heart disorders. It increases the number of contractions in heart failure, thereby preventing the development of angina pectoris, normalizing blood circulation. For the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, Mildronate is used in capsules of 0.5-1 g per day. The recommended treatment period is 1 - 1.5 months.

From pressure

The properties of Mildronate are well-proven in hypertension, as they improve blood circulation in tissues and normalize blood sugar levels.

From tiredness

Mildronate is also prescribed for chronic fatigue and increased fatigue as a result of emotional and physical stress. Its benefit for this ailment lies in the saturation of the blood with oxygen, as a result of which the working capacity increases, the person becomes more energetic and better survives stressful situations.

Is it possible to lose weight with Mildronate

In some cases, Mildronate tablets are used in order to get rid of extra pounds, but in this situation, you need to be careful when taking the drug, so as not to harm the body instead of the desired benefit. The properties of Meldonium really contribute to weight loss due to the regulation of metabolism, but using it as an independent means is categorically not recommended! Mildronate has the desired effect only in combination with sports training and balanced nutrition.

Harm and side effects of Mildronate

For all its benefits for the human body, Mildronate can cause serious harm to the body if you exceed the dosage or take it without a doctor's instructions. Meldonium has a long list of side effects that can cause a lot of discomfort. However, they appear quite rarely, and if the rules of use are followed, the harm from them will be minimized. Among the side properties of Mildronate are:

belching, heartburn;
nausea and vomiting;
heaviness in the stomach;
tachycardia;
hypotension;
swelling and rash;
allergic skin irritation;
itching.

In addition, Mildronate is harmful professionally: for athletes, its use may be fraught with disqualification from the competition, since Meldonium is one of the prohibited WADA drugs.

Contraindications to the use of Mildronate

Since Mildronate is a very powerful biologically active substance, it has a number of contraindications, non-observance of which can have a harmful effect on the cardiovascular system of a person taking the drug, or lead to an exacerbation of existing diseases. Meldonium should not be used by the following groups of people:

children and adolescents under 18;
women during pregnancy;
nursing mothers;
people with hypersensitivity to Mildronate;
suffering from various diseases of the kidneys and liver;
people with high intracranial pressure;
having tumors or edema of unknown origin.

Important! Healthy people who have prescribed Meldonium for themselves on their own are strongly advised to refrain from taking this medication in order to avoid possible harmful effects.

Overdose with Mildronate and its consequences

Since Meldonium is dispensed without a medical prescription, it is very easy for a person taking the drug for the first time to make a mistake in calculating the correct dosage, and then the harmful effects of the drug will exceed its beneficial properties.

In case of an overdose, the patient may face harmful consequences for the body, such as:

lowering pressure;
violation of the heart rhythm;
fatigue;
lethargy, apathy;
general deterioration of the condition.

To negate the harm from Mildronate, you should pay attention to its dosage.

Important! Long-term use of Meldonium by healthy people is addictive and can be harmful, so you should not use it without medical necessity.

Compatibility of Mildronate with alcohol

At the moment, no direct contraindications to the use of Mildronate in combination with alcohol have been identified. However, many medical professionals do not recommend mixing Meldonium with alcohol-containing products in order to avoid possible harmful effects. Alcohol can neutralize the beneficial properties of the drug, and in some cases, the active components of Mildronate can lead to increased symptoms of intoxication and cause surges in blood pressure. For the body of a healthy person, it is possible that the combination of Meldonium with alcohol will not harm, but for hypertensive patients, such drops will definitely not benefit.

Analogues of Meldoniya

As such, there are currently no analogues of Mildronate, although attempts to find an alternative remedy with the same spectrum of properties do not stop. Among the huge assortment of substances, one can note trimetazidine, the functions of which are similar to Meldonium, namely, stimulating metabolism, but the principle of its work is fundamentally different. In addition, it is also considered a prohibited drug in sports.

But, despite its sad reputation, Meldonium can be found in pharmacies, like many other names of drugs, which include the active ingredient Meldonium dihydrate. Among them:

Angiocardil;
Vasomag;
Idrinol;
Cardionat;
Medetern;
Midolat;
Mildroxin and others.

Conclusion

Today, the benefits and harms of Mildronate have not been fully investigated, therefore, with all the useful properties of this remedy, it is necessary to consult a doctor before taking it.

Reviews of doctors

Marina Kutina, 34 years old, cardiologist, Saratov

I am a cardiologist, and on duty have been using Mildronate for almost 7 years. Usually I use it for intravenous administration and preorally for ischemia, myocardial dystrophy and degenerative diseases of the organs of vision. Patients notice its effect already in the second week and are very pleased with the effect.

Chernyshenko Natalya Mikhailovna, 58 years old, cardiologist, Krasnodar

I prescribe Mildronate to patients with astheno-neurotic syndrome and nervous overload. I think it is quite effective, but patients over 60 years old should take it only after a thorough examination. As for healthy people, it is categorically impossible for them to use Mildronate! It will do nothing but harm. There is no need to overload a heart that functions smoothly.

Feedback from people, patients and athletes

Sigachev Anton Nikolaevich, 22 years old, St. Petersburg

I can hardly stand the heat, and this summer it was especially hard. I wanted to lie on the couch for days on end: sometimes such apathy would come that at least you would not leave the house. In addition, I was still very tired in training, and it came down to nervous breakdowns. The therapist recommended taking Meldonium. Already on the second day of admission, I began to think normally again, and on the fifth even the strength appeared to do something.

Elena Nikolaevna Golunova, 49 years old, Voronezh

She gave injections of Mildronate in combination with other drugs for hypertension.Before that I thought that this is a doping drug that athletes take exclusively, and that there is only one harm from it. Therefore, I was very surprised when I began to feel better, even my blood sugar dropped. Then I drank Mildronate tablets for another two months. The result is pleasing, a very useful tool!

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