Clexane: Functions And Side Effects Of This Medicine
Cardiovascular problems They are probably, along with dementia and cancer, some of those that cause the greatest concern to the majority of the population, given the importance for our survival of the fact that blood circulates normally through our body and that the heart continues to pump it. in the usual way.
And it is a fact that a large proportion of elderly people suffer from some type of heart or circulatory problem.
However, medical advances have allowed the development of drugs that can treat some of these types of pathology, such as the well-known Sintrom or the drug we are going to talk about throughout this article: Clexane
We call Clexane a type of drug anticoagulant widely used in the medical field as a response to complex cardiovascular problems that endanger the life of those who suffer from them.
As an anticoagulant, its function is to reduce blood clotting, which, although it is generally positive since it helps stop bleeding, in specific cases in which this process occurs to a large extent, it can make it difficult for blood to pass through. and even cause a thrombus. Thus, thanks to the anticoagulant it is possible to keep the blood circulating liquid and fluid and reducing the risk.
Clexane is a medicine whose active ingredient is enoxaparin sodium, being one of the low molecular weight heparins (which are derived from the unfractionated ones) that is obtained from the intestines of the pig. It is a drug whose main route of administration is intravenous or subdermal, and is marketed as prepared syringes. It is not applied orally or intramuscularly.
Clexane is a drug widely used in various conditions in which it can save lives, either as treatment or even as prevention of some life-threatening situations all of them being linked to the cardiovascular system.
One of the main indications is in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis, an alteration in which blood clots block one of the body’s veins generally directed at the extremities, and which can generate important consequences (including a possible pulmonary embolism).
Also not only during treatment but also as prevention in high-risk cases or to prevent it from happening again in people who have already suffered from it before.
It is also used in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes, including some types of angina and heart attacks, usually as a previous step or in conjunction with other medications, as well as in the prevention of recurrences. In addition, It has been shown to be effective in preventing possible blood clots in cases of respiratory or cardiac failure as well as in people in a coma or who must remain in a recumbent position (for example during a long convalescence) and even to prevent possible clots in the case of patients who must undergo hemodialysis.
It must be taken into account that Clexane can be used at any age from adulthood, including very advanced ages if necessary. However, there are not enough studies carried out with minors to determine whether it is a safe drug, since it is a drug that should only be applied to adults.
Possible side effects
This drug has proven to be very useful and has saved multiple lives since its discovery, but like all drugs It is not without risks and side effects
First of all, and as with the rest of anticoagulants, it must be taken into account that the fact that blood clotting is prevented means that hemorrhages of varying severity may occur anywhere in the body.
Wounds and blows that appear simple can bleed or generate internal bruising of great relevance, and it should be necessary to take great caution in this regard. This is the most common secondary symptom. Likewise, anemia due to blood loss may also appear as a result of this. Sometimes these hemorrhages can occur at the intestinal, spinal or intracranial level, making them much more dangerous.
The possibility of the appearance of edema, erythema, alopecia, dermatitis or even fever has also been observed. It has been observed that in some cases it excessively increases the level of potassium in the blood or even triples the levels of transaminases and other liver enzymes. More serious are cases of skin necrosis or vasculitis, liver lesions or thrombocytopenia which can paradoxically generate thrombosis (something that makes it necessary to periodically do a platelet count of the subject).
Contraindications
As we have seen, despite being very useful, Clexane can also generate dangerous effects, which can put certain sectors of the population at risk. That is why it has various contraindications.
One of these contraindications can be found in the cases of those people who have an allergy or hypersensitivity to both this drug and other heparins, as well as its multiple components. It is totally contraindicated in people at high risk of bleeding including people who are going to undergo surgery or punctures, people with ulcers, aneurysms or vascular problems in which the vessel walls are more fragile.
Also in people with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. People with high levels of potassium in the blood should avoid it, and it is not recommended in severe renal failure (with the possible exception of its use in dialysis), and extreme caution should be taken in the case of liver failure.
It is also not recommended, or at least Great caution and control is required in diabetic patients due to the adrenal alterations that it can cause. Patients who are underweight or obese should be monitored, since there is a greater risk of hemorrhage or thrombi. The use of Clexane should be consulted in people taking other drugs. Finally, and as we have previously indicated, since there is no data in this regard, it is contraindicated in children.
