Nolotil (Metamizole): Uses, Characteristics And Side Effects
Trauma, cuts, inflammation, infections… There are many elements that can cause us different types and degrees of physical pain.
Although the perception of pain is in principle adaptive since it allows us to know that something is not working correctly or is causing us some damage (and we can try to do something to avoid it), the truth is that it is generally extremely aversive, being something that most people would prefer to avoid experimenting.
Furthermore, pain, when intense, can be highly disabling to the point of impeding our functionality, especially when it is due to elements over which we do not have direct control or that require a process to be cured or resolved. Fortunately, throughout history different substances that reduce nociception or the perception of pain have been discovered and subsequently synthesized. One of them is the drug known as Nolotil which we are going to talk about in this article.
The name Nolotil refers to the commercial name of a relatively common drug in our country, whose main active ingredient is metamizole or dipyrone The mechanism of action of this medication is not entirely known, although it has been observed to inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins that contribute to the activation of nociceptors.
It is a drug whose best-known use comes from its effects as an analgesic, reducing and treating the pain of different diseases and disorders In addition to this, it also has an antipyretic effect, being able to reduce fever, and an antispasmolytic effect (that is, it also has an effect on reducing muscle spasms and the pain associated with them). Although it is not technically an anti-inflammatory, in supratherapeutic doses it has been shown to be useful for calming and reducing inflammation, although the dose used for this can generate toxicity.
It is available in a wide variety of possible presentations, among which the most common stands out: in the form of a hard capsule to be taken orally However, it can also be found in ampoule form (also for oral use). There is also a presentation as an injectable parenterally (although it should only be used in very specific cases) or even anally in the form of a suppository.
Nolotil has greater potency than others commonly used such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, but on the other hand it also has greater risks and side effects and even toxic effects that have led to it being banned in some countries.
Main indications
As we have said, Nolotil has analgesic, antipyretic, antispasmodic and even anti-inflammatory properties in certain doses and can be used to treat a wide variety of disorders.
The most common is its use in acute pain, especially in the case of pain resulting from surgical interventions or trauma. Also It is used to relieve cancer pain (that is, generated by tumors) or in colic and spasms of visceral or muscular origin. Its use in dentistry is also not uncommon.
Despite its power to reduce fever, it is usually used only when it is not reduced with other antipyretic drugs. Although popularly it is sometimes used for headaches, it is not recommended due to the risks it entails.
Side effects
Nolotil is a drug that is very popular and has proven to be very useful in the treatment of pain caused by various diseases and conditions, however, it can also cause pain. a series of side and even toxic effects which is worth taking into account.
Among the most frequent we can find a probable decrease in blood pressure, which can lead to hypotension. Allergic reactions and rashes, gastrointestinal discomfort and breathing difficulties may also occur.
More serious and less frequent are the presence of arrhythmias, severe allergic reactions (which can lead to anaphylactic shock), leukopenia or decrease in white blood cells, toxic necrolysis in the skin difficulties in urination, kidney inflammation, bleeding in the digestive tract or even the aforementioned blood pressure dropping suddenly and extreme (something that is very dangerous).
One of the possible side effects of its administration and one of the causes that has been prohibited in countries such as the United Kingdom or the United States is agranulocytosis (an alteration in which one of the types of leukocytes or white blood cells are reduced in such a way that the body is much more fragile, which can lead to death). Another possible potentially life-threatening side effect could be a sepsis or generalized infection as well as kidney failure.
Contraindications
In addition to the previous side effects and partly based on them, it is necessary to take into account that Nolotil also presents contraindications or situations in which the suitability of its use must be carefully analyzed
To begin with, all people who have hypersensitivity or allergy to this drug or others with a similar composition should avoid taking Nolotil, obviously including all those who have presented agranulocytosis resulting from previous applications of it. Also people with asthma of any type allergic reactions to analgesics, cases of acute intermittent hepatic porphyria, bone marrow or blood problems or genetic problems related to glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase.
It is also contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation, both in the mother and in the child. It is also not recommended in very elderly people or people with kidney or liver problems, as well as in those with already low or unstable blood pressure. Caution is also recommended in the use of vehicles or dangerous machinery if used in high doses, and its consumption should be avoided with alcohol or other drugs (taking caution also in the case of drugs).
