Papaverine dosage for uterine tone during pregnancy

Papaverine for uterine tone is prescribed to women at different periods. This drug is rapidly absorbed, which provides an immediate pharmacological effect. It is believed that the medication does not have a negative effect and cannot harm a pregnant woman in any way. Depending on the patient’s condition, the medicine is prescribed in different forms and dosages. The duration of use is determined individually in accordance with the strength of uterine tone and gestational age.

Is it possible to take Papaverine with uterine tone?

In the 1st trimester of pregnancy, using medications without a doctor’s prescription is strictly prohibited. During this period, active formation of the embryo occurs. Any medication used without prescription can cause irreversible changes and harm the baby.

In the 2nd trimester, the baby is already protected by the placenta. It prevents toxic substances, including drugs, from entering the fetus’s body. Despite the active functioning of the placental barrier, it cannot cope with all toxins. Therefore, it is also not recommended to use medications on your own at this time.

Before giving birth, doctors strongly recommend that you stop taking any medications, since their active substances can pass into breast milk.

It is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of whether taking Papaverine for uterine tone during pregnancy is acceptable. If the medication is prescribed by a doctor, then you can definitely use it. You should not resort to taking this medication on your own. Despite the fact that it effectively copes with increased uterine tone, in some cases its use can be harmful.

Taking medications with papaverine for uterine tone is strictly prohibited for women with:

glaucoma,
atrioventricular block,
severe renal failure,
hypersensitivity to components,
depression of respiratory function.

General recommendations

Expecting a child is a joyful time for every girl.
In order not to overshadow this period of life with various problems, to protect your baby from threats, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle. There is no need to worry about trifles, do hard work, it is important to walk more in the fresh air, eat right, and receive only positive emotions. By following these simple recommendations, the woman will not have uterine tone, and the child will develop well.

If signs of tone appear, you need to urgently seek help from specialists. Self-medication can worsen the mother's condition and harm the fetus.

If you have hypertonicity, it is necessary to refuse sexual contacts; increased arousal can provoke a miscarriage. You need to rest more and do therapeutic exercises to relax the muscles of the uterus.

If a girl is often bothered by nagging abdominal pain, it is better to have Papaverine suppositories in her medicine cabinet so that she can use them if necessary.

All pregnant women should regularly attend antenatal clinics to prevent serious consequences and to carry and give birth to a child on time.

Characteristics of the drug

The drug Papaverine is sold in pharmacies without a prescription and has an affordable price. Therefore, many pregnant women with uterine tone are in a hurry to buy it and start using it. The drug is available in several dosage forms:

suppositories for rectal use,
tablets for internal use,
solution for administration by injection.

The main active ingredient of the drug is the component of the same name - papaverine hydrochloride. The medicine is an antispasmodic that can have a hypotensive effect.

Thanks to the use of the medication, the following effect is achieved:

muscle tension decreases,
the muscles of the digestive tract relax,
blood vessels dilate,
blood circulation and nutrition of internal organs improves,
blood pressure levels decrease,
the work of the heart muscle is stabilized.

Indications for use

The use of Papaverine for uterine tone during pregnancy is indicated for those patients who need it and have no contraindications for this therapy. The medicine is prescribed for the tone of the anterior and posterior walls of the reproductive organ. It is also recommended to use it to prevent contractile activity if there is such a risk.

It is necessary to take the medication for patients who are prone to increased tone or have a history of repeated pregnancy terminations due to this condition.

According to the instructions for use, the medication can be used at any time for uterine hypertonicity. It is also prescribed in the following cases:

conditions caused by muscle spasms in different parts of the digestive tract,
vasoconstriction,
blood pressure surges,
pain in the muscles of the abdominal wall,
pain in the heart area,
bronchial spasm accompanied by a painful cough.

Contraindications

Taking the medication may have a negative effect if the following factors are present:

Individual intolerance.
People with AV block.
If you have glaucoma.
If liver function is impaired.
Elderly age.
Pathologies of the thyroid gland.
With high intracranial pressure.
Increase in heart rate.
Children up to 6 months.

Sometimes patients should take medicine listening to their feelings, that is, with caution. Due to some characteristics of the body. It can be:

hypothyroidism;
pathology of the adrenal glands;
traumatic brain injury;
state of shock;
damage to the prostate gland;
supraventricular tachycardia.

There are side effects when taking any medication. “Papaverine” is no exception.

Rules for taking for uterine tone

For use with uterine tone, Papaverine is most often prescribed in the form of rectal suppositories. Less commonly, the medicine is prescribed for injection. Expectant mothers are almost never prescribed a tablet form of the medication, since it acts more slowly and has a major effect on the tissues of the digestive tract.

Papaverine suppositories are produced by various commercial manufacturers. However, all drugs have identical composition and mechanism of action. Rectal suppositories have a fat base that quickly dissolves under the influence of elevated body temperature.

The basic rule of administration for eliminating uterine tone is that suppositories are administered after cleansing the intestines. Expectant mothers need to monitor the functioning of the digestive tract and the regularity of its emptying. Constipation and increased flatulence can become an independent cause of tone. The introduction of suppositories is carried out up to 3-4 times a day. The exact amount is determined by the doctor after assessing the severity of the patient’s condition. A single dose of the drug is contained in one suppository.

In the second and third trimester of pregnancy, Papaverine suppositories are also used. However, if there is a threat of premature birth, gynecologists begin therapy with an injectable form of the medication. The solution is administered intramuscularly, subcutaneously or intravenously. After the woman reaches a stable condition, the medicine is administered in the form of suppositories.

Tablets are prescribed for uterine tone quite rarely. This is due to the fact that Papaverine is able to relax smooth muscles. Expectant mothers often have problems with the functioning of the digestive tract - heartburn, reflux, sour belching. The pills relax the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus, making these conditions worse. Taking the tablet form of Papaverine is recommended only in cases where the use of other types of medication is not possible.

First trimester

In the first trimester of pregnancy, until the placental protection of the fetus has formed, the list of medications that have no contraindications for use is very limited. This is related to the popularity of prescribing papaverine suppositories as antispasmodics.

As a rule, at this time a woman suffers from toxicosis, so taking antispasmodic tablets is not advisable.

Most often, pregnant women are prescribed papaverine suppositories for increased uterine tone and a possible threat of miscarriage.

So, unlike tablets, suppositories have a more prolonged effect, since they are absorbed more slowly. This means that a woman can experience the positive effect of candles throughout the day.

The combined use of papaverine suppositories and no-shpa tablets in the treatment of uterine tone is possible; the decision on this tactic is made by the doctor.

Often, before the 16th week, the cause of uterine tone is insufficient production of the “pregnancy hormone” - progesterone. Therefore, papaverine and other approved antispasmodics are prescribed in conjunction with hormone therapy.

The principle of action of papaverine

The mechanism of action of the drug is determined by the active component that is included in its composition. You should pay attention to the drug, since some preparations contain papaverine hydrochloride as one component, while others contain additional substances.

After use, the medicine is quickly absorbed into the systemic circulation. The active substance passes through epithelial tissues and mucous membranes. It is 90% bound to plasma proteins. After undergoing biotransformation in the liver, the amount of the active ingredient is halved after about 2 hours. This means that soon after using Papaverine, the tone of the uterus may reappear.

Based on how often the activity of the reproductive organ increases, the doctor sets an individual interval between doses - from 2 to 12 hours.

The medication helps reduce the contractile activity of smooth muscles throughout the body. At the same time, the drug does not have a negative effect on the biological processes occurring in the child’s body. On the contrary, the mechanism of action of the antispasmodic allows you to relax the muscular layer of the uterus and maintain pregnancy. The medicine is not able to interfere with the functioning of the central nervous system, so it can be used by expectant mothers even in the first trimester.

It is worth noting that the antispasmodic provides symptomatic assistance with uterine tone. The medicine relaxes the muscles, but does not eliminate the cause that caused this condition. The use of Papaverine should not be the main point in treatment. To normalize a woman’s condition, it is necessary to eliminate the provoking factor.

Is it used in the 1st trimester?

All forms of “Papaverine” are allowed to be used at any stage of pregnancy, including the first trimester, when the most important organs of the baby are laid and formed. Doctors call “Papaverine” a medicine harmless to the fetus, since over many years of practice such an antispasmodic did not provoke malformations and developmental disorders, but, on the contrary, helped many women maintain pregnancy and successfully carry a child to term.

However, doctors emphasize that putting candles or taking pills is permissible only after an examination by a gynecologist, and injections are given only in a medical facility, so that the pregnant woman is under the supervision of specialists. The drug should not be used on the advice of friends and pharmacists, because the dose and treatment regimen are determined for each patient individually.

Side effects

Papaverine is well compatible with most medications that are also used for uterine tone. It is combined with hormones, sedatives, and other antispasmodics. Most patients tolerate the treatment well and do not experience side effects. However, the instructions for use of Papaverine warn that there may be negative reactions to the therapy.

These include:

allergic skin manifestations,
dyspeptic disorders,
low blood pressure,
constipation,
increased drowsiness,
atrioventricular block.

If, after using the medication, the expectant mother’s well-being worsens or side effects appear, she should immediately seek medical help. During pregnancy, these conditions can be quite dangerous.

How can you replace Papaverine?

In addition to Papaverine, for uterine tone, women are prescribed other medications that have an antispasmodic effect. The most commonly used are No-Shpa and Drotaverine. These drugs have the same composition and method of application. The only difference is the manufacturer. If for some reason a woman cannot use Papaverine or this medicine is not available in the pharmacy, it can be replaced with alternative antispasmodics. You must first consult with a gynecologist and make sure that there are no contraindications for taking the pills.

For accelerated pharmacological action, Papaverine analogues are administered intramuscularly.

To prevent uterine tone, it is not enough to take Papaverine. It is necessary to give up all bad habits - smoking, drinking alcohol. It is recommended to reduce physical activity and completely avoid sexual intercourse. If hypertonicity reappears, Papaverine is taken according to the previously prescribed regimen. If signs of uterine tone do not go away within half an hour after use, you should inform your doctor.