Fastum-gel for osteochondrosis

Pharmacological properties

Pharmacodynamics.
ketoprofen has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Ketoprofen, contained in the corresponding filler, reaches the area of ​​inflammation through the skin and thus provides the possibility of local treatment of lesions of the joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles, accompanied by pain.

Pharmacokinetics. Absorption of the drug applied to the skin into the general bloodstream is very slow. When applying from 50 to 150 mg of ketoprofen, the concentration of the active substance in the blood plasma after 5–8 hours is only 0.08–0.15 mcg/ml.

Composition and release form

The release form of the product is gel. It is sold in metal tubes of 30, 50 or 100 g. Each tube is placed in a cardboard box.

The active component of the medicine is ketoporofen. The gel also contains some excipients that ensure its effectiveness (amounts are indicated per 100 g of the drug):

• 96 percent ethyl alcohol - about 40 ml;
• carbomer (carbopol, rare cross-linked acrylic polymer) – 1500 mg;
• neroli oil – up to 50 mg;
• triethanolamine (trolamine) – approximately 2.8 g;
• lavender oil – in an amount of 50 mg;
• purified water - approximately 100 g.

Contraindications

Any history of photosensitivity reactions; known hypersensitivity reactions, for example symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis or urticaria, which occurred when using ketoprofen, fenofibrate, tiaprofenic acid, acetylsalicylic acid or other NSAIDs; a history of skin allergies when using ketoprofen, tiaprofenic acid, fenofibrate, ultraviolet blockers or perfumes; the influence of sunlight (even scattered light) or ultraviolet irradiation in a solarium during treatment with the gel and for 2 weeks after its cessation; hypersensitivity to any components of the drug; do not use the gel in the presence of pathological changes on the skin, such as weeping dermatoses, skin damage, rashes, skin trauma, burns, eczema or acne, or infectious processes of the skin and open wounds; 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

Therapeutic effect

The drug slows down the synthesis of prostaglandins (lipid (fatty) substances with physiological activity). In addition, thanks to the main active ingredient, the gel has a beneficial effect on the treated areas of the body:

• anti-inflammatory;
• painkiller.

Its main feature is that it is able to alleviate diseases not only of the skin, but also of muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments, i.e. it penetrates deep under the skin.

Absorbed slowly, 60–90% bound to blood plasma proteins. Ketoprofen is excreted from the body through urine. The half-life of the drug from the body occurs within 1 to 3 hours.

Due to slow absorption and rapid elimination from the body, the gel practically does not accumulate in the blood.

Side effects

There have been reports of local skin reactions, which could subsequently spread beyond the area of ​​skin to which the drug was applied. Rare phenomena include more severe reactions, such as bullous or phlyctenulous eczema, which can spread and become generalized. other side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs (hypersensitivity, disorders of the digestive tract and urinary system) depend on the ability of the active substance to penetrate the skin and, accordingly, on the amount of gel applied, the area of ​​the treated area, the integrity of the skin, the duration of use of the drug and the use of sealed dressings. ketoprofen can cause asthma attacks in patients with hypersensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid or its derivatives.

When analyzing side effects, the following frequencies of occurrence were taken as a basis: very often (≥10%), often (1–10%), sometimes (0.1–1.0%), rarely (0.01–0.1% ), very rarely (0.01%), including isolated cases.

Elderly patients are more prone to adverse reactions when using NSAIDs.

Fastum gel

Fastum gel (ketoprofen) is a topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Used to relieve pain in diseases and pathological conditions of the musculoskeletal system. The mechanism of action of Fastum gel is due to its ability to suppress the synthesis of pain and inflammation mediators, prostaglandins. The drug has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. It has good penetrating ability, which allows it to be used as an external drug in the treatment of musculoskeletal and joint-ligamentous pain. When applied externally, it penetrates into the inflammatory focus through the epidermis. According to the World Health Organization, spinal pain is the second most common reason for visiting a doctor after diseases of the respiratory tract. Occasionally, these pains occur in 80% of the world's inhabitants. This is especially true for people who have a dacha or garden plot (by the way, in our country there are 58% of the total population). NSAIDs are the first choice drugs for musculoskeletal pain. The gel form of the drug Fastum gel provides greater effectiveness and ease of use than drugs in the form of cream or ointment. The gel ensures faster, deeper and more complete penetration of the active component into the tissue. It is made on a water-alcohol basis, not on a fat basis, so it does not leave marks on hands and clothes. In the sales structure, the gel form of medicines is ahead of ointments and creams. Contraindications to the use of the drug are individual intolerance to ketoprofen (or any other NSAID, including aspirin) or auxiliary components, weeping dermatitis, bacterially contaminated wounds and abrasions, pregnancy, breastfeeding, age under 12 years.

Single dose - 3-5 cm of gel. Frequency of use: 1-2 times a day. The gel is applied directly to the area of ​​skin located above the inflammatory focus. The dose can be increased or decreased depending on the area of ​​the treated area. Pharmacotherapy can be complemented by physical therapy (phono- and iontophoresis). Side effects when taking Fastum gel (allergic reactions, increased sensitivity to UV radiation, skin redness, itching) develop extremely rarely. If they appear, it is recommended to stop the medication course and seek medical advice. It is not recommended to use the drug simultaneously with drugs that promote the development of photosensitivity. Fastum gel is not used on open wound surfaces. It has an irritating effect on mucous membranes, so it is necessary to prevent it from getting into the eyes. Not intended for use “under a bandage” if the latter is sealed. Prolonged use of topical medications may cause local irritation. Persons suffering from severe liver and kidney diseases should exercise caution when using the drug. An important advantage of the drug, which determines its high bioavailability, is the molecule size of the active component. It is the small size of the ketoprofen molecule that allows the drug to be deservedly considered one of the most effective NSAIDs, ahead, in particular, of ibuprofen. It is also important that ketoprofen, when used topically, does not have a negative effect on articular cartilage.

special instructions

Use the gel with caution in patients with cardiac, hepatic or renal failure. There have been reports of isolated cases of systemic adverse reactions associated with kidney damage. Local use of a large amount of the drug can lead to systemic effects such as hypersensitivity and asthma.

In patients with B

Product description certified by the manufacturer Menarini

.
Verified
Sevryukov Alexander Viktorovich

Method of use of the drug

Fastum-gel should be rubbed onto clean skin in the mornings and evenings (a strip of 5–10 cm is enough for 1 application). Only sore spots are treated. It is permissible to combine the use of the gel with ionotherapy or physiotherapy (this enhances the effect).

Overdose

Since this is a product for external use, which is slowly absorbed into the body, the likelihood of an overdose is very low, but sometimes you can mistakenly eat a certain amount of Fastum-gel, then symptomatic treatment is necessary (most often you are faced with the usual side effects caused by prolonged external use of the product).

Side effects

In some cases, the use of Fastum-gel leads to side effects (especially if it is long-term and large areas of skin are treated):

• exacerbation and progression to more severe forms of renal failure, if any;
• feeling of itching;
• the appearance of eczema;
• the occurrence of angioedema;
• diarrhea;
• peptic ulcer and gastrointestinal bleeding;
• redness of the skin;
• contact and bullous dermatitis;
• increased photosensitivity of the skin;
• the occurrence or exacerbation of bronchial asthma.

Fortunately, this rarely happens, but sometimes people encounter such problems after using the product for a long time. To reduce the risk of side effects, you should consult a dermatologist or allergist before starting treatment. Of course, modern people are busy and rarely go to doctors, but sometimes it is necessary to do so so as not to end up wasting time, nerves and money, and getting serious health problems instead of the desired recovery.

If a person has already encountered unpleasant symptoms, he will have to stop daily rubbing of the gel and also inform the attending physician about this.

special instructions

People with severe forms of liver, kidney or heart failure, as well as elderly people, can use Fastum-gel, but with caution.

In addition, the product is not suitable for airtight dressings and cannot be combined with airtight clothing.

During the treatment period, you should not sunbathe in the sun or go to a solarium (this can only be done 14 days after stopping use of the medicine).

Rules for storing the drug

The storage temperature should be no more than 30 degrees Celsius (i.e., in hot weather, Fastum-gel should be hidden in the refrigerator). In addition, it is important to exclude its contact with light and moisture, and also to prevent the medicine from falling into the hands of small children, if there are any in the house.

Release from pharmacies

The product can be bought without a prescription from your doctor, which attracts many patients (sometimes it happens that your neck suddenly hurts or an attack of lumbago begins, and there are no medications at hand - then a quick purchase of Fastum-gel can save the situation).

Price

The cost of packaging Fastum gel depends on the pharmacy chain and the amount of product in the tube, but you can give the average cost:

• 30 g are available for 232 rubles;
• 50 g are sold for 333 rubles 40 kopecks;
• 100 g cost about 542 rubles 80 kopecks.

Analogs

Gel Fastum is not the only remedy for pain in muscles, tendons and joints of various nature. Other medications can be used to treat it, c. including gels and ointments similar to Fastum in the active substance:

• Ketoprofen. Just like the described drug, it is based on ketoprofen and contains similar auxiliary components - triethanolamine, carbomer and ethanol, but differs from Fastum in being cheap.
• Ketoprom - completely identical in composition to Fastum, also a gel.
• Bystrum gel - contains ketoprofen and some essential oils - neroli and lavender, which gives it a pleasant smell.
• Ortofen is an analogue of the described product in terms of active substance and auxiliary components.
• Valusal gel - this remedy is used for osteochondrotic pain and other problems with the musculoskeletal system.
• Fort gel has a lavender scent, which attracts many buyers. It also relieves inflammation and pain.
• Artrum gel - used in the same cases as the other mentioned remedies, good for bruises and osteochondrosis, and also copes with swelling of the joints.
• Febrofid gel is a medicine containing ketoprofen, also a gel.
• Ketonal Forte are tablets based on ketoprofen and used in the same situations as gels with it.

There are ointments and gels similar to Fastum Gel in indications, but with other active ingredients:

• Butadion. The main component of the ointment is phenylbutazone. Reduces the production of prostaglandins, due to which it relieves pain and inflammation.
• Nise gel. Based on nimesulide. The mechanism of action is also associated with a decrease in the production of prostaglandins.
• Deep Relief gel. Active ingredients are ibuprofen and levomenthol. Relieves pain in the back and joints.

For osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is degeneration of the cartilage of joints or intervertebral discs in humans. One of the reasons for this problem is physical inactivity, i.e. an insufficiently active lifestyle. In the 21st century, the majority of the population of megacities works in offices using computers, and in the evenings they also prefer to sit at their favorite laptop or lie on the couch, and as a result, this disease has become much more common than 50 years ago. Osteochondrosis gives patients a lot of unpleasant sensations and is often fraught with serious complications (pinching of the spine, which can occur during a severe stage of the disease, is especially dangerous). This means that the disease must be treated without fail. The main method of treating intervertebral disc dystrophy is physical exercise, but it does not work in one or two sessions, and attacks of pain torment a person for some time. Then they use special painkillers, for example, Fastum-gel, about which patients leave comments on medical websites and forums on the Internet:

1. “I have been familiar with this gel for quite a long time, since I was diagnosed very early with osteochondrosis. At first I didn’t understand this gel; it seemed useless and ineffective to me. Now this gel saves me all the time!”
2. “I recently suffered from headaches. I was advised to use Fastum gel. And the advertisement says that it helps with pain in the ligaments and so on. I first went to the hospital, they diagnosed osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and told me to apply it too. I applied it for almost a month, but didn’t notice any effect.”
3. “We have been using Berlin-Chemie “Fastum Gel” pain reliever for many years. We found out about it when my mother once had very bad back pain and nothing helped. She bought this ointment and it was the only thing that saved her. Since then, “Fastum Gel” has always been in our medicine cabinet.”

It turns out that Fastum-gel helps most patients, but, unfortunately, not all. Therefore, it is still better to entrust the choice of pain-relieving ointment or gel for osteochondrosis and its complications to a doctor.

Note!

The description of the drug Fastum gel 2.5% tube 50g on this page is a simplified author’s version of the apteka911 website, created on the basis of the instructions for use.
Before purchasing or using the drug, you should consult your doctor and read the manufacturer's original instructions (attached to each package of the drug). Information about the drug is provided for informational purposes only and should not be used as a guide to self-medication. Only a doctor can decide to prescribe the drug, as well as determine the dose and methods of its use.

Indications

Fastum-gel can and should be used for many diseases of the joints, muscles, as well as tendons and ligaments. As a rule, it is used for injuries (sprains and bruises), but there are other indications for treatment with this gel:

• osteochondrosis of various localizations (cervical, sacral, lumbar, thoracic) and their complications (especially “lumbago” in the sacral region);
• rheumatism is a connective tissue disease that primarily affects muscles, bones and joints in various forms (osteoarthritis, rheumatic arthritis, etc.);
• myositis (inflammation of the muscles, especially the neck muscles).