Anticonvulsants - a list of what they are, side effects and indications

Leg cramps

What diseases are accompanied by calf cramps and why do they sometimes occur in healthy people?
Episodic leg cramps can occur in completely healthy people and are very common. However, regular seizures can be a manifestation of the disease and are a reason to consult a doctor.

Manifestations of seizures

Cramps (or cramps) are painful involuntary muscle contractions. Cramps are more common in older people, somewhat less common in younger people, and very rare in children under 8 years of age. Women are most susceptible to seizures.

Painful spasms most often occur at rest, in a lying position, often at night, disrupting sleep. Usually the calf muscles and muscles of the foot are involved: the foot involuntarily extends and bends towards the sole, the calf muscle contracts and hardens. Leg cramps are very painful, occur suddenly, last several minutes and go away on their own. After an attack, muscle pain may persist for several hours or even days.

Causes of seizures

Physiological cramps.

Episodic cramps can develop in completely healthy people. Often the cause of painful muscle pain in healthy people is excessive physical activity in an unprepared person (for example, a long climb up the stairs or a long walk). Sometimes cramps can develop due to dehydration (for example, poisoning), hypothermia or overheating. Cramps can bother pregnant women, especially in the second or third trimester.

Metabolic disorders.

Regular cramps are also the result of diseases associated with metabolic disorders (liver, kidney, parathyroid gland diseases, diabetes), diseases of the blood vessels of the legs (atherosclerosis, obliterating endarteritis, varicose veins), as well as with the use of certain medications (diuretics, antidepressants, glucocorticosteroids and many others). Cramps occur due to metabolic disorders in the muscle itself.

Treatment

Treatment of leg cramps in deficient conditions is quite simple - special medications are prescribed, a certain diet and drinking regimen are selected.

Medicines are prescribed only after tests have been carried out, when the cause of leg cramps becomes clear - what mineral or vitamin deficiency is observed in the patient.

To replenish potassium and magnesium, the following are prescribed:

Panangin;
Asparkam;
Magnelis B 6;
Magnerot.

The first two preparations contain both microelements - the rest only magnesium. For vitamin deficiencies, the doctor prescribes vitamins for seizures (Calcium D3, Complivit, Vitrum).

Preparations to restore the balance of essential microelements

Proper nutrition is the basis for treating leg cramps. The objectives of such therapy are to replenish the deficiency of microelements in the body and maintain these values at a normal level. Therefore, it is important to strictly follow the nutritionist’s recommendations and carry them out every day. Before prescribing a diet, the doctor will do tests and determine which element deficiency provokes leg cramps.

To replenish calcium you should eat:

Milk;
Kefir;
Cottage cheese;
Cheese;
Eggs;
Fish;
Meat.

Rich in potassium:

Dried apricots;
Raisin;
Dried fruits;
Garlic;
Legumes;
Wheat;
Baked potato.

Magnesium contains:

Cocoa;
Bran;
Seeds;
Cashew nuts.

The following rules should also be observed:

Eat 3-4 times a day in small portions;
Study the calorie content - 30% of it should fall in the first half of the day, 50% in the middle of the day and the remaining 20% in the evening. The last portion can be divided into 2 doses;
Avoid fatty foods, salty foods and smoked foods - they disrupt fluid exchange in the body and negatively affect health;
Food should be boiled or steamed - this will increase its digestibility and reduce the load on the intestines.

If you are concerned about severe leg cramps, seek help from a nutritionist. The doctor will draw up a daily menu, describe in detail the diet and daily products.

Drinking regime

This approach is necessary to eliminate leg cramps due to dehydration - a nutritious diet will help to quickly get rid of the problem. To comply with it, a special program is being developed, the main rules of which are:

You need to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. More is possible, less is not possible;
The resulting volume is divided into equal portions and consumed every hour;
To quench your thirst, drink only water;
Soda, coffee, and alcoholic drinks are excluded.

It is advisable to drink at your own request - according to the plan, the patient drinks liquid when a feeling of thirst appears. You can eat cucumbers, tomatoes and watermelons.

Lifestyle

Very often, in order to get rid of cramps, you just need to change your behavior a little. It is important not only to avoid increased physical activity and hypothermia. You need to pay attention to your body position while sleeping or sitting for long periods of time. It is not recommended to tuck your legs under you or cross your legs, as this leads to disruption of the blood supply to the muscles. Women should not wear high heels for a long time; they should also avoid tight and uncomfortable shoes.

There are no special medications for the treatment of individual muscle cramps. Since this condition can be caused by various health problems, the underlying disease should be treated. If muscle cramps in the lower extremities are caused by circulatory insufficiency, for example, varicose veins or thrombophlebitis, drugs are prescribed that improve vascular patency.

But most often, muscle spasms occur due to a lack of certain microelements. Therefore, doctors prescribe vitamins for limb cramps. They must contain calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamins D, E and B. Among the most effective drugs are o or “Panangin”. They compensate for the lack of magnesium and potassium, are well tolerated and prevent the development of seizures. You can also take medications such as Calcium D3 Nycomed, Magne B6, Magnelis, Caltsinova.

Stretching regularly will help prevent cramps.

Quinine is considered an effective drug for the treatment of seizures. It is an anti-malaria drug, but it reduces muscle excitability. True, Quinine has many contraindications and side effects, so it can only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.

Physiotherapy

Water treatments

In addition to the fact that it is necessary to drink a sufficient amount of water per day, since cramps often appear from dehydration of the body, various water procedures are very useful for this pathology. Cold and contrast showers improve blood circulation, and warm baths help you relax. To prevent spasms in the calf muscles, you can do hydromassage. To do this, a cool shower stream is passed along the leg from bottom to top, and then down.

For cramps in the feet or calf muscles, warm foot baths with sea salt or herbal decoctions are effective. This could be tansy, valerian root, ginger.

Baths with herbal decoctions are very effective for preventing seizures.

Traditional methods

In folk medicine there are also many recipes that can be used to get rid of seizures. But their use will be effective when they are used in conjunction with measures prescribed by a doctor. Among folk methods against seizures, decoctions of medicinal herbs taken internally or externally are especially popular. The following recipes are considered the most effective:

Brew a couple of tablespoons of Adonis herb with a glass of boiling water, take a tablespoon 3 times a day;
make tea from 2 teaspoons of birch buds and a glass of boiling water, drink it in three doses;
Decoctions of lily of the valley, mistletoe, barberry, sweet clover, thyme, elderberry, chamomile and other herbs also help;
take 40 drops of ragwort tincture 1-3 times a day;
For prevention, a decoction of cinquefoil is effective;
dissolve a teaspoon of viburnum tincture in a glass of water and drink 3 times a day;
those who are not allergic to honey are recommended to eat 2 teaspoons of it 3 times a day;
during an attack of cramp, it helps if you rub the cramped muscle with mustard oil or chamomile oil;
rub the soles of your feet with lemon juice twice a day;
Once a day, eat a spoonful of fish oil with crushed eggshells added to it.

It is very important to correctly provide first aid for generalized seizures

How to take anticonvulsant medications correctly for leg cramps

Repeated muscle contractions should not be ignored. Painful seizures are treated with various anticonvulsant medications. Tablets for leg cramps are part of complex therapy aimed at eliminating spasms and improving blood circulation.

Isolated spasms in the limbs are not a cause for concern. But systematic painful attacks require drug treatment. Doctors prescribe various anticonvulsants for leg spasms and cramps. The choice of remedy depends on the degree of manifestation of spasms.

Characteristics of attacks

At rest, the cell is electrically charged, which explains the contractility of tissues. The cellular structure contains potassium, while the outside contains sodium. Cellular rest is ensured by potassium, with a deficiency of which an antispasmodic attack develops.

Nerve impulses regulate muscle contractions. The functioning of the muscular system depends on brain activity and is voluntary. When a muscle involuntarily tenses, a cramp occurs, which is accompanied by excruciating pain and limited mobility of the affected area.

Usually painful attacks occur at night. They can affect the limbs, feet, calf muscles, and hip area. Night cramps are explained by impaired blood circulation, uncomfortable sleeping position and active brain activity in connection with dreams.

Other causes of antispasmodic attacks include:

varicose veins;
diabetes;
lack of minerals;
pathologies of the thyroid gland;
flat feet;
dehydration;
neurological diseases;
excessive physical activity;
hypothermia.

Regular use of diuretics also causes convulsive contractions. Therefore, while consuming them, it is necessary to drink products containing potassium.

Convulsions

You might think that seizures occur only with epilepsy. Therefore, when they appear, anticonvulsants are definitely needed. In addition to epilepsy, there may be many other conditions that have nothing to do with it, but which may be accompanied by seizures:

Cerebrovascular disease, age over 75 years, and hemorrhagic strokes often cause the onset of acute symptomatic seizures.
Traumatic brain injuries.
Infectious diseases of the central nervous system (meningitis, encephalitis, HIV infection).
Oxygen starvation of the brain.
Intoxication of the body.
Taking medications.
Acute metabolic disorders, for example, hypoglycemia in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, electrolyte imbalance.
Withdrawal syndrome when stopping alcohol consumption.
Taking large doses of alcohol.
Taking psychotropic drugs (psychotropic stimulants - cocaine, crack, ecstasy).
Temperatures above 38.5°C in children under 7 years of age can cause febrile seizures.
Liver failure.
Parkinson's disease.

Therefore, self-administration of anticonvulsants without a doctor’s prescription is prohibited. First you need to establish the cause of the problem and only then treat it.

Drug therapy for spasms

During a cramp, a person experiences muscle tension and pain. The action of anticonvulsants is aimed at stopping the attack and preventing its transition to a convulsive epileptic seizure. The purpose of the tablets is to relieve pain without suppressing the nervous system. The selection of medications is carried out individually, based on the clinical picture of spasms. Depending on this, the duration of the therapeutic course is selected.

A new group of anticonvulsant medications has been developed that have virtually no side effects: Petnidan, Difenin, Ospolot, Zarontin. The prescription of such drugs requires taking into account the origin of the disease.

It is forbidden to independently purchase medicine for constant cramps in the arms or legs, since each pharmacological product is created to eliminate a specific pathology. When treating antispasmodic attacks, doctors resort to complex therapy, which includes taking venoprotective medications, painkillers, multivitamin complexes, local gels and ointments.

Venotonic medications

To treat acute painful attacks, tablets for leg cramps are used, which must be taken strictly according to the instructions and after consultation with your doctor.

Detralex

The pills increase muscle tone, reduce the likelihood of stagnation, reducing tension in the veins. Doctors prescribe the drug to reduce the fragility and permeability of blood vessels and improve blood circulation in the extremities.

Detralex is taken for hemorrhoidal phenomena, convulsive attacks, venous insufficiency, and painful syndrome. The advantage of the medication is its ability to eliminate the cause of spasms. After completing a long therapeutic course, the seizures disappear.

Diosmin

The medicinal product is used to treat muscle tension due to varicose veins. With varicose veins, cramps usually occur at night. Diosmin is an effective angioprotector, the components of which strengthen the walls of blood vessels, increasing capillary tone.

Drugs that relieve muscle spasms - a review of the best medicines

To eliminate muscle spasms, the doctor may prescribe pills for leg cramps. This group includes drugs of various origins, prescribed depending on the manifestations of the symptom.

If your calves cramp during sleep, vitamin complexes are suitable, and if deficiency conditions are identified, specialized potassium and magnesium medications are prescribed.

If discomfort occurs after physical training, muscle relaxants are indicated, and in the presence of extensive spasms of central origin, specialized anticonvulsants are indicated for leg cramps.

You should not choose a medicine for leg cramps without consulting a doctor.

Much depends on the causative factor that provokes spasms - if there is a lack of microelements, taking muscle relaxants is useless, since their mechanism of action is radically opposite to the pathogenesis of the disease.

And, conversely, with cramps due to the accumulation of lactic acid, vitamins will not give the desired effect. Therefore, only medicine that affects the very cause of the disease helps against seizures.

There is no universal drug for relieving muscle spasms in the legs that you can ask at the pharmacy. Its selection is carried out by the attending physician based on the results of the examination of the patient. Let's look at popular medications for leg cramps and make a list of the best ones.

Analgesics

The first remedy for leg cramps prescribed by a doctor in the presence of severe pain is from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The main indication for their use of these tablets is the presence of pain, swelling and inflammation.

These anti-seizure medications should be taken with caution, as they have a long list of contraindications. These include:

Individual intolerance to the components of the drug;
Ulcerative lesions of the digestive system;
Blood diseases;
Pathologies of the liver and kidneys;
Pregnancy and breastfeeding.

When choosing tablets for spasms in the lower extremities, the doctor pays attention to the last point - if a woman is “pregnant,” she should choose another drug for the treatment of leg cramps in pregnant women.

Analgesics have the following side effects:

Damage to the mucous membrane of the digestive system with the development of ulcers and bleeding;
Development of allergies;
The appearance of nausea, vomiting, changes in stool;
Disorders of the liver and kidneys;
Blood clotting disorders, anemia.

To avoid complications in the treatment of leg cramps with drugs, drugs of the latest generation are prescribed that have a minimum of undesirable effects. Most Popular:

Lornoxicam is the trade name of the drug Xefocam. These are tablets containing the active substance of the same name. It helps well against leg cramps, quickly and effectively eliminates pain. Average price – 150 rubles per package;
Meloxicam is an effective tablet that can be purchased at a pharmacy for 250 rubles. They have a pronounced analgesic effect, but negatively affect the functioning of the liver and kidneys. It is recommended to drink for leg cramps with severe pain;
Celecoxib is a good drug with minimal side effects. Available in capsules that are taken twice a day. The exact dosage and duration of treatment is determined by the attending physician. Average price – 200 rubles;

Analgesics for pain relief from leg cramps

Etoricoxib is an effective tablet that does not inhibit hematopoietic function and does not have a negative effect on the gastric mucosa. Often prescribed for severe pain in the legs and severe cramps. You can buy it at a pharmacy for 400 rubles;
Nise is the active ingredient Nimesulide, which penetrates the affected tissue and has an analgesic effect. There are few contraindications; it is advisable to visit a doctor before use. The cost of tablets is 200 rubles per package;

Analgesics do not eliminate attacks of leg cramps, but only relieve pain, alleviating the patient’s suffering. Their action is aimed at suppressing inflammation, which accompanies most pathologies that cause seizures.

On a note!

To relieve pain from cramps, you can use tonic water with quinine. This is a specific drug for the treatment of malaria, which has a pronounced analgesic effect. But the remedy has many contraindications and complications.

Venotonics

To eliminate symptoms, pills for cramps in the legs and arms, such as venotonics, are also used. These drugs are prescribed to act on the venous wall - when the cause of spasms is venous disease.

Main indications for use:

Varicose veins;
Thrombosis and thrombophlebitis;
Chronic venous insufficiency;
Poor lymph circulation in the legs.

These drugs have a minimum of side effects, the main of which are headaches and dizziness, nausea and vomiting, and individual sensitivity to the tablets. Usually medications are well tolerated, complications arise only in case of overdose or non-compliance with doctor's recommendations.

What medications to take for leg cramps:

Detralex is a drug that contains the active substance diosmin and the auxiliary component hesperidin, which enhances its effect. These tablets quickly eliminate leg discomfort and venous congestion, improving hemodynamics and the patient’s well-being. Average price – 800 rubles per package;
Phlebodia is a representative of the same family as the previous medicine. Contains only diosmin, but in larger quantities. Effectiveness occurs later, but lasts longer. The drug is taken once a day. The cost is 600 rubles;
Troxevasin is a cheap drug, the packaging of which will cost about 250 rubles. The composition contains an active substance, a derivative of rutin. The tablets have one drawback - a short period of action, so they must be used 2-3 times a day. These tablets have been known to pharmacists for decades and have been time-tested;
Cyclo-3 fort - this medicine has an average duration of action. The tablets begin to act a few hours after taking them. Their main advantage is the ability to treat leg cramps in pregnant women. You can purchase the drug for 700 rubles;
Ginkor-fort – the active substances are Ginkgo biloba and its derivatives. The capsules have a pronounced venotonic effect; a month after use, a decrease in the appearance of seizures is noted. The average price is 600 rubles per package.

The use of venotonics for seizures

On a note!

Venotonics can be combined with analgesics if leg cramps occur with severe pain. But for such treatment, consultation with a doctor is recommended.

Muscle relaxants

These drugs are used to treat seizures caused by muscle spasms. Most drugs are used in the form of solutions and are often used as injections for seizures, but medications are also available in tablet form. The mechanism of action of muscle relaxants is aimed at relaxing muscle tone, which can be a trigger for the occurrence of seizures.

Before taking them, you should study the list of side effects:

Headaches and dizziness;
Nausea and vomiting;
Lethargy, fatigue, decreased attention, apathy;
Allergy;
Increased blood pressure.

The list of contraindications is individual; before prescribing the drug, a doctor’s consultation is necessary. The most important are pregnancy and lactation, liver and kidney diseases. It is not recommended to take the drug for a long time; it is advisable to increase the intake gradually so as not to provoke a negative reaction of the body to withdrawal.

The three most popular muscle relaxants are:

Sirdalud is a good drug for eliminating spasms in the legs; the therapeutic effect is observed half an hour after taking the tablet. To prevent recurrence of seizures, it is recommended to take tablets 2 times a day. The average price is 250 rubles;
Mydocalm is a little more expensive than its predecessor, and is often prescribed for muscle cramps. According to the mechanism of action, it is a centrally acting muscle relaxant - it blocks nerve impulses from the central nervous system. Side effects are mild;
Baclofen is similar in effect on seizures to Mydocalm, but begins to act 2 hours after administration. Eliminates cramps, ensures relaxation of peripheral muscles. The cost of the drug is 300 rubles.

You can also use other types of tablets - one of the analogues of muscle relaxants is No-shpa, but its effectiveness on the effects of skeletal muscles has not been clinically proven.

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Popular muscle relaxants for seizures

Special anticonvulsants

This is a special group of drugs used not only to eliminate leg cramps. They are usually used to treat epileptic spasms complicating the underlying disease.

Attention!

If classical spasms require an effect on the muscles, then these tablets affect the central nervous system and are prescribed under the strict supervision of the attending physician.

Typically, such treatment is carried out in conjunction with nootropics (Piracetam, Glycine) to improve the functioning of the nervous system and reduce the manifestations of complications. There are a lot of side effects, especially due to overdose.

The most popular drugs in this group:

Acetazolamide - prescribed for reflex spasms, eliminates spasms within 7-10 days. In case of overdose, it can provoke urolithiasis and dehydration;
Carbamazepine – prescribed for central convulsions, contraindicated for peripheral spasms. Has many side effects;
Clonazepam has a wide range of effects and can be taken by children under the supervision of a physician. Side effects include behavioral disorders and mental disorders;
Ethosuximide is often prescribed by a doctor in the absence of generalized epilepsy attacks. It eliminates minor cramps well, negatively affects the blood, the condition of the kidneys, liver and heart.

Special anticonvulsants are prescribed according to doctor's indications, when it turns out that the cause of seizures is not trophic muscle disorders.

Special anticonvulsants