Calcium Channel Blocker: Nimotop
Nimotop is a medicine which belongs to a group of pharmacological agents known as calcium channel blockers. It was developed to reduce problems which occur due to lack of oxygen caused by bleeding from a blood vessel in the brain, however, the precise mechanism of action in humans has not been completely studied and remains unknown.
Several studies have been made on animals which showed that nimodipine, the main ingredient in Nimotop, was affecting cerebral arteries more than any other arteries in the body. The scientists say that the reason for this is the high lipophilic nature of the chemical which allows it crossing the blood brain barrier.
There have not been a lot of studies on the effect of Nimotop on human body, but those which took place, had positive results. The medicine is taken by mouth and within the next hour the pills works at its best. After this the effect of Nimotop slowly fades away. This is why it can be taken frequently: every 4 hours. There has not been noticed any accumulation of nimodipine in the body because it goes away with the urine in the form of metabolites.
Nimotop was designed to reduce the severity of neurological deficits which appear due to vasospasm in people who had recent subarachnoid hemorrhage. There have been four independent studies in which patients were taking the pills four times a day for at least 18 days. The studies took place in the U.S., France, the U.K., and Canada. The results showed that Nimotop was effective when the problems were related to the spasm, but did not have any effect if the deficits were not caused by it.
This medicine should be purchased with a prescription only. The patient should consult a doctor before taking Nimotop and follow exact instructions on the right dosage and other important information. The doctor might run some tests and ask questions before prescribing the medicine because Nimotop might interfere with the other medical treatments that the patient might have. Knowing medical history in details will also help the doctor to make the appropriate prescription.
As a rule Nimotop should be taken at least one hour before or two hours after eating. The patient is recommended to avoid having a grapefruit or any grapefruit products while taking the drug. If a dose is missed, the pill should be taken as soon as possible, unless it is close to the time of the next dose. In this case, the missed dose should be skipped.
Nimotop may cause dizziness or lightheadedness; this is why the patients are strictly asked to stay away from driving or operating machinery. Taking other medicines or alcohol might worsen the case.
Other side-effects of the drug are diarrhea, flushing, headache and nausea. If the patient has severe allergy reaction, has bloody or black stools, depression, changes in heartbeat or any other negative health conditions, it is necessary to seek for emergency health care.
