Stressful situations in everyday life – is there a way out of the maze?

Corvalol

Corvalol has long been not just a medicine, but an element of a subculture for older people, which is as integral an attribute of their lives as a cup of tea with their favorite TV series. Its moderate sedative effect allows the drug to be used as a sedative for sleep disorders, increased irritability and neuroses, and the vasodilating effect helps to correct functional abnormalities of the cardiovascular system. Corvalol is also a mild antispasmodic, the action of which, however, is quite sufficient to relieve intestinal spasms. Corvalol contains three pharmacologically active components, each of which has its own exclusive role. Ethyl ester of alpha-bromoisovaleric acid (ethylbromoisovalerianate), by analogy with the effect of valerian, has a sedative and antispasmodic effect. This therapeutically significant “doublet” is based on irritation of receptors, primarily in the nasopharynx and oral cavity, suppression of reflex sensitivity in the central parts of the nervous system and effects on nerve cells and subcortical structures of the brain in terms of suppressing the conduction of nerve impulses. Under the influence of ethylbromoisovalerate, the activity of central vasomotor areas also decreases and an antispasmodic effect is noted on smooth muscles. Phenobarbital, being a psychotropic substance, potentiates the sedative effect of other components of the drug, reduces excitation of the central nervous system and facilitates falling asleep.

Peppermint oil has a reflex vasodilating, antispasmodic, disinfecting effect, and facilitates the discharge of bile. Peppermint can be an active player in the pharmacological arena due to its “technical and tactical” characteristics, including the ability to irritate the so-called “cold” receptors concentrated in the oral mucosa, as well as to reflexively increase the lumen of blood vessels, especially the heart and brain. In addition to this, mint eliminates the phenomena of increased gas formation, stimulating intestinal motility due to irritation of receptors densely dotting the mucous membrane of the digestive tract.

Corvalol is available in two dosage forms: the incomparably more popular drops and tablets. The dosage of Corvalol is determined by the doctor individually for each specific patient. The drug should be taken, both in drops and tablets, before meals. The drops are pre-dissolved in a small (20-30 ml) amount of water. The frequency of administration is 2-3 times a day. If there is a history of palpitations, the single dose may be higher. According to general recommendations, children, depending on age and existing abnormalities, are prescribed from 3 to 15 drops (tablets are not intended for children). The duration of use of Corvalol is also determined by the doctor. Considering the presence of a psychotropic substance in the drug, excessive amateur activity in relation to taking Corvalol is strictly contraindicated.

Corvalol - depression drops

Everyone knows about the wonderful properties of this medicine. It saves from grief, heals the heart, soothes pain, and conquers insomnia... Dear Russians spend more than a billion rubles a year on Corvalol, although this medicine still costs a penny even today. What is so magical about these old drops?

Two years ago, unrest among pensioners almost began in the country. The reason was the appearance in pharmacies of some cities of notices that the drugs Corvalol and Valocordin would soon be available only by prescription. Citizens began to buy bottles of drops for future use, a week's supplies were swept away in a matter of hours and demanded more, huge queues appeared in pharmacies...

Serious consequences were averted only after Health Minister Tatyana Golikova, senior officials of the State Drug Control Service, St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matvienko and State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov assured the people that there would be no such changes and that their favorite medications would continue to be available without prescriptions. Negligent medical officials were made guilty.

By the way, the initiative to add these drops to the list of potent drugs that can be sold only with a special prescription was taken by the Federal Drug Control Service itself. And there was such a resolution. Because the drops actually contain a drug that is recognized everywhere in the world as a hard drug. It is called phenobarbital or luminal.

Take it from your brother

Luminal production began in Germany in 1912. And until the 50s, it remained the most popular sedative (sedative) in Europe, and possibly in the world. It relieved spasms in epileptics, it was taken for insomnia, and ladies calmed their delicate nerves. The drug had many contraindications, it could accumulate in the body, and suicides fell in love with Luminal as a reliable way to sum up a failed life.

Perhaps that is why the Germans were looking for an opportunity to reduce the harm from luminal while maintaining its beneficial properties. And in 1934, in pre-war Germany, valocordin was created - a composition of phenobarbital, hop and mint cone oil and a bromine compound with valeric acid. All these components had the ability to calm, dilate blood vessels, relieve spasms, give sleep...

After the war, in the 50s, the production of valocordin was restored in the GDR. Apparently, in difficult times, when millions of people were still recovering from the stresses of wartime, it enjoyed great success, which did not pass the attention of Soviet pharmacologists. And in 1960, at the Kiev Pharmaceutical Plant named after. Mikhail Lomonosov, without further ado, began to produce an analogue - the well-known Corvalol. True, they actually reported that the author of the drops was their chief technologist. Perhaps it was he who excluded hop cone oil from the recipe of his brothers in the socialist camp, so that it would not look like a completely banal theft.

Plant named after Lomonosov, created in 1925, was one of the first enterprises in the Soviet pharmaceutical industry. He is known for the fact that in 1937 (what a wonderful coincidence!) he developed the industrial production of validol, and having evacuated to Kazan in 1941, he established there the production of the powerful anesthetic drug chlorethyl and streptocide, which was used very widely before the era of antibiotics. Both were worth their weight in gold in those years. Today the plant has turned into the private JSC Farmak, having lost the glorious name of the first Russian chemist on the way to capitalism. The controlling stake is owned by Ms. Filya Zhebrovskaya, who, as usual, is a former financial director. But Corvalol is still produced here and is even called “the face of our Crevel Meuselbach GmbH” produces it exclusively for the countries of the former USSR and the former socialist camp.

Made from what was

And now I’ll reveal the second terrible secret of Corvalol. The mysterious compound of bromine with valeric acid - scientifically ethyl bromoisovalerate - is obtained from raw materials that are not talked about in polite society. And, perhaps, many principled citizens, having learned about it, would not drop the usual sedative into a glass of water. Because they get it from fusel milk - from alcohol production waste.

Fusel, or fusel oils, is what gives an unpleasant taste and smell to bad moonshine and low-quality vodka. It consists of a mixture of higher alcohols - isoamyl, isobutyl and propyl. The latter, it seems to me, is just asking for a vodka label. The raw material for Corvalol obtained from this hellish mixture was not pure enough, which caused many side effects. Therefore, in the 90s of the last century at the Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis named after. Topchiev, by order from above, managed to come up with a simple and reliable way to obtain highly purified raw materials for Corvalol based on isobutylene gas.

“They became interested in our method at a chemical plant in Perm,” Natalya Kolesnichenko, one of the co-authors of the patent, the institute’s chief researcher, told Izvestia. “But perestroika gradually turned into devastation; no money was given for the industrial development of the method. And now many of those who invented it have gone to another world. Partly because they turned out to be unclaimed in the new era.

So grandmothers still calm down with their favorite fusel-based Corvalol. But that's not all.

30 drops for fear

And now the most amazing secret of Corvalol. It lies in the fact that it does not cure anything, like many popular drugs in Russia. Well, that is, just nothing - no heart, no renal colic, no liver, no insomnia. But it calms down and thereby relieves what was previously called “hypochondriacal syndrome”, but now they prefer to cleverly call it “somatoform autonomic dysfunction”.

Translated into common language, this means: disturbances in the functioning of some organs (for example, heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, etc.) or systems (for example, nervous), caused by stress, depression, anxiety, etc. P. That is, the heart hurts not because something is wrong in it, but because it is scary, lonely, sad and there is no one to give a hand to... And drinking these drops for a real disease of the heart, liver, kidneys or soul is as useless as drink plain water. But if you drink them for years to calm down, the effect gradually decreases, and you have to drip more and more into the glass.

A cardiologist I know told me that sometimes patients come to see him and drink a whole bottle of Corvalol at a time without any results. But in fact, for a long time and seriously, they need to treat their heart with completely different medications. But convincing of this can be difficult. Because they have already developed a drug addiction to their favorite medicine.

On hook

If you try to take a bottle of Corvalol with you on a European tour, you could easily be accused of importing a narcotic substance. With prolonged use, it not only worsens the functioning of the liver, kidneys and other important organs, but also weakens memory and even leads to depression. But if a person is used to taking 15-30 ml of the drug per day, then abrupt withdrawal will make it even worse. Persistent insomnia, anxiety, and hallucinations reminiscent of “delirium tremens” occur.

Ethyl bromoisovalerate also has its own “charms”. It accumulates in the body and leads to chronic bromine poisoning. And it causes respiratory diseases, allergies, sexual dysfunction, chronic pain and much more.

In Russia, no one has ever tried to conduct a real study of the effect of Corvalol on the health of older people. If someone dares, I think they will definitely discover all these systemic effects. And he will also discover that many pensioners have no other option than to treat their numerous illnesses with Corvalol and similar symptomatic medications. And these are not only medical problems, but also social ones. It is no coincidence that, with the mere threat of losing their usual sedative, they were ready to storm pharmacies, and not only pharmacies.

During the year, Russian citizens consume more than 70 million vials of Corvalol and approximately 9 million of Valocordin. It is difficult to calculate the volumes, since the bubbles are different: from 15 to 50 ml. But on average this is about 40 railway tanks of 60 tons each. And this is a symptom not only for doctors, but also for politicians and social workers: Russians do not treat illnesses, anxiety and mental ill-being, but bury them.

Literature:

1. Adverse reactions when using valerian and corvalol preparations: analysis of spontaneous reports / Morokhina S.L., Alyautdin R.N., Kaperko D.A., Shubnikova E.V., Snegireva I.I., et al. / 2021 / Safety and the risk of pharmacotherapy.
2. Problems of drug interactions in the treatment of patients with arterial hypertension / Pyrochkin V. M., Snezhitsky V. A., Mironchik E. V., Zaretsky P. L. / 2008 / Journal of the Grodno State Medical University.
3. Modern medicines. From A to Z: your home pharmacy / [comp. I. A. Koreshkin]. - Moscow: OLMA Media Group, 2009. - 766 p.

Is it possible to drink Corvalol after a binge?

People with alcohol addiction often take Corvalol when binge drinking to quickly eliminate the signs of a hangover and acute intoxication. The medicine helps you sleep, get rid of irritability, lowers blood pressure, and relieves chest discomfort.

But doctors do not recommend drinking Corvalol after a binge. The drug is not compatible with alcohol. Use may increase signs of intoxication. With prolonged treatment, it becomes addictive and cross-dependence is formed.

To avoid the development of dangerous consequences, you need to know how to take Corvalol after binge drinking. The minimum break between taking alcohol and taking medication should be at least 24 hours. But the safe period is 6 days. The recommended dosages must not be exceeded. Drops act faster than tablets, but the pharmacological action and severity of negative reactions do not depend on the form of release.