Sedatives are herbal or synthetic medicines that work to reduce emotional stress and have a sedative effect on the central nervous system without disrupting its basic functions. This is an extensive group of drugs, including more than a hundred names.
Among them, herbal products are considered the safest. Herbal sedatives can be purchased at the pharmacy freely, without a doctor's prescription, while stronger sedatives cannot be bought just like that, they must be prescribed by a specialist strictly according to indications.
In modern society, a person is daily exposed to pressure, experiences nervous tension and often cannot cope with negative emotions. Various stressful situations, conflicts at work and at home, insomnia - all this, ultimately, can lead to a nervous breakdown. Sedatives help to cope with the situation, the action of which is aimed at reducing psychoemotional excitability, reducing sensitivity to various stimuli, normalizing the functions of the nervous and cardiovascular system.
The use of sedatives allows you to cope with bouts of irritability, aggressiveness, suppress the excitement of the nervous system, and put the autonomic system in order. Sedatives improve your well-being, reduce tearfulness or anxiety-induced symptoms such as excessive sweating and hand tremors. Additionally, such medications soothe the heartbeat, relieve intestinal spasms, facilitate falling asleep and normalize physiological sleep, without showing a negative effect on the cerebral cortex. Drugs with a sedative effect are widely used in the treatment of various neuroses, neurasthenia, and in combination with other drugs are used to treat hypertension, climacteric manifestations, irritable bowel syndrome or dysfunctions of the cardiovascular system.
Classification
All sedatives can be divided into several main groups:
- herbal products;
- bromides;
- combination drugs;
- synthetic drugs (tranquilizers).
Non-Prescription Sedatives - List
Herbal preparations with a calming effect are as environmentally friendly as possible, safe, do not have a negative effect on internal organs and do not cause dangerous side reactions. Such funds are dispensed from pharmacies without a doctor's prescription. They are prepared on the basis of medicinal herbs with a calming and relaxing effect that are not addictive. These are preparations based on valerian, motherwort, passionflower, St. John's wort. Let's list the most popular and demanded ones:
- valerian extract (tincture, tablets, capsules, tea bags);
- Motherwort (tincture, tablets, herb);
- Motherwort Forte capsules (from Evalar);
- Passion flower-based preparations;
- Lily of the valley-motherwort drops;
- Peony tincture or peony extract (tablets);
- Grain beetle grass;
- Preparations Negrustin, Deprim and Neuroplant (with St. John's wort extract).
Valerian-based preparations are prepared from the leaves, stem and rhizomes of a medicinal plant. Medicines quickly reduce nervous excitability, relieve intestinal colic, and normalize sleep. Alcohol tincture of valerian works much more effectively than tablets. Only 40 drops of the drug can have a pronounced sedative effect on a large man suffering from neurasthenia. In addition to the sedative effect, valerian preparations exhibit choleretic and antispasmodic properties.
Sedatives based on passionflower (passionflower) are used as part of the complex treatment of neuroses and neurasthenia. They help to cope with irritability, unfounded fears, obsessive states, facilitate falling asleep and make sleep deep and healthy.
This therapeutic effect is provided by the complex of flavonoids and alkaloids contained in the plant. Additionally, passionflower has a mild anticonvulsant and antispasmodic effect, relieves tremors (tremors of the hands and head), headaches, and relieves menopause.
Sedatives based on motherwort and peony show a pronounced sedative effect, normalize the functions of the vegetative - vascular and nervous system, relieve increased excitability, anxiety, and insomnia. Preparations based on St. John's wort (Negrustin, Neuroplant), in addition to the sedative effect, exhibit antidepressant properties, improve mood, and relieve depression.
Sedatives based on herbal extracts can be bought at any pharmacy, they are quite inexpensive, from 20 to 70 rubles. The only exceptions are tablets and capsules with St. John's wort extract. So the cost of the drug Neuroplant is within 200 rubles, Deprima - from 150 to 240 rubles.
Bromides
Bromides are bromine-based sedatives available in inexpensive potions, tablets, or drops. Their action is aimed at inhibiting excitation processes and reducing nervous tension. The main drugs in this group:
- Potassium bromide solution (can be used in children);
- Bromcamphor (tablets);
- Bromenval (drops);
- Adonis bromine (tablets).
In addition to potassium bromide, Adonis bromine tablets contain a glycoside of the adonis plant and exhibit not only a sedative, but also a cardiostatic effect, quickly cope with heart palpitations in neurotic reactions, and help with vegetative-vascular dystonia.
Bromcamphor tablets show a sedative effect by enhancing the processes of inhibition in the brain, improve cardiac activity, help with sleep disorders, tachycardia, and blood pressure surges. At the same time, such funds should be taken with caution and not exceed the permissible duration of the course of treatment.
Otherwise, an overdose of bromides can provoke allergic reactions, lethargy, drowsiness, disorders of the digestive system, weakening of memory, and skin rashes. The average cost of bromides is from 50 to 100 rubles.
Combined sedatives
The best sedatives are made on the basis of a combination of plant and chemical components that complement and enhance each other's action. Among the combined herbal remedies, the following medicines are especially popular:
Persen (capsules, tablets)
A mild and safe sedative containing a well-chosen combination of valerian, mint and lemon balm. The drug has a pronounced sedative effect, quickly relieves internal stress, irritability, anxiety, and prevents the progression of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Persen helps well with insomnia, speeds up the process of falling asleep and makes sleep deeper. The standard dose of the drug is 1 tablet 2-3 times a day, with an increased level of nervousness, the doctor may increase the amount of the sedative. If Persen is prescribed to combat insomnia, it is enough to take 1 tablet one hour before bedtime.
The drug is well tolerated, but still has a number of contraindications. The sedative should not be taken by children under 12 years of age, with individual intolerance to its components, peptic ulcer and gallstone disease, with hypertension, as well as during pregnancy and lactation. The duration of treatment with a sedative should not exceed two months. Persen's cost varies from 150 to 350 rubles and depends on the dosage and form of release.
Combined herbal preparation with a sedative effect based on guaifenesin and extracts of St. John's wort, valerian, lemon balm, hawthorn, passionflower, hops and elderberry. Guaifenesin works well for increased anxiety, and medicinal herbs provide a calming effect. The drug is released in the form of tablets and a solution (syrup) and is prescribed for mild forms of neurasthenia, overwork, stressful situations, sleep disorders.
In addition, Novo-Passit will help to cope with irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, manifestations of itchy dermatoses caused by psychological problems and climacteric disorders.
Novo - passit is taken before meals, three times a day (1 tablet) or 5 ml (1 scoop) of solution. Among the contraindications to taking a sedative are gastrointestinal diseases in the acute period, liver pathology, head trauma, a tendency to allergic reactions. When taking the drug, side effects may occur - weakness, lethargy, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Therefore, it is recommended to consult a doctor before buying a medication. The cost of Novopassit is from 270 to 380 rubles.
Sedative tablets are made on the basis of lemon balm extract, valerian and ethanol. The drug helps with excessive nervousness and problems with falling asleep. It is recommended to take 2 tablets of Dormiplant before bedtime or the same amount of the drug twice a day to reduce nervous excitability.
The herbal sedative is quite safe, has a minimum of contraindications (children under 6 years of age, pregnancy, lactation, hypersensitivity to the components). Of the side effects, in some cases, the development of allergic reactions is noted.
Liquid sedatives
In this case, sedatives are prepared on the basis of alcohol solutions and released in the form of drops, which must be dissolved in water before taking. In the composition of such preparations, along with herbal components, there are also chemical components.
List of sedative drops:
- Valocordin;
- Corvalol;
- Zelenin drops;
- Valosedan;
- Valoserdin;
- Nervoflux.
Valocordin... This product contains mint and hop oils and chemical components (phenobarbital, ethyl alcohol, etc.). The drug has a sedative and mild hypnotic effect, helps well with cardiac neuroses, unfounded fears, insomnia, excessive irritability.
Corvalol contains phenobarbital and peppermint oil, its therapeutic effect resembles the effect of Valocordin, but is not expressed so strongly. The drug soothes, facilitates falling asleep, reduces the heart rate, relieves intestinal spasms and eases the manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia.
Zelenin drops- a combined remedy consisting of levometol, extracts of lily of the valley, belladonna and valerian. Recommended for use in chronic heart failure, nervous excitability, vegetative-vascular dystonia. Taking drops helps to stabilize the psycho-emotional background and relieve excessive nervous tension. Contraindications to the use of the drug are children's age (up to 18 years), hypersensitivity, pregnancy and lactation, angle-closure glaucoma, brain injury, chronic alcoholism.
Strong sedatives
The most pronounced sedative effects are sedatives, tranquilizers. They belong to psychotropic drugs that are used in many branches of medicine and exhibit powerful sedative, anti-anxiety, anticonvulsant and hypnotic effects. Such funds quickly relieve psycho-emotional stress, suppress fears and eliminate neurotic disorders.
But tranquilizers are dangerous toxic medicines, with a host of side effects and contraindications, which, moreover, can be addictive. Therefore, such drugs can only be prescribed by a neurologist or psychiatrist, and the course of treatment should be under the supervision of a specialist. Medicines of this group are dispensed from pharmacies only with a doctor's prescription. Potent sedatives include:
- Hydroxyzine;
- Buspirone;
- Lorazepam;
- Amitriptyline;
- Bromazepam;
- Diazepam
A separate group is divided into daytime tranquilizers, which have a minimal hypnotic and muscle relaxant effect, but at the same time have a sedative effect and suppress anxiety and nervousness. This group of funds includes Gidazepam, Mebikar, Phenibut, etc. They can be taken in the daytime and at the same time lead a normal life.
From the group of mild daytime tranquilizers, perhaps the only one that can be purchased at the pharmacy freely, without a doctor's prescription. The drug well suppresses unreasonable fears, anxiety, fearfulness, relieves excessive sensitivity and tearfulness, helps relieve tension, cope with the stress factor, and makes it easier to fall asleep.
Taking pills helps to relieve the organic manifestations of nervous disorders (rapid breathing and palpitations, hand tremors, increased sweating, dizziness, intestinal colic). There are few contraindications to the use of this remedy: these are hypersensitivity, childhood, pregnancy and lactation. Of the side effects, in some cases, allergic reactions were noted. The cost of Afobazol is 280 - 320 rubles per pack of 60 tablets.
Other sedatives
This group includes sedatives for the nervous system with a nootropic effect. The most popular of these are Tenoten and Glycine.
- Tenoten- this medication has a direct effect on the central nervous system, improves the emotional background, reduces aggressiveness, relieves stress, helps to cope with stress. In this case, the medication does not cause drowsiness or lethargy. It is recommended for excessive irritability, stress, autonomic disorders, neurosis-like conditions. The tablets are intended for absorption in the oral cavity, they are taken twice a day. The cost of Tenoten is from 160 rubles.
- - a drug, the action of which is aimed at reducing psycho-emotional stress, reducing conflict and aggressiveness. Taking absorbable tablets can improve social adaptation and reduce the severity of autonomic disorders. Glycine helps normalize sleep and makes it easier to fall asleep. During the day, the drug increases mental performance, improves memory, and is also recommended to be taken to restore brain function after a stroke.
List of sedatives for children
Specially designed sedatives are used for children. Most often these are homeopathic medicines or safe herbal medicines. If a child suffers from increased nervous excitability and sleep disturbances, drugs based on motherwort, mint or valerian are traditionally prescribed in the dosage indicated by the doctor.
For especially restless, capricious and hyperactive children in the period of their preparation for kindergarten or school, we recommend the "Bunny" syrup. This is a mild fructose-based sedative that can help relieve anxiety and tension during the early days of your child's community. The preparation is based only on natural plant extracts (chamomile, motherwort, mint, lemon balm, valerian, hawthorn, cumin, barberry) and a complex of vitamins C and B6. The dosage is selected depending on age and is 1-2 tablespoons of syrup three times a day. The drug can be diluted with water or added to other drinks.
When taking any over-the-counter sedatives, it is important to follow a few basic rules:
- Do not use the medicine for more than 2 weeks.
- In the absence of a therapeutic effect for 3 days of regular admission, the medication should be discarded.
- With the appearance of such side effects as a sharp decrease in concentration, dizziness and slowing down of psychomotor reactions, taking the sedative should immediately stop and consult a doctor.
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