Association of People Affected by Drugs of Spain (ADAF) condemned health care for the large number of people seriously affected by Side effects of Nolotil. The group insists that the drug, whose active ingredient is metamizole, is banned in many countries such as France, Britain and Sweden, and that Spain must act accordingly.
However, if the drug is still legal in Spain, it is because among Spaniards the benefits clearly outweigh the risks. The problem is that one of the side effects of Nolotil, called agranulocytosis, is more common among residents of Northern Europe and the UK. It is believed that this may be due to genetic reasons, although these are not entirely clear. What’s happening is that more and more Britons are coming to Spain. tourists or spend yours retirement years. Among them, the number of cases of agranulocytosis is rapidly growing, which naturally causes fear and uncertainty among other consumers.
Let’s see what measures will be taken from outside Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) to respond to demand. ADAF notes that they do not rule out the possibility of requesting a ban on Nolotil. At the very least, they are asking people to stop prescribing it to people in countries where its effects are more serious. And also raise public awareness of its consequences. But if it were banned, would we lose a good tool against pain in a healthcare context?
What is metamizole used for?
Before talking about the side effects of Nolotil, it is important to clearly understand what it is for.
Nolotil is its trade name. The drug in question is metamizole, which belongs to the group non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Its effectiveness against pain is based on prostaglandin inhibitionsubstances with multiple functions that also interfere with inflammatory reactions and pain.
They do this mainly by dilating blood vessels that allow immune cells such as white blood cells to permeate, and by stimulating nerve endings associated with pain. However, this is necessary because pain is a useful response that tells our body that something is wrong and that it should act accordingly. For example, if we did not feel pain when touching a hot iron, we would not let go of it immediately, and the resulting burn would be very serious.
The problem is that this pain is sometimes too severe, so painkillers are needed. This is where metamizole, like other non-steroidal inflammatory drugs, comes into play. They are used in cases sharp pain, never stops chronically. Precisely because the side effects of Nolotil do not allow long-term treatment.
This should not be more than 7 days and is always prescribed by a doctor. This medicine is not available without a prescription, so, at least in Spain, it cannot be bought without a prescription. In this way, cases of agranulocytosis can be avoided as much as possible. As a powerful analgesic, the benefits outweigh the risks if done correctly. But with the changes that the population of Spain is experiencing, everything can change.
The most alarming side effects of Nolotil
Agranulocytosis is a sudden drop in the number of white blood cells in the blood, which promotes the development of infections and can lead to death. sepsis. This is estimated to occur in 1 in 10,000 cases. This is why, if it is necessary to prolong treatment with metamizole, it is usually recommended: analytics regularly to patients.
Now all this applies to the population of Spain. In other countries such as the UK, cases of agranulocytosis are much more often. For this reason, in 2018, a controversy erupted around Nolotil after the death of 10 British tourists who were prescribed the drug in our country.
Cases continued to occur, although perhaps not as suddenly as that year, and the victims’ associations could no longer bear it.
What’s all this for?
It is not known exactly what causes this geographic variation in Nolotil side effects. It is logical to assume that it should be high genetic component, so many studies have been started to provide answers in this direction. Most attention is paid single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. That is, genetic variations in which usually only one of the letters that make up our DNA code changes. It is known that these variations can influence a person’s response to infection or medication and that they often persist in certain parts of the planet.
But there are still no answers. The safety profile of the drug will need to be re-analyzed. Until this is done, Nolotil remains legal as long as it is prescribed by a doctor. In this case, he will take action, and there is nothing to fear. However, it makes sense that if you are experiencing symptoms such as fever, chills, or the sudden onset of mouth ulcers and sore throat, among other symptoms typically associated with decreased defenses, you should Consult your doctor as soon as possible.
Source: Hiper Textual
