Because the drug alprostadil has vasodilatory and circulatory effects, it is mainly used for three conditions: erectile dysfunction, chronic arterial occlusive disease, and in neonatal emergency medicine. The side effects associated with the administration of this drug depend on the health problem for which it is used.
What is alprostadil?
Alprostadil – https://alprostadil.org is a preparation that is supposed to increase blood flow and cause dilation of blood vessels to ensure better blood circulation. Alprostadil is a preparation which is supposed to increase the blood flow and cause a dilation of the blood vessels in order to ensure a better blood circulation. This active ingredient is mainly used in angiology. This is a branch of internal medicine that deals primarily with vascular diseases. However, because the areas of application overlap between different medical specialties, it is used by a wide range of specialties – from cardiologists to neurological specialists. In some cases, it is also used in emergency medicine, for example, to treat severe heart defects in newborns in the short term. Their condition can be stabilized to a certain degree by the administration of alprostadil.
Pharmacologic Action
Alprostadil is an artificially produced active substance that is very similar to the tissue hormone prostagladin E1. This substance is one of the prostaglandins, which perform a variety of tasks within the organism. Among other things, they influence the dilatation of blood vessels, but also have an effect on inflammation and pain. Furthermore, they act on the muscles of the uterus and cervix, where the contraction of the uterus, often perceived as painful, is caused by prostaglandins. Alprostadil has a relaxing effect on the muscles of the organism that cannot be influenced voluntarily. These include, for example, intestinal and uterine muscles. Because the drug also acts on muscle cells located in the walls of blood vessels, the active ingredient also dilates blood vessels. At the same time, the clumping of blood platelets is prevented, which means that the active ingredient counteracts blood clotting and cannot even dissolve blood clots. As a result of these effects, alprostadil alleviates the discomfort that can be triggered by circulatory disorders and overall facilitates blood flow in large and small blood vessels.
Medicinal use and application
The active ingredient alprostadil has three main indications for use. Predominantly, the drug is used to treat erectile dysfunction. This involves erectile dysfunction, which can have both physical and psychological causes. The active ingredient is either injected into the erectile tissue on the penis or inserted directly into the urethra. To avoid damage to the sensitive tissue, dosage is important in addition to correct application. Patients who regularly self-administer the drug by self-injection must therefore also undergo a medical check-up every three months. Another area of application is the treatment of severe arterial circulatory disorders. In this case, the vessels have usually narrowed as a result of vascular calcification, which in addition to the circulatory disorders can also result in pain and also massively restrict the mobility of those affected. In this case, both kidney function and cardiovascular functions must be monitored during therapy. In emergency medicine, alprostadil is used for a short time, especially for newborns suffering from congenital heart defects or a malformation in the lungs. Because the drug improves oxygen supply, the child’s chances of survival increase.
Risks and side effects
Depending on the problem for which alprostadil is administered, different side effects may occur as a result. Patients in whom erectile dysfunction is treated often complain of pain in the penis. Often there may also be nodule formation in the corpora cavernosa, water retention or redness. Water retention, as well as pain, is common when alprostadil is used to treat chronic arterial occlusive disease.Skin redness and pain may also occur frequently in this case, while sensory disturbances of the affected part of the body, headache or facial redness are also common. If alprostadil is administered in emergency medicine before operations on newborns, it can also lead here to sometimes serious side effects such as severe cardiovascular disorders or shock. Different side effects occur here, however, with varying frequency.
