Legalon

Legalon is a herbal medicine; its active ingredient is a dry extract obtained from the fruits of milk thistle.

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Indications Legalona

It is used for the following disorders and diseases:

• in periods after hepatitis of a toxic or infectious nature, as well as liver injuries;
• drug-induced or toxic (this includes alcohol-induced) liver damage;
• chronic hepatitis of various origins;
• liver diseases that have a metabolic-dystrophic form of development (including fatty hepatosis);
• liver cirrhosis (long-term use of drugs slows down the progression of the disease);
• pathologies affecting the gallbladder and biliary tract (may have different origins);
• pancreatitis in the chronic stage or in periods after suffering from the acute form of this disease;
• disorders of fat metabolism, atherosclerosis and hyperlipoproteinemia (after long-term treatment, the spread of these disorders slows down).

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Release form

The medicinal substance is released in capsules of 70 or 140 mg, with 10 pieces in a package. A box contains 2, 3 or 6 such cell packages.

It can also be sold in the form of dragees, in the amount of 20 pieces per plate.

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Pharmacodynamics

The drug has the following therapeutic properties:

• hepatoprotective – prevents the destruction of hepatocytes and toxic effects on them;
• regenerating – helps restore liver cells;
• detoxifying – removes toxins from the liver, as well as free radicals (antioxidant effect);
• anti-inflammatory – suppresses inflammation occurring inside the liver.

Silymarin, which is a component of milk thistle fruit extract, is an antioxidant compound of plant origin that has a healing effect on the liver. Milk thistle contains a large number of bioactive components, including several types of silymarin, as well as silibinin (an isomer of silymarin); they have hepatoprotective activity.

The effect of silymarin and its isomers is based on the antioxidant activity of these components. They inhibit lipid peroxidation, thereby preventing the destruction of hepatocyte membranes. The effect of silymarin helps restore hepatocytes by activating the activity of intracellular enzymes. The element stimulates the processes of intracellular formation of phospholipids with proteins, which are the main components of cell walls. Strengthening these walls helps to preserve and quickly restore the activity of hepatocytes.

The active element prevents the penetration of certain hepatotoxic poisons (for example, the poison of the death cap) into hepatocytes. At the same time, silymarin inhibits the formation of PG - the main elements of inflammation processes (has anti-inflammatory activity).

Mineral components (selenium with magnesium and potassium with copper), tocopherols and unsaturated fatty acids, which are contained in milk thistle fruits, are capable of restoring cellular metabolism. The latter enhance the oxidation of cholesterol, thereby preventing the development of atherosclerosis.

The bioactive components of the medicinal plant have a positive effect on digestion, the gastrointestinal tract and the processes of bile formation.

The therapeutic cycle using Legalon leads to an improvement in health (reduction of pain in the right hypochondrium, epidermal itching, vomiting, feeling of weakness and appetite disorder) in people with liver diseases. At the same time, the results of laboratory tests examining liver function also improve.

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Pharmacokinetics

It is impossible to fully determine how the drug moves inside the body, because it contains too many bioactive components. But it has been found that when the drug is taken orally, the intraplasmic Cmax indicator is recorded after 0.5 hours.

Most of the drug is excreted with bile in the form of metabolic products. Maximum excretion with bile is noted after 120 minutes. When entering the intestinal microflora environment, almost half of the silymarin excreted with bile is reabsorbed inside the intestine.

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Dosing and administration

The pills with capsules are taken orally, swallowed whole and washed down with plain water. The use of the medicine is not tied to food intake. The size of the dosage portion, the frequency of use per day and the duration of the therapeutic cycle are selected by the attending physician, taking into account the age and condition of the patient.

Use of 70 mg capsules.

Take 1-2 capsules 2-3 times a day. If the therapy lasts for a long time, it is enough to take the medicine 2 times a day.

Children, taking into account the age group and health condition, take 0.5-1 capsule of the drug 3 times a day. If the course is longer, the medicine should be used in the same portion, 2 times a day.

Use of 140 mg capsules.

It is necessary to use 1 capsule of the medicine 2-3 times a day. During a long cycle, the medicine is taken twice a day.

Typically, therapy lasts at least 3 months, but this period may be longer.

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Use Legalona during pregnancy

There is no information regarding the safety and effectiveness of the drug in pregnant or breastfeeding women, which is why it is not prescribed to these categories of patients.

Contraindications

Contraindicated for use in people with severe intolerance to the components of the medication.

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Side effects Legalona

The drug is tolerated quite well by patients. Of the negative symptoms, the development of a slight laxative effect is noted sporadically.

Interactions with other drugs

The drug has good compatibility with other therapeutic agents. But it is necessary to take into account information about the antagonist reaction in relation to individual drugs - yohimbine (used for impotence), as well as phentolamine (an agent from the category of adrenergic blockers, which has a vasodilating effect on peripheral vessels).

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Storage conditions

Legalon must be stored in a place closed to small children and sunlight. Temperature indicators - maximum 30°C.

Shelf life

Legalon can be used within a 5-year period from the date of production of the therapeutic drug.

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Application for children

There is only limited information regarding the use of Legalon in pediatrics (under 12 years of age), which is why it is not used for this group of patients.

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Analogues

Analogues of the substance are various drugs:

• herbal remedies – Liv 52 and Apkosul;
• medicines with an animal base - Erbisol or Sirepar;
• medicines containing essential phospholipids – Lioliv with Essentiale, Livolin Forte with Lipofen and Lipin;
• substances that contain amino acids - Hepasteril B, Citrarginine with Ademetionine, as well as Methionine, Lecithin and Ornithine with Glutargin;
• Synthetic drugs – Zixorin, Antral and Thiotriazolin;
• homeopathic preparations – Chole-gran with Galstena, Hepel and Hepar Compositum.

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