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Heart hypotension can be as serious as high blood pressure. Levonor helps restore normal blood pressure in people with severe and sudden hypotension of the heart muscle.
Levonor – drug action and availability
Levonor is available to the patient on prescription. It is sold in packs containing 10 ampoules of 1 ml or 5 ampoules of 4 ml. The active substance of the preparation is norepinephrine in the form of norepinephrine tartrate. It stimulates α- and β-adrenergic receptors in the heart muscle and in the vascular system. Noradrenaline increases systolic and diastolic blood pressure by stimulating the heart, increasing its contractile strength and increasing peripheral resistance.
Levonor – indications
By its action strongly stimulating the work of the heart muscle and increasing blood pressure, Levonor is used in situations of a sudden drop in blood pressure. The preparation is used in life-threatening situations in order to restore the proper level of blood pressure.
Levonor – contraindications
The drug is not intended for use in children. Levonor should not be used in the following cases:
- the patient is hypersensitive to noradrenaline or any other ingredients of the preparation,
- a patient after a heart attack has very low blood pressure,
- you suffer from Prinzmetal’s angina (a type of angina),
- the patient has a thrombotic disease (e.g. in the heart, intestines),
- some inhalation drugs (halothane, cyclopropane) are administered simultaneously,
- you are hypoxic or have excess carbon dioxide in your blood.
The leaflet attached to the medicine states that if the patient is in a life-threatening condition, there are no absolute contraindications for the application of the drug.
Levonor – precautions
The drug strongly stimulates the work of the heart, therefore, when using it, the doctor should take special precautions, especially when it comes to administering the drug to elderly patients. Levonor can be used in adequately hydrated patients. The agent contained in the drug – sodium metabisulphate – can sensitize and even cause an anaphylactic reaction with a threat to life. Special precautions must be taken in people treated with MAO inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants.
Levonor leaflet – side effects
After administration of the drug, blood pressure may rise excessively, which may translate into headache, peripheral tissue ischemia, gangrene of the limbs, and bradycardia. In addition, patients may develop cardiac arrhythmias. Prolonged exposure to the drug may reduce the plasma volume.
Levonor – dosage of the drug
Levonor is administered intravenously by a doctor. The dosage of the drug is selected by the doctor individually and strictly depends on the health condition of the patient. The patient’s blood pressure during treatment with Levonor must be constantly monitored. At the beginning, the patient is administered 0,4 to 0,8 mg of the active ingredient per hour. The infusion rate and the dose are dependent on the change in blood pressure.