Dimexide is a highly active anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antimicrobial drug for local use. Designed to relieve painful symptoms and treat a wide range of skin diseases, musculoskeletal system, suppress inflammatory and purulent processes, pain in joints, bone and soft tissues.
Many times increases the therapeutic effect of medicinal solutions and ointments with combined use.
Material Content:
Forms of release, composition and indications for use
Dimexide is produced by various pharmaceutical companies in two forms:
- Liquid concentrate 99 and 100%. It is a yellowish oily liquid with a barely noticeable garlic odor, intended for the preparation of therapeutic solutions by dilution in different proportions. It is bottled in 100 ml tinted glass bottles containing 99 or 100 ml of undiluted active substance. Even in pharmacies, you can find containers from 40 to 120 ml.
- Colorless transparent gel 25% in a tube of plastic or aluminum with a volume of 30 g. 0.25 g of the treatment component is in one gram of gel. In addition, the composition of Dimexide in this form includes auxiliary emulsifiers and preservatives.
The treating base in both forms of the drug is dimexide in the form of an organic compound-solvent of dimethyl sulfoxide.
Dimethyl sulfoxide has valuable healing properties:
- destroys pathogenic microbes;
- weakens soreness (local pain relief);
- relieves swelling;
- enhances microcirculation in the local area, eliminating congestion and helping resorption of hematomas;
- accelerates the healing of damage to tissues;
- improves the course of metabolic processes in the focus of inflammation;
- helps to dissolve the formed blood clots and prevents their appearance, preventing platelets (blood cells) from forming clots;
- is introduced into the cell membrane of bacteria, weakening their resistance to antibiotics.
The most important property of Dimexidum is its ability to dissolve various drugs in itself, then quickly and actively penetrate the thickness of tissues and transport dissolved medicinal substances to the pathological focus.
Due to this quality, gel and drug concentrate are very often used, combining it with other pharmaceuticals (antibiotics, iodine, glucose, heparin, glucocorticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs like Diclofenac).
Moreover, Dimexidum does not change the pharmacological properties of these drugs, but only strengthens them, since they directly get to a painful place without undergoing treatment in the digestive organs. Liquid formulations with dimexide are used by both doctors to prepare medicinal solutions for electrophoresis, and patients themselves during home treatment, preparing tinctures and lotions.
Dimexidum gel and liquid concentrate are prescribed both as a single agent and in combination with other medications to relieve inflammatory and pain manifestations, resolve infiltrates, and inhibit microbial activity in the treatment of a wide range of pathologies.
These include:
- traumatic injuries, including sprains, bruises, dislocations;
- hematomas, infiltrates (accumulation in lymph tissues, cell fragments, blood) of infectious and traumatic origin;
- rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation of the tendon sheath, synovial sac, radiculitis, ankylosing spondylitis, infectious myositis, deforming osteoarthritis, lesions of the lumbosacral plexus;
- purulent wounds, thermal and chemical burns, panaritium;
- erysipelas, dermatitis, furunculosis, eczema, ulcers, pustular rashes;
- limited scleroderma;
- erythema nodosum, discoid lupus erythematosus;
- thrombophlebitis (dissolves blood clots);
- trigeminal inflammation;
- articular contractures (stiffness);
- keloid scars;
- preservation of skin grafts (in plastic surgery);
- periodontitis, inflammation of the salivary glands, pulpitis.
Dimethyl sulfoxide does not accumulate in the blood and tissues, despite the very rapid penetration into them. It is removed from the body with urine and partially with exhaled air.
Instructions for use, method of use for children and adults
Both treatment forms are used only externally, avoiding contact with the stomach and conjunctiva of the eyes.
Dimexide gel can be used immediately, and the concentrate is used exclusively in diluted form. It is diluted with water to obtain a medicinal solution for compress, lotions or rinses in the required concentration.
Pure undiluted Dimexide can cause severe chemical burns. The average duration of treatment is 10-14 days, unless the doctor has given other instructions.
Gel Dimexidum
The gel is prescribed to patients from 12 years old in accordance with the indications. The medication is applied to the site of the lesion with a thin layer 2-3 times a day, easily rubbing. A concentration of 25% allows you to use it on sensitive areas of the face, chest, neck.
The maximum analgesic effect (anesthesia) is recorded after 2-6 hours, when the content of the treating substance in the tissues reaches a maximum.
If the patient has severe pain, a noticeable inflammatory tissue infiltration with bruises, eczema or streptoderma, it is advisable to switch to treatment with Dimexidum concentrate diluted to 40–80%.
Solution concentrate
Liquid 99-100% drug concentrate is used in the form of lotions, compresses, rinses.
In a diluted solution of the desired concentration, gauze or cotton napkins are impregnated and applied to the focus of pain and inflammation for 15-30 minutes. If a compress is needed, then a wet towel is covered with polyethylene or parchment paper, wrapped with cotton and cotton cloth on top.
More often Dimexide is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3 or 1: 4).
But often, experts recommend diluting Dimexidum for compress in other concentrations.
| Diseases | Diluted Percentage | In parts, the amount of dimexide to the volume of water |
|---|---|---|
| arthrosis, arthritis | 30, 25 or 20% | 3:7, 1:3, 1:4 |
| erysipelas, trophic ulcers | 30, 40, 50% | 3:7, 2:3, 1:1 |
| eczema | 40, 50, 70, 90% | 2:3, 1:1, 6:1, 9:1 |
| for pain relief | 25, 40, 50% | 1:3, 2:3, 1:1 |
| ulcers, acne on the face and sensitive areas | 10, 20, 30% | 1:9, 1:4, 3:7 |
| purulent-necrotic cavities, infected wounds, fistulous passages, root canals | 10, 20, 30% | 1:9, 1:4, 3:7 |
In plastic surgery, after operations, 10–20% solution is applied to the areas of transplanted skin (transplants) and bandages are applied until they are fully engrafted.
At home, on the basis of Dimexidum prepare tinctures, ointments, balms for the treatment of a variety of pathologies. At the same time, the medicinal properties of the medication are enhanced by drugs, medicinal herbs and bio-substances, showing excellent therapeutic results.
During pregnancy and lactation
Patients awaiting the appearance of an infant and nursing mothers are prohibited from using Dimexide in any dosage form.
Sometimes with congestion (lactostasis) or inflammation of the mammary glands (mastitis), doctors prescribe compresses with a 20-30% solution, but in this case a woman should, at the time of treatment, transfer the infant to artificial mixtures to prevent the drug from entering the baby’s body with milk or directly from the mother’s skin.
Contraindications and side effects
An anti-inflammatory agent in the form of a gel and concentrate is forbidden to prescribe in the following conditions:
- intolerance to dimethyl sulfoxide and any other components of the medicine;
- cerebral hemorrhage, heart attack;
- coma;
- severe liver, kidney failure;
- the period of gestation and breastfeeding;
- Patient under 12 years of age
- angina pectoris, severe atherosclerosis;
- glaucoma, cataract.
During the treatment with a medication, undesirable reactions can be observed, especially in patients with allergies and special skin sensitivity:
- contact dermatitis;
- pigmentation enhancement;
- allergic rash, itching, red edema spots, blisters;
- weak burning and excessive dryness of the skin;
- bronchospasm, cough, asthmatic attack (more often in asthmatics).
- nausea provoked by the smell of pharmaceuticals (in a few patients).
If side effects intensify, it is necessary to interrupt therapy.
With the development of allergies, Suprastin, Zodak, Erius, Desloratodine, Loratadine are immediately taken.
If the patient received a burn due to the use of too concentrated a solution, this area is rinsed abundantly with cold running water (up to 5 minutes), the skin is treated with Panthenol with a bandage applied, changing it after 5-6 hours.
It is advisable to test the tolerance before applying the gel and concentrate. To do this, the skin on the inner side of the forearm at the elbow is treated with a gel or 30% Dimexidum solution. If red spots, swelling, rash or itching appear, the medication should not be used.
Drug interaction
Dimexide enhances penetration through the skin and the therapeutic effect of medicines, increases their activity. But in some combinations it enhances toxicity, which must be taken into account.
It is allowed to use together with dimethyl sulfoxide:
- analgin, ketoprofen, diclofenac, butadion, aspirin;
- novocaine, lidocaine;
- ointments Levosin, Levomekol, Heparin, Hepatothrombin;
- aminophylline solution, Ambroxol, Lazolvan;
- iodine, dioxidine, furatsilin;
- glucocorticosteroids - prednisone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone;
- antibiotic agents (chloramphenicol, rifampicin, synthomycin, streptomycin, penicillins);
- antifungal agents (Griseofulvin).
It should be borne in mind that dimethyl sulfoxide enhances the action of insulin, alcohol, and digitalis preparations. Ethyl alcohol slows the removal of the drug from the body.
Anti-inflammatory analogues
There are no synonyms for a medication, namely, drugs with an identical medicinal substance and exactly the same properties. But analogues with a similar therapeutic effect can be considered such medicines as Chlorhexidine, Miramistin, which differ in pronounced antimicrobial activity, but do not have other valuable properties characteristic of Dimexidum.
Dioxidin, Dioxisept are also powerful agents that suppress the aggression of pyogenic bacteria, but do not have a painkiller and anti-inflammatory effect in joint diseases like dimethyl sulfoxide, and do not have its unique ability to dissolve and bring other drugs to the site of inflammation.
When choosing an analogue, one should also take into account that they all have their own specifics of application, limitations and undesirable reactions.
