Optium is a Turkish brand of 2,5-dihydroxy benzene sulfonic acid calcium salt containing 500mg of calcium dobesilate as the active ingredient. Optium is used in the management of microangiopathies in diabetic retinopathy. Microangiopathy (microvascular disease, small vessel disease), or microvascular dysfunction, is a disease of the microvessels, small blood vessels in the microcirculation.
Diabetic microangiopathy most commonly affects the eyes, the kidneys, and the peripheral nerves. According to studies, microangiopathy of the retinal blood vessels—diabetic retinopathy (DR) is among the leading causes of visual loss and the main cause of blindness of the working population in the developed world.
Optium is also used in the management of clinical signs of chronic venous insufficiency in the lower limbs (pain, cramps, paresthesia, edema stasis dermatosis), as an adjuvant in superficial thrombophlebitis, Haemorrhoidal syndrome, and microcirculation disorders of arteriovenous origin.
How Optium capsule works
Optium capsules contain calcium dobesilate which acts on the capillary walls by regulating their impaired physiological flexibility, inhibits platelet hyper-aggregation and in diabetic retinopathy, it reduces plasma and blood hyperviscosity, thus improving blood rheological properties and tissue irrigation. These effects allow to correct capillary dysfunctions either of functional origin or caused by constitutional or acquired metabolic disorders. Calcium dobesilate contributes to reducing edema.
How is Optium capsule taken?
The standard dose of Optium capsule is 500 to 1000 mg – 1 capsule once or twice a day – to be taken with the main meals. Treatment duration, which is generally between a few weeks and several months, depends on the disease and its evolution. Dosage should be adapted individually according to the severity of the case.
Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take amlodipine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
What happens if I overdose on Optium capsules?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. The clinical signs of a possible overdosage are not known.
Who should not take Optium capsules?
You should avoid Optium if you have any hypersensitivity towards calcium dobesilate and or / sulfites.
Can a pregnant woman take an Optium capsule?
Optium should be avoided during pregnancy because studies on pregnant women or animals are not available. As it is not known whether calcium dobesilate crosses the placental barrier in humans, the drug should only be administered if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the unborn child.
Can breastfeeding women take Optium capsules?
No, calcium dobesilate the active ingredient in Optium enters the maternal milk in very low quantities (0.4 µg/ml after intake of 3 x 500mg). As a precaution, either the treatment or the breastfeeding should be stopped.
What are the side effects of Optium capsules?
Optium capsules can cause side effects which can include:
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Skin reactions
- Fever
How to manage Optium capsules side effects
In case of gastrointestinal disorders, the dosage should be reduced or the treatment is temporarily withdrawn. In case of skin reactions and fever, the treatment must be stopped and the treating physician informed as this may constitute an allergic reaction.
Optium tablets contain sodium bisulfite as antioxidant which may cause allergic reactions, nausea and diarrhea in predisposed patients. These allergic reactions may lead to anaphylactic shock and life-threatening asthma attacks. The prevalence in the general population is not known, but is probably low. However, sulfite hypersensitivity is observed more frequently in asthmatics than in non-asthmatics. In case of hypersensitivity reactions, the intake of Optium tablets must be stopped immediately.
What drugs can interact with Optium capsules?
No interaction is known up to now.
