Pentoxi is a medication that works by improving the flow of blood. This helps the blood carry oxygen to your tissues and organs.
It is used to treat a condition called intermittent claudication. This is when your legs hurt because your blood vessels are blocked. This medication can improve symptoms by making your blood flow better, but it needs to be taken multiple times a day.
Indications
Pentoxi is a prescription medication used to treat some immune-mediated conditions that affect the blood vessels. This includes, but is not limited to, ear margin dermatitis and cutaneous lupus in dogs and navicular disease in horses.
The pharmacological action of pentoxi is largely related to its cytokine-lowering properties. It suppresses the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-1 beta. It is also an inhibitor of a cAMP-phosphodiesterase enzyme that produces inflammatory molecules. It is often used as an off-label treatment for skin and blood vessel diseases in dogs, cats and horses.
It is also commonly used as an adjunctive treatment in patients with ocular herpes, which may help reduce eyelid swelling and the appearance of corneal ulcers. It has been also shown to improve blood flow to the retina of the eye and has a positive effect on reducing the inflammation caused by ocular herpes infections.
This drug has been also studied as an adjunctive therapy for endotoxemia, laminitis, and navicular disease in horses. It has also been used to increase microcirculation to the foot to improve healing in navicular disease.
For this indication, it is usually given as a tablet or film-coated capsule. The usual dosage is 400 mg 3 times daily. However, if adverse effects become troublesome, the dose can be reduced to 400 mg twice a day.
Using pentoxi with antihypertensive drugs should be carefully monitored because it may potentiate the effect of these medications. Dosage reductions should be made if the combination causes a decrease in blood pressure or worsens side effects such as dizziness or lightheadedness.
In veterinary medicine, pentoxi is often used off label for treating navicular disease in horses and ear margin dermatitis in dogs. It is also frequently used in combination with glucocorticoids to control vasculitis in dogs.
It is a synthetic xanthine derivative that differs from the methylxanthine derivatives theophylline and caffeine in structure. It is metabolised by the liver into 5-oxohexyl and 3-oxohexadien-1-one. The resulting compounds are excreted by the kidneys and less than 5% by feces.
It is a safe and usually well-tolerated drug, but major clinical trials of adequate statistical power are needed to determine whether it has utility as a cardiovascular protector. Studies evaluating hard end points such as ischemic heart disease, stroke/transient ischaemic attack and systolic heart failure would be particularly valuable.
Dosage
Pentoxi is an anti-inflammatory drug that reduces inflammation by decreasing cytokine production and inhibiting the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. It is used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and other conditions associated with inflammation of the joints and muscles.
It may also be used to treat inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The dosage of this drug is determined by the condition being treated and the patient’s age, weight, and medical history.
The dose is usually 400 mg orally three times per day with meals to minimize gastrointestinal irritation. For patients with renal or liver dysfunction, the dose should be reduced to 400 mg once a day. In these cases, the medication is given after hemodialysis sessions.
In the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD), it helps by decreasing the “stickiness” (viscosity) of blood, which allows it to pass through arteries more easily and to deliver oxygen to the muscles. This decreases pain and improves mobility in patients with PAD.
Studies show that this drug is devoid of mutagenic activity in various strains of Salmonella and in cultured mammalian cells. In addition, it does not appear to increase the risk of nephrotoxicity in patients with end-stage kidney disease.
It is a sulfonamide antibiotic that has been found to reduce the number of bacteria in the body and may help reduce the rate of infection. It is used in the treatment of a wide range of infections and has been shown to reduce the severity of sepsis, including meningitis, encephalitis, and urinary tract infections.
This drug is administered orally and is absorbed rapidly, completely, and effectively. It is available as a sustained-release tablet. The peak plasma concentration is two to three hours after oral administration.
When used with other drugs, this drug may interact with vitamin K antagonists. If this occurs, the drug should be discontinued immediately.
Pentoxifylline is metabolized by the enzyme CYP1A2 to metabolites M1 and M6. These metabolites can cause GI and allergic reactions in some patients. They are also thought to be responsible for some side effects of pentoxifylline such as nausea and vomiting.
Side Effects
Pentoxi is a medication used to treat a condition called intermittent claudication, which is pain in your legs caused by blockages in your blood vessels. It works by improving blood flow and reducing the amount of thick blood in your blood vessels, which reduces pain and improves function. It is available as an extended-release tablet that needs to be taken three times a day with meals.
Taking pentoxi with other medications that affect your blood vessels, such as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and anticoagulants like warfarin (Coumadin), may cause bleeding problems. Tell your provider if you have any signs of bleeding, such as blood in your urine or stool or unexplained bruising.
This medicine can also interact with certain drugs that lower your blood pressure, such as ACE inhibitors or a diuretic. Taking this medication with these medicines can cause low blood pressure, which can result in a serious medical problem. If you take these medicines together, your doctor may adjust the dose of pentoxi or change the other medicine.
Your doctor should check your blood pressure and heart rate regularly during treatment. He should also check your kidney and liver function. If your kidney or liver function is low, your doctor may need to increase the dose of this medicine.
If you have diabetes, tell your doctor before starting treatment with pentoxi. This medicine can cause low blood sugar levels and a risk of hypoglycemia. Contact your doctor if you have low blood sugar levels, especially if you experience unusual drowsiness or confusion.
Pentoxi can cause swelling or tingling of your skin and lips, which can be painful. It can also make it hard to breathe, which can be dangerous. You may need to stop using this medicine if you have a swelling of your face, hands or feet that does not go away.
You should not take pentoxi if you are allergic to it or if you have a liver or kidney disease. You should also tell your doctor if you have an allergy to any other xanthines, such as theophylline.
Precautions
Pentoxifylline is used to treat pain caused by poor blood circulation in the legs (eg, shin splints). It works by increasing the flow of blood through the vessels. This improves your ability to walk and reduces the pain.
The usual dose is 400 mg twice a day taken after meals. Your doctor may adjust the dose as needed. This medication comes in a bright pink, capsule-shaped, biconvex, film-coated, sustained-release tablet.
It is available in the United States under the brand name Trental. It is also sold as a generic drug.
Some medicines can interact with this medicine and cause serious side effects. This is why it is important to tell your doctor about all of the products you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
If your doctor prescribes this medication together with other medicines, he or she will make sure that the right combination is used and that there are no negative interactions between them. Other precautions include not using this medication with alcohol and avoiding certain foods, which can interfere with the effectiveness of the medication.
For more information on the precautions associated with pentoxi use, see the “Drug Precautions” section below.
Compared with placebo, pentoxifylline improved pain-free walking distance (PFWD) in 17 studies and total walking distance (TWD) in 14 studies (low-certainty evidence). It also decreased ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) (moderate-certainty evidence) and was not associated with adverse events in these studies.
However, these effects occurred more often in older adults than in younger people. Therefore, it is not recommended for this medication to be used in children.
The FDA has not evaluated the safety of this medication in pregnant women. The drug can be habit forming and should not be given to a pregnant woman, even if she is experiencing the same symptoms as the mother.
This drug should not be used in patients who are allergic to pentoxifylline or any of its ingredients. If you have an allergy to pentoxifylline or any other ingredient, stop taking this medicine and call your doctor immediately.
