TOP 15 best analogues of the drug Phenazepam: comparison and analysis

Phenazepam is one of the drugs that can have a calming effect on the human central nervous system. In fact, it is a highly active tranquilizer.

A special feature of the drug is its superiority over other tranquilizers due to the strength of its anxiolytic and tranquilizing effects. In addition, the drug performs the following functions:

• anticonvulsant;
• sleeping pills;
• muscle relaxant (muscle relaxation) agent.

It is important to remember that taking Phenazepam together with narcotic and sleeping pills creates the effect of increasing the impact on the state of the central nervous system.
The drug is available in the form of 0.5 mg tablets. The package contains 50 tablets. Price – 90-100 rubles. Produced in Russia.

Features and purposes of application

The drug is prescribed in the following cases:

• psychopathic;
• psychopathic;
• neurotic;
• neurosis-like state.

As a rule, in such situations there is an emphasized state of anxiety, fear, and often increased irritability and instability (emotional lability).

Phenazepam has confirmed its effectiveness in eliminating problems such as obsessive neuroses, a variety of human fears (phobias), and hypochondriacal syndromes. What is important is that it demonstrates results where other tranquilizers are unable to overcome resistant syndromes.

If we take into account the anti-anxiety and calming (sedative) effect of the drug, it turns out that it is not inferior to a number of neuroleptics, that is, those drugs whose action is aimed at an inhibitory effect.

Phenazepam is often prescribed to patients to eliminate alcohol withdrawal, a phenomenon that occurs after a sudden refusal to take alcoholic substances. It is also a sleeping pill. In terms of its hypnotic properties, it approaches the level of Eunoctine.

Why do people look for analogues?

It is now easy to abandon Phenazepam in favor of another drug: every year there are more and more analogues. Their appearance is also due to the fact that Phenazepam turned out to be a drug with numerous disadvantages: its popularity is gradually declining.

Perhaps the most important drawback, which not only experts, but also patients paid attention to, was the addiction and dependence that occurred when using pills. Discoordination that occurs after using the drug has become a real problem for older people who are at risk of injury.

It turned out that giving up the drug is not so easy. Doctors note the presence of a pronounced withdrawal syndrome - when, after a long time of using Phenazepam, patients, after stopping its use, experience irritability, anxiety, depression, increased sensitivity to light and sounds, increased tactile hypersensitivity, tachycardia, and convulsions.

What it really is:

Details of form 148-1/u-04 (l)

In addition to the details placed on forms 148-1/у-88, specific data related to the preferential nature of the provision of medicines is provided: • preferential category of patients; • disease; • source of funds allocation; • % of payment; • SNILS of the patient; • patient's insurance policy. This form has a counterfoil that is filled out by a pharmacy employee. There he indicates when and what drug he released, under what trade name, etc. The reverse side is the same as that of form 148-1/у-88.

The best of the best or how to replace Phenazepam?

In the pharmaceutical industry you can find a whole list of chemicals that are analogues of Phenazepam. Among the most famous are Diazepam, Elzepam, Oxazepam, Fezanef, Fenzitate, Tranquesipam, Fesipam, Phenorelaxan and others. All of them are tranquilizers, moreover, benzodiazepine derivatives.

This means that a certain amount of the negative qualities that Phenazepam has are also present in its analogues.

Let's look at the most popular analogues of Phenazepamam, dividing them into three groups; in total, we have selected 15 drugs that, in our opinion, are worthy of attention.

The first group will contain drugs that provide a completely comparable effect to Phenazepam, belonging to the same group of benzodiazepine drugs:

1. Fenzitate is a tranquilizer, a benzodiazepine derivative, which has a pronounced anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, sedative and hypnotic effect.
2. Fezanef is a tranquilizer. Used for the treatment of neurotic, neurosis-like, psychopathic and other conditions that are accompanied by anxiety, fear, increased irritability, tension, and emotional lability.
3. Fesipam is a drug with pronounced anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, sedative and hypnotic effects.
4. Tranquesipam is a drug that has a pronounced anxiolytic, hypnotic, sedative, as well as anticonvulsant and central muscle relaxant effect.
5. Phenorelaxan . The drug is used as an antipsychotic for schizophrenia; also for the treatment of athetosis, vegetative lability; with premedication; as a means of facilitating overcoming feelings of fear and emotional stress.
6. Elzepam . The drug is used to treat neurotic, neurosis-like, psychopathic, psychopath-like and other conditions that are accompanied by anxiety, fear, increased irritability, tension, and emotional lability.

In the second group, we selected over-the-counter analogues of Phenazepam, which can be bought freely at the pharmacy. They are harmless to the human body. This:

1. Amitriptyline . Use strictly as prescribed by your doctor. Used to treat depression of any etiology. It is especially effective for anxiety and depression due to the severity of the sedative effect. Does not cause exacerbation of productive symptoms (delusions, hallucinations), unlike antidepressants with a stimulating effect.
2. Etaperazine . Used for the treatment of mental illnesses - schizophrenia, exogenous and involutional senile psychoses, psychopathy, indomitable vomiting, including during pregnancy.
3. Glycine . It is a regulator of metabolism, normalizes and activates protective inhibition processes in the central nervous system, reduces psycho-emotional stress, and increases mental performance.
4. Sonapax . Used for the treatment of schizophrenia - as a second-line drug in patients for whom other drugs are contraindicated, or for whom there is no therapeutic effect when taking other drugs; severe behavioral disorders associated with aggressiveness, inability to concentrate for long periods of time.
5. Bellatominal is used for increased irritability, insomnia, neurogenic disorders of the menstrual cycle, to relieve itching in neurodermatitis, and in the complex therapy of vegetative-vascular dystonia.
6. Melaxen – helps normalize sleep; the drug is most effective in the treatment of elderly patients with primary insomnia.
7. Adaptol - used for neuroses and neurosis-like conditions - irritability, emotional instability, anxiety, fear; nicotine withdrawal (as part of complex therapy to reduce the desire to smoke tobacco).

The last group includes drugs that can replace Phenazepam as a sleeping pill. Let's name the two most famous herbal remedies in this group:

1. Nason is a combination drug of plant origin. Used for sleep disorders (disturbances in the process of falling asleep, frequent awakenings at night, with a tendency to short-term sleep at night due to restlessness, anxiety, tension or irritability).
2. Persen . Used to treat neuroses that do not require the use of potent drugs; for the withdrawal of potent sedatives.

Why are recipes needed?

Based on the main types of drugs that are dispensed only upon presentation of prescription forms, we can formulate the main tasks of using the latter: • control of the sale of psychotropic and narcotic substances restricted in circulation; • control of the use of combination drugs containing small doses of psychotropic and narcotic substances (for example, mild painkillers); • accounting for the use of benefits by pensioners, disabled people of the first group, and disabled children; • subject-quantitative accounting of individual medications.

This measure can be considered as a way to prevent drug addiction and prevent crimes in the field of pharmaceuticals. Additionally, it helps monitor the supply of medicines to people in need.

Melaxen is the most famous over-the-counter analogue

Melaxen is officially an over-the-counter analogue of Phenazepam.

It’s worth clarifying right away: if a medical product is over-the-counter, this indicates its high level of safety for humans.

Melaxen can be taken independently by those who are trying to eliminate insomnia. The drug as a whole is a chemical analogue of melatonin, a natural sleep hormone. Consequently, it acts in the body quite organically.

This means that the patient’s sleep phases are not disturbed, and sleep itself becomes restorative, complete rest.

Using Melaxen will relieve such troubles as daytime sleepiness, incoordination, nightmares and attention or memory problems.

Strong analogue products

Phenzitate, a drug from the same group of tranquilizers, is popular today; there is practically no difference with Phenazepam and, what is important, the drugs have a similar list of contraindications. The product cannot be used in the following cases:

• severe dysfunction of the kidneys and liver;
• myasthenia gravis;
• pregnancy;
• poisoning – sleeping pills, ethyl alcohol, narcotic drugs, other tranquilizers.

Elderly people should be especially careful when taking the drug.

In cases where insomnia is assessed as very severe, they resort to stronger drugs than Melaxen. Today, drug treatment regimens are widely used, which are based on modern non-benzodiazepine drugs, which are relatively safe. These are 3rd generation hypnotics, Z-group. Among them we will name:

• Zopiclone;
• Zolpidem (Sanval);
• Zaleplon (Andante).

They are often used to treat chronic insomnia, when the cause may be hidden either in a primary sleep disorder, or in pathologies of a mental or somatic nature. The above drugs are available only with a prescription.

Compatibility of Phenazepam with other drugs

Phenazepam is one of the most potent tranquilizers that cannot be combined not only with alcoholic beverages, but also with many other medications. These include:

• sleeping pills;
• anticonvulsants;
• sedatives;
• tranquilizing.

Phenazepam and Corvalol, the compatibility of which is considered unacceptable, are strictly prohibited from being taken together. Corvalol contains ethyl alcohol and the tranquilising substance phenobarbital - which is why simultaneous use with Phenazepam causes an overdose of tranquilizers with the most severe consequences.

The drug should not be taken together with antiparkinsonian drugs, since Phenazepam significantly reduces their effectiveness.

When treating arterial hypertension, it must be taken into account that the tranquilizer increases the effect of antihypertensive medications. In such cases, it is necessary to reduce their dosage.

Also, Phenazepam tablets should not be combined with Clozapine and other antipsychotics. This drug combination often causes depression of breathing and the respiratory center.

Domestic analogues

Let's go through domestic drugs, as well as their prices.

First on the list we’ll put Phenorelaxan, a drug produced by Moskhimfarmpreparaty. Available in tablets. Price per package (also 50 pcs.) - 79 rubles. Interestingly, this drug is practically no different from Phenazepam.

The next domestic analogue is Fenzitate, which is produced by the company Tatkhimfarmpreparaty. A similar package costs 86 rubles, that is, slightly cheaper than Phenazepam.

And the third drug in a row produced in Russia is Elzepam (). Cost for 50 pcs. — 87 rub.

Cost of medicines

The cost of Phenozepam is in the middle price segment. Domestic analogs are at the same level as Phenazepam or cheaper, foreign substitutes are several times more expensive than the original product.

Name of the drug	Dosage of the active ingredient in mg	Number of pieces per package	average price
Phenazepam	25	50	177-193
Tranquesipam	1	50	98-115
Elzepam	1	50	97-113
Fesipam	1	50	119-130
Sonapax	10	60	290-330
Alprazolam	1 1	50 20	702-725 301-306
Gidazepam	50	10	93-111
Relanium	10	2 ml/10	191-226
Etaperazine	4 10	50 50	346-455 389-400
Adaptol	300 500	20 20	1038-1048 1601-1612
Amitriptyline	25 10	50 2 ml/10	29-77 52-90
Bellataminal	3	30	132-147
Glycine	300	20	178-201

How is it with them and how is it with us?

Doctors are very careful when treating patients with Phenazepam. In addition to the fact that the drug gives a certain result in the treatment of such ailments as epilepsy, insomnia, anxiety and depression, alcohol withdrawal, it potentially causes a whole list of side effects.

Doctors especially focus on stopping the drug. This should be done very carefully and gradually. And under no circumstances should you try to do this yourself. If your appointment is nearing the end, you should consult a doctor.

Very often, doctors prescribe drug withdrawal in a hospital in order to monitor the patient. For those people who do not like to follow doctors' instructions, this is important.

If we compare treatment methods, in the West they refuse drugs that have a strong effect, like Phenazepam. They resort to analogues, which have a milder effect, but often provide a longer lasting effect.

If you go for a consultation with a doctor, and he does not prescribe you Phenazepam, but an analogue from the group of over-the-counter drugs, then this is a clear sign that he treats according to European standards.

Experts note the harmfulness of all tranquilizers without exception. When resorting to Phenazepam, it should be remembered that it was developed back in the seventies, and then was intended only for military purposes. Later he entered civilian production. Today there is a strong tendency to abandon therapy with this drug in favor of its analogues.

Details of form 148-1/u-88

The header of the form (on the left) should contain a stamp of the medical institution, on the right - a link to the regulatory act that approved the form.

In the body of the document (on the front side) indicate: • its series, number, date of issue; • age (adult or child); • last name and initials (IO) of the patient, his date of birth; • patient's address or medical record number; • surname and initials (IO) of the attending physician; • name of the drug, release form, quantity, dosage. The principles for filling out the prescription form have been adjusted compared to the edition almost ten years ago. Then, instead of the date of birth, the age of the recipient was indicated, and the name and patronymic of the patient and doctor were written in full.

And again about the shortcomings

The effect of the drug on the body is very ambiguous; it has a considerable list of both contraindications and side effects.

In addition to traditional hypersensitivity, pregnancy, breastfeeding, adolescence and childhood, there are also specific contraindications.

Medicines should not be used in a state of shock or coma, severe depression (when suicidal tendencies occur), angle-closure glaucoma, myasthenia gravis, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and severe alcohol or sleeping pill poisoning.

Among the side effects, first let’s say a few words about the effect on the central and peripheral nervous system. At the beginning of drug therapy, drowsiness is observed, especially in elderly people. In addition, during the same period, ataxia, a feeling of fatigue, dizziness, confusion, gait instability, slowed mental and motor reactions, disorientation, and decreased ability to concentrate develop.

Very rarely there are reactions that contradict the effect that the drug should have. We are talking about the development of fear, anxiety, muscle spasms after using the medicine.