I've been dealing with stomach issues for a while now, and after treating my gastritis and GERD, my gut decided to stage a rebellion.
It feels like one thing leads to another, right? You fix one problem, and another one pops up.
So, I started experiencing bloating and occasional pain in my stomach, followed by heartburn, gas, and constipation.
I remembered that my doctor used to prescribe me duspatalin for my stomach spasms and to boost my digestive system.
I started searching online for pharmacies that sold it, but I was shocked by the prices - it used to be super cheap, but now it's around 300 rubles.
I checked out some local pharmacies, and I was appalled by what I found.
Duspatalin is only made by one company, and they've jacked up the prices.
The medication for pain, spasms, and discomfort costs around 700 rubles or more.
I have to admit, it's easier to buy no-shpu, to be honest.
Despite that, I decided to buy one pack, and let's take a closer look at the product.
Packaging
Duspatalin comes in a white and green box with the essential information:
✔ The name;
✔ The brand;
✔ The amount of active ingredient (mebeverin) per tablet (200 mg);
✔ The number of tablets (30);
✔ What it's intended for.
Spasmolytic medication Abbott Duspatalin, reviews
The back of the box has more detailed information:
✔ The composition of one capsule;
✔ The conditions for dispensing;
✔ Storage conditions (standard for tablets);
✔ The manufacturer - AO "Veropharm", Russia;
✔ The company (owner) - the Netherlands.
Well, that explains why it's so expensive - it's an imported product!
I guess it would make more sense if they just made it themselves, you know?
Dysspatin ReviewsOn three sides - the name of the medication, the number of tablets/capsules, and the amount of mebeverine in each unit.
Dysspatin Reviews
Dysspatin ReviewsFrom one end:
✔ Series;
✔ Expiration date;
✔ QR code.
Dysspatin Reviews Capsules
The medication comes in capsules (for a higher price) and is packaged in blister packs of 15 pieces.
On the packaging, you'll find:
✔️ The name of the medication (in large letters);
✔️ The amount of active ingredient in each unit of medication.
By the way, I'm not sure what this prolonged release thingy is all about - it's mentioned multiple times on the box and blister.
I've never seen this with Dysspatin before.
Dysspatin ReviewsOn the other side of the blister, you can clearly see the capsules. They're small and white.
Abbott Duspatalin capsules, reviewsI have to say, the capsules look a bit basic. The black numbers on them are a bit of a giveaway - it's not exactly the most premium packaging, is it? And yeah, it's totally edible, but I'm not sure I'd want to eat it if I didn't have to.
Abbott Duspatalin reviewsInstructions
The instructions are a real laugh. It's like they took the standard apothecary-style leaflet and just... copied it. There's so much waffle in there, it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Abbott Duspatalin instructions, reviewsAnd on the other side, it's more of the same. Just a load of words, words, words...
Abbott Duspatalin instructions, reviewsBut when I finally got around to reading it, I realized it's not even an instruction manual - it's just some vague recommendations for using the thing. Like a health supplement or something. How weird is that?
I guess we'll just have to focus on the bits that make sense, then.
✔ Indications:
symptomatic relief of abdominal pain, cramps, dysfunction, and discomfort associated with irritable bowel syndrome;symptomatic relief of spasms in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract (including those caused by organic diseases).✔ How to use:
Take one capsule twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, before meals.
And now, the manufacturer is talking to me...
Something you should know before taking Duspatalin.
✔ Contraindications:
One thing that really stood out to me was the way the instructions were written - it felt like they were talking directly to me, like a parent scolding a child!
Abbott's Duspatalin: a muscle relaxant that's left me feeling underwhelmedI have to say, the part about "treatment duration" really got under my skin:
When you first start taking the medication, the treatment duration should be at least 6-8 weeks to properly assess its effectiveness.
There's no limit to how long you can take it.
Abbott's Duspatalin: a muscle relaxant that's left me feeling underwhelmedMy experience with the medication.
Are you kidding me? I have to take these capsules for two months - mind you, that's four packs, and 2,500 rubles - just to see if it's even working? That's just ridiculous.
And why is there no limit on how long you can take this stuff? It's not like it's some kind of natural remedy. It's a pharmaceutical, for crying out loud.
Some company, right? I mean, the Dutch manufacturer must be thinking, "Hey, let's just sell this stuff and worry about the consequences later".
Anyway, we're coming up on the end of week two, and so far, I haven't noticed any real difference thanks to Duspatalin.
It's cleverly designed, I'll give them that - after two months, you're supposed to go back to the doctor to "fine-tune" your treatment plan. Yeah, because that's exactly what I want to do: take more medication.
And don't even get me started on the warnings - you can't just stop taking it, or you'll end up worse off than when you started! That's right, it's written right there in the instructions.
And there's plenty more where that came from, if you're interested in reading more about this "miracle" medication.
I've had it with the marketing tricks and I'm not buying this duspatalin anymore. And to be honest, it's not even duspatalin.
Because in the past, duspatalin helped me after taking just a couple of pills. But now they're forcing me to take huge packs of capsules with black numbers.
As for the application... I'm not sure. Maybe I'll recommend it. Possibly, it might help someone else more than it helped me.
But I'm giving it a 'not recommended' rating. For me, this medication is a disaster.
It didn't even alleviate my spasms, pain, or anything else.
I need to look for a different medication. One that's not so complicated.
I'm done ranting. Thanks for reading.
Wishing you all good health and well-being.
Reviews of other stomach issues treatments:
Stada / Nizhpharm Bisacodyl laxatives
Nao 'Severnaia Zvezda' Rebamipid-S3 gastroprotective agent
Vertex Itopride for stomach and intestines treatment
Balkanpharma/Troyan Almagel (classic) for stomach and intestines treatment
Ava Rus Magaplon chewable tablets