People with venous insufficiency have a feeling of heaviness and tension in their legs, but also swelling and edema and varicose veins, if the chronic venous insufficiency is more developed and not treated. The venous-muscle pump in the legs and also the function of the venous valves no longer function adequately in patients, who account for 20 percent of women and one in six men. In a Bonn vein study by the German Society of Phlebology, attention was drawn to the problem, as it affects so many people but is declining in severity. Accordingly, even mild symptomatology must be treated. First and foremost, guidelines for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency recommend more exercise and weight reduction. However, medications with extracts of red vine leaves – one of the names of which is Antistax – also lead to success in the treatment of mild symptoms or in combination with compression therapy for more severe symptoms. Other substances with proven efficacy are horse chestnut seeds and oxerutin (in preparations such as Venostasin or Venoruton). During pregnancy and lactation, however, the intake of red vine leaf extract and oxerutin should be avoided as far as possible. Horse chestnut seeds have an anticoagulant effect and can therefore further enhance the effect of other anticoagulants. Oral vein therapeutics help very well with subjective pain with heaviness and a feeling of tension. Oedema often regresses under the influence of the medication. However, experts in the guideline „Diagnosis and Therapy of Varicosis“ still recommend compression treatment with stockings and tights as the medication of choice for the treatment of venous complaints, which is unpopular with many patients. It is the most effective method to alleviate venous disorders because the disease is no longer completely curable. However, the effect of oral vein therapeutics only sets in after two to four weeks if the drugs are taken regularly. Patients, therefore, need patience until relief of their symptoms occurs. A doctor should be consulted if the symptoms stagnate or get worse.
