"Drotaverin" is a well-known antispasmodic, which adults are often used for cholecystitis, intestinal colic, urolithiasis and other problems, to get rid of which it is necessary to eliminate the spasm of smooth muscles. Not everyone knows whether such a medicine is used in childhood, when the medicine is prescribed to children and how it affects the child's body.
Release form
"Drotaverin" is produced by:
- In pills which are taken internally. They are characterized by their yellow-greenish color and flat round shape. One pack contains 10 to 100 tablets.
- In solution for injections. It is represented by a clear yellow or greenish-yellow liquid, poured into dark glass ampoules of 2 or 4 ml. 5, 10 or 20 ampoules are sold in one box.
In addition, the drug may be produced with a slightly changed name - for example, "Drotaverin-UBF", "Drotaverin-Ellara" or "Drotaverin-Teva". Moreover, such drugs include the same active compound, are also produced in tablets and solution, and the dosage of the active ingredient, as well as indications, other features of use, they have the same. Additional letters or words in the name only indicate the pharmaceutical company that manufactures such a version of Drotaverin.
Composition
The active component of any form of the drug is drotaverine hydrochloride. One tablet usually contains 40 mg of such a compound, but Drotaverin Forte is also available at a dosage of 80 mg per 1 tablet. One milliliter of the injectable form may contain either 10 or 20 mg of the active ingredient.
Among the excipients in tablet form, you can see talc, potato starch, povidone, lactose monohydrate and other components (depending on the manufacturer). In addition to drotaverine and sterile water, sodium disulfite, as well as ethyl alcohol, acetic acid, sodium metabisulfite or sodium acetate trihydrate, may be present in the injection solution.
Operating principle
Drotaverin has the ability to relax the smooth muscles, which are located in the walls of blood vessels and in internal organs, therefore the medication eliminates spasms (which also helps to get rid of pain caused by spasms) and dilates blood vessels, while lowering blood pressure.
The drug works most effectively on smooth muscles in the gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary organs and biliary tract. This leads to a decrease in pain and discomfort, which are caused by increased tone or spasm in such organs. "Drotaverin" is considered an effective pain reliever for various functional disorders and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, bladder and kidneys.
Due to the vasodilating effect of the drug, microcirculation improves, that is, more nutrients and oxygen are supplied to the tissue. Since "Drotaverin" does not have a sedative effect, it can be used in situations where M-anticholinergic antagonists cannot be given (for example, in case of glaucoma in a closed-angle form).
Indications
"Drotaverin" is prescribed both in the presence of pain and functional disorders in the work of internal organs due to spasm of smooth muscles, and in order to prevent such problems.
The medicine is used:
- For abdominal pain caused by spastic constipation, gastritis, pylorospasm, intestinal colic, enteritis, flatulence and other lesions of the gastrointestinal tract.
- With hepatic colic, biliary dyskinesia, cholangitis and other diseases of the biliary tract.
- With cystitis, bladder spasms, pyelitis, renal colic and other pathologies of the urinary system.
- For headaches.
- With vasospasm (at high temperature).
- During examinations, during which a medical instrument is inserted into the body (for example, during gastroscopy).
- With a strong dry cough caused by bronchospasm or laryngotracheitis. Although this indication is not noted in the official instructions, many doctors note the effect of "Drotaverin" on the bronchi, so they recommend drinking the drug at night so that the child does not suffer from coughing and sleeps peacefully.
The injection form of the drug is prescribed in exceptional cases and only in an acute condition, in order to help the child as soon as possible. As soon as the spasm is removed, they switch to the use of pills. In addition, Drotaverin injections are prescribed when it is impossible to give pills to a small patient.
From what age is it allowed to take?
Drotaverin tablets are prescribed from the age of 3, and injections are prescribed to children over 1 year of age. Age restrictions in the use of the tablet form are associated only with the difficulties of children under 3 years of age with swallowing solid medicine. If the baby knows how to swallow a pill, this form can be used at the age of over a year.
Contraindications
The medicine is not prescribed:
- With individual sensitivity to any component of the solution or tablets.
- With severe renal failure.
- With heart failure.
- With serious liver pathologies.
- With hypotension.
- With atrioventricular block.
If the child has angle-closure glaucoma, the use should be monitored by a doctor. For adults, the medication is not prescribed for breastfeeding and in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Side effects
When treating with Drotaverin, insomnia, dizziness, nausea, arrhythmias, increased sweating, decreased blood pressure, vomiting, allergic reactions, fever, constipation and other negative symptoms may occur. When they appear, you should immediately tell your doctor about such reactions.
Instructions for use and dosage
Pills
The drug in this form is taken after meals. The medication should be swallowed whole, without chewing or crushing into powder. To wash down the medicine, use a small amount of clean water.
The dose of such a remedy depends on the age of the little patient:
- A child 3-6 years old (for example, at 4 years old) is given 1 / 4-1 / 2 tablets (10-20 mg "Drotaverin"). Taking the drug in this dosage is prescribed twice or thrice a day, and the maximum dose for a 5-year-old child and other babies of this age is 3 tablets (120 mg of the active compound).
- A child of 6-12 years old is prescribed from 20 to 40 mg of "Drotaverin" for one dose, which corresponds to half or a whole tablet. The drug is given from two to five times a day, and the acceptable maximum is called 5 tablets (200 mg of "Drotaverin").
- A teenager over the age of 12 is given 40-80 mg of "Drotaverin" (1-2 tablets) for 1 dose. The drug is taken 2-3 times a day, and the maximum dose at this age is 6 tablets (240 mg of the active ingredient).
The duration of treatment with pills usually does not exceed 1-2 weeks and is determined by the doctor individually.
Injections
Drotaverin injections can be injected into a muscle, into a vein, or under the skin. For colic, the solution is most often administered intravenously. If the patient has a peripheral vasospasm, the drug can be injected into the artery. In other cases, subcutaneous and intramuscular injections are used.
The drug is administered 1-3 times a day. The dose of the medication, as for tablets, is determined by age:
- For a child 1 year old, 2 years old and older (up to 6 years of age), 0.5-1 ml of medication is taken for one injection, since a single dose for this age is 10-20 mg of Drotaverin.
- Children 6-12 years old are prescribed 20 mg of active compound per dose, which corresponds to 1 ml of solution.
- For a child over 12 years old, take 1-2 ampoules of the drug for one injection.
The maximum daily dosage of the drug is the same as for the tablet form. With an intravenous injection, the child must be lying down so that the injection does not cause collapse. The ampoule for such injections is diluted with glucose or saline (10-20 ml), and the injection itself is performed very slowly. For injections under the skin or into muscle tissue, it is not necessary to dilute Drotaverin.
Overdose
If you exceed the dose of the medication, it will adversely affect the work of the heart and may interfere with breathing. In such a situation, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Interaction with other drugs
Drotaverin has the ability to enhance the therapeutic effect of other antispasmodics and weaken the effect of levodopa. When used together with Phenobarbital, the antispasmodic effect of Drotaverin is enhanced.
At elevated temperatures, "Drotaverin" is often included in the composition of the lytic mixture, which includes "Analgin" (it can be replaced by "Paracetamol") and "Diphenhydramine" (or "Suprastin"). In such a combination, the drugs effectively fight white fever.
Terms of sale
Drotaverin tablets are non-prescription drugs, and to buy ampoules you need a doctor's prescription.
Storage conditions and shelf life
To store the medicine, a dry place hidden from sunlight is required, where the temperature will not exceed +25 degrees. You need to keep the drug at home where a small child cannot get it. The shelf life of both tablets and solution is 3 years.
Reviews
In most cases, the treatment with Drotaverin is good. According to mothers, the drug is very effective in eliminating spasms and pain. In addition, the drug is praised for its availability in pharmacies and its low cost, which is why it is often chosen instead of analogues. As for the shortcomings, some reviews note the lack of effect, and sometimes parents complain about side effects.
Analogs
The most famous analogue of "Drotaverin" is the drug "No-Shpa". Since this is an original medicine, the manufacture of which is controlled more carefully, as a result of which it is better cleaned of impurities, No-Shpa has a stronger therapeutic effect and a minimum of side effects. However, the price of such a drug is higher than that of Drotaverin.
The analogues of Drotaverin and No-Shpy include other drugs (based on the same active compound), including Spazmol, NOSH-BRA, Spazmonet, Droverin, Spazoverin, Ple- Spa "," Spakovin "and others. In addition, "Drotaverin" can replace other antispasmodics - for example, "Duspatalin" or "Papaverine".
In the following video, Dr. Komarovsky will tell you how to provide a child with first aid for various painful sensations.
