In winter, the demand for antiviral drugs that can act on the causative agent of influenza increases. One of the most popular medicines in this group is Remantadin. It is often prescribed for adults both to prevent a viral infection and at the first symptoms of the flu, in order to speed up recovery. But is it possible to give such a drug to children, according to what scheme and for how long? What negative effects can Remantadine cause while taking and what medications can become its full substitute for young patients?
Release form
Remantadine is available only in solid form. The Russian-made drug from the Biochemist and Rospharm companies is tablets. The Latvian manufacturer Olainfarm offers this medication in two forms - tablets and capsules.
Tableted Remantadine is represented by flat white round tablets. They are usually packaged in blisters of 10 and sold in boxes of 1.2 or more blisters. In addition, such Remantadine is available in pharmacies in glass jars.
Olainfarm capsules are sold in boxes of 30. They have a white gelatinous shell, inside which is placed an orange-pink or orange-brownish powder.
Composition
The main ingredient in the drug is called rimantadine hydrochloride. In one tablet, such a compound is presented in a dosage of 50 mg, and each capsule from Olainfarm contains 100 mg of rimantadine.
The auxiliary components of the drug differ from manufacturer to manufacturer and include starch, lactose and other substances. If a child has an intolerance to any additional ingredients of tablets or capsules, the list of these compounds must be specified on the packaging of the purchased Remantadine.
Operating principle
Remantadine has an antiviral effect based on the ability of the active substance of the tablets to inhibit the reproduction of viral particles. Since such oppression occurs in the early stages of the infectious process, the drug is most effective when starting treatment in the first days of the disease.
The drug is effective against influenza viruses, especially against the pathogen of type A. In addition, rimantadine also affects arboviruses, which provoke tick-borne encephalitis.
The drug taken orally is almost completely absorbed in the intestine. Circulating in the patient's blood, the drug affects the foci of infection and is determined in high concentration in the secretion of the nasopharyngeal mucosa.
The elimination of the drug occurs mainly in the urine, so kidney disease can affect this process (the drug will accumulate in the blood and can cause an overdose).
Indications
Most often, Remantadine is prescribed for influenza for early treatment of such an infection, as well as for its prevention during the epidemic season. In addition, pills can be prescribed to prevent the development of tick-borne encephalitis, which is caused by a virus.
At what age is it applied?
According to the annotation to the tablets, Remantadine can be given to children who are already 7 years old. If an antiviral medication is required by a younger patient (for example, at 4 years old), an analogue approved for his age should be selected with the doctor. Due to the higher dose, the drug in capsules is prescribed from the age of 14.
Contraindications
Remantadine tablets should not be given not only to children under seven years old, but also to patients who have:
- identified intolerance to rimantadine or another ingredient of the drug;
- thyrotoxicosis was diagnosed;
- have any kidney pathology;
- found a serious liver disease.
The presence of epilepsy in a child, any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or high blood pressure requires special care when prescribing Remantadine.
Side effects
The child's body can react to the medication by the appearance of:
- increased nervous excitability;
- an allergic reaction;
- drowsiness;
- vomiting;
- tachycardia;
- pain in the stomach;
- dry mouth;
- deterioration in concentration and attention;
- flatulence;
- nervousness;
- decreased appetite;
- nausea;
- ringing in the ears;
- headache;
- anxiety;
- tiredness;
- shortness of breath;
- elevated bilirubin levels.
If at least one of these symptoms is found in a small patient, the medication is canceled and the child is shown to the doctor for prescribing another therapy.
Instructions for use
The drug should be taken after meals without biting, washed down with plain water.
A single dosage of the medicine depends on the age of the child:
- for patients under 14 years of age, Remantadine is prescribed 50 mg per dose;
- adolescents over 14 years old are given 100 mg of the drug at a time.
The frequency of admission is also determined by the patient's age:
- if the child is 7-10 years old, then the medication must be taken twice a day;
- for patients 10-14 years old, the treatment regimen provides for taking it three times a day;
- for children over 14 years of age, the drug is prescribed as for adults - on the first day three times, on the second or third day twice, and then only once a day.
If Remantadine is used as a prophylactic agent, then the medication is given at any age, 50 mg once a day.
The duration of use for influenza, if symptoms of infection have already appeared, is usually 5 days. If Remantadine is prescribed as a prophylaxis, then it can be drunk by children for 10-15 days in a row. For patients over 14 years old, the prophylactic course can last up to 30 days.
If a medication is prescribed to prevent viral encephalitis, it is prescribed at a dose of 100 mg twice a day. It is necessary to take Remantadine in such a dosage in the first 72 hours after a tick bite.
Overdose
An excessively large dose of the drug can cause nervous excitement, arrhythmias, abdominal pain, insomnia, hallucinations, seizures, and other symptoms. If an overdose is found, you should immediately induce vomiting and consult a doctor so that he prescribes symptomatic remedies.
Drug interaction
Remantadine should not be used in conjunction with anti-epilepsy medications as it will reduce their effectiveness. With simultaneous use with enveloping drugs, astringents or adsorbents, the absorption of rimantadine from tablets will deteriorate. The medicine is also not recommended to be used together with acetylsalicylic acid or paracetamol.
If a child is given medications that can acidify urine (for example, ascorbic acid), rimantadine will be excreted from the body, which will reduce its therapeutic effect. In this case, urine alkalizing drugs (for example, sodium bicarbonate), on the contrary, will increase the effectiveness of Remantadine
Terms of sale and storage
You do not need a prescription from a doctor to buy Remantadine, but consultation with a pediatrician or other doctor is advisable.
The price of a tablet preparation depends on the manufacturer and the number of pieces in the package. It can range from 20 to 190 rubles. For one package of capsules, you need to pay about 200 rubles.
At home, the drug must be stored in a dry place, where the temperature will not exceed +25 degrees. It is also important that the medication is not easily accessible to children. The shelf life of Remantadine is usually 5 years.
Reviews
The use of Remantadine for influenza responds mostly well, calling this drug effective and affordable. According to mothers, pills help best if you start giving them at the first symptoms of the disease. The drug is mostly tolerated normally, but some patients experience unpleasant side effects, such as nausea or allergies.
What to replace?
As noted above, Remantadine does not have other forms, except for tablets and capsules, which is why the medication is not used at an early age. In addition, many children over 7 years old also find it uncomfortable to take solid medicine, so the analogue of Remantadine in the form of a syrup is in great demand. We are talking about the medicine Orvirem, which is produced specifically for young patients.
This drug is sold in bottles containing 100 ml of pink syrup with a sweet taste similar to strawberries. The active substance of the drug, like that of Remantadine, is represented by rimantadine hydrochloride. Each milliliter of syrup acts as a source of 2 mg of such a compound, and 5 ml of the drug contains it at a dosage of 10 mg. Like Remantadine, its analogue in syrup is most often prescribed for the flu or for its prevention. It is used in children over 1 year old.
For older children, for example, at 8 years old or 10 years old, Remantadine can be replaced by analogs in tablets, which are called Rimantadine. Such a tablet medicine is produced by many Russian pharmaceutical factories, including Dalkhimpharm, Avexima, Ozone, Tatkhimfarmpreparaty and other manufacturers.
Rimantadine is presented as tablets containing 50 mg of the active substance of the same name in each. Such a medication is sold in 10-40 tablets per pack and is often used instead of Remantadine, because the active compound and its dosage are the same for these drugs.
If the use of Remantadine and its analogs with the same active ingredient is impossible, the child is prescribed other antiviral drugs. Among them, such means are very popular.
- Relenza. This medicine in the form of a powder for inhalation is prescribed in the early days of the flu or to prevent such an infection. The drug is approved from the age of 5.
- Tsitovir-3. This syrup is prescribed for ARVI and influenza to young patients over a year old.
- Amiksin... Such tablets based on tilorone are effective against influenza, herpes, hepatitis and other pathogens. They are prescribed for children over 7 years old.
- Arbidol... This medicine has not only antiviral, but also immunostimulating effects. It is prescribed for infection with rotavirus, various acute respiratory viral infections and other infections. Such a tool is released in powder (a suspension is prepared from it), capsules and tablets. Children over 3 years old are prescribed it at a dosage of 50 mg, and Arbidol at a dosage of 100 mg is prescribed from 6 years old.
- Kagocel. This antiviral drug activates the production of interferons and is often used for influenza, infection with the herpes virus and other pathogens. It is represented by tablets used in children from 3 years of age.
- Oxolin... This nasal ointment is in demand for the prevention of influenza and can be used in children 2 years of age and older.
- Isoprinosine... The effect of such pills applies not only to influenza pathogens, but also to many other viruses. Children are prescribed them from 3 years old with a weight of over 15 kg.
These and many other analogs of Remantadine help to cope with the influenza virus and speed up recovery, as well as prevent infection, but they should not be used without the supervision of a pediatrician. If a child has a high fever, pain, cough and other symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections, you should not run to the pharmacy for antiviral medicine, but consult a doctor.
If the child is often sick and needs to strengthen the immune system, the best solution will also be a doctor's examination. Only after that, you can give drugs prescribed by the doctor that act on viruses or on the immune system of a small patient.
Dr. Komarovsky will tell all about antiviral drugs in the next video.
