Digestive disorders in the form of loose, frequent stools are quite common in children. They can be triggered by stress, dietary changes, allergies, chronic inflammation, and other factors. In order to prevent dehydration, which develops in the body of children rather quickly, it is important to start giving the child rehydration solutions from the very beginning of diarrhea and vomiting.
In some cases, it is also possible to resort to medicines for diarrhea, one of which is Loperamide. Is such a medication used at an early age, in what dose is it used and how does its active substance act on the child's body?
Release form
Loperamide comes in two forms:
- Pills. They have a flat cylindrical shape, white-yellow or white color and have a risk. These tablets are sold either packed in blisters of 10 or in glass jars. One box usually contains 10 or 20 tablets.
- Capsules. They have a white-green gelatinous shell and a white-yellow or white powder inside. One pack contains 10 or 20 capsules.
In the form of a syrup, injection, suspension or other forms, such a medication is not produced.
Composition
The active ingredient in each form of the drug is loperamide hydrochloride. Both in one tablet and in one capsule, it is contained in the same dosage of 2 mg.
Among the excipients in the drug from different manufacturers, you can see aerosil, potato starch, gelatin, lactose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, talc and other substances. If the child has an intolerance to any components, their list should be specified in the instructions for the selected Loperamide.
Operating principle
The active compound of capsules or tablets binds to receptors in the intestine, as a result of which the motility and tone of smooth muscles in the intestinal walls are inhibited. Also, loperamide has the property of inhibiting the release of prostaglandins and other compounds, which also reduces peristalsis and lengthens the time during which food masses pass through the intestines. In addition, the drug acts on the anal sphincter, increasing its tone and retaining fecal matter in the intestinal lumen.
The antidiarrheal effect of the drug begins to manifest itself after taking it rather quickly and lasts up to 4-6 hours. Metabolic changes in the drug occur in the liver, therefore, if the function of this organ is impaired, the risk of side effects of Loperamide increases. The drug is excreted mainly with bile, which enters the feces.
Indications
The medication is used for diarrhea caused by various reasons:
- A change in diet.
- Emotional stress.
- Taking medications.
- Travel.
- Allergic colitis or gastroenteritis.
- Functional digestive disorders.
- Radiation therapy.
- Metabolic disorders.
In addition, Loperamide is in demand in the presence of an ileostomy.
From what age is it allowed to take?
The use of Loperamide in children is limited, since they are more sensitive to the effect of such a drug on intestinal smooth muscles and on the central nervous system. Before the age of one year, the drug often provokes paralysis of the intestinal muscles, which can even be fatal.
Under the age of 12, the medication is taken only as directed by a doctor. For children under 6 years of age, the drug is usually not prescribed, and for babies under 2 years old, it is strictly contraindicated. If the treatment of diarrhea is required by an infant or a preschooler, then such a child is prescribed other medications that are allowed for his age group.
Contraindications
Loperamide is not used:
- With hypersensitivity to its components.
- With diverticulosis.
- With pseudomembranous colitis, provoked by antibiotic treatment.
- With intestinal obstruction.
- With acute dysentery and other intestinal infections. The drug can be prescribed for such diseases, but only in combination with other drugs.
If the child has severe liver pathologies, the question of using the medicine is decided by the doctor individually.
Side effects
Taking Loperamide can cause bloating, abdominal discomfort, constipation, or colic. In some patients, the drug causes a feeling of dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, and an allergic rash. Occasionally, the drug provokes drowsiness, fatigue, vomiting, urinary retention.
Instructions for use and dosage
- A child over six years of age is given 2 mg after each episode of defecation (if the stool is loose), that is, one capsule or one Loperamide tablet. The medication must be swallowed with a small amount of water.
- Maximum allowable dose medication per day for children is 6 mg, which corresponds to three capsules or three tablets.
- Additionally, a child with diarrhea must receive water and electrolytes to replace their losses. In addition, you should follow a specific diet.
- Usually the medicine is prescribed only for one or two days (less often - up to 5 days). If no improvement is noted 48 hours after the first use of the drug, you should stop taking Loperamide and consult a doctor.
- As soon as the stool has returned to normal or has been absent in the last 12 hours, drug treatment is discontinued.
Overdose
If you accidentally exceed the dose of Loperamide prescribed by the doctor, this will lead to depression of the central nervous system, which will manifest itself with stupor, drowsiness, increased muscle tone, impaired coordination of movements and other symptoms. In addition, an overdose can provoke intestinal obstruction.
If you find that the dose of the medicine is exceeded, you should immediately show the child to the doctor. Depending on his condition, a small patient will undergo gastric lavage and prescribe the necessary treatment, for example, the introduction of an antidote (such a remedy is naloxone).
Terms of sale
Loperamide is considered an over-the-counter drug, so it can be freely purchased at any pharmacy, but before treating a child, you must first consult a doctor.
The drug is inexpensive - you need to pay about 8-12 rubles for a package of tablets, and a pack of capsules costs an average of 20-25 rubles.
Storage conditions
The instruction recommends keeping capsules / tablets at home in a dry place, where the air temperature will not exceed +25 degrees. Such a place should also be hidden from children.
The shelf life of a medicine differs from manufacturer to manufacturer and is 2, 3 or 4 years. It should certainly be checked on the box upon purchase to prevent the child from using an expired drug.
Reviews
There are many positive reviews about the use of Loperamide in children, in which mothers note: tablets or capsules really effectively eliminate diarrhea due to nervous experiences, overeating at a holiday, trying new products on a trip and other reasons.
Many parents choose this medication over more expensive alternatives because Loperamide is cheap and readily available in most pharmacies. The main disadvantage of the remedy is called its frequent side effects on the child's body, for example, the appearance of abdominal pain, drowsiness or nausea.
You will learn more about the use of "Loperamide" for children in the following video.
Analogs
Other medicines with the same active ingredient can replace Loperamide, for example:
- Imodium.
- Loperamide-Akrikhin.
- Vero-Loperamide.
- Loperamide STADA.
- Lopedium.
- Diara.
- Superilop.
All are available in solid form (capsules / tablets) and are used in the same situations when Loperamide is prescribed. In addition to such funds, the doctor may recommend Smecta, Enterol, Bifiform, Diosmectit, Probifor and other drugs with antidiarrheal action to a child with diarrhea. However, they include other active substances and have their own contraindications, so they should not be given without the consent of a doctor (especially to young children).
