During the period of bearing a child, the female body experiences an increased load, due to which the protection against infectious agents weakens. One of the most uncomfortable and most common occurrences during pregnancy is thrush. Many expectant mothers at different times face such a problem.
The defeat of the genitals by fungi often occurs with relapses, therefore, while waiting for the baby, it is important to use safe and proven medicines. These include "Pimafucin". This antifungal drug is widely used in the treatment of candidiasis in women in position, receives good reviews from doctors and is harmless to the fetus.
Features of the drug
Pimafucin comes in several forms, all of which are sold over the counter. Most popular during pregnancy are suppositoriesto be inserted into the vagina. They have an oblong shape and white with yellow color. These candles are individually packed in foil and connected by 3 pieces in a tape, and one package includes 1 or 2 strips. The average price of three suppositories is 250 rubles. They should be stored at home in a place hidden from children at a temperature not higher than +25 degrees, and the shelf life of such "Pimafucin" is 2 years.
The second form of medicine is pills, which are sold in glass bottles of 20 pieces. They are round and covered with a white membrane that dissolves in the intestines. The cost of one package of tablets is about 500 rubles. Store them at home in a dry place at room temperature for 4 years from the date of manufacture.
In addition to suppositories and tablets, Pimafucin is also available in the form of a 2% creamintended for external use. Such a medicine is a yellowish or whitish mass placed in plastic or aluminum tubes in the amount of 30 grams. One tube costs an average of 330 rubles. Storage of the drug at home is permissible at room temperature, and its shelf life is as long as that of tablets (4 years).
All types of drugs contain the same active ingredient - natamycin. Its dosage in one tablet, as in one suppository, is 100 mg, and the content in 1 gram of cream is 20 mg. The auxiliary ingredients of different forms of "Pimafucin" differ. They are marked on the medicine packaging and indicated in the annotation.
Operating principle
The active substance "Pimafucin" refers to macrolide antibiotics and is capable of destroying various microorganisms. He has a particularly high activity against pathogenic fungi, including Candida albicans. When natamycin comes in contact with fungal cells, it binds to sterols and destroys membranes, causing the death of the pathogen.
Candida is not insensitive to such a substance, therefore, "Pimafucin" will be equally effective in primary infection, and in relapses of fungal infection. In addition, the action of the drug is predominantly local, so the drug has few contraindications and side effects.
The cream acts only in the place of processing, the dissolved candle - in the vagina, the tablets - only in the intestines.
Is it used during pregnancy?
All forms of "Pimafucin" are officially allowed for women in position and can be used as directed by a specialist who will necessarily take into account the clinical manifestations, smear results, gestational age, contraindications and other possible risks. Despite the harmlessness to the fetus, the use of such drugs without preliminary examination is not recommended, because the painful symptoms may not be a thrush, but another pathology. In such a situation, the antifungal agent will not work, and time will be lost.
"Pimafucin" can be prescribed even at the earliest stages, when the embryo develops most actively and any effects can disrupt its growth. Since such a remedy does not penetrate the fetus, all types of "Pimafucin" are safe for the embryo... At the same time, tablets in the 1st trimester are rarely used, obstetricians-gynecologists in the first months of gestation prefer candles or cream.
In the 2nd trimester, doctors actively prescribe all forms of the drug. Although this time is considered relatively calm for the baby and other medications can already be used to treat thrush, however, experts often prefer Pimafucin as one of the safest therapy options.
The third trimester is also not a contraindication for treatment with suppositories, cream or pills.
After conducting analyzes and evaluating the clinical picture, the doctor will select the most suitable dosage form for the expectant mother. You can use the drug until the very birth.
When is it prescribed for expectant mothers?
One of the most common reasons to prescribe "Pimafucin" in candles to a pregnant woman is candidal lesions of the patient's genitals. Inflammatory processes such as vulvitis, vulvovaginitis and vaginitis occur quite often during childbearing - in more than 40% of women. This is due to the intake of certain medications (antibiotics, hormonal agents), changes in the work of endocrine organs and a slowdown in metabolism, a decrease in immunity, and the development of diabetes mellitus in pregnant women.
The activity of candida is also affected by errors in nutrition, hypovitaminosis, an imbalance of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.... Doctors noted a link between the occurrence of vulvovaginitis and the duration of pregnancy: the more weeks, the more often the infection develops. In addition, the use of synthetic underwear and pads contributes to its appearance. As a result of the growth of pathogenic fungi, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed, the woman feels pain, cramps, itching and burning, and also notes the appearance of white discharge, resembling grains of cottage cheese in appearance. If such symptoms occur, it is important to immediately consult a gynecologist and receive treatment.
In the 3rd trimester, suppositories can also be used for prevention, especially if a woman has previously had episodes of exacerbation of candidiasis. Application before childbirth helps to exclude infection of the baby during the passage of the mother's genital tract, which prevents the development of thrush in the newborn.
"Pimafucin" in the form of a cream can also be used for vaginitis and vulvitis of a fungal nature. Such a remedy is usually prescribed to the woman's partner in order to exclude re-infection after a cure. In addition, the cream is prescribed for expectant mothers with dermato- and otomycosis, when candida caused inflammation of the skin, ears, nails or ear canal. In such situations, the drug acts locally only on the affected area.
"Pimafucin" in tablets can also be used for inflammation of the genital organs, if the process is protracted and does not respond well to local suppository therapy. The list of indications for the tablet form includes intestinal candidiasis, which can develop as a result of dysbiosis.
If the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal lumen decreases, then the growth of fungi is activated, which irritate the mucous membrane. In this case, the doctor will prescribe to the patient a tablet medicine that will act directly on pathogenic fungi in the colon and protect against complications and the spread of infection (from cystitis, adnexitis, urethritis).
Contraindications
"Pimafucin" should not be used in women with hypersensitivity to the active ingredient, as well as intolerance to any excipient. If the patient has previously had an allergy to suppositories or tablets, instead of "Pimafucin" you need to choose another antifungal agent that will not have a negative reaction.
There are no other contraindications for taking "Pimafucin" in the annotation, but for any serious illness in a pregnant woman, a doctor's supervision is needed.
Side effects
During treatment with Pimafucin, the following negative symptoms may appear:
- loose stools or constipation;
- burning sensation at the site of treatment;
- nausea with vomiting;
- itching and local redness.
Local irritant effect occurs when using cream and suppositories, negative symptoms from the digestive system - when treated with tablets. If these side effects are severe, a woman should consult her doctor. Often, all negative phenomena go away on their own immediately after the drug is discontinued.
Instructions for use
"Pimafucin" in candles is used once a day. The suppository is released from the foil and inserted deep into the vagina. As soon as the candle enters the female body, it begins to dissolve quickly, resulting in a foamy semi-liquid mass. It spreads easily over inflamed tissues and ensures the effect of natamycin on the entire area of fungal infection.
The use of suppositories is recommended at bedtime.... The woman should lie down, put a candle and stay in bed while the medicine acts on the causative agent of candidiasis. If you use such "Pimafucin" during the day, after which the expectant mother will get up and move, then the dissolved medication may leak out, which will reduce the effectiveness of therapy and cause the patient some discomfort.
In case of damage to skin or nails by fungi, the "Pimafucin" cream is applied to the inflamed areas once a day or more often (but not more than 4). With otomycosis, a previously cleaned ear is lubricated with such a medicine. To inject the cream into the ear canals, cotton turundas are used.
If a woman has a candidal intestinal lesion, the solid form of "Pimafucin" is prescribed one tablet per dose... Drink the medicine four times a day, swallowing it and drinking water. In the case of a persistent course of fungal vaginitis, tablets are supplemented with suppository treatment. They should also be taken 4 times a day, one tablet at a time.
The duration of treatment with suppositories is usually 3-6 days, but if necessary, the specialist can extend the course until the symptoms of infection completely subside. Taking pills for bowel disease often lasts 1 week, and when treating inflammation of the genital organs, Pimafucin tablets can be prescribed for up to 20 days.
How long to use the cream is determined individually. Usually, such a medicine is recommended to be applied until complete healing and a few more days in addition.
Reviews
There are many good reviews about the treatment with Pimafucin while waiting for the baby. In them, the medication is praised for its safety for the fetus, so that the medication can be used not only in the first trimester, but also when planning pregnancy. Among other advantages of the medication, they note an effective effect on the fungal flora, quick relief for candidiasis and rare side effects.
Some women attribute the short duration of the effect to the disadvantages of the drug, since their symptoms of thrush soon resumed. Also, Pimafucin is often called expensive, since there are drugs with a similar effect, which are much cheaper. Among the most common complaints about suppositories is leaking drug residues in the morning.
Analogs
If it becomes necessary to replace Pimafucin with a similar medicine, the doctor will prescribe another remedy that effectively affects candida.
- Candles "Primafungin"that are used intravaginally. They are a complete analogue of "Pimafucin" in suppositories, since they also contain 100 mg of natamycin and can be used at any gestation period with the same indications. "Primafungin" is produced in packs of 3 suppositories, and one pack costs 180-190 rubles.
- Vaginal tablets "Clotrimazole"... This over-the-counter medication affects pathogenic fungi, is available in most pharmacies and is inexpensive. However, it cannot be used in the early stages, therefore, if thrush has arisen in the 1st trimester, it will not work to replace “Pimafucin” with “Clotrimazole”. The drug is also available in the form of a cream, ointment and solution.
- Vaginal suppositories "Livarol"... The effect of this drug on yeasts and dermatophytes is provided by ketoconazole. The drug is prescribed in 2-3 trimesters with caution, and its use is prohibited in the early stages.
- Capsules "Polygynax"... They are injected into the vagina for fungal, bacterial and mixed vaginitis, since such a drug contains aminoglycoside antibiotics and an antifungal component (it is nystatin). The medication can also be used prophylactically before childbirth to reduce the risk of infection in the baby. In the 1st trimester, it is not prescribed.
- Suppositories "Neo-Penotran"... In their composition, in addition to miconazole, which acts on pathogenic fungi, there is also metronidazole, so the drug is in demand for mixed infections, for example, if Trichomonas was also detected in a smear, in addition to Candida, or a woman was diagnosed with bacvaginosis. Moreover, in the first trimester, such candles are not used, and in 2-3 they are assigned only according to indications.
