"Furagin" is often used in the practice of urologists, as it helps to cure bacterial infections of the urinary system. Such a medicine helps out in case of resistance to common antibiotics and acts quite quickly, eliminating the unpleasant symptoms of urological diseases from the very first days of therapy. It is usually prescribed for adults, but it can also be used for children if there are grounds for such treatment.
Release form
Furagin is produced by several domestic pharmaceutical companies (Obolenskoe, Ozon, etc.) and the Latvian manufacturer Olainfarm. Sometimes the name of the drug is written with a prefix indicating the manufacturer, for example, "Furagin-LekT" or "Furagin-SZ", but all such drugs are tablets containing 50 mg of the active substance.
They are usually small in size, round in shape and yellow in color with an orange or greenish tint. Furagin tablets are sold in boxes of 10, 20 or more. It is either packed in blisters of ten or twenty tablets, or placed in plastic bottles.
Additionally, the Obolenskoye company manufactures capsules with the same ingredient, which are called Furagin-Aktifur. Unlike the tablet form, they are presented in two dosages - in addition to the standard 50 mg, there are also 25 mg capsules, which differ in their smaller size. This medicine is sold in blisters of 10-30 pieces, and one box contains from 10 to 150 capsules. They have a dense yellow shell and an orange powder inside.
Composition
The active substance of "Furagin" is furazidin. As noted above, its amount in one tablet is 50 mg, and capsules are additionally presented with a dosage of 25 mg. It is this component that provides the drug with the ability to influence harmful microbes.
Among the auxiliary ingredients presented in tablet form, you can see polysorbate, microcrystalline cellulose, lactose, stearic acid, sucrose and other compounds. They differ for tablets from different manufacturers, therefore, if a child has an intolerance to any substances, then the detailed composition should be specified in the instructions attached to the medication.
In the powder content of Furagin-Aktifur, the active ingredient is supplemented with talc, starch, aerosil, croscarmellose sodium and magnesium carbonate. For the manufacture of capsule shells, gelatin, dyes (they give the drug a yellow color) and titanium dioxide are used.
Operating principle
Although the drug acts on bacteria, it is not an antibiotic, but a group of antimicrobial agents called nitrofuran derivatives. By its mechanism of action, furazidine is capable of disrupting metabolic processes in microbial cells, and the spectrum of influence of such a substance on bacteria is called wide.
The drug is active against different types of gram-positive microbes (streptococci and staphylococci), and also acts on many gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella, Shigella, Salmonella, Escherichia, etc.). In many cases, "Furagin" allows you to destroy pathogens that are resistant to sulfa drugs or antibiotics. Furazidine resistance develops rarely and very slowly.
After absorption in the patient's digestive tract, the drug enters the excretory system (kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra), and its concentration in the urine is very high, which makes it possible to call such a remedy a uroantiseptic. The medication does not suppress the patient's immune system, but rather stimulates the fight against the infectious agent more actively.
Indications
One of the most common reasons for the appointment of "Furagin" to children is cystitis. This disease can occur in a child of any age and its most common cause is the entry of pathogenic microorganisms into the bladder. As a result, an inflammatory process develops, which is indicated by symptoms such as frequent urination and pain while using the toilet. Some children also have a fever and a cloudy, foul-smelling urine.
"Furagin" is no less in demand in cases of bacterial urethritis. This disease is more often diagnosed in boys, since their urethra is longer, but it can also develop in girls. The disease is manifested by discomfort and pain during urination, frequent urge to use the toilet, itching in the genital area.
The drug can also be prescribed for pyelonephritis, if pathogenic bacteria have entered the renal pelvis or renal cups. In addition to frequent urination, back pain and changes in the type of urine, such an infection is manifested by chills, nausea, sweating, fever, vomiting, and other signs of intoxication.
Without timely treatment, this disease can have serious consequences for the health of children, so you should not hesitate to see a doctor.
"Furagin" is also used for infectious lesions of the genital organs, as well as for infection of soft tissues and skin, for example, with complicated burns. If the patient is to have some kind of diagnostic or therapeutic procedure on the organs of the genitourinary system (for example, cystoscopy), "Furagin" is discharged for prophylactic purposes in order to prevent infectious complications after manipulation.
At what age is it assigned?
In the instructions for some Furagin tablets, it is noted that they are allowed for patients over 3 years old. In other annotations, children's age is indicated among the contraindications. This can confuse parents if a urologist has prescribed such a medication to their son or daughter. In fact, the drug is used in the treatment of children, but only as prescribed by a doctor and strictly observing the dosage of the drug.
Since all variants of "Furagin" are presented in a solid form, which is difficult for babies to swallow, they are not used in children of the first years of life. If an antimicrobial agent is required for infants or patients aged 1-3 years, together with a doctor, an approved analogue is selected for them.
Contraindications
"Furagin" should not be given to patients with hypersensitivity to furazidine or any of the auxiliary components of the drug, as well as allergies to other antimicrobial agents of the same group. The drug is also contraindicated in renal failure, porphyria and severe liver dysfunction, and in other severe diseases, it must be given with caution. Children with a deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase also require medical supervision during treatment with Furagin.
Side effects
After taking pills or capsules, the color of the patient's urine often turns dark yellow or brown, which should not frighten the parents and does not require discontinuation of therapy. In some patients, treatment with "Furagin" can negatively affect the digestive or nervous system, for example, cause nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite or inflammation of the nerves. Sometimes the medication provokes an allergic reaction in the form of a skin rash. If such side effects appear, treatment should be discontinued.
Instructions for use
To reduce the risk of side effects of the drug, "Furagin" is given to the child after a meal and is suggested to be washed down with plenty of water. A single dosage should be determined by the doctor taking into account the patient's body weight. Usually, the medication is taken three times a day, and the duration of the course of treatment (depending on the severity of the infection) is 7-10 days. If there is a need for repeated therapy, it is permissible to drink the medicine again 10-15 days after the completion of the first course.
If "Furagin" is prescribed for prophylactic purposes, then the medicine is given once before the procedure on the urinary tract.
Overdose
An unnecessarily high dose of "Furagin" can have a toxic effect on the nervous system, as well as on the patient's liver. If an overdose is found, you should immediately show the child to a doctor.
Interaction with other medications
"Furagin" is often used together with B vitamins and antihistamines, since such drugs can prevent the side effects of tablets or capsules. Substances that alkalize urine will reduce the action of "Furagin" (accelerate its excretion), and acidifying agents, although they will enhance the effectiveness, will also increase the risk of toxic effects.
It is not recommended to give the drug with sulfonamides, chloramphenicol (the risk of inhibition of hematopoiesis increases) and with quinolones (they have antagonism). When used together with antibiotics, the therapeutic effect of "Furagin" will increase. If the child is prescribed antacids, they will slow down the absorption of furazidine.
Terms of sale
"Furagin" refers to prescription drugs, therefore, before purchasing it, you need to consult a doctor who will write a prescription for it. The cost of the medication is influenced by both the size of the package and the manufacturer, but on average the price of 30 tablets is 240-280 rubles.
Storage conditions
So that the drug does not lose its properties, it must be kept at a temperature below 30 degrees Celsius in a dry place. In addition, the medicine must necessarily be safely hidden from small children. The shelf life of the tablets, depending on the manufacturer, can be 3 years, 4 years or 5 years. It should be specified on the package of the medicine, so as not to accidentally give the little patient an expired medicine.
Reviews
In numerous reviews of "Furagin", parents confirm the rapid action of the drug and its high efficiency in cystitis and other infections. It is also inexpensive and available in most pharmacies, although it requires a prescription.
However, many mothers complain that the medicine is released only in solid form, because it is much more convenient for children to give a suspension or syrup. The disadvantages of the drug include its side effects, which occur in some small patients.
Analogs
If for some reason it is not possible to give "Furagin" to a child, the doctor may replace it with another medicine with antimicrobial action.
- Furamag capsules. Their main component is also furazidine, which is 25 or 50 mg in one tablet. This medicine is prescribed for children over 3 years old with the same indications and in the same doses as Furagin.
- Furadonin tablets. The antimicrobial effect of such a drug, thanks to which it effectively helps with bacterial damage to the genitourinary organs, provides nitrofurantoin. The medication can be used in the treatment of children from 3 years of age.
- Granules "Monural". Such a fosfomycin-based medicine is often used for urethritis, cystitis, or other lesions of the excretory system. After dilution with water, a suspension is obtained from the granules, which is allowed to be given to children from the age of five.
- Macmiror tablets... Their action is due to an antimicrobial agent called nifuratel. Such a medicine is prescribed not only for pyelonephritis and other infectious diseases of the urinary tract, but also for infection with lamblia and for various intestinal infections. One of the advantages of the drug is the ability to use it for children of any age.
For a review of the Furagin antibiotic, see the next video.
