Stopussin for children: instructions for use

The modern drug market offers quite a few cough suppressants. One of them is Stoptussin. How exactly does this drug help to get rid of cough, when it is in demand, is it prescribed for children and with what similar means can it be replaced?

Release form

Stopussin is made in two forms.

Dropswhich are sold in small glass bottles that have a polyethylene dropper. One bottle contains 10, 25 or 50 ml of a slightly viscous liquid. It is transparent and has a yellow (sometimes brownish) tint.
Pills, which are produced in packs of 20 pieces. Inside the box there are two blisters with white cylindrical flat tablets, on the surface of which there is a dividing line.

Composition

In each of the forms of Stopussin, two active compounds are present at once. One of these is butamirate in the form of dihydrogen citrate. Such a substance is contained both in 1 ml of drops and in one tablet at a dose of 4 mg. The second active ingredient of the drug is guaifenesin. Its dosage for 1 tablet and 1 ml of liquid form is 100 mg.

To keep the drops in a liquid form and not spoil, propylene glycol, 96% ethyl alcohol, purified water and polysorbate 80 are added to them. This Stoptussin also contains a liquid licorice extract and a flower aroma.

As for the tablet preparation, its auxiliary components are mannitol, glyceryl tribegenate, magnesium stearate, MCC and silicon dioxide.

Operating principle

Since there are two active ingredients in Stopussin, the effect of the drug will be combined.

Thanks to butamirate, the drug has an antitussive effect associated with the effect of such a substance on the conduction of impulses from the nerve endings of the bronchial mucosa to the cough center in the brain.
The presence of guaifenesin gives the drug mucolytic properties, because such a substance can reduce the viscosity of the secretion and stimulate the secretion of mucus by the bronchial glands. The result of such effects will be an increased activity of the epithelium and an easier release of sputum from the bronchi.

Indications

The medicine is used for diseases, the symptom of which is an irritating dry cough with little sputum production. The drug is used for tracheitis, pleurisy, bronchitis, laryngitis and other pathologies. It is also prescribed before surgery and in the postoperative period to relieve coughing.

At what age are children prescribed?

The liquid form of Stopussin can be used to treat cough in children from 6 months of age. However, such a medication should be given to a child under one year old or a baby 2-3 years old only after a doctor's appointment. As for the tablets, this Stoptussin is prescribed only from the age of 12.

If the child is younger, he is prescribed such a drug exclusively in drops.

Contraindications

Stoptussin should not be given to patients with hypersensitivity to guaifenesin, butamirate, or any auxiliary component. This medicine in any form is also contraindicated in myasthenia gravis. It is not prescribed for adults during breastfeeding and at the beginning of pregnancy (in the 1st trimester).

Side effects

During the treatment with Stoptussin, the following may appear:

nausea, diarrhea, poor appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting;
an allergic rash or other manifestation of an allergy;
drowsiness, dizziness, or headaches.

Very rare side effects of the medication are shortness of breath, tachycardia, heartburn, chest pain, bad taste in the mouth, and other symptoms. If they occur, you should consult a doctor and choose another antitussive medication.

Instructions for use

Stopussin should be taken after meals. If the child is prescribed drops, they are first dissolved in water, tea or juice - for one dose, take about 100 ml of any of these liquids. The tablet is swallowed without biting, and then washed down with any liquid.

The medicine is taken 3-4 times a day at intervals of 6-8 hours for drops and 4-6 hours for tablets. A single dose of Stopussin is determined based on the child's body weight.

If drops are prescribed, then they are given at one time in such an amount:

children weighing less than 7000 g - 8 drops each;
a child weighing from 7 to 12 kg - 9 drops each;
a baby weighing from 12 to 30 kg - 14 drops each;
a child who weighs from 30 to 40 kg - 16 drops each;
a patient weighing 40-50 kg - 25 drops each;
children weighing from 50 to 70 kg - 30 drops each;
weighing more than 70 kg - 40 drops each.

If the baby is more than 6 months old, but weighs less than 7 kg, then for such a patient the same 8 drops are diluted in 100 ml of water, but not the entire volume of the medicine is allowed to drink, but only the amount recommended by the doctor.

You can drip Stoptussin into a container with liquid directly from the bottle, however, some packages of the medicine have a syringe labeled Stoptussin. The scale on such a syringe indicates the number of drops. To collect the medicine, the syringe is inserted into the neck of the bottle, and then the bottle is turned over and the plunger is pulled out, dialing the required dose of the medicine. Then the bottle is turned over, the syringe is removed and the medicine is poured into juice, water or tea. The syringe itself must be washed in warm water.

A single dosage and frequency of taking Stopussin in tablets also depends on the weight of a child over 12 years old.

If his body weight is less than 50 kg, then half a pill is given at one time, dividing it according to the risk. It is recommended to take the medicine for such a patient four times a day.
If the weight of the child is 50-70 kg, then Stoptussin is taken three times a day, a whole tablet.
With a body weight over 70 kg, one and a half tablets are required at a time. In this dose, the drug is drunk 3 times a day.

Overdose

Nausea, muscle weakness, drowsiness or vomiting may occur due to non-adherence to the prescribed dose or accidental overdosing of the medication. To eliminate such symptoms, gastric lavage and symptomatic treatment are necessary.

Interaction with other drugs

Under the influence of guaifenesin in the composition of the drug, some drugs show their therapeutic effects more strongly. Among them are paracetamol, sedatives, general anesthetics, muscle relaxants and hypnotics. Guaifenesin itself is more potent when combined with drugs that contain magnesium or lithium.

Terms of sale and storage

Both types of Stoptussin are classified as over-the-counter drugs, so they can be freely purchased at the pharmacy. The average price of one package of tablets is 200 rubles, and for drops, depending on the volume of the bottle, you need to pay from 120 to 320 rubles.

Shelf life of Stopussin in any form - 5 years... Until it expires, the medicine should remain in a place hidden from sunlight. The optimal storage temperature is considered to be + 10 + 25 degrees. The drug should be inaccessible to young children.

Reviews

In most reviews of parents and doctors, Stoptussin is described as an effective and affordable remedy that helps with coughing and quickly improves the condition of a sick child. The drug in drops is praised for its ability to be used at an early age and for its pleasant taste, although some children do not like the drug, and in some cases its effect is called too weak (the drug did not help completely remove the cough).

Tableted Stoptussin in children is used less often, but when prescribed to adolescents, such a remedy also responds mostly positively.

Stopussin Fito

Such a drug is significantly different from the usual Stopussin. First of all, by its composition, because its effect is determined by herbal components - liquid extracts from plantain, thyme and thyme. The active substances from such extracts give the drug expectorant properties, therefore it is prescribed for a wet cough, when it is required to facilitate the passage of sputum (for example, with bronchitis or tracheobronchitis).

Stoptussin Fito is produced in the form of a syrup - a thickish transparent liquid with a peculiar aroma and brown tint. It is packaged in 100 ml vials and sold with a measuring cap. This medicine is prescribed for children over a year old and taken after meals:

if the baby is from 1 to 5 years old, then he can be given half a teaspoon or a whole teaspoon of syrup 2-3 times a day;
children 5-10 years old syrup are given three times, 1-2 teaspoons;
at the age of 10-15 years, the dosage is increased to 2-3 teaspoons per dose and the medication is given 3 times a day;
if the child is over 15 years old, a single dose for him will be 1 tablespoon of syrup, and you can take the medicine up to 5 times a day.

On average, Stoptussin Fito is taken for 7 days, and if the medication does not help, a longer treatment is discussed with the doctor.

Such a medicine is contraindicated in severe kidney or liver disease, hereditary pathologies of carbohydrate absorption, or intolerance to any of the ingredients. Among the side effects of the drug, only allergic reactions are found. Stopussin Fito is sold without a prescription, one bottle costs an average of 200 rubles, and the shelf life of this syrup is 4 years.

Analogs

Another remedy with an antitussive effect can become a substitute for Stoptussin. Among them, the following are most often used in the treatment of children.

Sinecode. The action of this medication is also provided by butamirate, but, unlike Stoptussin, this is the only active ingredient. The smallest Sinekod is prescribed in drops, because this form is allowed to be used even in infants over 2 months old. Children can also be given medicine in syrup, but due to the higher dose of butamirate, such a Sinekod is contraindicated up to 3 years of age. The analogues of this remedy are the drugs Codelac Neo and Omnitus.
Paxeladin. The basis of this medicine is oxeladine, a substance that can affect cough nerve centers. Moreover, it does not depress the respiratory center and does not have a hypnotic effect. The drug is produced in a syrup prescribed for children over 30 months old, if their weight exceeds 15 kg.

Codelac. This drug in tablets effectively suppresses the cough reflex due to codeine, and the presence of sodium bicarbonate and extracts from licorice and thermopsis in the drug gives the drug expectorant properties. In childhood, such a medicine is prescribed for dry cough to patients over 2 years old.
Libeksin. The prenoxdiazine present in these tablets acts on receptors located in the bronchi, thereby helping to get rid of an unproductive cough. For children, this medicine is prescribed carefully and is given only after a doctor's prescription.