Syrup "Prospan" for children: instructions for use

If a child suffers from a dry, exhausting cough and has difficulty coughing up phlegm, which worsens his condition and interferes with sleep, parents try to help the baby as quickly as possible and eliminate such an unpleasant symptom with the help of expectorants. At the same time, I want to give the baby a safe and at the same time effective medication, therefore, they often resort to herbal remedies, one of which is Prospan.

So that the child does not protest against the medicine, it is released in the form of a delicious syrup. How does it act on the respiratory system, in what dosage is it prescribed for babies, is it allowed for babies and what analogs can it be replaced with?

Release form

Prospan syrup is produced by the German company Engelhard Arzneimittel in dark glass bottles containing 100 or 200 ml of a slightly turbid light brown thick liquid that smells like cherries. For convenient and accurate dosing, there is an additional plastic dosing stopper on top of the bottle.

In addition, there is a portioned version of the syrup called Prospan sachet. This is a box with 21 sachets of 5 ml of medicine each. In addition to syrup, Prospan is also represented by drops. In this form, the medication is not only given to the child to drink, but also used for nebulizer inhalation, diluting with pure water 1: 2. Prospan has no other forms (capsules, tablets, ampoules, etc.).

Composition

The action of Prospan is due to the extract, which is obtained from the leaves of climbing ivy. It is presented in the drug in the form of a dry extract at a dose of 7 mg per 1 milliliter of syrup. One serving packet of Prospan sachet contains 35 mg of extract. To obtain an extract, 30% ethyl alcohol is used, but in the process of drying the raw material, it completely evaporates.

To make the medicine liquid, sweet in taste and not deteriorate during storage, xanthan gum, liquid sorbitol, potassium sorbate, purified water and citric acid are added to it. In addition to these components, there is also levomenthol in Prospan sachet. The pleasant smell of the medicine is due to the presence of flavoring - cherry in syrup in a bottle and orange in portioned sachets. This syrup does not contain sugar, dyes or alcohol.

Operating principle

Biologically active substances, which are found in ivy extract, have the ability to make mucus released in the respiratory tract more liquid, which helps to cough up it. This effect of Prospan is called mucolytic and expectorant.

Such syrup also has the property of reducing spasms in the bronchi, since under its influence the muscles of the bronchi relax. All these effects help to cope with dry coughs and speed up recovery from various pathologies of the respiratory system.

Research has also confirmed that Prospan has some antimicrobial and antifungal effects.

Indications

Prospan is prescribed for children who cough, but the sputum during this cough is too viscous, so it is painful and unproductive. The drug helps with acute respiratory infections, bronchitis, tracheobronchitis, cystic fibrosis, pharyngitis and other diseases. It is indicated both in acute inflammation and in chronic diseases.

At what age is it allowed?

Prospan in syrup form is considered safe for children and is used even in infants. Such a remedy can be prescribed to both children 6 months old and 2-3-year-old toddlers, schoolchildren or older patients. The drug Prospan sachet is prescribed from the age of 6, since the opened sachet is not stored.

Contraindications

Reception of Prospan is prohibited for children with:

intolerance to fructose;
hypersensitivity to any component of the syrup;
glucose-galactose malabsorption;
lack of isomaltase / sucrase.

Side effects

Since Prospan's base is herbal, this medicine can cause an allergic reaction. In addition, in some patients, the use of syrup provokes a thinning of the stool. This side effect is associated with the presence of sorbitol in the preparation.

Instructions for use

The syrup is given to the child to drink by pouring it into a measuring cup. Shake the medicine before taking so that the ingredients that have settled to the bottom are evenly mixed. If Prospan sachet is used, then knead the sachet with your fingers before use.

If a small child refuses to drink the syrup undiluted, you can add some lukewarm water to it. It is more convenient for the smallest children to give medicine from a syringe without a needle.

The dosage of the drug in childhood is as follows:

If the child is not yet a year old, he is advised to give Prospan 2.5 ml twice a day.
For small patients aged 1 to six years, a single dose of syrup will also be 2.5 ml, but such a medicine can be taken three times a day.
A schoolchild or teenager is given the drug 3 times a day, 5 ml per dose. Above 6 years of age, portioned sachets can also be used - one sachet at a time.

The duration of treatment with Prospan is influenced by the course of the disease, but the drug is not prescribed for less than one week. In addition, when the symptoms of the disease have already disappeared, it is advised to drink the syrup for several more days in order to consolidate its effect.

If, on the second or third day of admission, the signs of the disease progress or the condition does not improve, you should contact your pediatrician and choose another medication.

Overdose

If the child drank a lot of syrup at one time (more than 7.5 ml for children under 6 years old and more than 15 ml for patients 7 years old and older), this causes a feeling of nausea, changes in stool or vomiting. With such an accidental overdose, the drug is immediately canceled, and the child is shown to the doctor. If the dosage is slightly exceeded (less than three times), no negative effects often occur.

Compatibility with other drugs

Like many other drugs with an expectorant effect, Prospan syrup should not be given to children at the same time as drugs that block the cough reflex. With such a combination of medicines, the child's condition will worsen, because the antitussive medicine will make it difficult to separate the sputum, which will become liquefied due to taking Prospan. Concomitant treatment with antibiotics or antiviral medications is not prohibited.

Terms of sale and storage

In accordance with the instructions, the storage conditions are as follows:

Prospan in the form of a syrup, like the drug in drops, belongs to OTC drugs. This means that it is freely sold in pharmacies to anyone who wishes. But if such a medication is bought for a child, you should first consult a specialist to make sure it is advisable to take it.
The average price of a 100 ml bottle is 400-450 rubles, and for a package with 200 milliliters of syrup you need to pay from 700 to 850 rubles. One box of Prospan sachet costs about 540 rubles.
The shelf life of this form of Prospan is 3 years, but after opening the bottle it is reduced to 3 months. The shelf life of sealed portions is also 3 years.
The recommended storage temperature for syrup is up to 25 degrees Celsius. Since the medicine is sweet and smells good, it is important to keep it away from small children to prevent overdose.

During storage, the syrup may become cloudy or its taste may change, but this does not in any way affect its therapeutic effect and is associated with its plant base.

Reviews

Prospan syrup gets mostly good reviews from parents. Mothers like that the medicine is safe, does not contain alcohol and harmful dyes, very rarely provokes unpleasant side symptoms and is allowed even for the smallest patients. Prospan sachet is praised for its convenient packaging, because it does not need to be diluted or measured with a spoon, but you just need to open the bag and pour the syrup into your mouth.

Most children find the taste of the medicine pleasant and do not object to the medicine. But the main advantage of Prospan is called its rather quick healing effect. According to mothers, such a drug completely relieves cough after a few days of administration. The disadvantages of the drug include only a short shelf life and a high price.

Analogs

If Prospan cannot be used for one reason or another, you can replace it with another ivy-based medicine. These drugs are:

Gedelix. This medication, like Prospan, is produced both in syrup (it is given from birth) and in drops (they are contraindicated up to 2 years of age).
Herbion ivy syrup. The concentration of the active ingredient in such a preparation is also 7mg / 1ml, however, the manufacturer noted the age of up to 2 years in contraindications.

In addition, instead of Prospan, you can also use other herbal medicines that have an expectorant effect, for example:

Bronchipret. The extract from ivy leaves in this medication is supplemented with another plant extract - from the herb thyme. Children are most often prescribed Bronchipret in syrup, because it can be given from the age of three months. However, the medicine is also released in drops, but due to the high concentration of active compounds, this form is prescribed only from 6 years old.
Bronchicum. This honey-smelling syrup acts on the bronchi due to thyme extract. For the treatment of children, it can be used from the age of six months. There is also the drug Bronchicum TP, which is a fragrant elixir. In its composition, primrose extract was added to the thyme extract. This medication is prescribed for young patients over 1 year old.

Dry cough syrup. This medicine includes extracts from licorice and marshmallow, as well as anise oil and some other ingredients with anti-inflammatory and expectorant effects. The drug is released dry in bottles or paper bags. After mixing with water, this medication can be given in the dose prescribed by the doctor to a child of any age.
Althea syrup... The expectorant, emollient and enveloping effect of this medicine is due to the extract from the marshmallow root. The doctor may prescribe this drug from birth, but due to the high risk of allergies, it is undesirable to give such syrup to babies under one year old.
Pulmex baby. This product is an ointment based on Peruvian balsam and essential oils from eucalyptus and rosemary. This medicine is used to lubricate the chest of children over 6 months.

Syrup Dr. Theiss. The effect of this drug on the mucus in the respiratory tract is associated with the presence of plantain extract in the composition. The medication is used in the treatment of children over a year old.
Linkas... Such a herbal preparation with many components is approved for children 6 months and older. It effectively fights inflammation in the bronchi and makes sputum thinner.

In addition to herbal remedies for dry coughs, children can also be prescribed medicines based on acetylcysteine, ambroxol, bromhexine, guaifenesin or carbocysteine. Such funds also have a pronounced expectorant effect, but they also have their own contraindications. In addition, some of them are contraindicated for babies or children under 3 years old.