In the treatment of cough, mucolytics are among the most popular drugs. One of the representatives of this group of drugs is Bromhexine. Is it possible to treat children with Bromhexine and in what dosage is it permissible to use it in childhood?
Release form
In the assortment of pharmacies, Bromhexin is presented in several forms:
- Syrup... This version of Bromhexine, which is popular for the treatment of children, is produced by various pharmaceutical companies, including Akrikhin, Grindeks, Rospharm, Pharmstandard Leksredstva and others. This sweet, viscous liquid is usually sold in 100 ml bottles.
- Solution... In this form, Bromhexine is offered by the German company Berlin Chemie, the domestic manufacturer Atoll, the Indian company Simpex Pharma, the manufacturer from Denmark Nycomed and others. The medicine is a pleasant-tasting liquid that is taken orally. In addition, this form of Bromhexine can be used for inhalation. One bottle of such a solution most often contains 100 ml of medicine, but bottles of 60 or 150 ml are also sold.
- Pills... Depending on the dosage, they are divided into tablets for children and for adults. This form of Bromhexine is presented in the assortment of Biosynthesis, Atoll, Grindeks, Medisorb, Akrikhin and many others. One pack contains from 10 to 100 tablets.
- Dragee. Such Bromhexine is produced by Berlin-Chemie and is presented in yellow-green dragees in a package of 25 pieces.
Composition
The main compound in any Bromhexine, thanks to which the drug has medicinal properties, is represented by bromhexine hydrochloride. Its amount in 5 ml of a liquid preparation or 1 tablet is 4 mg or 8 mg. Depending on the form of the drug and the manufacturer, the composition of the excipients will differ, so it should be clarified from the annotation attached to the package. Additional components are ethyl alcohol, sucrose, sorbitol, lactose, propylene glycol, flavors, wax and many other compounds.
Operating principle
Taking Bromhexine affects mucoproteins and mucopolysaccharides in the mucus produced in the bronchi. As a result of this action, the viscosity of the sputum decreases and its volume increases.... The drug has an expectorant and unexpressed antitussive effect, which determines its demand for coughing. In addition, taking Bromhexine has a positive effect on surfactant synthesis.
Natalia Fyodorovna Chernega, chief physician of the Pediatrician and I Medical Center, pediatrician, candidate of medical sciences, senior researcher of the Department of Nutrition and Somatic Diseases of Young Children, Institute Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology NAMSU ".
Indications
Bromhexine is prescribed for various pulmonary diseases, accompanied by the formation of very viscous sputum. The drug helps to cough up secretions in bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, cystic fibrosis, tuberculous lesions, bronchiectasis and other diseases of the respiratory tract.
From what age is it allowed to take?
In pediatric practice, Bromhexine is used from birth, however, for children under 2 years of age, this medication is prescribed with extreme caution and only under the supervision of a specialist. Low-dose tablet forms (4 mg) are allowed from the age of 3, and pills and tablets with 8 mg of bromhexine are indicated for children over 6 years of age.
Contraindications
Bromhexine is not prescribed in case of hypersensitivity to its components, for example, to the active substance or lactose in tablets. Also it is impossible to treat a child with Bromhexin in case of exacerbation of diseases of the digestive tract. If a small patient has kidney disease or any liver pathology, he needs to prescribe Bromhexine carefully, monitoring the child's condition throughout therapy.
Side effects
- Dyspeptic symptoms are possible due to treatment with Bromhexine.
- Taking this medication in some children provokes headaches, as well as dizziness.
- The consequence of therapy with Bromhexine may be a temporary increase in the activity of liver enzymes.
- Some patients are allergic to Bromhexine.
- In bronchial asthma, the drug can cause increased cough due to bronchospasm, therefore, the presence of asthma in a child requires careful use of Bromhexine.
Instructions for use and dosage
Syrup, solution, tablets or pills are taken orally, regardless of food intake, three times a day. A single dose of the drug is determined by age:
- A child under two years old is given 2 mg of the active ingredient. Treatment of young patients of this age is carried out only under the supervision of a pediatrician. Bromhexine for babies under 2 years old is prescribed only in syrup or solution. Usually 2 mg is contained in 2.5 ml of this form of medicine.
- A child aged 2-5 years is given 4 mg of bromhexine at a time. This amount of active compound is contained in 5 ml of solution or syrup, as well as in 1 tablet for children. The tablet form is offered to babies over 3 years old who are able to swallow tablets.
- A child aged 6 to 10 years needs 6-8 mg of bromhexine per dose. A small patient can receive such an amount of active compound both from liquid forms and from any solid forms.
- For children over 10 years old, a single dose is 8 mg of the active substance. At this age, it can be obtained from any form of Bromhexine, but it is most convenient to use pills and tablets with 8 mg, since only 1 such pill or 1 tablet is needed for 1 dose.
If indicated, the pediatrician can increase a single dosage of Bromhexine to 16 mg per dose. Various factors affect the duration of treatment, but the minimum medicine is prescribed for 4 days (this time is required to obtain a therapeutic effect), and the maximum duration of therapy usually does not exceed four weeks.
Inhalations with Bromhexine solution as prescribed by a pediatrician are carried out twice a day using a nebulizer. At the age of 6-10 years, 2 mg of the drug is used for one procedure (corresponding to 2.5 ml of solution), and for children over 10 years old - 4 mg (contained in 5 ml of solution). For children under six years of age, the dosage is determined by the doctor.
Advertising video for Bromhexine:
Overdose
If a child accidentally drinks a large dose of syrup or a lot of Bromhexine tablets, it will lead to vomiting, severe nausea and other disorders of the digestive tract. Having found an overdose immediately (within a maximum of two hours after the incident), you need to flush the stomach with artificially induced vomiting, and then give the child a lot to drink.
Interaction with other drugs
Bromhexine works well with drugs that dilate the bronchi, as well as with many antibacterial drugs. But the combination of such a medication with antitussives is undesirable. Due to the suppression of the cough reflex, such a combination of drugs will adversely affect the patient's condition and cause stagnation of sputum in the bronchi.
Terms of sale
All drugs based on bromhexine are non-prescription drugs, therefore they are freely sold in pharmacies. The cost of a particular drug is influenced by both its form and the manufacturing company. For example, the price of a bottle with 100 ml of Grindex syrup is about 130 rubles, and a bottle with 60 ml of Bromhexin 4 Berlin-Chemie solution costs an average of 170 rubles. Prices for a package of 20 tablets containing 8 mg bromhexine vary from 20 to 50 rubles.
Storage conditions and shelf life
Bromhexine tablets, syrup, or other form should be kept away from moisture and sunlight. In addition, small children should not have free access to drugs. The storage temperature of drugs with bromhexine should not exceed +25 degrees.
The shelf life is different for different forms. It can be as long as 2 or 3 years, and 5 years or even 7 years. For some solutions and syrups, this period after opening the bottle is reduced to several weeks, so information on the storage of the selected Bromhexine must be specified separately.
Reviews
The use of Bromhexine in the treatment of cough in children responds mostly well. Parents confirm the rather high effectiveness of the remedy and help in thinning sputum. At the same time, syrups are more often chosen for treatment, since children like their taste, and it is more convenient to dose such a medicine. Solutions are no less in demand, because they can be used for inhalation. According to mothers, the side effect of Bromhexine is rare, and if the child's body reacts to the drug with negative symptoms, then after cancellation they immediately disappear.
Analogs
Your child may be given other medicines to help with dry or wet coughs instead of Bromhexine. Bromhexine can be replaced by:
- Preparations with the same active compoundeg Bronchotil syrup, Solvin tablets or Bronchostop syrup.
- Ambroxol-based preparations... Such medicines are Ambrobene, Bronhorus, AmbroGEXAL, Ambrosan, Lazolvan, Flavamed and others.
- Plant-based cough suppressants. These include Gedelix, Althea Syrup, Doctor Mom, Prospan, Licorice Syrup, Pertussin, Pektolvan, Gerbion, Mukaltin and other drugs.
- Combined medicines, one of the components of which is bromhexine. Such means are Ascoril, Jocet or Kashnol syrups, Bronhosan drops and others.
It is important to note that any of these drugs have their own characteristics of use, therefore it is recommended to choose an analogue of Bromhexin together with a doctor.
Be sure to watch the issue of the program of Dr. Yevgeny Komarovsky, dedicated to the problem of childhood cough. From it you will learn a lot of useful things:
