Ascoril is referred to as a drug that makes phlegm thinner, relaxes smooth muscles in the bronchial tree and provides an expectorant effect. Is it allowed to be treated with Ascoril in childhood? How often is the drug given to young patients and how long does this treatment last? How to give syrup to a child correctly - before or after a meal? Let us examine these and other questions about the use of Ascoril in children.
Release form
Ascoril is produced in the form of a syrup, packaged in 100 ml or 200 ml bottles. It is an orange transparent liquid that tastes good and has a specific aroma. A solid form of Ascoril is also available, which is round white tablets on which there is a risk (the tablet can be divided into it). One package contains 10, 20 or 50 pieces.
Composition
There are three active ingredients in Ascoril syrup at once:
- Salbutamol... It is presented in a dosage of 2 mg per 10 ml of medicine.
- Bromhexine... In 10 milliliters of syrup, this ingredient in the form of hydrochloride contains 4 mg.
- Guaifenesin... This substance contains 100 mg in 10 ml of the drug.
Among the additional components, menthol is the most valuable. In addition, compounds such as citric acid, glycerol, sucrose, yellow dye, pineapple and black currant flavors, sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, purified water, sorbitol and propylene glycol are added to the syrup.
The active ingredients in Ascoril tablets are the same, and additionally, to obtain a solid form, propylparaben, Mg stearate, purified talc, Ca hydrogen phosphate, corn starch, methylparaben and silicon dioxide were added to the preparation.
Perhaps you will find a video useful in which Dr. Komarovsky talks in detail about such a common childhood ailment as cough:
Operating principle
The influence of Ascoril on the human body is due to the therapeutic effect of each of its components:
- Salbutamol has the ability to relax the smooth muscles located in the walls of the bronchi by stimulating adrenergic receptors. Thanks to this action, the medicine eliminates the spasm of the bronchial tree or prevents its occurrence. Since salbutamol affects beta 2 adrenergic receptors, among the effects caused by the intake of Ascoril there is not only relaxation of the bronchi and improvement of their patency, but also the expansion of blood vessels. This component also has a positive effect on lung capacity.
- The main action of bromhexine is mucolytic. This ingredient Ascoril helps with coughing by making the phlegm thinner and also increasing its volume. In addition, this compound activates the ciliated epithelium in the bronchi. As a result, the mucus leaves the bronchial tree faster (it is better to expectorate).
- The action of guaifenesin is also to reduce the viscosity of sputum and increase its amount.... Also, this component of the drug activates the areas of the bronchi responsible for the removal of mucus from the bronchial tree.
- Menthol, added to Ascoril in syrup, is also noted for its ability to relax the bronchi and soothe coughs. This component helps to activate the secretion of glands in the bronchial tree, and also has an antiseptic effect.
Indications
The reason for prescribing Ascoril is often broncho-pulmonary disease., in which there are difficulties with sputum separation. The drug is prescribed:
- With tracheobronchitis.
- For any type of bronchitis.
- With asthma.
- With laryngotracheitis.
- With pneumonia (inflammation of the lung tissue) caused by any pathogen.
- With obstructive pulmonary disease.
- With whooping cough, when the patient has a violent spasmodic cough that gets worse at night.
- With emphysema of the lungs.
- With tuberculous infection of the lungs.
- With cystic fibrosis.
From what age is it allowed to take?
In pediatrics, Ascoril in the form of a syrup is used in children who are 1 year old. At 6 months and other ages up to a year, such a medicine is not prescribed. But even if the child is older, for example, he is already 3 years old, the use of Ascoril syrup should be very careful.
If the drug is given with a wet cough, then the excess sputum formed in the respiratory tract will only worsen the baby's condition. But with a dry cough, when the mucus in the bronchi is too thick and viscous, Ascoril will become an effective help (make the cough productive). As for the Ascoril tablets, they are not given until the age of 6.
Contraindications
The medicine is not prescribed:
- If the child has a hypersensitivity to any of its ingredients.
- If the patient has high blood pressure, myocarditis is diagnosed, heart rhythm is abnormal, or aortic stenosis is detected.
- If the child's thyroid function is increased.
- If glaucoma is found.
- If a small patient has stomach bleeding or peptic ulcer disease worsens.
- If the baby has diabetes mellitus in the stage of decompensation.
- If renal function is severely impaired or liver failure is detected.
In case of remission of peptic ulcer disease or compensated diabetes mellitus, Ascoril should be used with caution.
Side effects
- There is an allergy to the active or auxiliary substances of Ascoril, for example, in the form of a skin rash or itching.
- The urine of a child who is being treated with Ascoril may turn pink, which should not cause anxiety.
- The child's nervous system may react to the reception of Ascoril with sleep disturbances, headache, drowsiness, tremors of the body or extremities, irritability and even seizures.
- Treatment with Ascoril can provoke diarrhea, nausea, bloating and other symptoms of dyspepsia.
- Under the influence of Ascoril, a biochemical blood test is unreliable.
- The drug can cause a decrease in blood pressure, as well as an increase in heart rate.
- In very rare cases, when taking Ascoril, there is a spasm of the bronchi, retraction of the wings of the nose, severe pallor and dry wheezing in the lungs. This is a paradoxical reaction to the drug, which is due to individual intolerance.
Watch a video interview with a practicing pediatrician, in which we will talk about mucolytic drugs used in pediatrics:
Instructions for use and dosage
- The syrup should be drunk after a meal in about 30-60 minutes. The medicine is given three times a day. It is better to drink the product with water, and liquids such as milk with the addition of soda or mineral water can reduce the therapeutic effect of Ascoril due to the presence of alkalis.
- Syrup dosage for a child under six years old is 5 ml per dose, but for children aged from 6 to 12 years old, liquid Ascoril can be given both 5 and 10 ml at a time. Children 12 years and older are offered an adult dosage of 10 ml of syrup per dose.
- Ascoril tablets should also be drunk some time after a meal, washed down with a non-alkaline liquid. A single dose for children is half a tablet given twice a day. If necessary, the frequency of receptions is increased up to three times a day.
- How many days to drink Ascoril Expectorant? Most often, the course of treatment with this drug lasts 5 or 7 days, but sometimes the doctor prolongs the use of Ascoril.
Overdose
If you give the child Ascoril in a dose greater than the recommended dose or take such a drug for longer than the doctor prescribed, this will lead to an overdose, which will manifest itself in an increase in the side effects of the drug.
Interaction with other drugs
- If Ascoril is used together with other drugs acting on the same adrenergic receptors, for example, with Berodual, Anaprilin, Ventolin, Propranolol or Clenbuterol, then their therapeutic effect will increase, but the side effects will appear to a greater extent.
- The appointment of Ascoril together with glucocorticoid drugs or diuretics will provoke a decrease in the level of potassium in the blood.
- The drug should not be combined with antidepressants, which are classified as MAOIs.
- The simultaneous use of Ascoril and antitussive drugs (especially based on codeine) will interfere with sputum production and worsen the child's condition.
- Supplementing treatment with Macropen, Cefazolin and some other antibiotics with Ascoril will promote greater penetration of such antimicrobial agents into the lung tissue.
Terms of sale
To buy Ascoril Expectorant or a tablet form of the medicine in a pharmacy, you need a prescription from a doctor. The price of 100 ml of syrup is on average 300 rubles, and 200 ml bottles are about 400 rubles. A pack of 10 tablets costs about 240 rubles.
Storage conditions and shelf life
The place where it is planned to store Ascoril must be ventilated, dry and away from sunlight. Do not keep the drug where a small child can easily get to it. It is desirable that the air temperature in the place chosen for storage does not exceed the border of + 25 ° С. Both syrup and tablets have a shelf life of 2 years.
Reviews
Mothers leave a lot of positive feedback on the use of Ascoril in the treatment of dry cough in children. According to them, the agent is very effective in thinning phlegm and helping to remove it from the bronchi. The fact that such a medicine helps quickly enough is also evidenced by the opinions of doctors. Many pediatricians note that a course of treatment with Ascoril for 5-7 days is often enough to get rid of a cough.
Parents call the disadvantages of Ascoril syrup quite common side effects (many report headaches, tremors, rapid pulse, weakness and nausea) and the presence of chemical additives. Also, some children do not like the taste of such a drug, because it is bittersweet.
Analogs
If Ascoril is prescribed to a child, but for one reason or another it is impossible to give this medicine, the question naturally arises of how to replace such a drug. The following drugs have a similar effect:
- Kashnol... Such a syrup is a complete analogue of Ascoril in composition and content of active substances. It is a red raspberry flavored liquid available in 100 ml and 200 ml bottles. The indications for use and the dose of such a drug are exactly the same as that of Ascoril in syrup.
- Erespal... This medication, based on the antihistamine compound fenspiride, helps to eliminate bronchospasm and reduce inflammation. It is prescribed for laryngitis, whooping cough, flu, sinusitis, asthma and other pathologies. Erespal is represented by syrup (prescribed from 2 years of age) and coated tablets (not used under the age of 18). It is permissible to take Erespal and Ascoril at the same time, because such drugs act on different receptors.
- Lazolvan... Such an expectorant drug contains ambroxol (the same active ingredient is found in the Ambrobene drug). It is produced in syrup with different concentrations of the active ingredient, in a solution for inhalation or internal use, as well as in tablets. For children, ambroxol preparations are prescribed from birth, but under the supervision of a specialist in the first year of life.
- ACC... Such a popular mucolytic containing acetylcysteine is effective against sputum that is too viscous. The product is available in different dosages and in different forms (bags with powder for preparing a suspension, syrup, effervescent tablets). He is appointed from 2 years old.
- Fluditek... The basis of such a mucolytic drug is carbocisteine. The remedy is in demand for otitis media, sinusitis, tracheitis and other diseases. For children, the drug is produced in syrup with a reduced dosage (20 mg of active substance in 1 ml). It is prescribed from the age of 2, and the drug with a higher dose (50 mg / ml) is allowed from the age of 15.
- Gedelix... This medicine in drops or syrup has an expectorant effect and is prescribed for children 2 years of age and older. The preparation has a plant base represented by an extract from ivy leaves.
- Tussin... The active ingredient of this syrup is guaifenesin. It is permissible to give the agent over the age of two years.
Although all such drugs have a similar therapeutic effect, nevertheless, if treatment with Ascoril is impossible, the question "what is better suited to replace it?" it is worth deciding with your pediatrician, because each of these drugs differs in composition, and a list of contraindications, and other features. In addition, depending on the disease, the child will need other drugs, for example, antipyretic at a temperature.
