Corvalol is in demand in adults as a sedative medicine that helps with insomnia, neurosis or irritability. Elderly people often take it for heart pain, anxiety and high blood pressure. But is it possible to give this medication to children, how does it affect the child's body, and in what dose is it used in childhood?
Release form
The drug is produced by many domestic pharmaceutical companies. The most popular form of Corvalol is drops. Such medicine is presented in bottles, inside of which there is 15, 25 or 50 ml of a colorless transparent liquid with a characteristic aroma.
Corvalol is also available in tablets. One pack contains 10 to 50 of these white round tablets. In childhood, this form is used very rarely.
Composition
Corvalol's formula contains three active ingredients:
- ethyl bromine isovalerianate (full name - ethyl ester of a-bromo isovaleric acid);
- phenobarbital;
- peppermint oil.
In addition to them, the drops contain such auxiliary components as 95% ethyl alcohol, purified water and sodium hydroxide. Additional substances in the composition of the tablets are microcrystalline cellulose, potato starch and cyclodextrin, as well as lactose monohydrate and magnesium stearate.
Earlier in pharmacies there was a herbal preparation Corvalol Kid, intended for children. Its main difference from regular Corvalol was the absence of phenobarbital. However, the product is currently not being marketed as the health ministry has labeled it and other herbal extracts from the same manufacturer as food additives with unproven safety and efficacy.
Operating principle
The influence of Corvalol on the human body is due to its ingredients:
- Ethyl bromisovalerianate has a calming effect and the ability to relieve spasms in smooth muscles.
- Phenobarbital in drops acts directly on the brain as a hypnotic. It enhances the action of other ingredients and makes it easier to fall asleep.
- Peppermint oil has a vasodilating and antispasmodic effect. This ingredient also activates the choleretic function, eliminates flatulence and has disinfecting properties.
At what age is it allowed?
The opinions of doctors about the acceptable age for using Corvalol differ. Some experts claim that the liquid form of such a medicine can be used for all children, choosing the dosage according to the number of years of the little patient. Other doctors believe that Corvalol should be given only to children over 12 years old. They argue that earlier use is impractical, despite the reduced dose of drops.
Should I give it to children?
According to doctors, Corvalol can be used in the treatment of children only sporadically and under the supervision of a specialist, and it is impossible to give such a drug to babies without consulting a pediatrician.
Doctors, including Dr. Komarovsky, note that quite often Corvalol is given to children, counting on a therapeutic effect on the heart. Hearing from elderly relatives that such a drug is good for heart palpitations or pain in the heart, mothers give it to their child with such symptoms.
However, they forget that the effects of the drops are primarily soothing. And if the cause of the rapid pulse or chest pain is not established, Corvalol will only temporarily and partially eliminate these symptoms, but after a while the problem will appear again. In addition, such treatment can lead to the fact that the disease manifests itself in a more serious form.
According to pediatricians, the uncontrolled and prolonged use of Corvalol is more likely to harm children than benefit. For this reason, such a medication is practically not prescribed in childhood.
Parents give their children drops for a good sleep if the child is restless and falls asleep hard or cannot fall asleep when coughing. The drug is also used at high temperatures (for example, after vaccination), for spasms of the biliary tract and intestinal colic, as well as for complaints about the work of the heart. The medication is indeed able to alleviate the condition of the child with such problems, but does not eliminate the cause of insomnia, restless behavior, or painful sensations in the chest.
In addition, using drops without medical supervision can lead to overdose, drug dependence, or allergies.
It should not be forgotten that the liquid form includes ethyl alcohol, therefore prolonged and uncontrolled use in children is dangerous to their health.
Indications and contraindications
Corvalol is in demand for sleep disorders, anxiety, irritability, increased excitability or neurosis. This remedy is also used for disorders of the nervous system that cause tachycardia, spasm of the heart vessels or spasms in the gastrointestinal tract.
In the instructions attached to the drops, it is noted that this remedy is not given in case of intolerance to any component of the drug. The drug is also contraindicated in liver or kidney disease and with reduced blood pressure. It should not be given in situations where the child is already taking any medications with a depressing effect on the central nervous system. Adults Corvalol is not prescribed for breastfeeding.
Side effects
In some children, taking Corvalol leads to apathy, dizziness or drowsiness. Long-term use of the drug provokes addiction. If you cancel the remedy in such a situation abruptly, withdrawal symptoms develop.
Instructions for use and dosage
Drops are recommended to be taken before meals, dissolving the required amount of such a liquid medicine in 20-50 ml of water. Usually the dose for a child is calculated according to his age - one drop for each year. For example, if a child is 3 years old, he is given 3 drops of Corvalol. The tool is applied once a day, and the duration of use is determined by the doctor.
An exceeded dose of Corvalol can cause hemorrhagic diathesis, constipation (the drug slows down intestinal motility), depression and apathy (due to the presence of bromine in the composition). In addition, overdose leads to rhinitis or conjunctivitis, as well as negative CNS symptoms (impaired attention, speech or memory).
Terms of sale
Despite the presence of a psychotropic component in the composition, Corvalol can be purchased at the pharmacy without a prescription. The price of the medicine is low and is about 14-20 rubles per 25 ml bottle.
Storage conditions and shelf life
To store Corvalol, you should find a dry place where sunlight will not enter. Storage is recommended at temperatures from +10 to +25 degrees. It is important that the product is not freely available to young children. The shelf life of drops is 3 years.
Analogs
Instead of Corvalol, you can use drugs in drops with the same active ingredients, for example, Barboval and Corvaldin. However, if you need to give your child a sedative, herbal remedies are preferable.
For example, babies over a year old can be given valerian tincture. For children over 3 years old, the doctor may prescribe motherwort tincture or Nott drops, for a six-year-old child - Valerianachel drops, and from 12 years old, Passifit syrup or Novo-Passit solution is used.
Drotaverin, No-shpa, Duspatalin, Spazmol, Papaverine and other antispasmodics are capable of replacing Corvalol with spasms (biliary or intestinal colic).
Watch the program of Dr. Komarovsky, from which you will learn in what cases it is worth using sedatives to help the child.
