"Metoclopramide" is a medication used by adults to treat vomiting for a variety of reasons. Not everyone knows if this drug can be given to children, in what situations it is allowed and in what dosage.
Release form
The drug is presented in pharmacies in two forms:
- Tablets, of which there are from 10 to 100 pieces in one pack. They are white or yellowish-white in color, there may be slight marbling.
- Ampoules for intramuscular or intravenous administration, packaged in 5-20 pieces. Inside the ampoule there is a slightly colored or colorless transparent liquid.
Composition
The action of the drug is due to a substance that is called the same as the drug - metoclopramide. It is presented in the form of hydrochloride and is contained in 1 tablet and in 1 ampoule at a dosage of 10 mg (in 1 ml of an injection drug - in an amount of 5 mg).
Among the auxiliary components of tablets from different manufacturers, you can see lactose, povidone, talc, Ca stearate and other substances. The ampoules contain sodium chloride, sterile water, sodium sulfite and other compounds.
Operating principle
"Metoclopramide" affects serotonin and dopamine receptors in the brain, and also reduces the sensitivity of the nerves that conduct impulses from the digestive tract to the vomiting center. This is manifested by the suppression of the gag reflex.
In addition, the drug has the ability, by influencing the parasympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamus, to enhance gastrointestinal motility, due to which it helps to get rid of hiccups and nausea.
After taking the drug, the stomach is emptied faster, but gastric juice is secreted in normal amounts. Although the food as a result of the action of the medication moves through the intestines at an accelerated rate, the use of "Metoclopramide" does not provoke diarrhea.
The drug also normalizes the flow of bile, helping with gallbladder dyskinesia. The drug is noted for the ability to stimulate the healing of ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract.
The action of "Metoclopramide" begins to manifest itself rather quickly - after 1-3 minutes after injection into a vein, about 10 minutes after an intramuscular injection. The tablets take effect in 30-60 minutes. The duration of the antiemetic effect of such a drug reaches 12 hours.
Indications
The main reason for prescribing Metoclopramide for a child is vomiting.
The cause of its occurrence is:
- taking medicines - for example, antibacterial or cytostatic;
- liver pathology;
- traumatic brain injury;
- eating disorder;
- renal failure;
- radiation therapy.
In addition, the medicine is used:
- with reflux esophagitis;
- with flatulence;
- with peptic ulcer of the stomach and intestines;
- with dyskinesia of the biliary tract;
- with postoperative decrease in gastrointestinal motility;
- with Tourette's syndrome;
- with migraine;
- in preparation for probing or X-ray examination of the gastrointestinal tract.
From what age is it allowed to take?
Children in the first two years of life are not prescribed any of the forms of "Metoclopramide". Tablet medicine can be given from 2 years of age, but only if indicated and under medical supervision. Injections are used in the treatment of children 6 years of age and older.
Contraindications
The medicine should not be given to children:
- with hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients of the selected form of "Metoclopramide";
- with epilepsy;
- with bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract;
- with glaucoma;
- with intestinal obstruction;
- with pheochromocytoma;
- with renal failure;
- with high blood pressure;
- with extrapyramidal disorders;
- after operations on the digestive tract;
- with bronchial asthma;
- with pyloric stenosis;
- with a prolactin-dependent tumor;
- with perforation of the wall of the digestive tract;
- with liver failure.
The drug is not prescribed for vomiting, provoked by motion sickness, since it does not help eliminate vestibular disorders.
Side effects
In some young patients, the use of "Metoclopramide" can provoke drowsiness, increased fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, movement restlessness, changes in blood pressure or heart rate, allergic rash, changes in stool and other negative effects. If they occur, you should immediately show the child to a doctor.
Instructions for use and dosage
Consider the following:
- Tableted "Metoclopramide" is taken 15-30 minutes before meals. The drug is not chewed, but swallowed and washed down with water.
- Injections are made both intramuscularly and into a vein. The route of administration is determined individually.
- The dosage for children 2-6 years old is calculated by weight - it is multiplied by 0.5-1 mg. The daily dose obtained by this calculation is divided into three doses. At this age, the medication is given only in tablets.
- A child over 6 years old is prescribed any of the forms of "Metoclopramild" in a single dose of 5 mg (half a tablet or 1 ml of solution) - one to three times a day.
Overdose
Too much injectable or pill dosage affects the nervous system and can cause disorientation, drowsiness, seizures, and other symptoms. In case of overdose, you should immediately contact your child's doctor.
Interaction with other drugs
Treatment with "Metoclopramide" affects the intake of many medications (sleeping pills, tetracyclines, famotidine, digoxin, neuroleptics, paracetamol, and so on), which the doctor must take into account when prescribing such a medication.
Terms of sale
To purchase any form of "Metoclopramide" you need to show a prescription from a pediatrician, gastroenterologist or other specialist. The price of a drug is influenced by both the manufacturer and the form of the drug. On average, 50 tablets cost about 30 rubles, and 10 ampoules - about 50-60 rubles.
Storage features
It is recommended to keep "Metoclopramide" at home out of the reach of small children, at room temperature. The shelf life of the solution in ampoules is 4 years, tablets - 2 years.
Reviews
They mostly respond well to the use of Metoclopramide, noting that such a drug has a very strong and rapid antiemetic effect, and the price is much lower than that of analogues. Among the disadvantages, parents name a large list of contraindications and possible side effects.
Analogs
A popular replacement is Tserukal. Such a medicine has the same active ingredient, therefore, the indications and other characteristics of Cerucal and Metoclopramide are the same, but the price is different. In addition, the child may be given other antiemetic medications instead of metoclopramide, such as "Dramina", "Passages", "Motilium" or "Domperidone".
In the video below you will familiarize yourself with the action of an analogue of this drug - cerucal.
