Cough is a common symptom of childhood illnesses. When he appears in babies, parents strive to help their son or daughter as soon as possible and go to the doctor. If the pediatrician, upon examination, diagnoses bronchospasm or a high risk of its occurrence, then the sick child is prescribed drugs from the group of bronchodilators. One of them is Clenbuterol. Is such a remedy effective for coughing, when is it prescribed to children and in what dosage is it used?
Release form
The drug is produced by the Bulgarian companies Balkanfarma and Sopharma in two forms - syrup and tablets. Clenbuterol syrup is a viscous transparent liquid that smells like raspberries. It comes in plastic or glass bottles with a measuring cup or measuring spoon. One bottle contains 100 ml of syrup.
The solid form of Clenbuterol is flat white round tablets, on which there is a dividing risk (according to which the medication is divided into halves, if necessary). One box contains 50 tablets, packed in blisters of 10 pieces.
Composition
The active ingredient of the drug is clenbuterol in the form of hydrochloride. In 5 ml of syrup, this compound is presented in a dosage of 5 μg and is supplemented with citric acid, sodium citrate, glycerol, raspberry flavor, propylene glycol, sorbitol and other substances. One tablet contains 0.02 mg of active compound as well as wheat starch, povidone, MCC, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide.
Operating principle
The drug belongs to bronchodilators, since it is able to influence beta-2 adrenergic receptors, which are located in the bronchi. The result of this effect is relaxation of the smooth muscles of the bronchi. In addition, the drug has the ability to enhance the secretion of bronchial secretions, dilate the vessels of the muscles and brain.
On beta-1 adrenergic receptors, clenbuterol acts very weakly (and therefore it is called a selective agent), only slightly increasing the force of heart contractions. It is also noted that such a medicine has the property of slightly increasing body temperature.
Clenbuterol is absorbed both from the liquid form and from the tablets very well. After metabolic changes in the liver, most of the drug is excreted in the urine..
The effect of taking syrup or tablets begins to manifest itself 10-15 minutes after ingestion, and the maximum effect is observed 2-3 hours after taking the drug and lasts up to 6-8 hours.
Indications
The drug is used as a symptomatic agent for bronchial obstruction. It is used:
- With bronchitis, pneumonia and other chronic pulmonary pathologies;
- With bronchial asthma (except for an acute attack).
Sometimes the doctor prescribes syrup for tracheitis, whooping cough, or laryngitis. It all depends on the course of the disease and the risks of complications in such pathologies.
From what age is it allowed to take?
Clenbuterol syrup is prescribed for children of any age. It is safe even for nursing infants if prescribed by a doctor in the correct dosage. The tablet form of the drug is not used in children under 6 years of age. This is due to the ability of babies to swallow tablets and with a higher concentration of the active ingredient.
Contraindications
It is prohibited to treat a child with Clenbuterol:
- With hypersensitivity to such a drug (not only to the active compound, but also to any of its other components);
- With thyrotoxicosis;
- With cardiomyopathies;
- With tachyarrhythmias.
In addition, neither syrup nor tablets are given in case of carbohydrate metabolism disorders, for example, with malabsorption or isomaltase deficiency. For adults, the medication is not prescribed during breastfeeding, with myocardial infarction and during pregnancy (the medicine is allowed only in the second trimester). In diabetes mellitus, Clenbuterol should be given with caution, since it stimulates glycogenolysis and can provoke hyperglycemia.
Side effects
- When treating with Clenbuterol, negative symptoms from the central nervous system can occur, such as anxiety, headaches, sleep problems, fears, hand tremors, mental disorders, weakness, and others.
- The patient's digestive system may react to this drug with nausea or dry mouth.
- The medication can interfere with the work of the heart, causing heart palpitations. In addition, its reception is capable of influencing blood pressure - both increasing it (this effect is observed more often) and lowering it.
- Taking the medication can trigger an allergic reaction, such as hives.
- Sometimes clenbuterol causes spasm of the vessels of the kidneys and the sphincter of the bladder, due to which the formation and excretion of urine decreases.
Instructions for use and dosage
The syrup is given to the child twice a day with meals. The dosage is determined by the doctor individually, taking into account the body weight and age of the small patient. Most often, a medicine is prescribed as follows:
- A baby under 8 months old with a weight of 4 to 8 kg is given 2.5 ml of the drug.
- For a baby over 8 months to 2 years old with a body weight of 8-12 kg, the drug is prescribed in a single dosage of 5 ml.
- A child from 2 to 4 years old, whose weight is from 12 to 16 kg, is given a syrup in a dose of 7.5 ml per dose.
- At the age of 4-6 years with a weight of 16 to 22 kg, a single dose of the drug is 10 ml.
- For children from 6 to 12 years old, who weigh from 22 to 35 kg, the medication is prescribed 15 ml per dose twice a day.
- Over the age of 12, a single dosage is also 15 ml, but the drug can be given both two and three times a day.
Depending on the tolerance of clenbuterol, the dosage may be lower.
Tablets are also prescribed twice a day, and the doctor selects a single dose of this form of the drug individually, taking into account both the child's age and the clinical situation.
The medication is given in the morning and at night.
The average dosage of this form of medicine for children 6-12 years old is half a tablet. For a child over 12 years old, the drug is prescribed either 1/2 tablet twice or three times a day, or a whole tablet 2 times a day.
Overdose
Too much Clenbuterol will increase the side effects of this medication and cause tachycardia, tremors, high blood pressure and other symptoms. For the treatment of an overdose, it is recommended to rinse the stomach, give the child activated charcoal, water-salt solutions and other necessary medications.
Interaction with other drugs
- Clenbuterol is often prescribed in combination with anti-inflammatory drugs, including glucocorticoid hormones.
- If the baby has a bacterial infection, such a medication can be used together with antibiotics, for example, the child can be prescribed Clenbuterol and Sumamed together.
- For viral infections, the drug can be prescribed together with antiviral agents (Arbidol, Isoprinosin, Amizon, etc.)
- The simultaneous use of beta-blockers will reduce the effect of the drug or completely eliminate it.
- The therapeutic effect of hypoglycemic drugs under the action of Clenbuterol decreases.
- If the drug is prescribed together with theophylline or cardiac glycosides, it increases the risk of arrhythmias.
- Simultaneous use with other adrenomimetics, anticholinergic drugs or tricyclic antidepressants will enhance the therapeutic effect of Clenbuterol.
- Prescribing with sympathomimetics increases the risk of side effects.
Terms of sale
To purchase Clenbuterol at a pharmacy (any form of medication), you must first visit a doctor and take a prescription from him. The average price of 100 ml of syrup is 60-90 rubles.
Storage conditions and shelf life
It is recommended to keep a bottle of syrup or a package of tablets in a place hidden from small children and sunlight, where the temperature will exceed +25 degrees Celsius. Do not freeze the drug in liquid form. The shelf life of the tablet form and the sealed bottle is 3 years, but after the first use, the syrup can be stored for only one month.
Reviews
There are a lot of positive reviews about the use of Clenbuterol in children. In them, parents note the high effectiveness of the remedy for dry cough. According to them, the child's condition improves after just a few uses, and the cough becomes more moist.
The drug in syrup is also praised for its convenient shape, since the sweet taste allows you to give such a medication to babies without any problems, and it is easy to dispense the drug with a measuring cap. In addition, the advantage of the drug is its affordable cost.
The disadvantages of the remedy include possible side effects. Although, according to mothers, they occur very rarely, but still occur in some young patients in the form of a rash on the cheeks, nausea, headaches and other symptoms. In addition, sometimes the child does not like the sweet taste of the syrup, and the shelf life of the product after opening is very short.
Analogs
You can replace Clenbuterol with bronchospasm with other drugs from the same group of drugs... The doctor may prescribe:
- Ventolin. Such a drug in the form of a metered-dose aerosol contains salbutamol and is approved for use in children of any age. It can be replaced by Astalin Salbutamol, Salbutamol-Teva, Salamol Eco or other aerosols with the same active ingredient.
- Berodual... The composition of this medication includes ipratropium bromide and fenoterol. Both components relax the bronchial muscles. The tool is released in the form of an aerosol and a solution for nebulizer inhalation. For children under six years old, such a medication is prescribed only under the supervision of a doctor. The analogue of Berodual is the Ipraterol-native solution.
- Berotek... The basis of such a medicine is fenoterol. The medication is produced in the form of a solution used for inhalation. Like Berodual, it can be prescribed to children under 6 years old only under the supervision of a specialist.
For more information on cough medicines, see a small video by Dr. Komarovsky.
