Both intestinal infection and food poisoning are common in both adults and toddlers. To cope with such problems, in many cases it is enough to give the patient plenty of fluids (including special rehydration solutions that will quickly restore the balance of fluids and minerals) and adhere to a certain diet.
But sometimes you have to resort to antimicrobial drugs, one of which is "Furazolidone". This drug acts on the most common cause of diarrhea, vomiting and other symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases - pathogenic microbes. It has been used for many years, but when prescribing a child, mothers should, before starting therapy, learn about all the features of the use of such a medicine.
Release form
Furazolidone is produced by several pharmaceutical companies both in Russia and in neighboring countries. This medicine is sold in the form of small round-shaped yellow tablets, sometimes with an unexpressed green tinge. Most often, one pack contains 10 or 20 such tablets, but some manufacturers also offer packs of 30, 50 or more tablets in the assortment. Furazolidone is not produced in powder, syrup, granules, capsules and other forms.
Composition
Each tablet contains 50 mg of the active ingredient, which is also called furazolidone. Auxiliary components differ from different manufacturers and are represented by potato starch, aerosil, sucrose, polysorbate, lactose and other substances.
If a child is allergic to the listed compounds, their list should be clarified in the annotation before starting treatment.
Mechanism of action
Furazolidone has an antimicrobial effect on a fairly large number of pathogens, including Shigella, Giardia, Trichomonas, Salmonella, Klebsiella and Staphylococcus. This substance from the group of nitrofurans affects cellular respiration and other processes inside bacterial cells, due to which their membrane is destroyed.
In addition, after exposure to furazolidone, microbes secrete less toxic substances, which quickly improves the patient's condition already in the first days of taking the pills. At the same time, the child's immune system does not suffer, which distinguishes "Furazolidone" from many other antimicrobial drugs prescribed for intestinal infections. In addition, resistance to the active component of such pills develops very slowly.
Indications
"Furazolidone" is usually prescribed for patients who have been diagnosed with an infection of the gastrointestinal tract, manifested by diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal discomfort, nausea and other unpleasant symptoms. The drug is used in the treatment of diseases dangerous for children such as dysentery, paratyphoid fever and typhoid fever. It is also prescribed for foodborne diseases.
Due to the antiprotozoal effect, tablets are also often used for giardiasis. They can also be prescribed for rotavirus infection in order to prevent complications of such a disease. In addition, "Furazolidone" helps to cope with diseases of the genitourinary organs of an infectious nature, therefore it is sometimes prescribed for pyelonephritis, urethritis or cystitis.
At what age is it allowed?
The active substance of the tablets is contraindicated in newborn babies, but can be used in young patients older than 1 month as directed by a doctor. In the annotation to the tablets, some manufacturers note the age of 1 year as contraindications, others - the age of three. This is usually due to the solid form of the drug and the inconvenience of dividing the tablet into smaller parts.
In any case, give "Furazolidone" to a child only after consulting a doctor.
Contraindications
The drug is not prescribed for children with hypersensitivity to furazolidone or any inactive ingredient of the tablets, as well as with a lack of glucose-6-phosphatase. In case of severe kidney failure, the drug is contraindicated, and for any kidney disease affecting the work of this organ, it is permissible to give "Furazolidone" only under the supervision of a doctor.
If, in addition to diarrhea and other symptoms of indigestion, the child has severe abdominal pain, the use of "Furazolidone" until a specialist examination is prohibited. Such symptoms may indicate a surgical pathology (for example, about appendicitis), in which self-medication can only harm.
Side effects
When prescribing "Furazolidone" to a child, parents are often interested in how safe this drug is for a growing organism. In fact, side effects are rare while taking these pills. Among them, there are various allergic reactions, for example, a rash on the skin or redness with itching. And also in some children after taking "Furazolidone" appetite may deteriorate or nausea may appear.
If side effects occur, it is recommended to consult a doctor who can cancel the medication or reduce its dose.
Instructions for use
The daily dosage of "Furazolidone" is calculated depending on how much a small patient weighs. The doctor multiplies the number 10 by the weight of the child in kilograms and receives the number of milligrams of active substance that needs to be given to the baby per day. Then the result is divided into 3 or 4 doses during the day (they should be with meals). The child should swallow the tablet with water.
The duration of drug use depends on the disease. Most often, "Furazolidone" is taken in a course of 5 to 10 days. The use of the medicine for more than ten days is not recommended.
If after 2 days from the start of using the tablets, there is no improvement, a second consultation with a doctor is needed.
Overdose
"Furazolidone" in a high dose poses a danger to the health of children, since it can provoke complications of the disease that the patient already has, and some other pathologies, including polyneuritis and hepatitis. If you suspect an overdose of medication, you should immediately stop taking further pills, give the patient plenty of fluids and medications prescribed by the doctor for symptomatic treatment, for example, B vitamins or antihistamines.
Interaction with other drugs
"Furazolidone" is not used in conjunction with some other drugs, among which are ephedrine and phenylephrine preparations, ethanol-containing agents and others. If the child is already receiving some kind of treatment, then the compatibility of the drugs should be discussed with the doctor before taking the pills.
Terms of sale
To buy a drug in a pharmacy, you do not need to take a prescription from a doctor, but consultation before treating a child with Furazolidone is desirable. The price of the drug depends on the manufacturer and on the number of tablets in the pack. At the same time, the tool is inexpensive and costs from 60 to 120 rubles.
Storage
At home, "Furazolidone" should lie in a dry place, where the sun's rays and high temperatures will not affect the tablets (the medicine should be stored at a temperature of +5 to +30 degrees). In addition, such a place should be inaccessible to babies. The shelf life of the drug is usually 3 years from the date of manufacture and is indicated on the box or blister. The suitability of the medicine must be clarified before starting to give pills to the child.
Reviews
You can read a lot of positive reviews about the use of "Furazolidone", in which patients and their parents confirm the effectiveness of such pills and note their rather rapid action. The advantages of the drug also include its availability in pharmacies, low cost and small tablet size.
As for the cons, some children have side effects. The downside is the fact that it is quite difficult to divide the drug into parts.
Analogs
If there is a need to replace "Furazolidone" with another medicine (for example, if it is not available in the pharmacy or the child has an allergy to any of its components), the doctor will prescribe a medicine with a similar therapeutic effect on the body.
Depending on the disease, this can be a number of drugs.
- Enterofuril... Such a popular remedy for diarrhea contains nifuroxazide, which destroys pathogenic microbes in the intestines, so the drug is used for infection with salmonella, E.coli, staphylococcus and other bacteria, as well as with rotavirus. It is most often given to children in liquid form (this is a sweet banana suspension), because such "Enterofuril" is allowed from one month. In capsules, this medicine is used from the age of three.
- "Phtalazol"... This remedy can replace "Furazolidone" for bacterial diarrhea. Its main advantage is that it can be used at any age. The drug is presented as tablets, which act mainly in the intestines and are not addictive. For the smallest patients, it is recommended to crush them into powder and stir in a spoonful of water.
- "Enterol"... This medication is available in capsules and powder sachets. The microscopic fungi contained in it have antidiarrheal activity, therefore, the main indication for the use of Enterol is diarrhea caused by various reasons (microbes, rotavirus, dysbiosis, spoiled or unusual food, and so on). Both types of medicine are allowed to be given to children from 1 year old.
- "Furadonin"... This drug can become an analogue of "Furazolidone" in the inflammatory process in the excretory system, since it is used in the treatment of bacterial cystitis, nephritis, urethritis and other diseases of the genitourinary organs. The action of such tablets is due to nitrofurantoin. The medication is allowed from 1 month, but it is used with caution in children under 3 years old.
- "Stopdiar"... The action of such a drug, like Enterofuril, is provided by nifuroxazide. The drug is available in capsules, suspensions and tablets. For children, it is prescribed over the age of one month.
- "Macmiror"... The basis of these tablets is nifuratel, an antimicrobial substance that helps to get rid of lamblia, amebiasis and other intestinal infections. In addition, McMiror is prescribed for urinary tract infections. It can be used at any age.
- Furamag... Such capsules containing furazidine are used for urethritis, cystitis and pyelitis, as well as in the treatment of skin infections. They can be prescribed to young patients who are already 3 years old.
You will learn about when a child should see a doctor with diarrhea in the next video.
