With very frequent diseases of the respiratory system, doctors often advise to strengthen the patient's immune system with drugs that are known to have immunostimulating effects. One of them can be called "Broncho-munal". Such a remedy is in demand for bronchitis, otitis media and other diseases in adult patients, as noted on its packaging, but it can also be used in children, taking into account age restrictions and some other nuances.
Release form
The medicine is a product of the Sandoz company and is presented only in the form of capsules. They have an opaque blue shell, and a light beige powder is placed inside. The size of these capsules is number 3.
One box contains 10 or 30 capsules, packaged in blisters of ten each. In the form of a solution, syrup, powder, tablets and other forms, "Broncho-Munal" is not available.
Composition
The main component of the drug, which is in the powder placed inside the capsules, is the lysates of microorganisms that can affect the respiratory tract. The dosage of such lysates in each capsule is 7 mg.
Microbes in the composition of the drug are destroyed and are represented by the following types:
- haemophilus influenzae;
- klebsiella pneumonia;
- Staphylococcus aureus;
- streptococcus viridans;
- Pneumococcus;
- pyogenic streptococcus;
- klebsiella ozena;
- moraxella catarralis.
Among the inactive components of the powder are starch, mannitol and some other substances, and indigotin, gelatin and titanium dioxide are used to make the shell.
How does it work?
Broncho-munal has the ability to stimulate the immune system. The destroyed bacteria presented in the preparation are antigens, therefore, when they enter the human body, immune cells react to them in the same way as to living pathogens. This reaction is similar to the changes in the immune system as a result of vaccination.
As a result of taking "Broncho-Munal" B-lymphocytes become more active, and their number in the blood increases, which leads to an increase in the formation of antibodies, including the activation of the synthesis of various types of immunoglobulins. Under the action of lysates, nonspecific immunity is also enhanced, in particular, the release of lysozyme improves.
As a result of using "Broncho-munal", the following positive effects are noted:
- more rare SARS in a child;
- faster recovery from respiratory tract infections (reducing the duration of illness);
- lower risk of relapses and exacerbations if the child has chronic bronchial pathology;
- increasing the resistance of the respiratory system to bacteria and viruses;
- more rare use of antibacterial drugs and other serious medications.
Indications
Since Broncho-Munal contains the most common pathogens of respiratory tract diseases, the sphere of application of such a medicine is mainly diseases that are treated by ENT doctors and pulmonologists. The drug is in demand as an adjunct to basic therapy for rhinitis, adenoiditis, sinusitis, bronchitis and other acute infections. It is also prescribed to patients with chronic bronchial diseases to prevent their exacerbations.
At what age is it prescribed?
According to the information from the instructions attached to the capsules, "Broncho-munal" is used in the treatment of children over 12 years old. This is due to the high dosage of bacterial lysates in one capsule.
If you need to give medication to a younger patient, for example, at 2 or 3 years old, use Broncho-Munal P capsules. They contain half the amount of lysates, which makes it possible to prescribe a remedy from the age of six months.
Contraindications
The drug is not used in adolescents with intolerance to any component of the capsules. Other contraindications, in addition to hypersensitivity and age up to 12 years, are absent from Broncho-Munal.
Side effects
The remedy rarely causes a negative reaction from the digestive tract, which can manifest itself as abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, nausea, or an attack of vomiting. Sometimes after taking Broncho-Munal, patients complain of shortness of breath, fever, cough or headache.
Some adolescents react to capsules with an allergic reaction, such as Quincke's edema, erythema or rash.
If any side effect occurs while taking "Broncho-Munal", you must stop using this medication and report negative symptoms to your doctor.
Instructions for use
Capsules must be taken on an empty stomach, so it is best to give Broncho-Munal to a teenager in the morning 30 minutes before breakfast. Both for diseases and for their prevention, the medication is prescribed 1 capsule per day. It is swallowed and washed down with plain water or other drink.
How long to use "Broncho-munal" for diseases of the respiratory organs, determines the doctor (the medication is taken until all symptoms disappear), but the remedy is not given less than ten days. The course of prophylactic administration of the drug lasts 10 days, but for greater effect it is advised to repeat it three times with pauses of twenty days.
Overdose and interactions with other medications
As the manufacturer notes, there have not yet been cases when an unnecessarily high dose of Broncho-Munal provoked intoxication. If the patient accidentally drinks more than one capsule, it is recommended to monitor his condition and, if it worsens, show the child to the doctor.
As for the compatibility of the drug with other drugs, the instructions say that "Broncho-munal" can be used simultaneously with any medicines. It is usually included in the complex of therapy, combining with antibiotics, antiviral agents and other drugs.
Terms of sale
Since "Broncho-munal" is an OTC drug, it is not required to take a prescription from a doctor before purchasing it, but consultation is desirable.
For a small package of 10 capsules, on average, you need to pay 520-550 rubles, and a box with 30 capsules costs about 1300-1400 rubles.
Storage
It is advised to keep the capsules at home at room temperature (not higher than 25 degrees Celsius) in a fairly dry place. In addition, the medicine should not be freely available to young children.
The shelf life of "Broncho-munal" is 5 years and is indicated on the packaging.
Reviews
There are many positive reviews from parents about the use of Broncho-Munal in adolescents with frequent diseases of the respiratory system or for the purpose of prevention.
The drug is called effective and convenient to use, and its main disadvantage is the high price. However, you can also see negative reviews, in which there are complaints about the lack of effectiveness in some patients. As for the capsule tolerance, it is usually called good, and allergies, nausea and other negative effects are rare.
Doctors treat Broncho-Munal differently. Some experts often include it in the treatment of bronchitis, laryngitis, otitis media, or other respiratory tract infection. Other doctors, including Komarovsky, doubt its effect on immunity and claim unproven effectiveness. In their opinion, It is much better to pay enough attention to the child's nutrition, his daily routine, stay in the fresh air, physical activity and other similar factors to strengthen the defenses of the child's body.
Analogs
A full-fledged analogue of "Broncho-munal" is the drug "Broncho-Vaxom adult", which is represented by the same dosage form and the same composition. It also contains lysates of the same microbes as in Broncho-Munal, and their dosage is 7 mg. Accordingly, the indications, and the age range, and the scheme of use for such drugs are the same. The only difference is the price, which is slightly higher for Broncho-Vaxom - for 10 capsules you need to pay about 560-620 rubles, and the cost of 30 capsules is about 1400-1500 rubles.
By the way, there is the same analogue for a child drug, which is "Broncho-munal P". It is called “Broncho-Vaxom for children” and contains 3.5 mg of lysates in each capsule. This drug is prescribed for children under 12 years of age. Like "Broncho-munal P", children's "Bronchowax" is allowed to be used from six months of age.
At the same time, for the smallest children, it is recommended to open the capsule by mixing its contents with milk, tea or juice.
Other drugs based on destroyed microbial cells can also replace both of these drugs. For example, a doctor may prescribe Ribomunil granules for a baby over 6 months old with rhinitis, adenoids, bronchitis and other diseases, and a nasal spray called IRS 19 for babies over three months old.
If the patient is already 3 years old, "Broncho-munal" can be replaced with "Imudon" or "Ismigen" tablets.
In addition, instead of "Broncho-Munal", experts can prescribe drugs with a different composition, but with a similar effect on the immune system, for example:
- Immunal. This medicine is also produced by Sandoz and contains echinacea juice as the main ingredient. Solution "Immunal" can be prescribed to children over one year old, and the tablet form is prescribed from four years old.
- "Likopid". Such a drug from a domestic manufacturer is in demand for acute respiratory viral infections, and for herpes diseases, and for purulent skin infections. Children are shown tablets with a dosage of 1 mg, which can be given from the age of three.
- "Tsitovir-3". This Russian-made 3-component immunomodulator is most often used for influenza and ARVI. For children, powder or syrup is usually used, since such forms can be given to patients over a year old. However, Citovir-3 is also available in capsules, which are prescribed from the age of 6.
For information on how to raise the child's immunity, see the next video.
