Medicines are used to treat coughs that affect the respiratory tract in different ways. Some of them have a direct effect on the cough center in the brain, others have the ability to thin the secretions of the bronchi, and still others have a bronchodilator effect.
One of the drugs that are effective for both wet and dry coughs is Erispirus from the well-known pharmaceutical company Sandoz. For children, this medicine is prescribed in the form of a syrup, it can be given to young patients from the age of two.
Release form
Erispirus Liquid is sold in a glass bottle with a plastic dosing spoon. One bottle contains 150 ml of a reddish-orange liquid with a sweet taste and cherry scent. It is usually transparent, but a small sediment is acceptable, which disappears after shaking the bottle.
In pharmacies, in addition to syrup, Erispirus is also presented in tablets. They have a creamy white film shell that cannot be damaged; due to the high dosage, this version of the drug is not used in patients under 18 years of age.
Composition
The main ingredient of Erispirus, which provides the drug with a therapeutic effect, is called fenspiride hydrochloride. Its dosage in 1 ml of syrup is 2 mg. To make the medicine sweet, sucrose is added to its composition, as well as sodium saccharinate. Auxiliary components such as cherry flavor and yellow dye give the drug a pronounced odor and bright color.
To ensure that Erispirus remains liquid and does not deteriorate until the end of its shelf life, it also contains citric acid, water, potassium sorbate and sodium hydroxide. Unlike analogues, this syrup does not contain parabens - substances that can provoke serious allergic reactions. There is no ethyl alcohol in Erispirus either.
Operating principle
The main component of the syrup, which is fenspiride, has anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to act on smooth muscles in the bronchi (this effect is called anti-bronchoconstrictor). After entering the respiratory tract, this substance affects the formation and secretion of a number of substances that provoke bronchial spasm and inflammation. Among them are called free radicals, cytoxins, derivatives of arachidonic acid and other compounds. Due to the suppression of the production of such substances "Erispirus" is able to relieve or prevent bronchospasm, as well as eliminate the inflammatory process.
Fenspiride also has an antihistamine and antispasmodic effect, which further enhances the syrup's anti-inflammatory effect and provides quick relief for bronchial obstruction. In addition, this substance is capable of blocking alpha-adrenergic receptors, when stimulated, the secretion of glands in the bronchi increases. This also avoids the overproduction of pro-inflammatory compounds.
At what age are they used?
As noted above, "Erispirus" in liquid form is approved for patients who are already 2 years old.
If a cough appears in a younger child, for example, in a baby, such a medication cannot be given. For the treatment of such small patients, it is necessary to select, together with a doctor, an analogue with a similar effect on the respiratory tract, which is permissible to use at an early age.
As for schoolchildren and adolescents, they are prescribed "Erispirus" exclusively in syrup, since the solid form is not used in the treatment of children.
Indications
Erispirus is prescribed for various respiratory diseases. This syrup is used in children with:
- rhinopharyngitis;
- bronchitis;
- bronchial asthma;
- Measles, flu, or whooping cough to relieve a sore throat, cough, and hoarseness
- sinusitis;
- otitis media;
- laryngitis;
- a bacterial infectious process in the respiratory tract, which is manifested by a cough (syrup is prescribed in addition to an antibiotic).
The action of "Erispirus" in all these diseases is called pathogenetic, since the medication affects the processes occurring in the child's body, which are caused by allergens, pathogenic microbes, viral particles and other factors. The syrup acts on the respiratory system using several mechanisms at once. Is he:
- helps to reduce the activity of inflammation;
- eliminates puffiness or prevents its appearance at the onset of the disease;
- eliminates bronchospasm or prevents it from developing;
- reduces the viscosity of sputum.
As a result of such effects, the sick child begins to feel better, his breathing is restored, and the disease quickly passes into the stage of recovery.
Contraindications
"Erispirus" is not prescribed for children who have an intolerance to fenspiride or any of the inactive components of the syrup. Like any other means containing sucrose, this medicine should not be used in patients with glucose-galactose malabsorption, a lack of isomaltase-sucrase in the body and fructose intolerance, and in diabetes mellitus it is used under the supervision of a physician.
Side effects
While taking Erispirus, a child may experience:
- weakness;
- dizziness;
- stomach ache;
- itchy skin;
- nausea;
- quick fatigue;
- allergic rash;
- drowsiness;
- tachycardia;
- diarrhea;
- Quincke's edema and other symptoms.
If at least one of these or other side effects manifests itself after one or more doses of syrup, you should immediately discontinue the medication and consult your doctor in order to choose another treatment and prescribe symptomatic therapy (if necessary).
Application
The syrup is recommended to be given before meals (you should not drink it after meals), shaking before use and dispensing with a spoon, which is present in the package along with the bottle. It holds five milliliters of solution, from which the child will receive fenspiride at a dose of 10 mg. Teenagers can also be given Erispirus from a regular tablespoon. It contains 15 ml of the drug, that is, 30 mg of fenspiride.
The dosage of the drug depends on the weight of the child and can range from 10 to 60 ml per day (for adolescents, the dose may be higher), therefore, it must be checked with the attending physician. To calculate it, the doctor must multiply the patient's body weight in kilograms by 4. So he will receive the amount of mg of fenspiride per day for a particular patient, which he will then divide into 2-3 doses. For example, if a child weighs 15 kg, then he needs to drink 60 mg of fenspiride (15x4) per day. Since this amount of active substance is contained in 30 ml of syrup, the medication can be given either twice a day, 15 ml, or three times a day, 10 ml.
The duration of taking "Erispirus" must also be determined by a specialist, since it is influenced by both the reason for the appointment and the reaction of the child's body to the drug. If the medication is prescribed for the flu, then you need to take the syrup for only a few days, and with inflammation of the bronchi or more serious pathology, the course of treatment will last for several weeks.
If the period of admission prescribed by the doctor has passed, and the symptoms of the disease persist, then reuse of "Erispirus" is permissible only after consultation with the doctor who is observing the child.
Can inhalation be done?
Inhalation in a nebulizer is a popular procedure for coughing in children, since, thanks to a local effect on the bronchi, it helps to quickly relieve spasms of smooth muscles and affect the sputum production process, as well as moisturize and stimulate cell regeneration. Often, drops or solutions are used for inhalation. Suspensions are also sometimes prescribed, but it is prohibited to do such a procedure with syrup.
It is categorically impossible to use Erispirus for such treatment. The nebulizer will not be able to spray the sweet viscous liquid so that the drug gets directly on the mucous membrane of the bronchi, but the risk of failure of the device when "Erispirus" is poured into its chamber increases significantly.
Overdose
If the child is mistakenly given more syrup than prescribed by the doctor, or the child accidentally drinks the "Erispirus" left unattended, this can provoke nervous excitement or, conversely, cause depression of the central nervous system. In many children, an overdose of the medication begins vomiting or severe nausea, and tachycardia is also found.
If taking too much of the drug is detected almost immediately, you need to rinse the stomach and call an ambulance. In some cases, the child is hospitalized and monitored in the hospital.
Drug interactions
The manufacturer does not recommend combining "Erispirus" with histamine receptor blockers and any drugs that may have a sedative effect. With antibacterial agents and other cough medicines, you can take syrup at the same time.
Terms of sale and storage
To buy "Erispirus" in a pharmacy, you need to show a prescription, so consultation with a pediatrician or another doctor is required. One bottle of syrup costs 150-180 rubles. Since "Erispirus" in liquid form has a sweet taste and smell is quite pleasant, the medication should be stored in a place hidden from babies.
The storage temperature should not be higher than +25 degrees Celsius. The shelf life of the drug is 2 years from the date of manufacture, which is indicated on the package.
Reviews and analogues
There are many positive reviews about the use of "Erispirus" in children with various pathologies of the respiratory system. They confirm the effectiveness of this syrup for coughs, hoarseness and perspiration. The good qualities of the drug include a liquid form, an affordable cost and a pleasant taste, but many parents do not like the composition of Erispirus in syrup (especially the presence of a bright dye).
In addition, you can find negative reviews, which report adverse reactions to such a drug.
The most famous analogue of "Erispirus" can be called "Erespal". Such a drug also contains fenspiride and is presented in the same dosage forms, therefore it can serve as a full-fledged replacement for Erispirus if it was not in the pharmacy. Moreover, its difference, in addition to another manufacturer and a different composition of auxiliary components, is a higher price.
Among other drugs, the action of which is also due to fenspiride, it is also possible to note "Sirep", "Epistat" and "Eladon". They are available in both sweet syrup and tablet form. If the patient has an intolerance to the main component of Erispirus, the doctor can replace it with a drug with a similar effect on the respiratory tract. Such analogs include herbal remedies ("Bronchipret", "Prospan", etc.), drugs based on ambroxol ("Bronchorus", "Lazolvan", etc.), acetylcysteine and other compounds.
Dr. Komarovsky will tell you about the causes of cough and its treatment in the next video.
