Allergies can be a real punishment for a person. The inability to go outside during flowering plants, intolerance to poplar fluff or animal hair, a negative reaction to dust, food - all this makes life limited. To combat the problem, the drug "L-cet" was created. The instructions for this medicine can give the patient very valuable information about the characteristics of the reception, interaction with other drugs, contraindications. Therefore, it must be read.
Description of the composition and dosage forms of the drug
The product incorporates such a basic substance as levocetirizine dihydrochloride. Its amount in one tablet is 5 mg, and in 5 ml of syrup - 2.5 mg. And it also contains such additional substances: magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, anhydrous colloidal silicon dioxide, etc.
The drug is made in India. You can buy it in the form of tablets or syrup. The second has a viscous consistency and yellow color. The tablets are coated with a green protective shell, have a round biconvex shape.
Pharmacological action
Instructions "L-ceta" talks about the high effectiveness of the drug. Levocetirizine is an effective blocker of H 1 histamine receptors. The drug has a strong effect on the histamine stage of allergies, reduces the degree of vascular permeability and the movement of eosinophils. Thanks to levocetirizine, the release of inflammatory mediators is significantly limited.
The drug not only reduces the intensity of the symptoms, but also prevents their onset. The main substance does not cross the blood-brain barrier, but is able to be excreted in breast milk. After taking, it begins to act after 15 minutes. The effect lasts throughout the day. It should be noted that the drug has virtually no sedative effect, which means it does not cause drowsiness.
"L-cet" (the instruction is always in the package with the drug) is absorbed very quickly. Its maximum concentration in the body is observed after 40 minutes. It should be noted that simultaneous ingestion of food can slightly reduce the rate of absorption. The active substance has 100% bioavailability, and binds to blood proteins by 90%. The half-life of the drug is 10 hours. The substance leaves the body with urine. A small amount of the drug is excreted in the feces.
Indications
If the doctor has prescribed you L-cet, the instructions should be read by the patient anyway. She talks about such indications for use:
• Chronic allergic rhinitis caused by cold, dust, animal hair.
• Quincke's edema.
• Allergic rhinitis, recurring every season.
• Hay fever.
• Allergic conjunctivitis.
• Taking medications that help release histamine.
• Allergic manifestations on the skin: rash, urticaria, eczema.
What contraindications exist?
If you need to use "L-cet" (tablets), the instruction provides for such contraindications (for syrup they are similar):
1. Age. The medicine can not be used to treat children under 6 years old.
2. Too high a degree of sensitivity to the components of the product.
3. Severe renal failure.
4. The period of gestation and breastfeeding.
As you can see, “L-cet” (instructions should be present in the patient during the entire treatment period) can quickly and permanently relieve allergy symptoms. But in some cases, it is still worth giving up.
special instructions
If you need to take "L-cet", the instructions for use will help you to get acquainted with some warnings regarding its use. For example, during treatment, in no case should you drink alcoholic beverages, which create an additional burden on the liver and kidneys.
If the patient has a violation of glucose absorption, and there is also a deficiency of sucrose, the medicine presented cannot be used. Particular caution should be taken with renal failure. In this case, the elimination of the drug slows down. Do not use the drug for those patients who are on hemodialysis.
It is advisable to drink tablets at the same time. It is best to do this before bedtime, as some patients may still have drowsiness. After taking the medicine, it is better not to drive a car and not control any mechanisms.
The drug "L-cet" (instructions for use contains all the information necessary for the patient) is a very effective tool, but you must follow all the recommendations. Only in this case will the medication benefit.
Features of admission and dosage
If you are prescribed "L-cet" (tablets), the instructions for use provide only oral administration. In this case, the product should not be chewed. The tablet should be swallowed whole with water. If you take the medicine on an empty stomach, then the effect will come faster. Do not exceed the indicated dosage.
The norm for an adult and a child older than 6 years is 1 tablet once a day. If you missed the time of administration, then you need to drink the medicine as soon as possible. You may need 1 to 6 weeks to eliminate the symptoms of hay fever. If the allergic pathology is chronic, then the course of treatment can drag on to 12 months.
Children from 2 to 6 years of age are prescribed a drug in the form of a syrup. The maximum dose is 5 ml and is divided into two doses. If you purchased L-cet, the instructions (syrup for children can be used by adults) for patients over 6 years of age include the following dosage: 10 ml of liquid once a day.
What side effects are possible?
Like any other remedy, the drug presented is not without flaws. If you decide to use "L-cet" (tablets), the instructions for use provide for the possibility of such undesirable reactions (syrup side effects have similar):
• Pain in the head, fatigue, lethargy and weakness, sometimes drowsiness.
• Accelerated heartbeat.
• Impaired vision.
• Shortness of breath.
• Dry mouth.
• A slight increase in body weight.
• Abdominal pain.
However, it is not necessary that these symptoms appear at all. Although, when the first signs of intolerance to the drug occur, it is worth abandoning it. To date, the pharmaceutical industry offers a large number of analogues that may suit you much better.
What to do if an overdose occurs?
If you need "L-cet" (syrup), the instruction lies in the box for a reason. Annotation is also attached to the tablets. You must adhere to established admission standards. Otherwise, an overdose may occur.
It usually manifests itself quite strongly. The patient has a headache, he is sick, he has a dry mouth. If the person’s condition is serious, then you need to immediately call an ambulance.
At home, the victim should induce vomiting, which will reduce the amount of absorbed substance and avoid more serious systemic disorders.
In this case, sorbents will also be useful. For example, give the patient a few tablets of activated carbon. Next, symptomatic therapy is performed. In severe cases, an overdose of the patient can be sent to a hospital. Note that cleaning the body through hemodialysis in this case is useless. There is no special antidote for eliminating overdose.
Interaction with other medicines
"L-cet" - a syrup (instructions for use can be explained to the patient by a doctor), which in some cases cannot be taken together with other drugs. The same goes for pills. For example, if you drink this antihistamine along with "Theophylline", then levocytirizin is excreted from the body worse.
You can not combine the medicine presented with alcoholic beverages, tricyclic antidepressants, and other sedatives. In this case, an increase in the effect of the latter is not excluded. That is, a person may feel sleepy.
Ketoconazole, as well as macrolides, when used together, practically do not affect the functioning of the heart. There are no changes or deviations from the norm in the cardiogram.
Storage features, analogues and reviews
If you have already purchased L-cet, the instructions will tell you where and how to store it. Shelf life of the drug is 2 years. If you use syrup, then note that after opening the bottle, the drug is suitable for a month.
Store tablets at a temperature of up to 25 degrees. It is better to put the syrup in the refrigerator. The storage area should be dry and dark. Children's access to it should be impossible.
Reviews about this medicine are good enough. Users note its speed and high efficiency. Side effects are observed in rare cases. Buyers also note an acceptable cost and the ability to purchase the drug without a prescription. A large number of release forms are also pleasing, which allows each patient to choose the appropriate option.
If for some reason this medicine does not suit you, you can use analogues. Although this issue is worth discussing with your doctor. Among the analogues, one can distinguish the following: "Zodak", "Gletset", "Suprastinex", "Aleron", "Tsetrilev".
As for the cost of the funds presented, it ranges from 160-300 rubles, depending on the form of issue. You can buy it at almost any pharmacy, since the medicine is not scarce. That's all the features of this antihistamine drug. But despite all its effectiveness, it is better not to take it yourself. Everything should be decided in consultation with a doctor. Improper medication can make your situation worse. Be healthy!