According to the manufacturer, Clarithromycin is a relatively safe and extremely effective antibiotic. The tool belongs to the group of semi-synthetic, is used in the treatment of inflammatory processes, infectious pathologies. The effectiveness will be shown only in the case of diseases provoked by microorganisms sensitive to the active compound of the drug.
How it works?
It is not in vain that the drug is named exactly as it is presented in pharmacies: its main compound has exactly such an official name. As indicated in the instructions for use, Clarithromycin is based on clarithromycin. The effectiveness of the drug is characterized as bactericidal, there is a bacteriostatic effect. âClarithromycinâ will help with diseases provoked by a number of gram-positive, gram-negative pathological microscopic life forms. It can be used if the infectious agent is anaerobic (the full list of life forms is indicated in the accompanying documentation for the remedy). Clarithromycin is active against intracellular organisms, mycobacteria, and gondia toxoplasma.
If you pay attention to the pharmacy shelves, you can see a lot of Clarithromycin analogues on sale. All these names are based on the same active compound - antimicrobial clarithromycin, but differ in specific additional substances, and are also produced by different enterprises. The cost of funds varies somewhat. In general, as you can see, by monitoring large pharmacies, Clarithromycin costs a little over a hundred rubles per pack with 14 capsules.
What's on sale?
The following forms of release of Clarithromycin can be seen on pharmacy shelves: tablets with a dosage of the main component of 250 mg and twice as much, as well as the powder used to prepare the suspension. This form is often acquired if treatment is planned for a minor patient.
Tablets usually have a light yellow tint, oval shape, on each side each instance is convex. To simplify administration, the drug is film-coated. Before using Clarithromycin tablets, it is important to familiarize yourself with the complete list of ingredients used in the industrial process if the patientâs body is prone to allergic reactions. The manufacturer indicates all components used in the instructions. When choosing a powder, the buyer has the opportunity to purchase one of two dosage forms: 60 or 100 ml. Normally, these are bottles made of tinted glass. The tool in any of the options is intended for oral use.
When to use?
Indications of âClarithromycinâ are clearly spelled out in the instructions, although this is not a reason for prescribing the drug yourself. Doctors urge to take responsibility for their health and take antimicrobial medications strictly under the supervision of a specialist, otherwise there is a high probability of ineffectiveness of the therapeutic course, numerous, often unpredictable complications.
The manufacturer recommends the use of Clarithromycin tablets (as well as a suspension) for infectious pathologies if the agent provoking them is sensitive to the main compound of the drug. The drug is effective for otitis media, it will help with acute bronchitis and otitis media. In the case of bronchitis, it can be taken in the chronic course of the disease. âClarithromycinâ is prescribed in the treatment of tonsillopharyngitis, pneumonia provoked by bacteria or developing in an atypical scenario. Often, an antimicrobial drug is prescribed for infection of soft tissues and skin. You can use the medication in question to prevent the infection of mycobacteria in people who have AIDS.
Sometimes you canât
As follows from the instructions for use, Clarithromycin is not intended for the treatment of persons suffering from severe liver failure. The tool is not suitable for those who have hepatitis or have had such a disease in the past, as well as with porphyria and intolerance to fructose, lactose, malabsorption of glucose, galactose. You can not use the drug if the patient has an increased sensitivity to the main antimicrobial compound or other substances used in the production process of the drug.
Instructions for use "Clarithromycin" states that the drug can not be taken in the first trimester of gestation. In the second and third trimesters, you can use the drug only under the strict supervision of a doctor and in the presence of obvious benefits for women, significantly exceeding the possible risks for the child. Clarithromycin is not used to treat children under six months of age. For children older than 6 months, but under 12 years old, a suspension of Clarithromycin is intended, but tablets are prohibited. Also, you can not take the drug in tablet form if the patient's weight is less than 33 kg, even if the age is older than 12 years. Finally, Clarithromycin is not used if the patient is undergoing therapy using pimozide, cisapride. "Clarithromycin" is not combined with terfenadine, can not be combined with astemizole. If the doctor prescribes this drug, it should be warned about all the medications used by the patient. This will help predict the bodyâs negative response to therapy.
Treatment features
When prescribing a medication, the doctor will surely explain to the patient how to take it correctly, and will also issue a text memo. Proper use is the key to the success of treatment, otherwise the harmful pathological microorganisms may develop immunity to the antimicrobial agent and the continuation of the course will be extremely difficult. It is important to follow the instructions for use of Clarithromycin. In the accompanying documentation, the manufacturer indicates how to use the medication. If the doctor gives instructions that differ from the standard, his instructions should be obeyed.
Normally, the antibiotic âClarithromycinâ in tablet form is used as a whole food. The drug does not need to break, chew, grind. For proper absorption, the composition is washed down with a small amount of water. For patients whose age is 12 years or older, the optimal dose is 250 mg twice a day. In the acute form of sinusitis, other diseases assessed by the doctor as severe, you should take 500 g of the active compound twice a day. The duration of such a program is from a week to two. You can not stop using the drug at the first sign of improvement - it is possible the disease returns in an even more severe form, and the pathogen will show immunity to the antimicrobial composition.
Special occasion
If the antibiotic Clarithromycin is prescribed for diseases associated with Helicobacter pylori, the optimal dosage is 250 or 500 mg twice daily. Course duration - a week. Additionally, funds are prescribed for combined comprehensive treatment. This approach shows the best results. To prevent infection with some forms of mycobacteria, as well as to cure a similar infection, take 500 ml of antibiotic twice a day. The duration of the course is from six months or more.
What about the kids?
Clarithromycin suspension is used to treat patients younger than 12 years of age. Dosage should be selected individually. The calculation formula is as follows: for each kilogram of the patientâs mass, 15 mg of the active compound. The resulting value is the daily dose taken in two stages, between which a twelve-hour gap is made. After using the product, you should drink a small amount of liquid.
In the Clarithromycin suspension for children, small granules are presented, they should not be chewed. The most convenient introduction is with a syringe designed for 5 ml of liquid (125 mg of the active compound). After each use, the appliance is thoroughly washed. The duration of treatment varies from a week to two. Before use, shake the bottle, add 10.5 ml of water, wait for the composition to dissolve, add another 31.5 ml, shake again.
Unpleasant consequences: what to prepare for?
According to reviews, Clarithromycin (like many other antibiotics) provokes side effects. The manufacturer also mentions this in the accompanying documentation for the drug. In general, as medical studies have shown, the tolerance of the drug is higher than that similar to the effect of erythromycin on microorganisms, however, sometimes unpleasant consequences are still observed. Most often, the gastrointestinal tract suffers: stool disorders, increased gas formation are possible. Some patients report abdominal pain, stomatitis. Possible nausea, occasionally even vomiting.
According to reviews, Clarithromycin can provoke colitis, dizziness, bad dreams, an allergic reaction. All these phenomena are found only in a small percentage of cases. There is a risk of anaphylactic response, possibly anxiety and an unreasonable sense of fear, increased anxiety, and adjustment of the receptivity of taste buds. Like any other antibiotic, Clarithromycin affects the intestinal microflora, which in rare cases causes superinfection. This is observed only when multiplying colonies of organisms with increased resistance to clarithromycin.
What to replace?
Numerous Clarithromycin analogues are on sale. Some drugs are based on a similar active component, while others have similar activity in relation to microscopic life forms, but the main substance is used differently. Most often, analogues are noted as effective variants of the names âFromilideâ, âKlacidâ and âClarbactâ. The funds presented on pharmacy shelves under the names âClubaxâ, âAziklarâ and âClamedâ have proven themselves well.
When choosing an analogue of Clarithromycin for adults and children, it is best to consult your doctor. The doctor will be able to determine the best option, focusing on the diagnosis, the results of laboratory tests. It is known that often âClarithromycinâ can be replaced by âClaricidâ or âClaronâ. Quite a good reputation for medicines "Club" and "Lekoklar." For certain diagnoses, the recommended drug should be replaced with funds that are presented in pharmacies as âBinoklarâ, âClarimisinâ, âClaricarâ. All listed items are based on the same active compound, but differ in additional ingredients, are made by various companies. Some are domestic medicines, others are imported. As a rule, a foreign product is more expensive.
I took a pill. What's next?
To understand the effect of "Clarithromycin", you should read the instructions. The manufacturer indicates that the product is rapidly absorbed, although a meal can slow down this process somewhat. At the same time, the fact of eating does not affect the bioavailability of the main component. Clarithromycin is known to bind to plasma proteins 90%. The highest level of concentration in the blood after using 250 ml in food is observed after three hours, sometimes earlier. About 20% of the total amount taken is transformed with cytochrome P450. This process allows you to get a key metabolite that is active against certain pathological microorganisms. Regular use of 250 mg allows reaching an equilibrium concentration of 1 ÎŒg / ml.
Observing the dosage of Clarithromycin, you can count on a half-life of about four hours. Metabolites require a little more time - up to six hours. If the doctor recommended increasing the dose by half, the equilibrium concentration of the active compound is estimated at 2.8 ÎŒg / ml, and the half-life is five hours. For metabolites, the first value is up to 0.88 ÎŒg / ml, the second - up to nine hours.
Note!
The effectiveness of âClarithromycinâ in pneumonia and other pathologies of the respiratory system is due to the accumulation of the active compound in these tissues and organs. With normal tolerance of the compound, the substance is observed in therapeutic concentration. Similar processes occur in soft tissues, skin integuments. On average, the amount is estimated to be ten times less than in blood serum.
Isolation of the drug occurs through the urinary system, with feces. Up to a third of all compounds leave the body in its initial form, the remaining percentage - the results of a metabolic reaction.
The best effect - if used correctly!
Often at the reception, patients are asked how to use Clarithromycin correctly: before meals or after. The doctor will probably explain that the drug shows the best results when used on an empty stomach. If the patient forgot what exactly the professional recommended, you should read the instructions before use, since the manufacturer indicates all the rules and features of taking the medication in the accompanying documentation. In particular, the manufacturer advises using Clarithromycin strictly on an empty stomach. It does not matter, a child or an adult is treated in this way.
If the patient has a failure in the functioning of the renal system, creatine clearance is estimated at 30 ml / min or less, the dosage of the drug is halved, 250 mg of the antibiotic used at a time is prescribed for a day. If the disease is severe, doubling is possible - 250 mg is taken twice a day. The duration of the therapeutic course cannot be extended for more than two weeks.
And if too much?
The manufacturer draws attention to the fact that an overdose of Clarithromycin is possible. It manifests itself as a malfunction in the digestive tract. Perhaps a state of confusion, sometimes a headache. There is no specific antidote. Indicated gastric lavage, taking medications that stop unpleasant symptoms.
All at once
Sometimes "Clarithromycin" is prescribed to a patient undergoing therapy with other medications. It is important to consider the possible mutual influence of the names on each other. In particular, under the influence of the active antibiotic compound in the blood, the number of drugs that can transform under the influence of cytochrome P450 may increase. This applies primarily to drugs that reduce blood coagulability, but acting indirectly. Regarding terfenadine, studies have shown that adjusting the concentration in the body can reach three times. Caution requires combination with formulations that include ergot alkaloids.
In a very small percentage of cases under the influence of âClarithromycinâ, acute necrotic processes in skeletal muscle tissue are possible if you use the antimicrobial composition and lovastatin, simvastatin. There are cases when the concentration of the second component increased in the plasma component of the patientâs blood while using Clarithromycin and drugs with digoxin. To prevent negative outcomes during such treatment, you should regularly take blood for analysis. The main task of doctors is to provide for the possibility of digoxin intoxication, to adjust the dosage of Clarithromycin or other drugs if the condition approaches a dangerous one.
Compatibility: what to look for?
As laboratory studies have shown, under the influence of âClarithromycinâ, the inhibition of the clearance of triazolam is possible. At the same time, the pharmacological effectiveness of this compound is more pronounced. There is a risk of confusion, drowsiness. But in combination with ergotamine, the drug in question can cause acute intoxication of the body, which leads to vasospasms, malfunctions of the sensitivity of the skin.
If âClarithromycinâ is prescribed to a person who has been diagnosed with HIV infection, at the same time the patient is undergoing therapy with zidovudine, you need to consider: the concentration of the second substance under the influence of the antimicrobial compound may decrease slightly, since adsorption is inhibited. If both drugs are decided to be used in oral form, you should do this at different times, observing the time intervals between doses of at least four hours. This completely eliminates the negative effect.
Popular analogues: Clubax
The product belongs to the macrolide group and is based on the same active compound as the drug described above. The medication is of semi-synthetic origin and is ranked as the last generation of antimicrobial compounds.On sale represented by tablets, granules, powder, capsules. Granules are used to prepare a suspension. This form is optimal for treating children. The powder is intended for the preparation of a solution injected.
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In general, the list of contraindications of âKlabaksâ is close to those cases when the âClarithromycinâ described above is not used. The tool should not be used if the patient's body is characterized by increased susceptibility to the active component or any other drug from the erythromycin series. You can not use it with porphyria, insufficient functioning of the renal, hepatic systems.
When treating children under the age of twelve, it is important to regularly check the body's indicators to prevent negative effects. Accuracy requires the use of "Clubax" during the period of gestation and breastfeeding.
How to use?
"Klabaks" is intended for use twice a day at 250 mg. If the disease is severe, the dosage is increased. The duration of the course is from six days to two weeks. In childhood, the dose is selected, focusing on the weight of the patient - 7.5 mg per kilogram of weight. The value obtained in this way is divided into two doses, and it is monitored so that no more than 500 mg of the active compound is used within 24 hours. Usually the course of treatment for a child is no more than 10 days.
In some cases, the use of twice a day per gram of the active component is required, and the duration of treatment itself stretches for six months or even more. But with chronic liver failure, the dose is reduced to 250 mg per day. If the pathology is severe, the dose is doubled, controlling the vital signs of the body.