Antihistamines should always be present in a home medicine cabinet, on the road and on vacation. After all, an allergic reaction is a spontaneous phenomenon that can catch a person by surprise. It is especially important for parents to consider this fact when it comes to their babies. Negative symptoms can be triggered not only by new products, but even by an insect bite. In the pharmaceutical market there are enough special products shown to children. Suprastin is one of the most popular drugs that has been tested by time. As a first-generation medicine, it still remains in good standing in pediatrics.
What is an allergy?
Allergy is an increased sensitivity of the body to the effects of certain environmental factors (chemicals, microorganisms and their metabolic products, food products, etc.), called allergens. When similar malfunctions in the immune system occur, accordingly, protective mechanisms begin to work. Thus, substances that have acquired the status of stimuli cause internal and external specific manifestations.
Sometimes painful reactions are briefly temporary, and if the allergen is eliminated, they pass quite quickly. For the treatment of chronic ailments, special therapy is required, along with which suitable living conditions are created and a diet is observed. Children "Suprastin" is prescribed both with a passing allergy, and with a prolonged course of symptoms.
The baby's body can respond differently to the influence of stimuli. The following systems are affected: the surface layer of the epidermis, respiratory organs, mucous membranes of the eyes, and the digestive system. Sometimes the disease covers several areas. Most often, the child begins to sneeze, he has a stuffy nose and secretion of mucous secretions. Seasonal rhinitis can be accompanied by swelling of the oral cavity, itching in the nose and throat. On the skin, an allergy manifests itself in the form of urticaria, swelling, rash, itching and redness.
Irritants of the disease can be: food, plant pollen, dust microparticles, animal hair, sharp aromas. With all the above problems, Suprastin does well. Instructions for children are described in detail below.
Information on the forms of the drug
The antiallergic drug is available in the form of white tablets, with a slight gray tint. They can be in a brown bottle or blister. They are packaged in 20 pieces. and put in a cardboard box. Each package must contain instructions for the use of Suprastin. For children, additional instructions, as a rule, should be given by the attending doctor.
There is another form of the drug - an injection. The tool is found in boxes in which 5 or 10 glass ampoules are placed. Each of them contains 1 ml of solution. The injections are intended for intramuscular and intravenous administration.
What form of medicine is best used to treat the baby, the pediatrician decides. In particular, the appointment depends on the severity of the allergic reaction. If the symptomatology of the disease manifests itself more or less moderately, usually the doctor ascribes pills. With pronounced allergies, injections are prescribed. According to the instructions for use of "Suprastin", specific doses of the medicine are established for children and they must be adhered to.
A form of medicine for injection, in pharmacies is available only by prescription. Tablets are a more affordable form of the drug, they can be bought without a prescription.
Structure
Thanks to the correctly selected components during the development of the drug, it is rapidly absorbed in the digestive tract and has a number of positive effects. These include: antihistamine, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and sedative. In addition, the most active component of the agent has an antiemetic effect.
The main active ingredient is chloropyramine hydrochloride. The following auxiliary components are present in the medicine: gelatin, lactose, thearic acid, starch, amylopectin, talc. The injection solution contains distilled water. The substances contained in the composition help to some extent see why this drug is recommended in the instructions for use of Suprastin for children. For example, talcum powder helps to determine the exact dosage, which is important for the crumbs, it also ensures the normal gliding of the medicine. Starch is an emollient, and gelatin is used to bind.
Act
As a result of reactions of the immune system to an allergen, histamine is released. It begins to interact with the products of other receptors, thereby causing unwanted symptoms. Here this drug comes to the aid of children, Suprastin is able to block specific receptors and prevent the formation of histamine.
Due to the anticholinergic action, the tone in the departments of the digestive system, gall bladder and its ducts decreases. It also has a direct effect on the smooth muscles of the bronchi. The drug eliminates spasms and prevents the occurrence of a gag reflex.
In the gastrointestinal tract, the drug is absorbed. The therapeutic effect occurs after half an hour and increases to a maximum limit after 60 minutes. In total, the effect of the drug in the body is observed within 6 hours.
In the first two hours of taking the tablets, the highest concentration of the active substance in the blood is observed. Once in the circulatory system, it is evenly distributed throughout all body tissues.
According to the mechanism of action, the solution is more suitable for small patients. Sometimes the doctor strongly recommends using this particular dosage form for children. Instructions for use "Suprastin" explains that after administration of the solution in children, metabolism is much faster than in adults. Processes occur in the liver and residual products are easily excreted along with urine.
At what age can a medicine be given?
Is Suprastin possible for children or pregnant women? These are frequently asked questions that worry many parents. It should be understood that drug treatment of allergies is not always a quick process and by no means simple. Therefore, if the baby showed allergy symptoms or it happened during pregnancy, you should immediately go to the hospital.
The first trimester of pregnancy refers to conditions in which the drug is contraindicated. Next, the expectant mother needs to solve all issues related to taking pills or muscle administration of the drug with a leading gynecologist.
When breastfeeding, an antihistamine is not prescribed, because it penetrates into breast milk and can harm the health of the baby.
Sometimes the disease affects newborns and infants. In such a situation, the question of treatment arises sharply, and it is important to understand at what age you can give Suprastin to a child. Up to 2 months from the use of antihistamines is better to abstain. After this time, you can start treatment, but with great care and only on the recommendation of a doctor. It happens that for some reason the baby needs more sparing modern drugs. This is what concerns the injection solution, tablets are shown only after three years of age.
What is also important, the elimination of severe symptoms is not an indication that the problem with allergies is completely resolved. No matter how good the medicine, it is not always able to cure the disease on its own. Combination therapy may be required. Therefore, you need to contact a qualified specialist for professional help.
A pediatric allergist will be able to determine whether this medicine is really suitable for each individual case. Judging by the description of its mechanism of action in the instructions, for children "Suprastin" may be too intense a remedy. If this is the case in your case, then the doctor will prescribe treatment for the baby individually.
Indications
An antihistamine perfectly eliminates almost all common manifestations of allergies. It is often prescribed for both adults and children. Suprastin is prescribed in the following conditions:
- skin problems: dermatoses, eczema, dermatitis;
- allergic reactions: seasonal rhinitis, urticaria, serum sickness, conjunctivitis, seasonal fever;
- with risks that threaten health due to possible allergic reactions as a preventive measure;
- rhinitis, bronchial asthma, sinusitis, swelling of the throat and oral cavity;
- with respiratory diseases to alleviate symptoms;
- during vaccination periods.
Contraindications
It is not always possible for Suprastin children; there are certain conditions in which it is categorically contraindicated. These include:
- hypersensitivity to the components of the drug;
- acute bronchial asthma;
- prematurity;
- weakened immunity.
If the baby has previously experienced problems with urination, glaucoma, heart disease, kidney and liver, then treatment should be carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor.
Side effects
Over the years of pediatric practice, Suprastin has established itself as a tool with extremely rare side effects. If they were observed, then with temporary symptoms. Usually, after discontinuation of the drug, the negative consequences no longer bothered the child and did not leave any traces that threatened his health. This is one of the most important reasons why doctors believe that Suprastin can be given to children. Still, parents need to know what conditions can occur when treated with an antihistamine. The following side effects were observed by medical professionals:
- From the nervous system: overexcitation, drowsiness, pain in the head, excessive fatigue, dizziness.
- In the digestive system, pain in the intestines, changes in appetite (in one direction or another), nausea, and vomiting were noted.
- From the urinary organs: difficulty urinating or urinary retention.
- Changes in the cardiovascular system include: lowering blood pressure, accelerated heartbeat, heart rhythm disturbances.
- Negative effect on the organs of vision: increased intraocular pressure, impaired visual perception (the child can see images with fuzzy contours).
If your baby has no contraindications to the drug and the allergist has prescribed it for treatment, then you need to carefully read the instructions on how to give Suprastin to children.
Application
Before starting treatment, contact of the baby with allergens should be excluded. “Suprastin” tablets are given to children from the age of three for the reason that the child cannot swallow the tablet on their own. However, there are emergency situations when this is necessary. For example, a bite of a harmful insect can be a danger to the baby's life. Since there is no separate medicine for crumbs, specialists have developed a special scheme for taking the drug, taking into account age categories. Let's see in what quantities Suprastin is recommended for children, dosage in tablets:
After a month, the recommended dose of the tablet form is ¼ unit, with a frequency of 2-3 doses per day. It is necessary to try to separate a particle of the medicine with maximum accuracy, without violating the allotted norm. The tablet must be crushed to a powder and given with food or some water.
For infants, the medicine can be mixed with breast milk and put into a syringe. Then remove the needle from it and gradually pour it on the cheek of the baby. At the same time it should be kept upright.
From three years, the rate of medication begins to increase slightly. It can be 1/3 of the pill. The medicine can be added to any food familiar to the child.
Babies at 6 years old are given ½ part of the pill. At this age, children can swallow it without difficulty, washing down with liquid. In the last two cases, the medicine is given with a frequency of three doses.
For children up to a year, “Suprastin” in the form of injections is prescribed in the volume of ¼ ampoules. From three to six years - half an ampoule of two injections per day. From 6 years and older, the dose ranges from half to one whole ampoule, the maximum number of injections is 3 times.
Intramuscular administration of the drug eliminates severe allergic reactions, but sometimes to accelerate the therapeutic effect, a solution can be prescribed to the child intravenously. In the most severe conditions, injections of an antihistamine are always recommended, during which their dosage is regulated. The medicine needs to be administered slowly, so it is better for medical professionals to do this.
The duration of therapy depends on the etiology and severity of the disease. The standard course of treatment should last 1 week.
Interaction with other drugs and overdose
The drug enhances the effect of tranquilizers and sedatives. For this reason, together these drugs are prescribed only if necessary.
Analgesics and painkillers show a more pronounced effect when combined with Suprastin.
With simultaneous use with No-Shpa, an antipyretic effect is manifested. And to achieve a faster result, analgin is also added to the drugs.
With the accumulation of an excessive dose of the drug in the body, the baby may feel dry mouth, nervous tension and fever. Symptoms caused by an overdose of the drug are similar to those on the list of side effects, only they are more pronounced. The drug has a long shelf life, it can maintain its therapeutic properties for 5 years.
Analogs
Even when the doctor prescribes the Suprastin dosage for children, unforeseen cases are inevitable. If the crumbs have a negative reaction to the medicine, the doctor prescribes analogues, since you can not leave an allergy without the necessary treatment.
Identical first-generation drugs include drugs such as Fenkarol, Tavegil, and Omeryl. They act instantly, but are addictive, they are best used for short-term allergies. Long-term forms of the disease should be treated with modern second and third generation drugs. These include:
- "Lomin".
- Zirtek.
- Clarisens.
- Telfast.
- Gismanal.
Compared to Suprastin, they are less effective, but have a more sparing effect and almost no side effects.
Allergy Prevention
Toddlers predisposed to allergies should be protected from the disease in advance. Preventive measures should begin at a time when the child is inside the mother's body. This can be said because this disease is most often genetic. The expectant mother should give up antibiotics and eat rationally. It is necessary to exclude chocolate, nuts, spices and citrus fruits.
For crumbs, you need to create the most suitable atmosphere in the room. This implies preventing the accumulation of allergens, dust and close contact with animals.
For children with allergies, a single diet does not exist. Parents should be careful and solve these issues together with an allergist. A regular visit to a specialist and coordination of treatment methods with him will help your child avoid excessive reactions to allergens.
Conclusion
Perhaps this is all that could be told about Suprastin. How much to give children medicines, you now know. However, do not forget: the most effective, but improperly selected drug can do tremendous harm to the baby's health. Only a timely and competent approach will please parents with the expected result.