With a dry, strong cough, doctors often prescribe antibiotics. There are many similar drugs, and which one is most suitable for eliminating this problem should be determined by a specialist. Dry cough antibiotics perform several tasks. They have powerful antimicrobial activity and do not allow pneumonia to develop. Under the influence of these drugs, the treatment is much faster and more comfortable.
Dry cough treatment
With a cold, the main task is to turn a dry cough into a wet one. Thus, there is an outflow of sputum from the bronchi, coughing becomes rare and not as suffocating. In order for this to happen as quickly as possible, the following tools are used:
- Warming compresses, which are applied to the chest and back, have proven themselves well. Most often, mustard plasters or dry mustard cakes are used. To treat children, you can use cabbage, oiled with honey, badger fat, or grind with alcohol diluted with water.
- Peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils are also often used to treat dry cough. A few drops of any of these oils can be added to badger fat or any vegetable oil and rub the patient’s chest and back with the resulting composition. And also with the help of essential oils and boiled potatoes they prepare an excellent composition for inhalation. To do this, mashed potatoes in their uniforms are kneaded with a fork and added to the composition of eucalyptus essential oil. The patient bends over the pan and breathes steam through his open mouth. You should not get involved in this type of treatment. It is enough to carry out inhalation once or twice a day.
- Among the medications, the most popular is Lazolvan or Bromhexine. These funds have proven themselves to treat any type of cough. They not only discharge a dry cough, but also dry the sputum when wet.
Do not use antitussive drugs and sputum-discharging drugs at the same time. By their actions, they contradict each other and can cause an incorrect reaction. The patient will have a blockage of the bronchi, which, in turn, will lead to complication and the appearance of chronic bronchitis.
Causes of Dry Cough
A strong dry cough indicates that there is an inflammatory process in the lungs or bronchi. Sometimes a dry cough may occur for another reason. For example, with oncology or have a psychogenic character. Dry cough often haunts smokers and people working in hazardous industries. In any case, a cough is a signal from the body that the bronchi are annoying.
Antibiotic treatment
These drugs should be prescribed only by your doctor. It is forbidden to purchase antibiotics on their own without first consulting a specialist. Each of these drugs has a narrow focus and is able to fight only with a certain type of bacteria. When treating with antibiotics, the following rules should be observed:
- Take these funds with drugs containing lactobacilli. Thus, you can protect the intestines from dysbiosis.
- Do not interrupt treatment or use the drug for longer than the recommended period. Otherwise, there is a risk of translating the disease into a chronic form. Even if there was a rapid improvement, this does not mean that the disease has completely passed. In the event of a break, all the symptoms come back, and the treatment will have to be continued with other drugs, since immunity will be developed for this remedy in microbes. And after antibiotics, dry cough will return again.
- When reusing the same drug, there is a risk of an allergic reaction. This is due, first of all, to the fact that the surviving microbes are already weakly reacting to the drug. Therefore, if the disease recurs after a short time, taking antibiotics will be ineffective.
- It is necessary to strictly follow the instructions, as some drugs have their own characteristics of use. For example, there are funds that are incompatible with milk, or drugs for which it is important to observe the frequency of nutrition.
- In any case, you should not use Biseptolum. This is a rather outdated medicine, which recently they try not to use. He has a lot of contraindications and side effects, and the spectrum of action of the drug is quite narrow. Today, Biseptol is used to treat pneumonia in HIV-infected people.
Experts believe that the best form of the drug is tablets. If it is possible to use capsules, then do not take antibiotics in the form of a solution for injection. Sometimes you need to avoid taking antibiotics of the latest generation with a narrow focus. For example, even the most severe sore throat is perfectly treated with penicillin.
Treatment of lung diseases with antibiotics
The most serious illness is pneumonia. With pneumonia, often just can not do without antibiotics. The signs of this disease are as follows:
- A small temperature at the very beginning, accompanied by a runny nose and gradually turning into a high (from 38 degrees and above).
- Sometimes pneumonia from the first days is accompanied by a high temperature of 40 degrees. The patient suffers from dry cough and shortness of breath.
- Children are characterized by a temperature of 37-38 degrees, weakness and lethargy. The disease can go away without a runny nose or cough.
Doctors often hesitate to prescribe antibiotics for a dry cough without fever. Acute or chronic bronchitis is accompanied by shortness of breath and profuse sputum.
It should be remembered that not always dry cough is the reason for the appointment of antibiotics. But if the doctor prescribes such drugs, then most often they become macrolides, which include Clarithromycin and Azithromycin. This is followed by Levofloxacin, which belongs to fluoroquinolones, and the penicillin group with drugs such as Amoxicillin and others.
Side effects of antibiotics
The first antibiotic was discovered in 1929 and made a splash in the science of biology. The first of these drugs was penicillin. Thanks to him, a chance appeared to be cured of diseases such as pneumonia, dysentery, typhoid and sepsis. The author of the invention was Alexander Fleming. Today, there are antibiotics and a narrow spectrum of action. Some of them are antitumor, others are antifungal, and others are antiviral.
These drugs not only bring the long-awaited relief of the patient's condition, but also have a number of side effects. You can not use these tools for too long, otherwise the following problems may occur:
- The liver is gradually changing its functions. This body is designed to cleanse the body of toxins and protect it. With prolonged use of antibiotics, the liver changes its functions and becomes a supplier of toxic substances. This is due to the fact that the buffer systems of this organ are noticeably depleted.
- Antibiotics for dry cough in children can create a kind of lifeless zone in the body for all microorganisms. That is, they are able to kill not only harmful flora, but also useful.
- The immune system stops working, for its further launch it will be necessary to undergo an additional course of therapy to restore the intestinal microflora and saturate the body with useful substances.
- Antibiotics clog the bile ducts. In this, its action can be compared with alcohol. Therefore, they often drink antibiotics with a dry cough along with hepatoprotectors.
In order not to harm during treatment, the dosage and duration of the course of treatment should be carefully observed, and at the slightest deviation in the state of health, inform the attending physician.
Antibiotics of the following groups are used to treat dry cough: cephalosporins, penicillins and macrolides. What antibiotics can cure dry cough?
Cephalosporins antibiotics
These include tools such as Torocef and Zedex. For antibiotic treatment of dry cough in an adult patient, these drugs are often prescribed. "Zedex" is indicated for acute and chronic bronchitis, as well as for pneumonia. It is recommended for use with dry cough. The form of release of the drug is a powder that is dissolved in water and consumed internally. In a bottle with dry powder, it is enough to add no more than 25 ml of water and use in two divided doses. Among the side effects of this drug, drowsiness and headache may occur.
"Toroceph" is also a powder. Unlike Zedex, it can only be used for injection. This drug is contraindicated for the treatment of children under 12 years of age. For adult patients, the recommended dose of the drug is 50 mg of the solution and is used only once a day. You can not use this remedy for kidney diseases, since the remnants of the drug are excreted through the urine. The shelf life of this product is only 2 years.
Macrolide preparations
Macrolides are naturally occurring antibiotics that belong to the class of polypeptides. The most popular antibiotics for treating dry cough among them are Azithromycin, Clabax, and Clarithromycin. They are often prescribed by doctors. Treatment with these dry cough antibiotics often yields good results.
Clarithromycin is available in the form of tablets packed in convenient packs. Each tablet contains 250 or 500 mg of active substance. Do not use antibiotics with alcohol, as serious consequences are possible. In patients, the digestive organs function, psychoses and even cramps appear. This is one of the best antibiotics for dry cough. Tablets are consumed 3 times a day after meals, and the course of treatment is about ten days.
When dry cough in adults, the antibiotic "Azithromycin" is taken as follows: on the first day, take half a tablet once a day, then reduce the rate to the third part of the drug. The form of the drug is oblong white tablets, syrup contained in convenient plastic bottles, and powder. In one package contains 6 pieces of tablets of the drug.
The drug “Klabaks” is also often used for coughing. This is one of the most popular antibiotics for dry cough in adults. The tablets of the drug are white and coated with a thin shell. The drug is consumed one tablet per day for two weeks. For children and patients with renal diseases, the dose is reduced by 2 times. In some diseases, the course of treatment with this antibiotic can be six months.
Penicillins antibiotics
The most popular antibiotics are representatives of the penicillin group. Of these, Flemoklav, Ampioks and Augmentin are most often used.
"Augmentin" is a powder intended for the preparation of a suspension, which is later used internally. This semi-synthetic penicillin perfectly relieves dry cough. Patients with liver failure should be careful to take this remedy. Augmentin can cause diarrhea and colitis. Probiotics should be taken to eliminate negative symptoms. To treat cough, 70 mg of the drug is taken daily. The norm is divided into two parts and each of them is used after 12 hours. It is advisable to use this tool with meals to prevent the negative effect of the drug on the digestive organs.
"Flemoklav" is an oblong tablet. Each of them contains 500 mg of active substance. Children, starting from the age of seven, are prescribed taking half a tablet of the drug three times a day. It is advisable to use the product only after eating, as it can cause nausea and discomfort in the stomach. This remedy is contraindicated for people with penicillin intolerance. With an overdose of the drug, cramps, seizures and dehydration may occur.
Ampiox is available in the form of tablets and injectable solutions. With an overdose of the drug, nausea and diarrhea occur. Adult patients consume 4 g of the drug per day. The course of treatment is from 1 week to 15 days. Ampioks can cause an allergic reaction, which manifests itself in the form of urticaria, taste disturbances and anemia.
Dry Cough Antibiotics for Children
For the treatment of young children, it is undesirable to use antibiotics, since these drugs act detrimental to the intestinal microflora. But if the cough is caused by bacteria, the doctor prescribes the following drugs: Amoxicillin, Augmentin, Flemoxin and Ampiox. These funds are most suitable for children. And they can also prescribe drugs of the macrolide group. These are such funds as Sumamed and Azithromycin. For infections of the upper respiratory tract, Suprax and Zinnat will be most suitable.
In order for the treatment to pass as quickly as possible and bring maximum benefit, along with antibiotics take antipyretic and expectorant drugs. These may be preparations: Panadol in the form of syrup and Ambroxol in the form of powder. With a strong dry cough, antibiotics can often act only in complex treatment.
User reviews
You can find many reviews regarding the effect of antibiotics for dry cough. For example, the antibiotic Flemoklav Solyutab has established itself well. It is often used to treat bronchitis or pneumonia. Users note the high effectiveness of this drug, but also indicate the disadvantages of this tool. According to parents, it is difficult for children to swallow a large tablet of this drug, so often you have to buy powder to prepare a suspension. In extreme cases, the tablet can be crushed and given to the child in a spoon. The interval between doses of the drug should be 8 hours. The first improvement after antibiotics with a dry cough appears only at the end of the second day. Some patients indicate a high price of the drug, which is not available to everyone. For the course of treatment, one package is not enough and you have to purchase two packs at once.
Nevertheless, some users believe that antibiotics do not help cure dry cough quickly enough.
Many people prefer to treat bronchitis exclusively with Erythromycin. With a strong choking cough, this particular remedy becomes a salvation for a sick person. Usually take one capsule per day, and the course of treatment is one week.