The drug belongs to antacids and is prescribed to people for prophylactic purposes and for the treatment of pathologies of the stomach and intestines.
The medicine is made in tablets and suspensions for oral administration. Many patients are interested in how to take the Maalox suspension.
The composition of the medicine includes aluminum hydroxide, as well as a number of additional substances:
- In tablets - magnesium hydroxide, saccharin sodium, starch, glucite, stearic acid magnesium salt, mannitol.
- Suspension - sodium saccharinate, hydrochloric acid, peppermint oil, citric acid, hydrogen peroxide, para-hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ether, mannitol, propyl paraben, sorbitol, water.
How to take a suspension of "Maalox"? The description and instructions for the drug indicate all the necessary recommendations. It is about them that will be discussed in this article.
The properties
A medication is a combination drug. Algeldrat, which is part of the drug, has an enveloping, as well as absorbing and choleretic effect on the stomach and intestines.
Magnesium hydroxide has a moderate laxative effect on the intestines, stabilizes the process of discharge of feces and increased gas formation.
When taking "Maalox", neutralization of increased activity of gastric juice and hydrochloric acid is observed.
When doctors prescribe a medicine
"Maalox" is recommended for admission to patients in the following conditions:
- Unpleasant sensations in the esophagus and stomach, provoked by the abuse of alcohol, spicy foods.
- Acute damage to the pancreas.
- Acute inflammatory process of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines.
- High acidity of the stomach.
- Diaphragmatic hernia of the esophagus.
- Acute lesion of the duodenal bulb.
- Stomach ulcer.
- Belching sour.
- Pain in the abdomen.
- Heartburn.
- Inflammation of the esophagus.
- Exacerbation of chronic inflammation in the pancreas.
The medication can also be prescribed to people as part of a combined treatment for gastritis, which is accompanied by putrefactive damage in the intestine, as well as poor motility and congestive processes in the gall bladder.
The drug can be used for prophylactic purposes to prevent ulceration in the stomach and small intestine during treatment with acetylsalicylic acid and medicines from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Limitations
Before taking the medicine, you need to study the annotation in detail, since Maalox has a number of prohibitions:
- Increased individual sensitivity to substances.
- Chronic diseases
- Children under twelve years of age (tablets) and fifteen years of age (suspension).
- The period of pregnancy in the first trimester.
- Neurological disease, which is the most common cause of dementia.
- Decreased phosphate levels.
With extreme caution, this medicine is used in the second and third trimester of pregnancy and during lactation.
Under the constant supervision of a medical specialist, it is necessary to use the suspension "Maalox":
- Patients with impaired renal function (since there is a likelihood of an increase in aluminum and magnesium in the blood, and prolonged use in high concentrations can provoke the appearance of dementia, encephalopathy).
- Patients who are on hemodialysis.
- Following a diet with a low concentration of phosphates.
Dosage regimen
The tablets are intended for oral use. Dosage is calculated by the doctor individually. From the annotation it is known that to eliminate unpleasant sensations in the stomach provoked by excessive consumption of spicy food, as well as alcohol, people are prescribed 2 tablets of medication about an hour after eating three times a day.
To eliminate acute inflammation, a single concentration of the drug is 3 tablets, which must be used thirty minutes before a meal.
The tablet can be crumbled and mixed with a small amount of water. To achieve the best pharmacological effect, the drug must be kept in the oral cavity, wait until the medicine dissolves, then drink it with liquid.
The duration of treatment depends on the indications, for example, for combination therapy of ulcers and acute pancreatitis, a medication should be used for at least 1 month.
How to take a suspension of "Maalox" in bags
According to the instructions, the drug should not be diluted with water. The medicine in the bag must be kneaded well before use.
How to take a suspension of "Maalox" for gastritis? The average dosage for adult patients and adolescents from the age of fifteen is - 15 milliliters (or 1-2 mini-bags) 1-2 hours after a meal and in a situation with abdominal pain.
The maximum daily concentration is no more than 90 ml (12 mini-bags). With reflux esophagitis, the suspension must be consumed 0.5-1 hours after a meal, peptic ulcer - half an hour before a meal. The duration of therapy should be no longer than 2-3 months, according to the instructions.
How to take a suspension of "Maalox" in bags with occasional use associated, for example, with discomfort after errors in the diet? In this case, it is recommended to receive 15 milliliters once (1-2 mini-bags). People with impaired renal function should not use the medicine for a long time in elevated concentrations.
Use of the drug during pregnancy and lactation
The drug is not allowed to be used in the first three months of pregnancy, since clinical trials have not been conducted and it is not known how harmless the medication is for the development of the unborn baby in the womb.
In subsequent trimesters of pregnancy, drug therapy can be carried out only according to strict indications, under the supervision of a medical specialist, as short a course as possible. To eliminate heartburn, expectant mothers must consult a doctor to select an alternative and safe medication.
How to take a suspension of "Maalox" during lactation? Therapy can be carried out only as prescribed by a specialist, while it is necessary to monitor the baby's reaction to the medicine, since the active component penetrates into milk.
Negative manifestations
As a rule, the drug is well tolerated by people. With a strong increase in the recommended dosage or individual increased sensitivity, the following side effects may occur:
- Diarrhea.
- Hypophosphatemia.
- Diffuse deposition of calcium salts in the kidney tissue.
- Increased calcium in urine.
- Low blood calcium.
- A systemic disease characterized by low bone mineralization.
- Damage to the kidneys.
- A condition characterized by a decrease in reflexes.
- An increase in the concentration of aluminum or magnesium in plasma.
- The emergence of a feeling of thirst.
- Lowering blood pressure.
- The occurrence of dementia.
- Damage to the brain in various diseases and impaired function.
- A disease in which the tissues and organs of the body do not receive the proper amount of oxygen.
All these adverse reactions are not dangerous and quickly disappear when the dosage of the drug is reduced or treatment is discontinued.
Interaction
With a combination of "Maalox" with "Indomethacin", "Norfloxacin", a decrease in the absorption of the latter may be observed, subsequently the pharmacological effect will be insufficient.
When using the medication for prophylactic purposes, to prevent the appearance of a drug ulcer, it is necessary to adhere to a time interval of at least three hours, otherwise the effect of anti-inflammatory drugs will be reduced.
Medicines from the group of M-anticholinergic drugs inhibit the process of moving food through the stomach and intestines, thereby increasing and prolonging the effect of "Maalox" during their general interaction.
Features
If you need long-term use of the medicine, people need to ensure the normal intake of phosphorus with food.
"Maalox" in the recommended pharmacological dosages does not affect the functioning of the nervous system and does not dull the speed of psychomotor reactions.
Analogues of suspension "Maalox"
How to take the drugs in each case, the attending physician will tell. The following medicines are considered similar in effect to Maalox:
- "Gastratsid".
- Gastal.
- "Maalukol."
- "Stomalox."
- Alumag.
- Almol.
- Phosphalugel.
- Almagel.
- Agiflux.
- Gaviscon.
"Maalox" can be freely purchased at the pharmacy, this does not require a doctor's prescription. The medication should be stored away from children in a dark place for a period not exceeding three years. The cost is from 150 to 900 rubles.
Before replacing the medication, you must consult a specialist. To properly resolve this issue, you should consult with a gastroenterologist. One of the best antacids is Almagel. The drug is made in the form of a gel or suspension, it can effectively envelop and protect the mucous membrane of the walls of the stomach from damaging pathogens.
An excellent analogue of "Maaloksa" - "Alumag". It is successfully used in most lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, as a rule, is prescribed by doctors to eliminate reflux diseases. "Alumag" has a democratic cost and is suitable for people with any budget. Its substances, reacting with hydrochloric acid, form chloride salts, which protect the gastric mucosa and effectively increase the level of alkaline balance, eliminating the damaging factor.
No less effective medicine to eliminate high acidity is Gastal. The drug is well suited to neutralize heartburn, which has arisen as a result of abuse of strong drinks or coffee, smoking. The medication helps even with poisoning with other medicines.
"Stomalox" - taken to eliminate dyspepsia and eliminate the signs of peptic ulcer. "Almol" has a quick effect, the result of its use is manifested only a short time after administration. The positive effect of the drug lasts more than an hour.
"Agiflux" - at its low cost, has an additional choleretic effect and is ideal for the concomitant biliary dyskinesia.
What is better to get: Almagel or Maaloks?
Medicines belong to the same treatment group and are considered analogues of each other. The active ingredients in these drugs are contained in different concentrations.
“Almagel” in connection with this has a greater ability to cause constipation, and the effect of “Maalox” is almost twice as long.
Which is better: "Maalox" or "Phosphalugel"? Of the two drugs, it is best to choose Phosphalugel, since it does not contribute to the excessive removal of phosphates from the body.
And "Maalox", and most drugs that replace it, have an extensive spectrum of positive pharmacological effects:
- Adsorbent.
- Enveloping.
- Cholagogue.
- Antacid.
A huge plus of this medication is that it is practically not absorbed into the blood, and therefore has only a local effect. It is widely used in pharmacological practice to eliminate most diseases of the digestive system, especially those accompanied by high acidity. It is used in complex treatment for food and alcohol poisoning.
Almost without adverse reactions, it is well tolerated by most patients. It has a mild, quick positive effect.
Opinions
Reviews about "Maalox" confirm the increased effectiveness of the drug for discomfort or pain in the stomach, as well as for heartburn. The medication is effective in almost a hundred percent of situations, and side effects appear very rarely.
Conclusion
How to take a suspension of "Maalox"? In the reviews, patients are strongly recommended to adhere to the doctor’s instructions and not to self-medicate.
"Maalox", considered an antacid medicine, helps the patient to alleviate the condition with various chronic ailments. Before using this medication, the patient needs to consult a specialist.