How should I take Sporagalum? Instructions for using the medication will be discussed later. You will also learn about whether this drug has analogues, how much it costs, what patients talk about it, for what purpose it is prescribed, etc.
Form, composition, packaging of an antifungal drug
The drug "Sporagal" is available in the form of capsules. Its main active ingredient is itraconazole. Also, the composition of the drug includes polyethylene glycol 20,000, sucrose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and acrylate copolymer.
As for the shell, it consists of gelatin, titanium dioxide and indigotine.
In what packaging is the medicine “Sporagal” sold? Instructions for using this product are enclosed in a cardboard box. It also contains hard gelatin capsules of blue color (in blisters), inside of which there are spherical granules of yellow color.
Pharmacodynamics of the drug
How do Sporagal tablets work? According to the attached instructions, this medication is a derivative of triazole. It has high activity against fungi.
Taking the drug helps to slow down the biological synthesis of ergosterol, providing an antifungal effect.
Experts say that itraconazole blocks the growth and reproduction of a huge number of types of fungi.
Pharmacokinetics of an antifungal agent
The drug "Sporagal", the analogues of which will be indicated below, is absorbed into the bloodstream rather quickly. The highest level of itraconazole in the human body is observed after 3 hours. Its bioavailability is 55% (the maximum is observed when taking capsules immediately after eating fatty and high-calorie foods).
Itraconazole is distributed in different organs and tissues of the body. Its content in the bones, kidneys, liver, lungs, skeletal muscles, stomach and spleen is 3 times greater than in the blood.
The drug in the liver is metabolized with the release of many derivatives. However, only hydroxyitraconazole has a pronounced antifungal effect.
Approximately 34% of the active substance is excreted along with urine and about 54% through the intestines.
In people with impaired liver and kidney function, as well as in patients with immunosuppression, the bioavailability of the drug may decrease.
Indications for use of capsules
Why is "Sporagal" prescribed? The instruction says that this medication is intended for the treatment of mycoses, which were provoked by pathogens sensitive to the drug:
- vulvovaginal candidiasis;
- ophthalmic and dermatological diseases of fungal origin (for example, fungal keratitis, dermatomycosis, pityriasis versicolor);
- oral candidiasis;
- onychomycosis, which were triggered by dermatophytes or yeast;
- systemic mycoses, including cryptococcosis (for people with a weak immune system with cryptococcosis of the nervous system, medication is prescribed only if there is no cured effect from other antifungal drugs), cryptococcal meningitis, systemic aspergillosis and candidiasis;
- sporotrichosis, paracoccidioidosis, blastomycosis, histoplasmosis and other rare systemic mycoses.
Contraindications to the use of capsules
What contraindications for use does the drug "Sporagal" (tablets) have? The instruction says that this medication should not be used when:
- hypersensitivity to the main and auxiliary components of the drug
- in combination with medicines such as Eletriptan, HMG-CoA reductase blockers (for example, Atorvastatin, Lovastatin, Simvastatin), ergot alkaloids, CYP3A4 substrates (for example, Cisapride, Bepridil, Pimozide , "Dofetilide", "Astemizole", "Quinidine", "Misolastine"), "Nisoldipine", "Midazolam", "Triazolam".
It should also be noted that the use of this medication is contraindicated in people with ventricular dysfunction and heart failure, especially congestive.
The drug "Sporagal": instructions for use
According to the instructions, this medication should be taken only orally. Capsules must be consumed immediately after a meal (in order to ensure better absorption) in general, without chewing.
The dosage of this medicine depends on the type of disease you have:
- Dermatological and ophthalmic lesions (for example, pityriasis versicolor or dermatomycosis) - 200 mg once a day for a week.
- Keratinized lesions of the skin (hands and feet) - 200 mg twice a day for a week.
- Vulvovaginal candidiasis - 200 mg twice a day for three days.
- Oral candidiasis - 100 mg once a day for two weeks. In patients with AIDS or neutropenia, the dose is increased to 200 mg once a day.
- Fungal keratitis - 200 mg once a day for three weeks.
- Onychomycosis, which was caused by dermatophytes or yeast fungi, is treated with repeated courses. One course of therapy involves taking two capsules twice a day for a week. To treat nail lesions on the fingers, 2 courses of such therapy are carried out, and on the legs - 3 courses. The break between them should be 3 weeks. The effect manifests itself after completion of courses (as the nail plates grow).
Evacuation of Sporagal from nails and skin takes longer than from blood. In this regard, optimal therapeutic effects in patients are achieved only after three weeks after the end of the course of infection therapy and approximately 9 months after the treatment of onychomycosis.
Methods of using capsules for systemic lesions
How to use it with systemic lesions? "Sporagal" is prescribed in the following dosages:
- Candidiasis - 100-200 mg once a day for 5-30 weeks.
- Cryptococcosis without meningitis - 200 mg per day for 3-12 months. With meningitis, the dose is doubled.
- Aspergillosis - 200 mg per day for 3-5 months.
- Histoplasmosis - 200 mg twice a day for eight months.
- Chromomycosis - 100-200 mg per day for six months.
- Sporotrichosis - 100 mg per day for three months.
- Paracoccidioidosis - 100 mg a day for six months. For AIDS patients, the dosage may be increased.
- Blastomycosis - 100-200 mg twice a day for six months.
Side effects of the drug
Are there any side effects associated with taking the drug "Sporagal"? Reviews of experts report the following reactions:
- neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia;
- respiratory tract infections (upper);
- hypertriglyceridemia, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia;
- headache, paresthesia, peripheral neuropathy, hypesthesia, dizziness;
- serum sickness, angioedema, anaphylactoid anaphylactic and allergic reactions;
- blurred vision, diplopia, hearing loss, tinnitus, visual impairment;
- heart failure, especially congestive;
- shortness of breath, rhinitis, sinusitis, pulmonary edema;
- vomiting, dyspepsia, hepatotoxic reactions, abdominal pain, pancreatitis, nausea, dysgeusia, constipation, hepatitis, diarrhea, bloating, a temporary increase in the content of hepatic transaminases;
- joint and muscle pain;
- urticaria, photosensitivity, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, alopecia, epidermal toxic necrolysis, pruritus, exfoliative dermatitis, rash, generalized acute exanthematous pustulosis, erythema multiforme;
- dysmenorrhea, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, pollakiuria;
- fever, swelling.
Special recommendations
What should a patient know before taking Sporagalum? Reviews report that its active substance has a negative inotropic effect.
Against the background of taking this medication, congestive heart failure can develop, as well as severe hepatotoxicity.
With reduced acidity, the absorption of the drug deteriorates.
People who use antacids at the same time must observe an interval of 2 hours between their and the described drug.
The drug "Sporagal" is not recommended for elderly patients.
When symptoms of peripheral neuropathy appear, the medication should be discontinued.
With breastfeeding and pregnancy
During pregnancy, a medication can be prescribed only with systemic mycoses, which pose a threat to the life of the mother.
As for breastfeeding, then “Sporagal” is allowed to be used during this period, but only for strict indications.
The drug "Sporagal": analogues and price
The most famous analogues of the drug in question are the following: Itrungar, Sporaxol, Orungal, Eszol and Funit.
How much does the Sporagal drug cost? The price of this medicine varies between 1100-1200 rubles.
Reviews about the drug
According to the reviews of those who took this medication, it can be noted that it is quite effective in various types of fungal infections. Of the negative messages, we can distinguish those that say that this tool has a high cost. However, experts argue that the price of this drug is fully justified by its therapeutic effectiveness.
As for the shortcomings of this medication, patients most often indicate rather long periods of treatment.