Metabolic or metabolic processes that constantly occur in the body are the basis of human life. Some substances disintegrate and release the energy that is necessary for the organs to carry out their work, while others are transformed into building material. Violation of such processes has a negative impact on the functioning of all systems, leading to the development of many diseases.
To replenish energy in the body, Elkar syrup for children was created. This remedy is indicated for babies of different ages with insufficient increase in body weight and with weak muscle tone. The drug "Elkar" helps to compensate for the lack of the amino acid L-carnitine in the body. In a healthy child's body, this substance is synthesized on its own, however, with a decrease in immunity, concomitant chronic pathologies, the production of amino acids slows down or stops altogether. In structure, it has similarities with B vitamins and takes part in metabolic processes. This amino acid is also referred to the BT group and is called growth vitamin. L-carnitine deficiency has an extremely negative effect on physical and mental development: the child is gaining weight poorly, he has stunted growth, muscle tone decreases (he suckles sluggishly, cannot stand on his own, sit, grab toys).
Structure
The main active element of Elkar syrup for children is carnifit or levocarnitine, which is a synthetic analogue of a natural substance - L-carnitine. Thus, the drug contains levocarnitine in a dosage of 300 mg, as well as some auxiliary elements: citric acid monohydrate, methyl parahydroxybenzoate, purified water, propyl parahydroxybenzoate.
Release form
A medicine is produced in the form of a syrup (solution) with concentrations of 20 and 30 percent for oral administration. The liquid is packaged in dark glass bottles of 100, 50 and 25 ml, placed in cardboard packaging with instructions for use and a measuring spoon or glass.
pharmachologic effect
According to the instructions for use, Elkar syrup for children helps normalize metabolism and has a direct effect on digestive processes. It is an anabolic agent with a weak effect. In the body, the tool is able to perform the following functions:
- Normalization of fat metabolism. The substance in the composition of the drug delivers fatty acids to the mitochondria from the cytoplasm, where the process of their decay (oxidation) occurs and, as a result, the release of energy.
- Regulation of protein metabolism.
- Stimulation of the production of enzymatic intestinal and gastric juice, which helps to increase appetite and the proper absorption of food entering the body.
- A decrease in the fat content in muscle tissues, as a result of which a decrease in body weight occurs if the child suffers from one degree or another of obesity.
- Normalization of hormone levels in hyperthyroidism.
- The medicine promotes the accumulation of glycogen in the liver and muscles.
- Inhibition and elimination of anaerobic glycolysis and lactic acidosis reactions harmful to the body.
- Improving the blood supply processes to affected skin areas and accelerating tissue regeneration.
- Increased resistance of nerve tissue to hypoxia, intoxication, trauma.
As follows from the instructions and reviews, Elkar syrup improves metabolism, the child's body's resistance to physical and mental stress, stressful situations is enhanced. With the help of levocarnitine, the processes of oxygen saturation of brain cells are enhanced, due to which the level of concentration of attention increases and the ability to remember improves.
Another function of the drug is that it helps to normalize body weight: overweight children become slim for a short time, and thin women quickly gain a few kilograms. Children with a normal metabolism better adapt to physical and mental stress, tolerate stress easier: levocarnitine increases the saturation of brain tissue with oxygen, improves the ability to remember and concentrate. Additional energy helps babies cope with serious diseases and recover faster after them.
But there are times when the production of one's own levocarnitine is impaired. The fact is that for the synthesis of a substance in the liver and kidneys, a sufficient content is required:
- vitamins B 3 , B 6 , B 9 , B 12 , C;
- gland;
- amino acids methionine and lysine;
- enzymes that control the speed of a chemical reaction.
Lack of any of these elements leads to a decrease in the content of L-carnitine in the body. Self-generated energy is not enough for the baby, it is urgently needed to get it from the outside. Then Elkar comes to the rescue, which makes up for the lack of carnifite and starts the energy exchange process.
Indications for use
A pharmacological agent is prescribed for insufficient production of L-carnitine by the body. Instructions for use for syrup for children "Elkar" informs in which cases the medicine will be useful. So, the main indications for the use of the drug are:
- digestive system diseases associated with reduced enzymatic activity;
- the period after serious or prolonged infectious pathologies, surgical interventions or injuries;
- various brain lesions;
- mild hyperthyroidism;
- anorexia, lack of appetite;
- skin diseases;
- insufficient assimilation of educational material;
- period of intense mental or physical stress (sports competitions, exams).
Instructions for use of syrup for children "Elkar"
Even if the parents believe that the child has some deviations in development or well-being, and he needs to take Elkar, you can’t give it yourself. For therapy, it is necessary to examine the patient at the pediatrician and conduct some diagnostic measures.
When diagnosing disorders of energy metabolism, a specialist prescribes to take Elkar syrup inside 30 minutes before eating. For children, the dose of the drug is calculated in drops, which should be added to compotes, jelly, juices, and sweet dishes. It is very important to control the prescribed dosage of the drug. The doctor also determines the course of therapy, takes into account the characteristics of the child's body. Doses of the drug depend on the age and nature of the deviations found in the child, however, it is most often prescribed:
- 3-6 years - 5 drops 2-3 times a day (1 month);
- 6-12 years - 10-15 drops with the same frequency of administration (1-2 months);
- over 12 years old - 13-40 drops 2 times a day (2-4 weeks).
According to the instructions, if the child has a growth retardation (up to 6 years), it will help to be prescribed twice taking the Elkar syrup for children per day for 13 drops for 3 weeks. A similar treatment regimen is provided for patients after 12 years, however, a single dosage is 1 scoop.
With prolonged physical and psycho-emotional stress: from 0.75 g (1/2 scoop or 2 ml of Elkar syrup) 3 times a day to 2.25 g (1.5 scoop or 7.5 ml) 2-3 once a day.
For newborns
What else does the Elkar Syrup Application for Children tell us? In infancy, if necessary, the medicine is prescribed twice a day, from the 14th day of life. A single dose is 4-10 drops. According to the instructions, newborns are prescribed medication for birth injuries, asphyxiation, prematurity or at birth with low body weight, mental retardation or physical development, skin diseases, neurological disorders, poor appetite, and jaundice.
Drug interaction
According to the instructions, Elkar syrup for children is similar in its action and structure to vitamin preparations, therefore its use does not imply the development of dangerous interactions with other pharmacological agents. However, the instructions for use contain information that glucocorticosteroids can contribute to the accumulation of carnitine in tissues and organs (with the exception of the liver). The combination of levocarnitine with other anabolic medical agents provokes an increase in the effectiveness of this drug.
Side effects
According to reviews of Elkar syrup, during the use of the drug, allergic reactions were observed, which were characterized by redness of the skin, itching, rashes. Instructions for use of the syrup contain a warning that after its administration, the development of such adverse reactions is possible:
- increased muscle tone;
- a feeling of heaviness or soreness in the stomach;
- intestinal upset;
- excessive nervous excitability;
- lethargy, drowsiness;
- loss of appetite.
List of contraindications
In the majority of cases, the medicine is well tolerated by patients. According to the instructions for Elkar syrup, it is contraindicated only for persons with intolerance to the components of the composition. When used less than 3 years of age, treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a pediatrician. In addition, the use of the drug during lactation and pregnancy is not prescribed, since there is no information on the effect of levocarnitine on the baby and on the fetus.
Storage and sale conditions
The drug "Elkar" is dispensed without a prescription from a doctor. It is recommended to use syrup before the expiration date, which is 3 years. This product is stored in an unlit, well-ventilated room with an air temperature of no more than 25 degrees. After opening the bottle with syrup, it can be used for 2 months, and stored in the refrigerator. Instructions for use with Elkar syrup confirms this.
Analogs
According to the content of the active substance and therapeutic effect, the analogue of the drug "Elkar" are chewable tablets "Carnitine", which are used in the treatment of pathologies in childhood. This is a means to correct the metabolic process, which has antihypoxic, anabolic and antithyroid effects, activates fat metabolism, increases appetite, stimulates regeneration. It is a cofactor of metabolism that maintains the functionality of coenzyme A.
The medicine reduces the main metabolism, slowing down the breakdown of carbohydrate and protein molecules, promotes penetration through the membranes of mitochondria and the breakdown of fatty acids with the formation of acetyl-CoA. In addition, the medication mobilizes fat from fat depots. Displacing glucose, it includes a metabolic fatty acid shunt, the functions of which are not limited by oxygen, and therefore the medication is effective in acute hypoxia and other complex conditions.
The drug has a neurotrophic effect, suppresses apoptosis, restores the structure of nervous tissue, normalizes fat and protein metabolism, increased with thyrotoxicosis, stabilizes the alkaline reserve of blood, reduces the formation of keto acids, increases the body's resistance to toxic substances, activates anaerobic glycolysis, accelerates and stimulates reparative processes.
Other medications that are aimed at normalizing metabolic processes differ in the active element. If a metabolic disorder is detected in children, specialists prescribe:
- Pantogam
- "Corilip";
- Kudesan.
Price
You can buy the product at the pharmacy or order delivery through the online store. Its cost is approximately 330 rubles per bottle.
Reviews about Elkar syrup for children
On medical sites and consumer forums about drug syrup, you can see a huge number of reviews, among which there are both positive and negative.
In positive reviews, the parents of children who took the medication characterize it as a sufficiently effective means to maintain the health and activity of the child. In children, according to them, resistance to various loads, including educational ones, to colds and viral diseases, increased immunity. Small patients tolerated the medicine well, as a rule, they did not have any adverse reactions. Parents note that the effect of the syrup is not immediately observed. It can be seen around the second week of admission. At the same time, children become more mobile, active, easy to learn and less sick.
Negative reviews were left by parents and adult patients, whom, in their opinion, this drug did not help. They say that the effect of therapy was absent or was rather insignificant. Some consumers indicate that allergic reactions occur while taking this remedy. Children in this case also developed unpleasant symptoms, characterized by a violation of the digestion of food, nausea, excessive nervous excitement. Such manifestations disappeared after the withdrawal of the medication.
Doctors characterize Elkar not as a medicine, but as an active food supplement, the intake of which, despite the naturalness of the components, must be agreed with a specialist in each case, especially when it comes to childhood.