In women and even young girls from time to time there are situations when vaginal discharge becomes abundant, grayish-yellow, and they have an unpleasant odor. Most often, when contacting a gynecologist, it turns out that patients have bacterial vaginosis and they need drugs that can restore the natural microflora of the vagina. A rather effective medicine for this in medicine is the vaginal Lactogel. We will tell about it and its analogues further.
In what cases is Lactagel prescribed
Like any medicine, "Lactagel" should be used only by agreement with your doctor. Women are usually prescribed it when there is abundant discharge, accompanied by an unpleasant odor caused by bacterial vaginosis (to establish this diagnosis, the doctor needs to take a swab from the vagina).
In addition, the described gel is indicated to eliminate the symptoms of the disease, sometimes manifested after menstruation, and also as a means of preventing vaginal dysbiosis during the course of therapy with antibiotics or antifungal agents.
By the way, with a diagnosed bacterial vaginosis, different treatments are prescribed, depending on the age of the patients. So, to get rid of this ailment, girls are most often prescribed oral tablets. Lactogel, as well as intravaginal suppositories or pills similar in action, are prescribed mainly for women who have given birth. This allows them to speed up the healing process, since the manifestations of the named disease in these patients are more pronounced.
Analogues of "Lactagel"
It should be noted right away that there is no complete analogue of Lactogel in composition. Therefore, if necessary, replace this drug usually select drugs with a similar composition. It is customary to include intravaginal drugs, the action of which is aimed at restoring microflora in the intimate zone:
- Vaginal capsules “Lactonorm” containing live lactobacilli and quite successfully used in the treatment of vaginal dysbiosis, as well as a prophylactic to prevent microflora disorders (use 1 capsule twice a day for 1-2 weeks).
- Another analogue of Lactogel is Acylact suppository, which contains acidophilic lactobacilli, which, incidentally, can restore the microflora not only in the vagina, but also in the large intestine.
It should be noted that the price of Atzilact suppositories is much lower than that of Lactagel and other medicines with a similar effect, which is why they are in great demand. But at the same time, these candles have some difficulties in use, forcing patients to eventually return to more expensive drugs.
No less than in these situations, Lactogin suppositories, as well as Ginoflor vaginal tablets are used.
We emphasize once again that the effect of these drugs is not completely analogous, which means that it is not worth deciding on your own with what to replace the Lactagel prescribed to you. Only a doctor can competently do this!
What exactly is the difference between Lactagel and its analogues
We have already said that there is no analogue of Lactogel. This is due to its components and the effect that the gel has on a woman's body.
The fact is that, having glycogen and lactic acid in its composition, Lactagel does not inhabit the vagina with bacteria, like other medicines, but only creates the nutrient medium necessary for their development. That is, the patient begins to rapidly develop her own bacteria, and not specially introduced using vaginal suppositories or capsules.
How is Lactogel applied?
An analogue is cheaper than the described tool, as you understand, is not always a better choice. Indeed, as already mentioned above, Lactagel is absolutely original in its composition and has a particularly mild effect, which saves a woman from burning or other unpleasant sensations during treatment.
The instruction for use advises the patient to enter the contents of the disposable syringe tube into the vagina overnight, this should be done for a week or longer, until the manifestations of the disease completely disappear. By the way, the instruction advises women for convenience to use sanitary pads at night, which will not allow the spilled gel to stain the laundry (the fact that it flows out a bit is perhaps the only drawback when using the product).
To prevent the emergence of new manifestations of bacterial vaginosis, doctors advise additionally using one or 2 tubes of gel per week.
Lactogel: use during menstruation
"Lactagel" is referred to as locally acting drugs, which is why there are practically no restrictions on its use, although women still have to take into account some nuances.
So, judging by the reviews of specialists and patients, if menstruation begins during treatment, then this remedy can be used (the Lactogel analog, as a rule, is not used for menstruation), although, of course, the effect will be slightly reduced. Therefore, doctors are strongly advised before starting the course of therapy to calculate the period of the onset of the next menstruation in order to have time to be treated before they begin. And if they should be from day to day, then completely postpone the procedure. If the doctor has prescribed you Lactogel, he will also voice the contraindications and take into account in your case.
The safest in this regard are the last days of menstruation, when the discharge is minimal. Then the effect of the use of "Lactagel" will not decrease, and the treatment will be successful.
Can I use Lactagel during pregnancy?
Many women ask questions about how to use Lactogel during pregnancy. As a rule, expectant mothers are worried if the use of this drug or its analogues will harm the child. But experts in this regard are unanimous. They confirm that the described product cannot constitute a threat to the fetus, as it contains only substances that are natural to the female body.
The same findings apply to breast-feeding women. But for women who want to become pregnant, the use of the named gel is not recommended, since the acidic environment created by the drug slows down sperm motility.
Reviews about the drug "Lactagel"
According to numerous positive reviews of women who used the described tool, we can talk about the effectiveness and safety of using the drug "Lactagel". With the introduction of neither burning nor other uncomfortable sensations are not observed. By the way, if they do arise, then most likely the woman has a personal intolerance to the components.
In addition, everyone notes the convenient packaging of the drug, which makes it possible not to make a mistake with the correct dosage of the gel and, if necessary, take it with you on a trip - after all, a small tube-syringe does not take up much space.
Patients unanimously noted the quick effect of using the drug - the unpleasant odor and copious discharge disappear, which, of course, improves the well-being of the woman and eliminates the need for constant use of sanitary pads.
A few words in conclusion
As you could see from the above description of the drug "Lactagel" and its analogues, despite their safety in use, they still should not be assigned to yourself. After all, symptoms similar to the manifestations of bacterial vaginosis can relate to another ailment, and the action of these drugs can aggravate the manifestations of some of them.
Therefore, no matter how much Lactogel costs, the analogue is the cheapest, or rather, more reasonable, first to have an examination with a specialist who will not only correctly identify the cause of the discomfort, but also prescribe an adequate (and in value, including) treatment. Be healthy!