Nowadays, a huge number of people suffer from allergic diseases. They can appear in completely different ways. Someone begins a long rhinitis, someone is tormented with rashes all over his body, and someone cannot cope with his cough. There are many drugs against this ailment, they all have their own characteristics of use and indications for use. One of these drugs is Alerzin. The instructions attached to it contain a detailed description of the indications and contraindications.
The composition of the drug
Alerzin is available in two dosage forms: in the form of tablets and drops. If we consider the drops, then 1 ml of the drug includes:
- 5 mg of levocetirizine dihydrochloride is the main active ingredient.
- As auxiliary substances there are: 85% glycerin, sodium saccharin, propylene glycol, acetate sodium trihydrate, propyl parahydroxybenzoate, glacial acetic acid, methyl parahydroxybenzoate, purified water.
1 tablet also contains 5 mg of the active substance, and as additional components are included:
- Microcrystalline silicon cellulose.
- Lactose Monohydrate.
- Low substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose.
- Magnesium stearate.
Drops are available in 20 ml bottles, and tablets in a pack of 7-14 pieces.
Pharmacological action and pharmacodynamics
By its properties, the drug belongs to antihistamines. The main active component, if we consider “Alerzin” (drops), the instructions for use describe how it can block histamine receptors.
The effect of the drug is possible due to:
- Decreased vascular permeability.
- Reduce eosinophil migration.
- Limiting the release of inflammatory mediators.
The active substance of the drug does not allow the development of allergic manifestations, due to the fact that it has the following properties:
- Antiexudative.
- Anti-inflammatory.
- Antipruritic.
Ingestion of the drug leads to its rapid absorption into the bloodstream, and this process is almost independent of food intake. The bioavailability of the drug is 100%.
Efficiency is manifested in some patients within 12-15 minutes after administration, in the majority - in half an hour or an hour. Accurate information on the distribution of matter in the tissues of the body is not available.
Indications for use of the drug
Regarding the means "Alerzin" the instruction contains information about the indications for use. It is usually recommended in the following situations:
- Treatment of symptoms in patients who suffer from chronic idiopathic urticaria.
- As a medicine for rhinitis caused by allergens.
The list of indications is small, judging by the information that the instruction informs about the Alerzin agent. Reviews about it are good enough, if you follow all the recommendations of the doctor for use.
Who should not take "Alerzin"
No matter how good the drug may be, it always has contraindications. At Alerzin they are as follows:
- Do not take medicine for patients with severe kidney disease.
- During the period of breastfeeding, women are not prescribed a drug.
- If there is an individual intolerance to the components of the drug.
- During pregnancy.
- In the presence of lactose deficiency.
- There is galactose intolerance or disturbance in the process of glucose and galactose assimilation, but this only applies to the tablet form.
- Take special care when appointing elderly patients.
"Alerzin": instructions for use
Given the different form of release of the drug, the dosage and treatment regimen for them will vary. These nuances must be checked with your doctor.
If "Alerzin" (drops) is prescribed, the instruction recommends taking them inside, not taking food intake into account. You can use the drug both in pure form and diluted with water. Diluted drops should not be stored; they must be consumed immediately.
The dosage is selected by the doctor, but usually it is 5 mg once a day.
If the pharmacy offers you “Alerzin” (tablets), the instruction recommends taking them whole with water. The dosage is also 5 mg or 1 tablet per day.
Treatment duration
If allergic rhinitis occurs periodically and lasts from 4 days to a month, then the Alerzin therapy is necessarily consistent with the characteristics of the course of the disease. Often, with the disappearance of symptoms, treatment can be stopped, and if they occur, renewed.
If allergic rhinitis lasts more than a month as a result of constant contact with allergens, then therapy may be permanent. In the chronic form of urticaria and rhinitis, treatment with Alerzin can last about a year.
Side effects of the drug
Not all patients tolerate the effects of this drug. The body is different for everyone, so you can expect some undesirable manifestations that can affect many organ systems:
1. Shortness of breath may occur on the part of the respiratory system.
2. The nervous system may respond with the following symptoms:
- Sleep disturbance.
- Headache.
- Fast fatiguability.
- Increased arousal.
- Weakness.
- Asthenia.
- Cramps.
- Dizziness, up to fainting.
- Tremor of the limbs.
- Hallucinations.
3. From the side of the cardiovascular system, one can observe increased heartbeat and tachycardia.
4. The urinary system will show its malfunction in the form of urinary retention, dysuria.
5. Visual impairment may occur.
6. Disorders from the gastrointestinal tract in the form of nausea, diarrhea, constipation, dry mouth, hepatitis.
7. Myalgia.
8. Rashes may appear on the skin, itching bothers, in some situations - Quincke's edema.
9. Rarely there may be swelling, increased appetite, weight gain.
If any unwanted manifestations appear during treatment with Alerzin, it is worth visiting a doctor and discussing further treatment with him.
Taking high doses of the drug
Some mistakenly believe that an increased dosage will give a positive effect faster and exceed the norm of taking the medicine. This leads to an overdose of the active substance in the body, which can provoke:
- Drowsiness.
- Increased irritability.
- Nervous excitement.
All these manifestations will depend on the amount of the drug taken in excess of the norm. In case of an overdose, it is necessary to empty the stomach, and then eliminate the symptoms that appear.
Interaction with other drugs
We examined the drug “Alerzin”, instructions, the price is quite acceptable, but it is necessary to discuss with the attending physician the combination of the drug with other drugs, if you use them, before use.
Long-term laboratory tests have established that the combined use of "Alerzin" and "Antipyrine", "Glipizida", "Erythromycin", "Diazepam" does not give negative consequences.
If you combine the drug and treatment with "Ritonavir", then the distribution of the latter throughout the body is reduced by 10-12%.
Joint use with "Theophylline" reduces the clearance of levocetirizine, but the kinetics of "Theophylline" does not change. During the period of treatment with Alerzin, sedation is not recommended, although when using therapeutic dosages, an increase in their effect was not observed.
Some indications during treatment with "Alerzin"
The doctor, before prescribing any drug, should conduct a thorough examination of the patient. This also applies to completely safe means, which include Alerzin. In the presence of concomitant diseases, the dosage and treatment regimen should be adjusted.
Caution is advised to take the drug in patients with pathology of the excretory system, especially for elderly patients with chronic renal failure.
If a patient is found to have spinal cord injuries, prostate adenomas, it is necessary to adjust the dose of the drug, as it can provoke urinary retention in the body.
Some components of Alerzin can cause allergic manifestations, therefore, patients suffering from excessive susceptibility to various factors should be careful during treatment.
The use of the drug in childhood
It should be used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis or urticaria in babies only after consultation with the Alerzin doctor. The instruction for children does not recommend using it to treat babies under 6 months old.
The dosage of the drops will depend on the age of the child:
- From 6 to 12 months a day, you can take once 5 drops of the drug.
- From 1 year to 6 years "Alerzin" (drops), the instruction for children recommends giving 5 drops 2 times a day.
- For children over 6 years old, the dosage is 5 ml 1 time per day.
It is strictly forbidden to give tablets to children under 6 years old. After 6 years per day, a dose of 5 mg, which is 1 tablet.
The use of "Alerzin" during pregnancy and lactation
Women in an interesting position are practically not prescribed “Alerzin”, the instruction does not contain reliable facts about the safety of levocetirizine for fetal development.
If there is a need to take the drug during breastfeeding, then it must be discontinued.
Analogues of the drug
Alerzin has a fairly large number of analogues, they have a similar therapeutic effect, therefore, if there are contraindications for its use, then it is worth discussing this issue with the doctor.
Among the analogues, the following can be mentioned:
- Allertek.
- "Zestra."
- The Zodak.
- Zirtek.
- "Rolinosis."
- "Tsetrin."
- Cetirinax.
If there are no contraindications to taking Alerzin, then you need to discuss with the doctor whether it can be replaced with an analog. In some cases, it is better to use the drug that has already been tested and gives a positive effect.
Reviews about the drug
Allerzin (drops), instructions have already been examined in detail. The price of the drug is relatively small (about 330 rubles), so most patients can afford to buy it. Reviews about the treatment with this medicine are positive, this is due to the quick action, convenient use and high efficiency.
Some patients who use the medicine periodically note one drawback - this is a short shelf life after opening the vial with drops.
Allergy has quite unpleasant manifestations, which I want to get rid of faster. Shelves of pharmacies are full of antihistamines, but it is better to entrust the choice of medicine to a specialist, rather than self-medicating, then the effect will be guaranteed.