Children's syrup "Nurofen" is a drug that belongs to the pharmacological group of anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs. It is used to treat children as a pain medication and antipyretic with an increase in body temperature.
Composition and release forms
Syrup "Nurofen" for oral use (inside) has a liquid, slightly viscous consistency, white-pearly color, a characteristic strawberry or orange smell and a pleasant sweet taste. The main active ingredient of this medical product is ibuprofen, the content of which in 5 ml of syrup is 100 mg.
In addition to the main component in the composition of this suspension includes some auxiliary substances. Their list includes:
- citric acid;
- xanthan gum;
- sodium saccharinate;
- maltitol syrup;
- sodium citrate;
- glycerol;
- domiphene bromide;
- sodium chloride;
- purified water;
- flavorings - orange or strawberry.
Nurofen Children's Syrup is available in 150 or 100 ml polyethylene terephthalate bottles. A cardboard pack contains one bottle with the appropriate volume of the drug suspension, as well as a special syringe for dispensing it and instructions for using the pharmaceutical product.
Pharmacological effects
The main active ingredient of the baby syrup from the temperature "Nurofen" has an inhibitory effect on cyclooxygenase, which is a specific enzyme. It catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid into mediators of the inflammatory reactions of prostaglandins, which are responsible, in turn, for the development of the inflammatory process of the reaction in the tissues, the occurrence of pain and an increase in temperature. By reducing the concentration of prostaglandins, there is a quick analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory therapeutic effect from the use of Nurofen baby syrup. How long does this drug work? The absorption rate of this drug is approximately 20 minutes, after which a direct effect on the child’s body begins.
Indications for use
The use of Nurofen syrup is indicated for a number of pathological processes that may be accompanied by the development of pain, as well as an increase in temperature in the child, and against the background of acute inflammatory reactions. The list of indications for the use of this medication includes:
- Acute viral respiratory infections, which are characterized by damage to the upper respiratory tract with the development of severe intoxication.
- All varieties of influenza, which are specific respiratory viral infections that are provoked by influenza viruses and are caused by the severe and moderate course of the disease with the development of severe intoxication.
- A variety of childhood bacterial infections, which are accompanied by an increase in temperature indicators to critical numbers.
- Post-vaccination reactions of the body, which are characterized, as a rule, by an increase in temperature in a child after a planned vaccination.
- Migraine-like headaches, as well as other varieties of pain in the head of moderate intensity.
- Symptomatic cephalgia in children.
- Toothache of mild to moderate intensity, including when teething.
- Various forms of neuralgia, accompanied by pain that develops as a result of a non-infectious (aseptic) inflammatory process that affects the peripheral nerves.
- Sore throat, middle ear, and bones of the skull.
- Postoperative and post-traumatic pains of any localization.
Syrup "Nurofen" at a temperature is prescribed very often. It is a medication for symptomatic treatment of the above pathological conditions. It helps to lower body temperature, eliminate inflammatory processes and pain syndrome of varying severity, however, this medication is not an independent treatment tool, since it does not affect the course of pathological processes and their progression.
Contraindications
The use of Nurofen temperature syrup for children is contraindicated in a number of physiological and pathological conditions, which include:
- Individual cases of intolerance and increased sensitivity of the child's body to the active substance or to additional components of this pharmacological drug.
- Cases of hypersensitivity to other anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs, such as acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol, etc.
- The presence of certain signs of the onset of the “aspirin triad” syndrome, which is characterized by allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, nasal polyposis, which provokes the use of acetylsalicylic acid and other anti-inflammatory non-steroid medications.
- Various pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, which are characterized by the formation of mucosal disorders (erosive gastritis, peptic ulcer in the stomach or duodenum), especially at the stages of clinical and laboratory exacerbation.
- Gastrointestinal bleeding of any localization in the active period.
- Inflammatory bowel disease.
- Pathology of the circulatory system in the form of hemophilia or hypocoagulation (violation of blood coagulation), leukopenia (decrease in the number of white blood cells in the blood).
- A marked decrease in the functionality of the liver or kidneys.
- Hearing impairment.
With some caution, Nurofen syrup should be used for liver and kidney pathologies, as well as for bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori in the stomach. In addition, you should be extremely careful about the use of this medication with the concomitant use of indirect anticoagulants by the child - drugs that change blood coagulation, as well as other anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs. If children have bronchial asthma, allergic reactions (for example, in the form of urticaria), the drug “Nurofen” in the form of syrup is also used with caution and only after the recommendation of a pediatrician. Before starting the use of this medication, it is imperative to make sure that there are no contraindications to this. What is the dosage of Nurofen Syrup?
Dosage and route of administration of the drug
Anti-inflammatory syrup is a special tool that can be used in the treatment of diseases in children of various age groups. This suspension is taken orally. At the same time, it can be used both once and systemically, 3-4 times a day. The volume of syrup is dosed using a special syringe, which is included in the kit of the medication. Dosages depend, as a rule, on the body weight and age of the child. Consider how much to give Nurofen syrup to children.
Dosages may be:
- For children aged three to six months, weighing more than 5 kg - 2.5 ml of syrup (50 mg). The daily dose is not more than 150 mg, i.e. 7.5 ml.
- Children from six months to a year, weighing from 7 to 10 kg, are prescribed 2.5 mg of syrup (50 mg) 4 times a day, no more than 10 ml in the daily form.
- Children in the age category from one year to three years old, weighing up to 15 kg, are given 5 ml of syrup (100 mg) 3 times a day, not more than 15 ml per day.
- In the age category of four to six years and weighing 16-20 kg, children are prescribed 7.5 ml of suspension (150 m) 3 times a day, and no more than 450 mg per day.
- For children from seven to nine years old with a weight of 20-30 kg, experts recommend taking syrup three times a day at a dosage of 10 ml (200 mg), which is not more than 600 mg of the daily volume of the active substance.
- For children over ten years old weighing more than 30 kg, the drug is used in a dosage of 15 ml (300 mg) three times a day, in a daily dose - not more than 45 ml.
Exceeding the recommended dosage of Nurofen syrup for children is strictly prohibited, as this can provoke the occurrence of the most unpredictable reactions on the part of the child's body.
The duration of therapeutic use of the drug for febrile children should not exceed three days, and if syrup is used to reduce the severity of pain, no more than five days. If in the future the symptoms of the pathological process persist, it is urgent to show the child to a specialist, since a prolonged increase in temperature may indicate the development of very serious and life-threatening pathological processes.
Before using Nurofen Children's Syrup, it is necessary to shake it, after which the dosage syringe is tightly attached to the neck of the bottle and draw a sufficient volume of liquid, while holding it in an upright position. After that, the contents of the syringe are squeezed into the mouth of the child by slowly pressing the piston. After use, the syringe dispenser must be washed with water and dried.
How many children’s syrup “Nurofen” is effective for many parents. Often after applying the syrup, the temperature begins to drop after 30-50 minutes. To reduce the temperature faster, it is necessary to resort to applying lotions to the baby's forehead.
How much is Nurofen Syrup? It is known that the drug exerts its effect for a maximum of eight hours.
Adverse reactions from taking this medication
During the use of a drug suspension in children, it is possible to develop some negative reactions observed from different organs and systems:
- The digestive tract - dyspepsia with the urge to vomit, pain in the abdomen with localization in its upper parts (epigastrium), the occurrence of diarrhea, erosive and ulcerative lesions of the mucosa of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
- Nervous system - headaches, periodic development of dizziness, disturbance of daytime and nighttime sleep, mental agitation.
- From the vascular system and the heart of the child - an increase in systemic blood pressure, increased heart rate.
- Urinary system - impaired renal function, reactive bladder inflammation (cystitis).
- Red bone marrow and hematopoiesis - a decrease in the number of red blood cells (anemia), white blood cells (leukopenia), platelets (thrombocytopenia).
- Allergic manifestations - a rash on the skin, itching, hives, angioedema (Quincke's edema), severe necrotic skin lesions (Stevens-Johnson or Lyell syndrome), bronchospasm (narrowing of the lumens of the allergic etiology with the occurrence of shortness of breath), anaphylactic shock.
In the event of the occurrence of the above phenomena in a child after taking Nurofen syrup, treatment with this medication must be stopped.
Special instructions for using the medicine
There are some special recommendations that you should pay attention to when treating children with medication in syrup:
- Since syrup is used for children, it does not contain dyes harmful to health as additional components.
- This medicine contains sugar, which should also be considered when using it in children with diabetes.
- The main substance of the drug can interact with other pharmacological agents, for example, with anticoagulants, glucocorticoids, methotrexate, and also weaken the therapeutic effect of diuretics and antihypertensive drugs.
- The use of a medical product in children up to three months is not allowed. The use of Nurofen Children's Syrup should be careful.
Symptoms of an overdose of the drug
If therapeutic doses of syrup for children are exceeded, severe abdominal pain, nausea, tinnitus occur, and in some cases metabolic acidosis (increased acidity in the stomach) is possible. Possible impaired consciousness up to the development of coma, decreased blood pressure, rhythm disturbance and heart rate.
Elimination of overdose symptoms from the use of Nurofen syrup involves gastric lavage, as well as the use of sorbents to cleanse the intestines.
Analogues of a drug
How can I replace the medicine? The following medications are similar in composition and therapeutic effect of Nurofen suspension:
Reviews on this drug
Since the drug in the Nurofen syrup for children is by far the most popular and most commonly prescribed medication for symptomatic treatment, there are a lot of reviews about it, and most of them contain a lot of positive information about the effect of this medication.
Syrup "Nurofen" is considered to be the most popular medical product used in childhood, because, according to many parents, the syrup acts very quickly, effectively lowers the temperature in the child and relieves pain in the muscles characteristic of intoxication in respiratory diseases. In addition, parents are happy with the form of release of this drug and note that it is very convenient and easy to dose and give to the child.
A very important aspect in the reviews about this medicine is that the syrup for children “Nurofen” has a very soft and pleasant fruity taste, which allows it to be given to children without much difficulty. And kids, as you know, really do not like to take medicine. As for this particular syrup, parents note that children are happy to drink it, and a special dosage syringe helps them give the child exactly the amount of syrup that is needed.
Pediatricians also recommend this medication, since its effect is very long and mild, not causing a lot of unpleasant side symptoms and serious reactions from the child's body. They also indicate that the drug does not contain harmful dyes and is practically safe even for young children.
The only drawback of this medical device, according to pediatricians and parents, is that after its use, children sometimes experience some side effects in the form of allergic reactions, manifested in skin rashes and itching of some skin areas, especially on the face of babies. Nevertheless, such manifestations are insignificant and quickly eliminated, especially with the concomitant use of antihistamines, which effectively relieve any symptoms of allergies.