Today, probably, there is no person who is not familiar with the unpleasant word “allergy”. Many are prescribed antiallergic drugs. One of the most popular is ketotifen. The instruction to it states that this drug is a mast cell stabilizer.
What does it mean? Speaking in plain language, the Ketotifen medicine reduces the release of active substances (leukotrienes, histamines) from the cell membranes , and prevents the accumulation of eosinophils in the airways. This allows you to facilitate breathing, prevent the occurrence of attacks of bronchial asthma, other rapid allergic reactions such as hay fever, acute or chronic urticaria. The drug blocks the excessive expansion and hyperactivity of the bronchi. Ketotifen is also used in ophthalmology to relieve symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis.
Is ketotifen harmful? The instruction reports that it is completely absorbed in the stomach, and then, with the initial passage through the liver, it is metabolized by half. From the body, it is excreted by the kidneys in 48 hours by 70%, and its maximum accumulation in blood plasma - after 2-4 hours. At the same time, food intake does not affect the speed of the drug.
The drug "Ketotifen", the instruction warns about this, is contraindicated in pregnancy or individual intolerance. People taking it may experience drowsiness, slow reactions, dizziness. When using drops, itching or a sensation of “dry eyes” may occur. Sometimes photophobia or spot hemorrhages (hemorrhages) appears. Usually such side effects go away without the intervention of doctors. However, it must be remembered that people taking ketotifen are not recommended to drive, control the exact mechanisms or processes,
The effect of ketotifen dramatically enhances the effect of sedatives, alcohol, and other antihistamines.
This medicine should be used with great caution if the patient is already drinking drugs for diabetes, bronchial asthma. In this case, some unforeseen reactions may occur.
Summing up all that has been said, one can once again establish oneself in the well-known truth: taking ketotifen, the instructions for it emphasize this, like other medicines, only on the recommendation of a doctor.
Can ketotifen be given to children? Reviews of experts indicate a positive effect of the drug on children. Only you need to carefully select the right dose. So, children from six months to three years are prescribed only 0.05 mg / kg of weight twice a day. Children over three years of age, adults and the elderly are recommended 1 mg twice a day, be sure to eat.
Sometimes the reaction to ketotifen, the instruction also warns about it, is so acute that a person begins to "sleep on the go." In this case, it is recommended to start taking the medicine with the minimum doses, gradually bringing them to the norm recommended by the doctor.
Once again, I want to emphasize the insidiousness of the drug. In correctly selected quantities, it very quickly eliminates the symptoms of allergies. But an overdose is deadly. Its signs are insurmountable drowsiness, confusion. The patient often does not realize the environment, begins to hallucinate. Cramps can sometimes occur, especially in children. There is an increased excitability. Later, pressure drops sharply, tachycardia begins. If timely assistance is not given in case of an overdose, a person falls into a coma that flows into death.
Only an allergist can choose the right allergy medication and calculate its dosage.
Analogues of the drug "Ketotifen" are the preparations "Zaditen", "Staffen", "Ketof", "Frenasma", "Positan". In them, as well as in the preparation "Ketotifen", the main active ingredient is ketotifen fumarate.