Coughing occurs with various respiratory diseases. It is wet and dry. With a wet cough, the airways are cleared of excessive sputum. Together with sputum, pathogenic microorganisms are excreted from the body. With a dry cough, sputum is poorly excreted. Because of this, recovery is delayed. It is possible to improve sputum discharge thanks to Flavamed Fort.
Dosage form
The drug is available in the form of a solution (some people call it syrup). This product is sold in a cardboard box, which includes a bottle with 100 ml of medicine and a measuring spoon (it is designed for 5 ml). The solution is clear. It is colorless and brownish, has a raspberry smell. The medicine contains:
- active substance - ambroxol hydrochloride;
- auxiliary components - benzoic acid, glycerin, hyetellose, non-crystallizing sorbitol, raspberry flavoring, purified water.
Some people who come to pharmacies tell pharmacists that they want to buy Flavamed forte effervescent tablets with instructions. However, this drug does not have such a dosage form. Effervescent tablets are produced under a similar name - Flavamed Max. They are sold in carton packs containing 1 or 2 polypropylene tubes. 1 tube contains 10 tablets. The composition of the drug manufactured in this dosage form includes Ambroxol hydrochloride, sodium bicarbonate, anhydrous citric acid, mannitol, sodium cyclamate, cherry flavor, etc.
Properties of the active substance
Ambroxol hydrochloride (Ambroxol) is a substance that stimulates mucociliary activity and has an expectorant effect in various diseases of the respiratory tract. It liquefies sputum, affects the ciliated epithelium, contributing to an increase in its motor activity.
Ambroxol begins to exert a therapeutic effect on the body about 30 minutes after taking the drug. The Flavamed Forte solution (syrup) is effective for 6–12 hours (the duration of action depends on the dosage taken).
Indications for admission
A solution containing ambroxol hydrochloride should be taken in case of respiratory diseases in which the secretion and transport of sputum is impaired. The medicine helps:
- with pneumonia;
- chronic and acute bronchitis;
- bronchiectatic disease;
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
- bronchial asthma.
In case of renal and / or severe liver failure, care should be taken when taking Flavamed Fort. The fact is that Ambroxol is metabolized in the liver and excreted by the kidneys. Due to impaired liver function, the clearance of the active substance is reduced by 20–40%. In case of impaired renal function, Ambroxol metabolites begin to accumulate in the body. Caution when taking the medicine is also recommended to be followed with a stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer, impaired bronchial motility and increased mucus secretion.
Pregnancy and lactation
In the first trimester of pregnancy, women should not drink a solution, since this medicine negatively affects the fetus. Treatment with this drug is also contraindicated during breastfeeding. Ambroxol can cause harm to a small child, because studies have shown that this substance is excreted in breast milk.
In the II and III trimesters of pregnancy, Flavamed Forte can be drunk, but only if the doctor prescribes this medicine. It is impossible to independently decide on the start of taking the solution. Specialists, prescribing this drug to pregnant women, not only take into account the presence of indications, but also carefully evaluate the expected benefits for the expectant mother and the possible risk to the fetus.
Use in childhood
Flavamed forte is not contraindicated for children. However, experts note that caution in the use of the solution must be observed until 2 years of age (for children at this age, the drug can be given only as directed by a doctor).
For different ages, specific dosages are determined. The instructions for use "Flavamed forte" (for children, the drug can be used) indicates that at the age of 2 years, the solution should be drunk twice a day. A single dose is the fourth part of a measuring spoon. The same single dose is established for the age of 2-5 years. Only the frequency of use of the drug is different - three times a day. For children aged 5-12 years, the solution is given 2 or 3 times a day. A single dose is half a scoop. At the age of 12 years and older, the medicine is taken according to a scheme that includes 2 stages:
- The first stage lasts 2-3 days. During this time, the solution is drunk three times a day. Single dose - 1 scoop.
- The duration of the second stage is determined by the doctor. The solution is drunk twice a day. A single dose remains unchanged.
Doses for adults and general features of use
For adults, there are 2 treatment regimens. One of them coincides with the scheme developed for children over 12 years of age (the first 2-3 days - 1 scoop three times a day, on subsequent days - 1 scoop twice a day).
A distinctive feature of another treatment regimen is an increased single dose - 2 scoops. The solution is drunk twice a day. Doctors prescribe this scheme to their patients, if necessary.
Before you start taking the drug, it’s important to remember a few general features of the use indicated in the instructions for Flavamed Fort:
- the solution is drunk after eating;
- doctors recommend using the medicine for 4–5 days (for a longer use, specialist advice is required);
- with renal and / or severe liver failure, reduce the dose or increase the intervals between doses.
Undesirable effects and contraindications
Each person's body reacts differently to the reception of a solution. In some people, treatment proceeds smoothly, while in others there are undesirable effects. Quite common side symptoms are a decrease in sensitivity in the oral cavity, pharynx, a violation of taste sensations, and nausea. Much less often, people complain of abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, rash. In isolated cases, such side effects as angioedema, anaphylactic shock, dry mucous membrane of the pharynx are recorded.
Contraindications, as noted above, include the first trimester of pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding. Also, you can not drink the solution with hypersensitivity to the components of the drug, hereditary intolerance to galactose and fructose, lactase deficiency, malabsorption syndrome of galactose and glucose.
special instructions
Flavamed forte is recommended with extreme caution to be used simultaneously with antitussive drugs. The fact is that a solution with ambroxol helps to eliminate sputum from the body, and antitussive drugs block coughing. Because of them, sputum can begin to accumulate in the respiratory tract.
During the application of the solution, you need to drink liquid in sufficient volumes. This is necessary so that the drug can have the desired secretolytic effect.
During the treatment period, it is not necessary to give up work that requires a quick response to what is happening and increased attention. This means that when taking the solution with Ambroxol, you can drive a car and control complex mechanisms without fear.
In the instructions that came with the medicine, the manufacturer indicated important information for people with diabetes: 5 ml of the medicine (i.e., 1 scoop) contains 1.75 g of sorbitol, and this amount of this component corresponds to 0.15 bread unit .
Storage and shelf life
If stored improperly, the solution, like any drug, loses its healing properties. The manufacturer of the drug warns that the solution with Ambroxol can not be frozen. Suitable temperature for storage is not higher than 30 degrees.
It is important that the drug is not available to children. If they find him, they will want to try. Taking the drug in a large dose can provoke an overdose, which is manifested by symptoms such as pain and heaviness in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
An unopened medicine vial is valid for 3 years from the date of manufacture. An opened bottle has a much shorter shelf life. It is only 6 months old.
Drug Reviews
About Flavamed Fort, reviews leave, in principle, positive. Many people are happy with the result of the treatment. The solution, they said, well dilutes viscous sputum, facilitates coughing. Thanks to the raspberry flavor, children do not give up medicine, are not capricious when taking it.
Negative reviews are mainly written by those people to whom this drug did not fit. These individuals complain of side effects.
Solution analogs
If you urgently need an expectorant, and the Flavamed forte solution (syrup) (we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the instructions before use) is not available, then you should consider choosing an analogue:
- "Ambroxol". Contains the same active substance. The drug is available in the form of a solution for oral administration and inhalation, tablets, syrup.
- Ambrobene. Contains Ambroxol. Available in various dosage forms - in the form of a solution for oral administration and inhalation, syrup, tablets.
- Ambrohexal. The active substance in the drug is ambroxol. A drug is produced in the form of syrup, tablets.
- Halixol. A medicine related to the pharmacotherapeutic group of expectorant mucolytic agents. Contains Ambroxol. Sold in the form of tablets and syrup.
You can also pay attention to other drugs from the Flavamed line. All of them are united by common indications - diseases in which sputum poorly leaves. Here is a list of these tools:
- Flavamed Max Effervescent Tablets. A solution is prepared from them, which is characterized by the aroma of cherries. Children under 12 years old should not drink this medicine.
- Flavamed tablets. This is the usual dosage form. The tablets do not dissolve. They are simply washed down with water without chewing. For children under 6 years of age, this drug is contraindicated.
- Flavamed solution. It can be drunk at any age. This drug from the one in question differs in the content of the active substance. In 5 ml of Flavamed Forte - 30 mg of Ambroxol hydrochloride. In 5 ml of Flavamed solution contains 15 mg of active substance.
Instructions for use of the syrup "Flavamed forte" (or rather, a solution) contains all the necessary information for sick people. It must be read before treatment, so that in the future not to harm your health with incorrect doses and inappropriate use of the drug.