Very often, doctors prescribe such drugs to the child that, after reading the instructions, you immediately wonder if he will harm the undeveloped body? But there are such states that an urgent introduction of a strong remedy is indispensable. One of these is Mexidol. But why is it used, what can it help with and is it possible to give Mexidol to a child?
Mexidol: what is this medicine?
This drug is an inhibitor responsible for free radical processes, an antioxidant that prevents lipid peroxidation of cell membranes, but it also has the most pronounced antihypoxic effect.
It is effective in various hypoxic conditions if the tissues are not adequately supplied with oxygen or it is simply poorly absorbed by them. In addition, this drug significantly increases the body's resistance to oxygen-dependent diseases, such as shock, circulatory disorders in the brain tissue and others. The tool improves memory, reduces the toxic effects of alcohol and other substances. In order to accurately determine whether a child is allowed to take Mexidol, you need to know when it is used.
Mexidol: indications for use
As stated in the instructions, "Mexidol" should be given if the patient:
- acute cerebrovascular accident and cerebral arteriosclerosis;
- vegetovascular dystonia;
- cognitive problems associated with poor memory, impaired speech, attention, intelligence, and other symptoms that provoke the development of atherosclerosis;
- in addition, the drug can relieve withdrawal symptoms in adults, which is associated with excessive use of alcoholic beverages and drugs;
- with intoxication with drugs intended for the treatment of mental abnormalities;
- anxiety in neurosis.
In addition, Mexidol is used in children for surgical interventions, if the patient has an acute purulent-inflammatory process of the peritoneum - this happens with necrotic pancreatitis and peritonitis. In this case, the drug is added to the complex of therapeutic methods of therapy.
The composition and form of the drug
This drug is produced in the form of coated tablets in a blister pack of 10 pieces or in banks of 90 each.
The main active ingredient is ethylmethylhydroxypyridine succinate (2-ethyl-6-methyl-3-hydroxypyridine succinate). Also in tablets there are other components:
- Magnesium stearate.
- Sodium carmellose.
- Lactose Monohydrate.
- The shell consists of talc, macrogol, polyvinyl alcohol and titanium dioxide.
The drug is available in the form of a solution for injection in ampoules. It is a clear liquid of 2 ml in an ampoule and blister of 5 pieces. The active substance is the same, but additional components: sodium metabisulfite and injection water.
Mexidol for children: indications for use
If you read the instructions carefully, you can find the point where it says that the drug is allowed to be used in such conditions:
- purulent neuroinfection;
- with traumatic brain injuries;
- and also used in emergency care for children with traumatic brain injury - once 100 mg.
But it is worth remembering that “Mexidol” should be prescribed to children by the doctor in each individual case, after the health risk and benefit are compared.
Recent research
To date, the child has not been officially allowed to widely use Mexidol, but studies have already been conducted that have proved that it showed good results in complex treatment in pediatric practice.
Known research in the direction of neonatology in the perinatal period. It is very important to treat newborns with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic damage to the central nervous system, who were born with intrauterine growth retardation syndrome. In recent years, such babies have been treated with drugs that improve brain metabolism, prevent cerebral pathology and significantly enhance antioxidant protection.
Studies were conducted that showed that children with intrauterine growth retardation syndrome used the antioxidant Mexidol as a treatment, because it acts as a membrane stabilizer, therefore it perfectly restores the structure of the membranes of nerve cells, provides transport for neurotransmitters and improves the properties of nerve cells.
" Mexidol" to the premature baby was administered intravenously for 10 days at 0.1-0.2 mg per kg of body weight, previously diluted in a solution of 10% glucose. After such an introduction, undesirable manifestations were not detected.
Studies have also shown that, due to the fact that “Mexidol” was given to the child, his condition improved very quickly: when compared with traditional therapy, on average 10-15% is better and faster. This is explained by the fact that the drug corrects hypoxia, because it has an antihypoxic and antioxidant effect on body cells. As a result, oxygen starvation is quickly eliminated.
So far, there has not been official permission for such use of Mexidol, but an application has been submitted to the Ministry.
Mexidol for children (the instruction lists the indications) is also used in the treatment of other serious pathologies.
Mexidol: treatment of traumatic brain injury in children
For the first time, children began to use the drug in traumatology and neurology. At first, they began to use it to provide first aid to a child with a head injury, when every minute was counted and everything needed to be done to save the life of a small patient.
As practice has shown, for those children who immediately began to receive “Mexidol” intravenously, it became much easier for them, they recovered faster, and the number of deaths was significantly reduced. After such injuries, the majority of children often have long-term consequences, which manifest themselves in the form of a decrease in cognitive abilities, aggressiveness, inactivity in the social environment, and in some cases, complete disability. But if “Mexidol” was introduced to children, doctors' reviews confirm this, then the risk of developing such conditions was significantly reduced.
In such conditions, the drug begins to be administered in the first hours after the injury in the form of infusions, after which they switch to intramuscular injections, and oral therapy ends with the drug. In this case, Mexidol for children - the dosage and course of therapy - is selected individually depending on the age of the patient, body weight and the complexity of the injury.
Mexidol for children in the treatment of hypoxic perinatal encephalopathy
This drug for infants up to a year is prescribed for perinatal lesions, which are complicated by encephalopathy, when brain function is significantly reduced due to metabolic disorders in its tissues. But the term “perinatal” indicates that the pathology happened to the child in the womb, starting from the 22nd week of pregnancy. This term means that the brain has not received the required amount of oxygen. There can be many reasons for this.
If such a pathology is detected during pregnancy, the doctor must prescribe the appropriate therapy to the future mother. But, unfortunately, such treatment does not always help, and the baby is born with signs of oxygen starvation.
If you do not start timely treatment of this pathology, then the consequences in each individual case can manifest themselves in different ways, it all depends on how damaged the baby’s brain is - it can be a slight developmental delay or a serious violation that results in disability.
Therefore, in this case, Mexidol can be given to children immediately after birth. Comprehensive treatment is selected, which also includes physiotherapeutic procedures, physiotherapy exercises, massage and reflexology.
As studies have shown in those cases when Mexidol was used during therapy, recovery went faster, because it accelerates recovery processes, makes it possible to achieve better results in the rehabilitation of children with the consequences of encephalopathy.
"Mexidol" (injections) for children up to a year are prescribed by the attending doctor depending on body weight, the course of therapy and the duration of use are selected individually.
- Important: officially, this drug is not allowed for children to use , but experienced specialists take such responsibility to save the child’s life, and, as practice has shown, it gives good results.
How to take Mexidol?
Unambiguously answer the question, “Mexidol” is possible for children, no one will dare, because the instruction says that it is not recommended for use in the treatment of children and adolescents, but, as practice shows, its use helps with serious pathologies not only survive, but also quickly recover without consequences.
But for adults, the instruction recommends taking the drug according to this scheme:
- Tablets - 1-2 pieces each - this is the initial dose, but it gradually increases until the desired result is achieved, but it is worth remembering that the daily dosage should not be more than 800 mg (6 tablets). If you need to stop the withdrawal syndrome that accompanies alcoholism, then the drug is taken for 5-7 days, and its use is stopped, gradually reducing the dosage for 2-3 days.
- The solution with the infusion method of administration is diluted in an isotonic composition of sodium chloride. It needs to be injected very slowly over a period of 5-7 minutes, and for a drip, a dropper is set at 40-60 drops per minute. But you should make sure that the daily dose does not exceed 1200 mg.
If the patient has an acute circulatory disturbance in the brain, then the treatment is carried out according to this scheme: the first two weeks, 200-500 mg two to four times a day, the drug is administered intravenously, and then another two weeks, up to three times a day, 200- 250 mg, but administered intramuscularly. Such a scheme, many doctors consider one of the most effective and efficient. But taking into account the general condition of the patient and the presence of concomitant pathologies, the dosage can be adjusted.
Contraindications and side effects
No matter how good the drug “Mexidol” may be, but it also has contraindications and undesirable manifestations, and before using it, you need to know about them, and they are prescribed in the instructions for the drug.
- The drug is contraindicated in patients with acute forms of impaired liver and kidney function.
- With special sensitivity to the components of the drug.
- Also, Mexidol is not recommended for use in the treatment of pregnant and breast-feeding women.
But the undesirable manifestations include dry mouth, nausea and allergic manifestations, but this is all individual.
Mexidol for children: reviews
About each drug, you can always find both positive reviews and negative ones. But as for this drug, even in pediatric practice, the opinion about it is pretty good. According to experts, Mexidol is used in pediatric therapy; children with traumatic brain injury are often treated with this medicine.
In those cases where there was no delay, and immediately after the injury, the doctor decided to use this drug, the child began to feel much better. Parents who watched the recovery of their child, say that the baby was recovering in front of his eyes, every day he felt better, although, according to doctors, with such an injury, you do not have to wait for an early recovery. There is no official use of this drug as a means to treat children, but in some cases, by the decision of the doctor and agreement with the parents, it is used, and not in vain.
Conclusion
If to summarize the above, then to answer the question, “Mexidol” (tablets) for children can be used or not, no one will succeed. After all, there was no official permission for the treatment of children, but, as practice has shown, in fact, the drug gives a good effect in the treatment of complex pathologies. There are such cases, for example, as a serious traumatic brain injury, when the patient may simply not survive without such a drug, and the doctor has to make a serious decision in his life and do everything possible to save the little patient.
It would be great if the studies were carried out qualitatively, and such a miraculous drug was nevertheless allowed for the treatment of complex pathologies in children that could result in disability. But it all depends only on scientists and the Ministry of Health, only they can give permission for the official use of any drug.
If the doctor, at his own risk, decided to use this drug to treat the child, then with an unfavorable outcome, all responsibility for the health and life of the baby will fall on his shoulders. Not all doctors are ready for this, so they try to replace the drug with another drug.
In any case, such a serious decision can only be made by a qualified specialist. The official instructions do not recommend the use of the drug "Mexidol" for children due to poor knowledge of its effects on the body. Therefore, the independent appointment of this medicine to the child by parents is strictly unacceptable. Any appointment should be done only by a doctor