"Smecta" refers to the pharmacological group of antidiarrheal drugs with an absorbent therapeutic effect. The drug is used for diarrhea of various origins.
Smecta is made in the form of a powder for the preparation of a suspension that is taken orally. The powder is a white shade, has a vanilla flavor. The main active component of the drug is dioctahedral smectite, its concentration in one sachet is 3 grams. In addition, the structure of the medication includes additional substances, which include:
- dextrose monohydrate;
- vanillin;
- saccharin sodium.
A total of 10 or 30 paper bags of medicine. At what age can Smecta be given to a child? The drug is prescribed for infants from 4 weeks of age.
Healing properties
The main active ingredient of the powder has a natural etiology. Smectite dioctahedral has certain biological effects in the intestine, which include:
- Enveloping action. With the help of high fluidity, the active component “envelops” the intestinal mucosa, due to which a thin film forms, which protects it.
- Normalization of the mucus barrier on the surface of the mucous cavity, due to this, its condition improves, and it is better protected from harmful factors.
- Selective binding of various toxins on the mucous membrane.
With the help of such pharmacological effects, the powder in the intestine has an antidiarrheal effect and absorbs toxins. In therapeutic concentrations, Smecta does not affect intestinal motility. After using the suspension, the orally active substance of the drug is not absorbed into the bloodstream and is excreted from the intestine in an unchanged form. Therefore, the drug can be given to children, although not all parents know at what age Smecta can be given to infants (from a month).
When to appoint "Smecta"
It is necessary to take a suspension in the following situations:
- Symptomatic treatment of acute diarrhea in children in combination with measures to restore the level of fluid and ions of mineral salts in the body in babies up to 1 year old.
- Symptomatic therapy of chronic diarrhea in children and adults.
- Gastroduodenitis (inflammation of the pyloric stomach and duodenum).
- Vomiting
- Gastritis (inflammatory or inflammatory-dystrophic changes in the gastric mucosa; a long-lasting disease characterized by dystrophic-inflammatory changes, proceeds with a violation of regeneration, as well as with atrophy of epithelial cells and the replacement of normal glands with fibrous tissue).
- Flatulence (a pathological condition of the body that occurs due to excessive gas formation and accumulation of gases in the gastrointestinal tract).
In addition, the use of Smecta is indicated to eliminate pain in the abdomen, the origin of which is associated with various diseases of the stomach and intestines.
Contraindications
The use of Smecta suspension is prohibited in several cases, which include:
- Individual intolerance to any of the components.
- Lactase deficiency (violation of lactose cleavage due to insufficiency of the lactase enzyme of the small intestine mucosa, accompanied by clinical symptoms).
- Lactose intolerance (inability to absorb lactose, which is the main sugar found in milk and dairy products).
- Glucose-galactose malabsorption (a rare metabolic disease in which the cells lining the intestine are not able to absorb two specific sugars, such as glucose and galactose).
- Fructose intolerance (a hereditary disease caused by a lack of fructose-phosphataldolase, which leads to increased accumulation of fructose-1-phosphate in the liver, intestines, kidneys).
- Bowel obstruction of any origin.
Before starting the use of the drug, it is important to make sure that there are no contraindications.
How to take the drug
The powder is intended for the preparation of a suspension that is taken orally. To do this, the contents of the sachet should be dissolved in a small amount of water until a homogeneous mass is obtained immediately before use. From what age to give "Smectu" to the child, you already know.
With gastroduodenitis, the drug is used, as a rule, after a meal. For newborns, the dissolution of the powder in a 50 ml water bottle is allowed, the medicine should be given to the baby within one day.
At what age do they give Smecta to children? Infants can use it from 4 weeks. Dosing depends on how old the child is, and medical indications:
- Elimination of acute diarrhea in infants up to 1 year old - 2 sachets per day for three days, then 1 sachet per day for several days.
- The elimination of acute diarrhea in children from 1 year old is 4 sachets per day, then after three days 2 sachets per day, the duration of therapy is several days.
- Therapy of acute diarrhea in adults - 2 sachets three times a day, with a further dose reduction of 1 sachet 3 times a day.
The recommended duration of treatment varies from 3 to 7 days. According to other indications, the medication is used in children under one year of 1 sachet per day, from one year - 2 sachets, for adults - 3 sachets. If necessary, the concentration and duration of drug therapy can be prescribed by a doctor individually.
At what age do they take Smecta? Suspension for newborns is often considered the main drug, since most stomach problems appear precisely in the first days of a baby's life.
In the annotation there are no recommendations on how to give a suspension to an infant under the age of 4 weeks, so many young mothers naturally raise the question: is it possible for Smecta to be born to newborns and will it harm?
Doctors allow mothers to give the drug to the baby, but only under medical supervision. The drug is prescribed for nutritional problems, which are accompanied by flatulence and pain in the stomach, the appearance of diarrhea and vomiting. In addition, children "Smectu" (at what age, it is already known) can be given with jaundice. Dosage is selected by a medical specialist.
When vomiting
When vomiting, children should be given one sachet per day. To eliminate an unpleasant symptom, an adult patient needs to take Smecta three times a day. With constipation, children reduce the concentration of the drug.
How long does Smecta begin to act?
The drug is effective from the first dose. With diarrhea, the therapeutic effect is manifested after six to twelve hours, with poisoning - after two to three hours, with esophagitis - within thirty minutes.
To consolidate the therapeutic effect, therapy must be continued for at least three days.
Adverse reactions
As a rule, Smecta is well tolerated. In rare situations, when using the drug, constipation is likely to occur, the severity of which can be reduced by adjusting the dose.
The occurrence of allergic reactions in the form of rashes on the skin, itching, nettle rash, and soft tissue edema was noted somewhat less frequently.
If such negative effects occur, the use of the medication should be stopped and consult a doctor who will determine the possibility of further therapy with Smecta.
Recommendations
Before suspension therapy, it is important to carefully read the instructions for use. There are several features regarding the use of the medicine that you need to pay attention to:
- The drug is used with caution in people with chronic constipation.
- With diarrhea with the use of a suspension, adult patients are prescribed rehydration procedures as necessary.
- For small children, a set of rehydration measures when using the medicine is prescribed individually, depending on the age of the baby.
- The time interval between the use of Smecta and other drugs should be at least two hours.
- The drug is not prohibited for pregnant women and for breastfeeding for medical reasons. In this case, adjustment of the drug concentration is not required.
- There is no information about the effect of Smecta on the speed of psychomotor reactions and attention.
In pharmacies, the powder for the preparation of the suspension is dispensed without a prescription from a specialist. The appearance of questions regarding the use of the medicine is considered the basis for consultation with the doctor.
With a strong excess of the pharmacological concentration of the drug, constipation is possible. In this situation, symptomatic treatment is carried out, which is aimed at softening the feces.
Pregnancy and lactation
The drug can be used by pregnant women. According to the annotation to the drug, in an interesting position, there is no need to adjust the dosage regimen and dose.
Pregnant women use the medication to eliminate heartburn, as well as stabilize digestion, prevent intestinal candidiasis while reducing immunity and prevent toxicosis.
It is scientifically proven that the active substance of the drug does not adversely affect prenatal development and is completely harmless to the fetus.
If necessary, if the doctor does not give other prescriptions, you can use Smecta one sachet three times a day. Five days are usually enough to reduce the acidity of gastric juice and stabilize the production of digestive enzymes. Is it possible for a woman to take Smecta powder during lactation? The medication is approved for use with breastfeeding and can be used in standard dosages.
The use of Smecta with alcohol
The active substance of the drug reduces the rate of absorption of alcohol. To reduce intoxication before the feast, you need to use two or three packets of Smecta.
To prevent a hangover, the medicine is taken after drinking strong drinks.
If after using the suspension for thirty minutes there has been vomiting, the intake of Smecta is repeated in a double dosage. In case of alcohol poisoning, you must provoke vomiting, and then use three Smecta sachets.
Drug Substitutes
Similar in action to Smecta are medicines:
- Neosmectin.
- "Diosmectite."
- Benta.
- Activated carbon.
- Enterosgel.
- Polysorb.
- Enterol.
- Loperamide.
- Imodium.
Before replacing Smecta with another antidiarrheal medicine, you should consult your doctor.
Smecta or activated carbon?
These are drugs that have sorption properties. But Smecta, in comparison with activated carbon, has many positive nuances. For example, this medication is different in that, removing toxic substances, it does not take important trace elements from the body.
Activated carbon, along with pathogens, also removes beneficial bacteria, without which the gastrointestinal tract as a result cannot function correctly. The active substance "Smecta" helps to create the most favorable conditions for the development of beneficial microflora in the body.
In addition, Smecta acts mildly, the medicine envelops the walls of the digestive canal, and also protects them from harmful effects, while activated carbon has a rigid structure and can additionally “hurt” them.
Storage conditions, price
The shelf life of Smecta is 3 years. It must be kept in a dry, inaccessible place for children at a temperature of no more than +25 degrees. The cost of the drug varies from 150 to 350 rubles.
Consumer Opinions
So, we examined at what age Smecta can be and what this remedy is. This is an original preparation that contains as an active substance a component of natural origin, diosmectite.
Most of the responses are reviews about Smecta for young patients, and in particular for newborns. Acting instantly and gently, the drug eliminates the unpleasant signs of poisoning, neutralizes heartburn, eliminates digestive problems of an infectious origin. Therefore, according to the reviews of many parents, in families where there are babies, Smecta must be in first-aid kits.
Positive reviews are due to the pleasant taste and ease of use of the drug for young children, as well as good tolerance, a minimum of contraindications and the ability to significantly reduce the duration of the disease and the monetary cost of treatment.
Smecta is an effective drug in eliminating gastroesophageal reflux in babies in the first four weeks of life, and is also recommended for use as a prophylaxis for preventing the occurrence of chronic diarrhea in cancer patients undergoing treatment.