Pulmicort for inhalation is a hormonal drug that is made in liquid form and is used to relieve bronchospasm and treat lung diseases. This medicine only affects the respiratory system, is very effective and affordable, therefore it is used by many patients. It can only be prescribed by a doctor, but it can be used at home. You can find Pulmicort's instructions for inhalation in this article. Also in it you will find patient reviews and possible side effects.
Pulmicort. Composition and pharmacokinetics of the drug
Pulmicort is made on the basis of the steroid hormone - budosenide. It is under this name that this drug is known all over the world. This hormone has an extensive effect on the human body. It has an immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory effect. It is produced in small quantities in the human body, while in pharmacy they have learned to synthesize and apply it to treat a number of diseases.
The pharmacological effect of the drug is the penetration of cells into the cytoplasm and a directed change in the physiological processes occurring in them. Pulmicort is used to treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract and bronchial asthma. It affects tissues by stimulating andrenoreceptors in cells. This helps to improve bronchial patency. The drug reduces the activity of the glands responsible for the production of mucus and sputum in the bronchi, resulting in reduced swelling and improves the general condition of the pulmonary system.
Pulmicort is also used for inhalation for children. The dosage of the drug in this case depends on the age and weight of the patient. Budosenide blocks the synthesis of bronchoconstrictor substances, and the low lipophilicity of the hormone helps to penetrate the lungs and reduce the synthesis of nitric oxide. The composition of the drug includes several substances:
- 0.25 mg micronized budosenide;
- sodium citrate;
- sodium chloride;
- polysorbate 80 ;
- sodium salt;
- purified water.
The main component here, of course, is budosenide, which is split into microns. The remaining substances play the role of auxiliary components so that the medicine has a convenient shape. Pulmicort is available in the form of tablets and nebul with a solution for inhalation. The latter have more positive reviews, as they act locally without affecting other human organs.
Indications
In what cases is this drug prescribed? The Pulmicort instructions for inhalation for adults and children indicate that for the use of this drug one of several diseases must be ill:
- Bronchial asthma. Pulmicort helps relieve spasm of the bronchi and get rid of oxygen deficiency. It can be used both as first aid and long courses prescribed by a doctor.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a structural change in the lung that is characterized by a loss of tissue elasticity and a decrease in the effective lung area.
Despite the fact that the Pulmicort instructions for inhalation indicate only these two diseases, in practice, doctors prescribe this drug for some other diseases:
- Obstructive bronchitis, which is expressed by respiratory failure. It often becomes difficult for patients to breathe, so they are prescribed Pulmicort for faster and more effective treatment.
- Pneumonia is a very serious disease that necessarily requires the supervision of a doctor. In addition to other appointments, specialists often prescribe inhalations with Pulmicort to support the body.
Dosage and treatment regimen
The dose of Pulmicort should be determined only by the doctor based on the patient’s age, type of illness and complaints. Self-administration of a hormonal drug can lead to serious side effects. For children, according to the instructions of Pulmicort for inhalation, a dosage of 0.25-0.5 mg / day allows you to effectively and quickly cure the patient. This is one nebula at 0.25 or 0.5 mg / ml. The drug is divided into two parts, between which 12 hours should pass. So, for example, the first inhalation can be done at 9 in the morning, and the second at 9 in the evening. This method provides the greatest effectiveness of the active substance. For adults, it is recommended to start using the drug with a dosage of 1-2 mg / day.
If the medicine is used as maintenance therapy for chronic diseases, the dosage can be reduced to 0.5-1 mg / day. In the case of exacerbations in the early days of the disease, according to the Pulmicort instructions for inhalation, the dosage can be increased. But the prolonged use of high doses of the hormonal drug has many negative consequences, so it is best to follow the recommendations of doctors. The duration of taking Pulmicort 0.25 for inhalation for children according to the instructions is 7-14 days. In most cases, the drug has a positive effect on the body on the third day of admission.
How to breed Pulmicort for inhalation?
The instructions say that Pulmicort should be diluted with a solution of sodium chloride. Saline solution can be purchased at any pharmacy, it is inexpensive and is usually intended for intravenous droppers. In fact, it is purified water with salt, which increases the volume of the finished medicine and contributes to a more efficient delivery of the active substance to the lungs. In no case should you use Pulmicort without saline, as this can adversely affect the effectiveness of the treatment. Typically, a solution of sodium chloride is added to obtain a solution of 2 ml.
Pulmicort for inhalation: instructions
To use Pulmicort, experts recommend using a nebulizer. This is a type of compression inhaler that sprays drugs by splitting them into very small particles. They can enter the farthest corners of the lungs: the lower respiratory tract. That is why a nebulizer is indispensable for bronchitis, pneumonia or COPD. Ultrasonic and steam inhalers are not listed in the Pulmicort instructions, since they use a different principle for splitting the medicine. A compression inhaler kit usually has a mask and mouthpiece in different sizes: for adults and children.
To carry out inhalation using Pulmicort, you must perform the following steps:
- Rinse and dry the container. This must be done in order to remove the remnants of other drugs and water. Only certain substances should enter the lungs, and tap water clearly does not apply to them.
- Pour the desired dosage of Pulmicort with a syringe.
- Pour the drug into the container and dilute it with 9% sodium chloride to the “2 ml” mark. The resulting mixture must be allowed to breathe in until the medicine is completely evaporated.
As you can see, there is nothing complicated in using Pulmicort for inhalation. The dosage of the drug allows you to vary the intensity of treatment depending on the condition of the patient. The diluted suspension must be used within 30 minutes after its preparation, and the nebula themselves must be stored in a place protected from sunlight.
Pulmicort for children
Budosenide-based drug is contraindicated in infants younger than 6 months of age. In other children, it can be used on a temporary or permanent basis, but only after consulting a doctor. The pulmonary system of babies under 5 years old is only developing, so children of this age often suffer from bronchitis and other lung diseases. Any cold or a virus caught during a walk can lead to difficulty breathing and coughing. Due to its convenience, the nebulizer can be used even in the smallest children. And Pulmicort in the form of inhalation allows you to quickly and effectively cure a cough.
The drug also shows excellent results in the treatment of laryngitis and tracheitis in babies. The dosage for children in the Pulmicort inhalation instructions is selected depending on the severity of the condition and age of the child. Usually, 1-2 ml of the drug is required, which is divided into two inhalations. The most effective procedure before bedtime. It is important to know that inhalation with Pulmikort is best done an hour or two after a meal in order to achieve the greatest effect.
Contraindications
Like any other medicine, Pulmicort has a number of contraindications, in which its use is better limited:
- Individual intolerance to the drug.
- Liver disease.
- Damage to the respiratory system with fungal infections.
- Pulmonary tuberculosis in acute form.
- Cataract and glaucoma.
- Renal failure.
- Diabetes mellitus with complications.
- Peptic ulcer in the acute stage.
With these individual characteristics, specialists try to avoid the appointment of Pulmicort. In other cases, the medicine can be used if there is an appropriate indication. In no case can you independently prescribe a drug for yourself, since its uncontrolled use can cause a number of side effects:
- Quite often, candidiasis of the oral cavity, irritation of the mucosa and cough, dry mouth. Similar symptoms are observed in less than 10% of patients. To prevent candidiasis, it is recommended that each time after inhalation, treat with a solution of soda a container for inhalation and a mouthpiece with a solution of soda and rinse your mouth and face with water.
- Angioneurotic edema. Very rare: less than 1 percent of patients.
- Headache (less than 1%).
- Skin rashes: dermatitis, urticaria.
- Bronchospasm (very rare).
- From the central nervous system, excitability, depression, insomnia are possible.
- In some cases, symptoms may occur that are caused by exposure to the hormone that is part of the drug. For example, adrenal hypofunction.
The Pulmicort instructions for inhalation show the dosage for children explicitly. But the use during pregnancy raises questions. Although inhalations with the drug did not cause any abnormalities in the fetus during the tests, the available data are not enough to draw definitive conclusions. If a pregnant woman has bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, then you need to use the minimum dose of the drug to stop the acute condition.
Analogs
Pulmicort for inhalation is sold in many pharmacies, but has a rather high price. For one blister containing five nebul, you will have to pay from 270 to 350 rubles, depending on the dosage. A 0.5 mg / ml preparation is slightly more expensive than a drug with an active substance content of 0.25 mg / ml. The whole package, consisting of 4 blisters and 20 nebul, will cost from 1320 to 1470 rubles. Since treatment, especially chronic diseases, requires a large amount of this drug, patients often ask their doctors about cheaper analogues of Pulmicort. They are, but only a specialist can appoint them. It is not recommended to make a decision on your own, since the drugs, although they have the same active substance, vary in composition and dosage. So, they have different effects on the body.
What are the most popular analogues of Pulmicort?
- "Tafen Nasal";
- Beklazon;
- Benacort
- Alzedin.
Reviews
On the Internet you can find many positive reviews about Pulmicort for inhalation for children. In the dosage, the instructions indicate a value from 0.25 to 0.5 mg / day. The scope of the substance is also not very wide. Pulmicort is used only for two to three diseases. But all these ailments are quite serious, and patients say that due to Pulmikort they got rid of suffocation and cough that accompany lung diseases. This medicine is an indispensable therapy for patients with bronchial asthma and COPD, it significantly improves the quality of life of patients. Therefore, all that patients write on the Internet are words of gratitude for such an effective drug. After all, more recently, hormonal drugs of this type could only be found in the form of tablets, which had many side effects and had an effect on the whole body.
Pulmicort, on the other hand, affects only the respiratory system, so its side effects are rare and almost not associated with serious disorders. He also has few contraindications. Patients older than 6 months can take the medicine, according to the instructions. Reviews about Pulmicort for inhalations indicate that the drug effectively eliminates swelling and inflammation of the respiratory system: bronchi, trachea and removes shortness of breath and a “barking cough”. True, in some cases, Pulmicort alone cannot be avoided: you have to connect antibiotics and immunomodulators if the child or adult has more bronchitis or another complicated disease. Improper treatment and use of drugs can lead to sad consequences, so experts recommend not delaying a visit to the doctor.
Doctors advice
The drug "Pulmicort" has a number of special instructions that you should pay attention to before you start taking.
- Avoid co-administration of the drug budosenidoa with ketoconazole, itraconazole. If, however, the intake of both drugs is necessary, then they should be placed in time by the maximum number of hours.
- If the patient is transferred from systemic corticosteroids to Pulmicort for inhalation, special attention should be paid to the adrenal glands. In this case, violations of the pituitary-adrenal function can be expected. Therefore, the transition is carried out gradually, slowly reducing the concentration of one drug and increasing the dose of another.
- When canceling the reception for children "Pulmicort" for inhalation of 0.5 in the instructions, the dosage is advised to be reduced gradually. First you need to reduce the dose to 0.25 mg / day, and only then remove the inhalation completely. The fact is that budosenide is a hormonal drug, so you can’t cancel it abruptly in any case.
We reviewed the Pulmicort preparation. For inhalations for children, he collects the most positive reviews. It can and should be used for lung diseases, but, first of all, you need to see a doctor.