In the article, we consider the instructions for use, reviews and analogues for the Libexin preparation.
When colds come, in our environment the number of coughing and sneezing people increases rapidly. It’s easier to catch a virus in such a situation. And if you can get rid of a runny nose and headache with the help of folk remedies, then with a cough it’s all more difficult. Attempts to eliminate such an unpleasant symptom through honey and milk often worsen the situation, and coughing becomes a problem that prevents people from leading a normal life.
What to do? Of course, be treated! But not with the help of grandmother's recipes, but with modern drugs. Why are modern products recommended? It's simple: such medicines are characterized by an extensive sphere of influence and are not addictive in the patient. These include the drug "Libexin".
These tablets are included in the clinical and pharmacological group of antitussive drugs. They are used for symptomatic therapy of severe cough in patients of different age groups and with various diseases of the respiratory organs. The drug is allowed for use in babies up to six months, and it can be prescribed with caution to pregnant women. It is dispensed without a prescription from pharmacies, however, it is still better to purchase the medicine after medical consultation, since coughing can indicate significant pathologies of the respiratory system.
Release form and composition
According to the instructions for use, Libexin is available in the form of almost white or white tablets, round in shape, with a dividing risk. The main active ingredient of the drug is prenoxdiazine, its content in one tablet is one hundred milligrams. In addition, it contains auxiliary substances, which include: corn starch, magnesium stearate, glycerin, povidone, lactose monohydrate and talc.
The medicine in tablets is packaged in ten pieces in a blister. In a cardboard bundle - one blister and instructions for use.
In accordance with the instructions for use, Libexin Muko syrup is a sweetish red liquid with a cherry smell. In one hundred milliliters of syrup, one hundred milligrams of carbocysteine and auxiliary components. The drug is sold in glass bottles of 200 and 125 milliliters. Included is a measuring spoon. One spoon contains five milliliters of syrup. This drug is mainly used in pediatrics.
Pharmacological effect
What else does the instructions for use with Libexin tell us? In tablets, the drug has an active substance that produces an antitussive peripheral effect due to a number of biological effects.
- A slight decrease in the activity of the functioning of the cough center in the medulla oblongata.
- The local anesthetic effect is a decrease in the receptor sensitivity of the mucosa of the bronchial membrane, which reduces their reaction to irritation and the formation of a cough impulse.
- Bronchodilating effect - bronchial expansion reduces the mechanical compression of the receptors of the bronchial mucous membrane, thereby reducing the formation of a cough impulse in them.
According to the instructions for use, Libexin tablets are close to codeine in severity of the therapeutic effect. But at the same time, they do not produce an explicit effect on the cerebral cortex and the structure of the central nervous system, and also do not cause addiction and dependence on the drug. In chronic bronchitis, the active substance of the drug has a small anti-inflammatory effect.
After using the tablets, the active substance is absorbed at high speed and almost completely into the blood from the lumen of the digestive tract, reaching a therapeutic concentration in half an hour. It is distributed evenly in all tissues of the human body. Prenoxidiazine is metabolized mainly in the liver with the formation of inactive decomposition products, excreted mainly with bile. The half-life (when half the dosage of the drug leaves the patient's body) for the active component of the tablets is two and a half hours.
In what cases is applied?
As the instructions for use for Libexin inform us, tablets are taken in a number of cases, characterized by the presence of severe cough, which include:
- severe unproductive cough in chronic or acute bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchi), acute viral respiratory pathology, including parainfluenza and influenza, pulmonary inflammation (pneumonia), emphysema (an increase in pulmonary airiness due to bronchial expansion accompanied by a clear dry cough) ;
- coughing at night, which is a consequence of congestion in the lung system with heart failure;
- preparation of the patient for invasive research techniques (bronchoscopy), accompanied by irritation of the cough receptors of the bronchial mucosa.
The use of tablets in such situations is part of the symptomatic treatment of cough, does not affect the source of its occurrence. So it is said in the instructions for use with Libexin tablets.
For children
For children, the medication is prescribed for laryngitis, whooping cough and other diseases that are accompanied by a strong cough. The drug alleviates the condition of the baby, allowing sputum to depart more easily (if any), as well as stopping a dry, painful cough. It must be remembered that Libexin works with a small amount of sputum and will not bring benefits with a large amount of sputum (it can even cause harm).
Contraindications
As indicated by the instructions for use with Libexin, tablets are forbidden to take in several physiological and pathological conditions of a person, which include:
- increased mucus production by glandular cells of the bronchial mucosa;
- excessive sensitivity of the body to the active component or excipients of the drug;
- the patient's condition after inhalation anesthesia, performed during surgical interventions;
- defects in the absorption and digestion of certain carbohydrates, that is, glucose-galactose malabsorption, lactase deficiency (a digestive enzyme that breaks down lactose), lactose intolerance from birth.
Before you start using tablets, you need to be sure that there are no contraindications to their use.
Dosage and administration
"Libexin" in tablets is taken by the patient, regardless of food. The therapeutic dosage is determined by the age of the patient:
- patients up to twelve years old - 3-4 times a day from 25 to 50 milligrams, the maximum amount per day - no more than two hundred milligrams;
- children after twelve years and adults - 3-4 times a day, one hundred milligrams; the dose, if necessary, can be increased to two hundred milligrams with the same ratio or three hundred three times a day; the largest amount is 900 milligrams; as stated in the instructions for use with Libexin for children.
When the patient is preparing for bronchoscopy, a dose of 0.9 to 3.8 milligrams per kilogram of weight is calculated, the drug is combined with atropine, the amount of which varies from half to one milligram. Tablets are taken an hour before the prescribed diagnostic procedure.
According to the instructions for use, Libexin syrup for children is used according to the following scheme:
- children 2–5 years old - 1 scoop 2 times a day, daily dose - 0.2 g;
- children 5 years and older - 1 scoop 3 times a day, daily dose - 0.3 g;
- syrup 5% Libexin Muko: children over 15 years old and adult patients - 1 measuring cup 3 times a day, daily dose 2.1 g.
Continuing therapy for more than 8 days without a doctor's prescription is not recommended.
Side effects
In accordance with the instructions for use and reviews of "Libexin" in tablets and syrup, after the start of administration, the following side effects can be observed:
- digestive system: dryness in the throat and in the mouth, a temporary decrease in the sensitivity of the mucous membrane of the tongue and oral cavity, pain in the stomach, nausea, a tendency to constipation;
- allergic reactions - itching and rash of the skin, the appearance of Quincke's angioedema (explicit swelling of the soft tissues and skin of the genital organs and face);
- nervous system: drowsiness and high fatigue.
A small hypnotic and sedative effect is noted after taking the medicine in a large dosage exceeding the average recommended.
special instructions
What else can you learn from the instructions for use with Libexin tablets?
There are a number of specific instructions regarding their use, namely:
- the use of the drug can cause obvious dyspepsia in patients with impaired lactose absorption and digestion;
- in childhood, the medication should be taken carefully;
- if it is used in large quantities, it has a sedative effect and reduces the speed of psychomotor reactions, as well as the concentration of a person.
In the pharmacy network, the drug can be purchased without a prescription. If in doubt or questions, consult your doctor.
Overdose
Subject to medical recommendations regarding the frequency of use and quantity, an overdose to the patient is not threatened. If he ignores all the advice and independently increases the daily dose or duration of the course, the consequences will inevitably occur. Prolonged and uncontrolled intake of the active substance of tablets accumulates it in the body. Alarms include dizziness, itchy skin, lethargy and nausea.
Careful reception
Although manufacturers claim that this drug for coughing can be safely given to children, it is necessary to do this very carefully and under the strict supervision of a pediatrician. A child’s body can even respond to a small overdose, and this will be unpredictable: from simple weakness to Quincke's edema. People mistakenly think that if an unpleasant sensation occurs, you can simply stop using the drug and do nothing, but this is not always the case. You can not ignore the signals of your body - it is better to consult a specialist in a timely manner.
Analogs
Currently, the only absolute analogue of Libexin is Prenoxdiazine. There are also similar medicines, but they contain other active substances, that is, they cannot be complete analogues. According to the mechanism of influence, Libexin Muko becomes identical, despite the fact that it has another active component - carbocysteine, and not prenoxdiazine. Available in the form of granules, capsules and syrup. It should be noted that the syrup is intended for both adults and children. It is very important. His indications for use are the same as Libexin tablets. They differ in that syrup can be given to children from the age of two, and tablets from only three years old. Still, liquid preparations are preferable for treating small patients, since the tablets are swallowed whole, and this can be difficult even for older children.
We will not consider in detail instructions for use with Libexin analogues.
Note to patient
The patient should be aware that when prescribing Libexin, he should remember these recommendations:
- Swallow the tablet whole; when it is chewed, the oral cavity is numb. This is not dangerous, but not too pleasant.
- "Libexin" can not be taken simultaneously with other drugs with an expectorant effect. If improvements do not occur after five days, you should consult a specialist.
- During treatment, it is necessary to ensure the use of a large amount of fluid.
- The drug affects the ability of a person to manage transport and complex mechanisms. During treatment, you must refuse to perform activities of an increased degree of danger and driving.
Reviews about the drug
On medical portals and forums there are conflicting responses about this drug. Some patients claim that it is ineffective or ineffective in general.
There is no single answer, this medicine is bad or good. He will be able to help someone, someone not. This is quite normal, because currently there is no such medicine that would help in all cases. It goes without saying that Libexin is not a panacea. However, its high effectiveness is confirmed with a dry obsessive cough.
Quite good effectiveness when used in pediatrics. But in some children under five years old, hives (allergies) appeared. It is important to note that if the condition worsens after 1-2 days of use, you should consult your doctor.
Thus, the drug acts against dry cough if there is no sputum. In other cases, it is better to use drugs that dilute sputum and remove it from the body.
We reviewed the drug "Libexin" instructions for use and reviews.