Unfortunately, bronchial asthma is a fairly common ailment that men, women and even children face. Naturally, medicine today offers a lot of medicines that can eliminate seizures. It is to this group that the Montelar drug belongs. Instructions for use, prices and reviews, contraindications and pharmacological properties - these are the moments that interest patients who have been prescribed this drug.
Release form and composition description
Montelar is available in pink chewable tablets. They are most often prescribed to children. They have an oval or round shape, a pleasant cherry smell and taste. Tablets with a shell for adults have an oblong shape and a beige shade.
The main active component of the drug is montelukast in the form of montelukast sodium. One tablet may contain 10.5 or 4 mg of this powder. In addition, excipients are present in the composition.
For example, chewable tablets contain mannitol, hyprolose, croscarmellose sodium, aspartame, magnesium stearate, red iron oxide, cherry flavoring and flavoring. In the composition of tablets for adults, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, hyprolose, croscarmellose sodium, as well as macrogol 400, titanium dioxide, yellow and red iron oxide as dyes are present as auxiliary substances.
The main pharmacological properties
This drug is an antagonist of leukotriene receptors. It selectively inhibits the receptors of certain cysteine leukotrienes (in particular, LTC4, LTE4, LTD4) of the epithelial tissues of the respiratory tract. Thanks to this effect, spasm of the bronchi can be prevented. It often occurs when inhaled cysteine leukotriene.
As a rule, 5 mg of the active substance is enough to stop a bronchospasm. Their dilation occurs two hours after taking the medicine. The effect may be more pronounced if therapy with beta2-adrenergic agonists is administered simultaneously.
After administration, the drug is rapidly and almost completely absorbed by the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. The highest concentration in the blood is observed after 2-3 hours. The bioavailability of the drug ranges from 64 to 73%. The degree of binding to plasma proteins is 99%.
Drug metabolism occurs in the liver. Cumulation of the drug in the body (provided that the dose is correctly selected) does not occur. The half-life is 5 hours. 86% of active substances and their metabolites are excreted together with feces.
This drug enhances the effect of bronchial dilators, as well as hormonal drugs that are used for inhalation. Most often, the treatment of bronchial asthma involves the use of these drugs in combination.
Indications for use
In what cases is it advisable to take the drug "Montelar"? Instructions for use contain data on the main indications for therapy:
- long-term therapy and prevention of asthma (tablets are used to prevent the development of night and day attacks);
- treatment of bronchial asthma in cases where the patient has an increased sensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid;
- prevention of bronchospasm, which occurs against a background of physical exertion;
- elimination of symptoms of allergic rhinitis (year-round and seasonal);
- in some forms of bronchial asthma, this drug can be used as an alternative to inhaled corticosteroids.
The drug "Montelar": instructions for use
Immediately it is worth saying that the doctor determines the dose, regimen and duration of therapy individually. As a rule, adult patients are recommended to take 10 mg of the active substance once a day. Children from 2 to 6 years old take 4 mg per day. A single dose for students aged 6 to 15 years is 5 mg. The drug is most often prescribed during an exacerbation of the disease. The course of therapy can include bronchodilator drugs, as well as inhalation using glucocorticosteroids.
Are there any contraindications to therapy?
Can all patients use Montelar? Instructions for use indicate that the medicine has some contraindications, which you should familiarize yourself with:
- First you need to say that this tool is not prescribed for patients with hypersensitivity to any of the components.
- Also, the drug has some age restrictions. It can be taken only by children over 15 years old. Chewable tablets are prescribed for children from six (with a dose of 5 mg) and from two years (with a dose of 4 mg). For children under the age of two, the drug is contraindicated.
- Chewable tablets are not prescribed for patients with phenylketonuria.
- Contraindications also include hereditary diseases such as lactase deficiency, galactose intolerance and glucose-galactose malabsorption.
- Pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding are relative contraindications - taking the medicine in this case is possible, but only under the close supervision of a doctor.
Possible complications and side effects
Can there be any complications while taking the Montelar drug? Patient reviews and statistical studies show that adverse reactions are rare. On the other hand, the likelihood of their development cannot be ruled out, so you should read the list of the most common violations:
- The drug can affect the psyche, causing aggressive and hostile behavior, depression, anxiety, irritability, tremors, hallucinations, sleep disturbances, somnambulism, disorientation.
- On the part of the nervous system, dizziness, headaches, parasthesia can occur, extremely rarely patients develop convulsions.
- The medicine can negatively affect the digestive system, which causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increased activity of liver enzymes (very rarely it leads to hepatitis), as well as damage to the pancreas.
- In some patients, while taking it, the tendency to infections of the respiratory tract increases, and cases of nosebleeds become more frequent.
- With increased sensitivity, allergic reactions can develop, which are accompanied by a skin rash, hives, itching, burning, and very rarely - angioedema and anaphylactic shock.
- Other side effects include arthralgia, myalgia, asthenia, erythema nodosum, a tendency to hematomas.
The drug "Montelar": analogues
A medication prescribed by a doctor is not always suitable for patients. What can be done in such cases? Is it possible to replace the Montelar drug with something? Analogues of this drug exist. The modern pharmacological market offers a lot of substitutes, but only the attending physician can choose a really good, effective and safe option.
For example, quite often, doctors offer the medicine "Singular." Montelard can also be replaced by such means as Moncasta, Singulex and Singlon. Also included in the list of analogues are Montelukas, Ectalust and Monax.
How much is the drug?
Today, many people are interested in questions about what the Montelar drug is. Instructions, reviews, indications and contraindications are, without a doubt, very important points. But for many patients, the price of a particular medicine is no less significant.
It’s worth saying right away that the cost will depend on many factors, including the city of residence, the pharmacy you choose, the dosage of the drug, etc. A pack of 14 tablets with a dose of 10 mg of the active substance costs 850-900 rubles on average. A pack of 28 tablets costs about 1,500 rubles.
Chemist tablets are also sold in pharmacies, which are often prescribed for children suffering from asthma. A pack of 14 tablets with an active substance content of 4 or 5 mg will cost about 930-1000 rubles. But 28 tablets cost about 1300-1400 rubles.
Reviews of doctors and patients
Many people, before buying a particular medicine, are interested in the opinions of specialists, as well as patients who have already completed a course of therapy. So what do they say about Montelar? The reviews of doctors and patients are positive, since the pills really cope with their main task. The result can be seen already 1-3 days after the start of the intake - the symptoms of bronchial asthma become less pronounced, coughing attacks weaken and are easier to tolerate, and sometimes completely disappear.
Is it dangerous to use the drug "Montelar"? Reviews suggest that despite an impressive amount of side effects, they occur extremely rarely.
Naturally, there is a category of patients to whom this medicine did not help, because the effect of therapy largely depends on the individual characteristics of the patient. The disadvantages include its relatively high cost.