Antibacterial drugs are always included in therapeutic regimens for the treatment of colds. With the onset of cold weather, the choice of the most effective drug becomes an extremely important issue in maintaining health. Flemoxin and Flemoklav are popular antimicrobial agents. They are available in similar packages, have a similar mechanism of action and mode of administration. Their comparison will help determine whether it is possible to replace one drug with another.
Composition of drugs
The first thing you need to pay attention to when deciding which is better - "Flemoxin" or "Flemoklav" - is the composition of those and other tablets.
Data on the composition of both drugs say that they can be considered analogues. The active substance of these funds is the same: Flemoxin and Flemoklav contain amoxicillin, a penicillin antibiotic. It has a wide spectrum of action and is extremely popular among patients with a wide variety of infections.
But it is impossible to consider these drugs as completely alternative to each other. The difference between Flemoxin and Flemoklav is that the latter contains an additional component: clavulanic acid. It is needed so that bacteria that are resistant to penicillin antibiotics cannot inactivate amoxicillin. In addition, the acid itself has a small antimicrobial activity, enhancing the effect of the antibiotic.
Dosages and release forms
Pharmaceutical company "Astellas Pharma Europe B.V." produces both Flemoxin and Flemoklav. What is the difference between them in addition to one additional component in the composition?
The release form of both agents is water-soluble tablets (solutab). This form is considered extremely convenient, since it allows you to both drink a pill and make a solution that will be more convenient, for example, in children. What is the difference between “Flemoxin solutab” and “Flemoklav solutab”: only one of the dosages.
There are four possible doses for Flemoxin:
- 125 mg;
- 250 mg;
- 500 mg;
- 1000 mg
An engraved dose value of the substance contained in it is always present on the tablet.
In the Flemoklav preparation, there is a slight difference from the clavulanic acid-free analogue in the highest dose. The maximum content of amoxicillin is 875 mg.
Pharmacological properties
Let's move on to the main part of the comparison of Flemoxin and Flemoklav. What is the difference and similarity of these funds? The main differences are found when studying the pharmacological action of both drugs. The active substance in them is one and the same, and therefore there are no differences in the main part of its effect on microorganisms. But another substance has been added to Flemoklav. Let us consider in more detail why this was done.
Amoxicillin belongs to a class of antibiotics called beta-lactam. This name was given to the substances of this group by the name of the main part of the molecule. For a long time, beta-lactams worked fine, but later microbes developed an enzyme that breaks down the beta-lactam ring and destroys the antibiotic.
In order to prevent this, a substance, clavulanic acid, capable of taking on the work of this enzyme and allowing the active substance to work, is added to certain antibiotics. Therefore, considering the "Flemoxin" and "Flemoklav", we can find out that the drug with the addition of clavulanic acid will be more effective. This affects the rate of eradication of the infection, as well as how resistant the microorganisms that caused the disease can be during treatment.
Comparison of treatment courses
The course of treatment, dosage and frequency of administration for "Flemoxin" and "Flemoklav" do not differ. Dosages of 1000 mg for Flemoxin and 875 mg for Flemoclav are taken twice a day for at least 7 days. While the dose of 500 mg for both drugs is drunk three times a day for the same period.
Efficiency mark
Considering the question of how "Flemoxin" differs from "Flemoclav", it is necessary to evaluate the differences in the effectiveness of drugs during therapy. As already mentioned, the combined preparation is significantly superior in effectiveness, successfully destroying the infection where the remedy fails with one substance in the composition.
"Flemoklav" is the drug of choice in cases of emergence of diseases caused by resistant microorganisms. It is used mainly for infections of the upper respiratory tract, urinary system, skin and soft tissues.
Also separately considered is the treatment of gastric ulcer caused by Helicobacter pylori. The use of protected combination antibiotics in therapy increases the success of therapy by more than 90% compared with the use of unprotected beta-lactam. Therefore, the advantage of Flemoklav in this case is absolutely obvious.
Application in children's practice
Specifically, the use in pediatrics does not indicate any difference between Flemoxin Solutab and Flemoklava Solutab in terms of ease of use. Both drugs can be used for children with the permission of a doctor. A baby from 3 months old can be treated with these antibiotics. Dosage form solutab allows you to dissolve (disperse) the drug in water and give a solution to children, which is much more convenient than taking antibiotics in a tablet.
For children, "Flemoxin" and "Flemoklav" are available in dosages of 375 mg and 250 mg, which are used twice and thrice a day, respectively. It must be remembered that both drugs should be taken at regular intervals.
From the age of 10 a child can increase the dosage to an adult and take the drug according to the same scheme that is used for adult patients: 500 mg three times a day and 875 mg (1000 mg for Flemoxin) twice a day.
Safety of use
The safety of using the drug is far from the last factor when choosing antibiotics, since this group is capable of giving many undesirable side effects. Moreover, the fact that monopreparations are still popular, despite the advantage of the combined versions, suggests that Flemoklav is worse by the safety criterion.
This is true: despite the fact that the active substance in both drugs is the same, the additional substance in Flemoklav can also give a number of side effects. This is mainly due to the similar structure of clavulanic acid with other beta-lactam substances.
Complaints of side effects in the case of the use of Flemoklav occur more often than for a single drug, and liver diseases are recorded six times more often.
Since the patient will not be able to assess the safety level of the drug alone, it is recommended to trust the attending physician, who, based on the medical history of a particular person, will be able to conclude that it is advisable to take one or another antibiotic.
Cost of drugs
Another, equally important part of the comparison is the price. "Flemoxin" and "Flemoklav" are produced by the same manufacturer, but at the same time they have seriously different prices. Differences in prices between medicines of similar dosages can reach 30%, which is extremely important when buying an antibiotic by people with limited financial resources.
Therefore, when choosing how to be treated, you need to focus on the course of therapy, calculating its full cost. In order not to interrupt it in the middle to replace a more expensive drug with a cheaper one. Such substitutions can adversely affect the success of treatment. Sometimes it is more rational to purchase a cheap generic with exactly the same composition than to refuse a combined antibiotic in favor of a single drug of the same company.
Replacing one drug with another
As already mentioned above, replacing Flemoklav with Flemoxin and vice versa in the middle of the course is extremely undesirable, since microorganisms can develop additional resistance to the drug. But for cases when the prescribed drug is not on sale or it will not be available soon, it is allowed to purchase a similar one, but with added or absent clavulanic acid.
Exceptions are diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. In this case, treatment with a combined drug is necessary, since an antibiotic in the form of a single drug simply will not have the desired effect on the pathogen.
Any replacement in antibiotic therapy requires the mandatory permission of a doctor, since microbial infection can lead to serious consequences if the effectiveness of the drug is lower than expected. Therefore, if the patient did not find in the sale the drug he needed, it should be checked with the doctor whether replacement with a similar agent is allowed and how the course should be adjusted. You may need to change the dosage, frequency of administration and duration of treatment.
Which is preferable
According to the results of studying information on both medicines, we can say that the preference of one or another should be based on an individual approach to the patient. Of course, if there is a severe infection in the body caused by resistant bacteria that cannot be treated with conventional antibiotics, the choice in favor of a combination agent is obvious. But it is not always suitable for people with contraindications and a tendency to side effects.
Also, the cost of the drug plays an important role: an antibiotic with clavulanic acid always costs a little more. The difference may not affect one tablet or even one course, but if a person is prone to developing infections, as a result, the difference can add up to a tangible amount that not everyone can afford to spend.
The final argument should always be the doctor’s word as the most knowledgeable person. If he insists on taking exactly the specific of these two drugs, his instructions should be followed for his own good. Of course, during the appointment, you should check with a specialist why the remedy was prescribed and how the doctor sees further treatment.