Coughing is a problem that many face. Of course, it is not a disease in itself, but many pathologies are accompanied by this symptom. Constant attacks affect the quality of life of a sick person, interfere with work, rest, and disturb sleep. That is why doctors prescribe special drugs, in particular, Sinecode for coughing.
Patients who are faced with the need to take this medication are interested in any additional information. What properties does the medication have? How to take "Sinecode"? Are analogs cheaper or not? Does the medicine cause complications? How do specialists respond about the drug?
Information on the composition and form of release
To begin with, it is worthwhile to deal with general information about this drug. The drug is released in the form of syrup, dragees and drops for oral administration. The active ingredient is the same - butamirate citrate.
In the pharmacy you can buy bottles with syrup with a volume of 100 or 200 ml. The composition also contains: sodium saccharin, glycerol, benzoic acid, purified water and vanillin as an aromatic additive.
Drops are placed in bottles of dark glass with a volume of 15 or 20 ml. 1 ml of drops contains 5 mg of the active substance. Adults and adolescents are often prescribed another form of the Sinecode drug - tablets, or rather, dragees. The active substance content is 20 or 50 mg / dragee. The composition contains lactose and some other auxiliary components. Tablets are placed in blisters of ten pieces.
How does the drug affect the body?
The main active substance, as already mentioned, is butamirate. This compound does not belong to the group of opioids, therefore, does not have a narcotic effect. This component of the drug affects some parts of the medulla oblongata, namely those that provide a cough reflex. Thus, the drug quickly relieves a coughing fit. In this case, the medicine does not affect the respiratory center.
Moreover, the drug causes dilatation (expansion) of the bronchi and reduces airway resistance. Against the background of taking the medicine, an improvement in oxygenation is also observed - the blood is saturated with a large amount of oxygen. Thus, the medicine normalizes respiration and prevents the development of hypoxia.
According to research results, after administration, this drug (in any form) is rapidly adsorbed by the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. The active substance quickly and almost completely binds to plasma proteins. The maximum concentration of butamirate is observed after about 1-1.5 hours after taking the medicine.
In the body, the drug is converted to pharmacologically active metabolites. Hydrolysis of the active substance occurs in the blood. The drug is excreted by the kidneys in their original form or in the form of metabolites. The half-life is six hours. This medicine does not cumulate in the tissues of the body, so the pharmacokinetics do not change with repeated use.
When do doctors recommend taking medication?
Today in medical practice, Sinecode is often used for coughing. The main indications for the use of the drug are:
- coughing attacks with whooping cough;
- dry cough, which appears against the background of colds, inflammations and other pathologies of the respiratory system;
- smokers cough;
- the drug is used to eliminate the cough reflex during various medical or diagnostic procedures (for example, during bronchoscopy).
The drug "Sinecode" (drops for children): instructions and dosage
Of course, many parents are interested in questions about how to take the medicine. "Sinecode" for children (used when it comes to the baby of the first two years of life) is available in the form of drops for oral administration.
Of course, such a drug should not be used on its own, especially when it comes to coughing in a child. Only the doctor after the necessary diagnostic measures can prescribe the drug "Sinecode" (drops for children). The instruction contains only general facts and statistics.
Babies aged two months to a year are recommended to take 10 drops four times a day. Children older (1-3 years old) take 15 drops 4 times a day. Drops can be used to treat cough in adolescents and adults. Patients older than 3 years take 25 drops four times a day.
Experts recommend taking the drug every six hours. Sometimes you can’t follow such a strict schedule. For example, it’s hard to wake up at night. In such cases, you need to drink drops immediately before going to bed, and then immediately after waking up. Compliance with the regime provides the maximum effect.
It is recommended to take the drug before meals. At the same time, it should be diluted with a small amount of liquid (preferably water, but you can use juice or tea). If after seven days no effect of treatment is observed, it is worth consulting with your doctor again.
Sinecode medicine (syrup): instructions for use for adults
Drops, of course, can be used by both children and older patients. Nevertheless, adolescents and patients at an older age are most often prescribed Sinecode syrup. Instructions for use by adults say that you need to take 15 ml of syrup, observing the same regimen - four times a day. The same dosage is suitable for adolescents over 15 years.
Children aged 12 to 15 years take 15 ml, but already three times a day. If we are talking about the treatment of children 6-12 years old, then a single dose is reduced to 10 ml. Children of primary preschool age (3-6 years) take 5 ml of syrup three times a day.
By the way, if the patient is more than 6 years old, then the doctor will most likely prescribe this medicine in the form of a syrup. A convenient measuring cap is attached to the bottle, which must be washed thoroughly after each use.
How to take dragee "Sinecode"?
Pills, or rather, Sinecode pills, are also often used to eliminate dry coughing attacks. Of course, the reception mode in this case looks different. Children aged 6 to 12 years take one tablet twice a day. Patients whose age is 12-15 are recommended to take one tablet three times a day. For adult patients and adolescents over 15 years of age, the dose is 2 tablets, and you need to take the drug 2-3 times a day.
In order to ensure maximum effectiveness, it is important to take the medicine at the same time. In this case, the intervals between receptions should be equal. For example, if a patient takes pills twice a day, then this should be done every 12 hours. In the event that you need a three-time appointment, then the time intervals should be equal to eight hours.
Contraindications
In all cases, is it advisable to take the Sinecode drug? Instructions for use for children and adults contain information and some contraindications. Their list includes:
- increased (allergic) susceptibility to any of the substances present in the composition;
- pulmonary bleeding of any etiology;
- since the drug contains sorbitol, it is not prescribed for people with fructose intolerance;
- relative contraindications include pregnancy and lactation (more detailed information on this below);
- drops are not prescribed to newborns younger than two months;
- syrup is contraindicated in children under 3 years of age;
- Dragees should not be taken to a child under 6 years old.
Sinecode drug and pregnancy
This tool is not prescribed in the first three months of pregnancy, since therapy can adversely affect the development of the fetus. But in the second and third trimester, the drug is sometimes used, but very carefully. Naturally, the decision to conduct therapy is made by the attending physician.
As for the lactation period, today there is no information on whether the active components of the Sinecode drug with breast milk are excreted. Nevertheless, if there is a need for treatment, mothers are advised to temporarily stop breastfeeding.
Is an overdose possible?
What happens if you take too much Sinecode (syrup for children)? The instruction contains information that an overdose is possible. On the other hand, according to the results of statistical studies, cases like this in modern medical practice are recorded very rarely.
Taking too much of the active substance of this drug is accompanied by drowsiness and nausea, which often ends with vomiting. Other symptoms include diarrhea, severe dizziness (sometimes even fainting), and a significant decrease in blood pressure.
A child or an adult who has developed such disorders needs to be urgently taken to a hospital. Here gastric lavage is performed. The patient is also prescribed sorbents that are able to quickly bind and remove the remnants of the drug from the body. Additional symptomatic therapy is prescribed as necessary (for example, medications that normalize blood pressure can be prescribed). There is no specific antidote.
Complications and possible adverse reactions during therapy
The Sinecode drug for dry cough really helps, and therapy is extremely rarely associated with any complications. On the other hand, the likelihood of adverse reactions is not excluded. The use of the drug can lead to the following disorders:
- sometimes patients develop allergic reactions, which are accompanied by the appearance of rashes and redness on the skin, urticaria, swelling;
- various digestive disorders are possible, in particular nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea;
- some people complain of frequent headaches, constant fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, and fatigue.
The presence of any of the above worsening is an occasion to contact your doctor as soon as possible. It is possible that adverse reactions can be avoided by just adjusting the dose of the drug. On the other hand, it is sometimes necessary to completely cancel it (in such cases, the specialist will choose a safer and more effective substitute).
How much is the drug?
Now you know how the Sinecode drug affects the body. Price is another important factor that many patients pay attention to. Of course, the cost will depend on many factors.
So how much is Sinecode syrup? The price of a 100 ml bottle is about 250-300 rubles. 200 ml of the same drug will cost 400 rubles. If we are talking about drops, then a bottle (its volume is 20 ml) costs about 390-430 rubles.
Analogues of the drug
Sinecod cough medicine really helps. Nevertheless, this drug is far from suitable for every patient. What to do in such cases? How to replace "Sinecode"? Analogues are cheaper, of course, exist, and the choice is quite large. For example, a package of Bronchitusen Vramed medicine will cost about 60 rubles. The list of effective substitutes also includes Broncholine sage, Bronchoton, Broncholithiin. The cost of any of these drugs does not exceed 70 rubles.
Of course, there are more expensive analogues of the Sinecode drug. The tablets “Bithiodin”, “Libexin”, “Estocin”, “Glaucin”, “Rengalin” also cope well with attacks of dry cough.
By the way, there are this drug and synonyms that contain the same active substances. Effective is considered "Codelac Neo", "Omnitus" and "Panatus". These medicines, by the way, are available both in tablet form and in the form of syrup.
Reviews of doctors and patients
The drug "Sinecode" for cough is used very often. Experts respond well to this medicine, because it really gives results. Patients themselves say that the attacks subside after the first few days of therapy. On the other hand, do not forget that coughing is a symptom. First of all, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease, which is the cause of the appearance of dry cough. Patients definitely need complex therapy.
Small patients are also often prescribed Sinecode. Instructions for use for children are quite simple. Syrup and drops have a fairly pleasant taste and smell, so giving the drug to a child is not difficult. Side effects are recorded extremely rarely, and there are not so many contraindications for the medicine.
The disadvantages include a slightly overpriced one. There are analogues of the drug (even products with the same active active substance) that are cheaper. On the other hand, Sinecode is considered safer and more effective, and health, as you know, is worth any money.