Despite the significant development of modern medicine, which can sometimes work real miracles, humanity is still forced to experience inconvenience from such an unpleasant skin disease as atopic dermatitis, otherwise called eczema. Fortunately, the drugs of our time are able to quite successfully deal with this ailment. However, not everyone knows that some drugs intended for the treatment of skin have analogues that can quite successfully cope with this particular task. "Elidel" (an ointment, one of the most widely used for such purposes) was no exception. Therefore, it is better to learn about whether there are such drugs, the potential effect of which will be no worse than that of the Elidel medication, and their cost will be even less.
The basis of the ointment "Elidel"
Numerous positive reviews indicate a high level of effectiveness and considerable popularity among the consumer masses of the Elidel drug. Cream, analogues of which are widely used both in the domestic market of medical products and abroad, is considered a very universal remedy. The main component of this 1% ointment is pimecrolimus. In addition, the composition also includes such substances as cetostearyl sulfate, purified water, sodium hydroxide, oleic and stearyl alcohols, benzyl alcohol, propylene glycol, mono-, di- and triglycerides, citric acid. The standard release of the drug is carried out in tubes having volumes of 15, 30 and 100 g.
Possible analogues of ointment "Elidel"
In the practice of treating dermatological and other inflammatory skin diseases, both in domestic and foreign medicine, quite often, when replacing the main medication, analogues are prescribed. Elidel was no exception. Most of these drugs have similar pharmacological properties to their prototype. But, unfortunately, today in the expanses of the CIS countries, the drug "Elidel" is a cream whose analogues are almost impossible to find, since none of the agents repeats its structural component basis. Nevertheless, Advantan ointment is one of the most common drugs in our time that can make Elidel medicine an acceptable competition.
How does the main analog of Elidel ointment work?
This medicine is a glucocorticosteroid intended for external treatment of the epidermis. It is able to suppress any reactions of an allergic and inflammatory nature on the skin, caused by increased proliferation. Cream "Advantan" has the ability to destroy visual symptoms, which include swelling, erythema, in the same way as Elidel does. The ointment also eliminates all manifestations of subjective sensations (pain, itching, irritation, etc.).
Indications and contraindications for the use of Advantan cream
The drug is prescribed for any diseases associated with inflammation of the skin. This includes various types of dermatitis (allergic, atopic, contact, etc.) and manifestations of eczema that differ in form (microbial, true, degenerative, etc.). Sometimes, the remedy can be useful for relieving symptoms of a sunburn, called photodermatitis.
According to the instructions provided by the manufacturer, the drug is prohibited for use by patients who have increased sensitivity to its components. You can not use it also in the presence of skin tuberculosis, viral lesions of the body cover (herpes, chickenpox, lichen) in those areas on which the cream is applied. Children under the age of 4 months, the ointment is also strictly contraindicated.
Deciding which ointment to choose is Advantan or Elidel, it should be guided not only by cost, but also by the real characteristics inherent in a particular drug, since far from always treatment with these two drugs will be equivalent in result and degree of exposure to a particular person.
Method of use and varieties of the drug
Like Elidel cream, Advantan ointment should be prescribed only on the basis of a particular state of the epidermis. This tool is perfect for moderately dry skin, since the ratio of components based on water and fat in it is optimally balanced. If there are moist areas on the body, it is best to give preference to the cream, since the level of fat in it is low, and the predominant component is water. For sunburn, an emulsion is a good solution. Like its counterparts, Elidel should not be kept on the skin for too long. Advantan should be applied a thin layer 1 time per day directly to those areas of the skin that are affected by the disease, and this method is suitable for children (the course of treatment is no more than 4 weeks) and for adults (no more than 12 weeks) .
Special Cases of Advantan Ointment
Some situations, in particular bacterial dermatoses and dermatomycoses, require the use of this drug along with special antibacterial treatment. It is important to prevent the ointment from getting on the mucous membrane of the eyes while applying it to the face. It is worth remembering that the use of drugs of a similar pharmacological group can cause glaucoma, so you should carefully monitor the amount of the drug and the correctness of its application to the skin around the eyes. It is recommended that pregnant and lactating women begin treatment with Advantan ointment, which in no case can be used to treat the mammary glands, only after the doctor assesses the potential risk to the health of both the mother and the baby. Also, you do not need to keep the drug on the skin for too long, otherwise it can only aggravate the disease without bringing any positive effect.
Side effects and overdose of Advantan
If used improperly, any analogues can be dangerous. Elidel must be applied strictly in accordance with the instructions for its use. As for the drug "Advantan", with proper observance of the instructions and overdose, and cumulation are excluded. However, as already mentioned, it is not worth keeping the product on the skin for too long, as this can cause atrophy of the epidermis, manifested in its thinning. With this outcome, treatment with Advantan ointment is recommended to be suspended.
Speaking about the side effects of the drug, it should be noted that usually there are no problems during its use. In very rare cases, itching, burning, vesicular rash, erythema may occur. As mentioned above, prolonged exposure of the ointment to a large area of the body can cause atrophy of the skin and lead to the appearance of striae. However, clinical studies of the drug "Advantan" proved that during the experimental trials on it, no manifestations of the previously listed side effects were noted.
Of course, there are other analogues that are very similar in description to Elidel cream. Their price is absolutely different (from 140 to 500 rubles). This, for example, medicines "Akortin", "Apulein", "Bronal", "Videstim", "Berlikort" and many others. But when choosing a remedy for the treatment of skin diseases, it is still not worth focusing only on its low cost. It would be better to trust the opinion of a professional doctor and choose for yourself that drug that will correspond to all the features of a particular type of cover of the body and the whole organism as a whole.