"Arbidol" is one of the most popular antiviral agents today. In order to resist SARS and influenza, especially during the cold season and quarantine, you should take these drugs for long periods. Is it possible to drink alcohol while taking "Arbidol" and what the consequences of such a combination may be described in this article.
Composition and form of release
The drug is available in the form of capsules and tablets for oral administration. Inside - a mixture of powder and granules, gelatin walls contribute to the successful passage of the drug through the esophagus and stomach and subsequent absorption through the intestinal mucosa. The composition of the drug "Arbidol" provides rapid absorption and entry into the blood of components after 30-40 minutes after administration.
The main active ingredient in capsules and tablets is umifenovir. Microcrystalline cellulose, potato starch, calcium stearate, colloidal silicon dioxide are used as auxiliary components.
Indications for use
Instructions for use with Arbidol tablets for adults reports that the drug is active in the following diseases and conditions:
- severe respiratory syndrome;
- ARVI, ARI, flu;
- low body resistance to viral loads;
- pneumonia, bronchitis;
- infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
- herpetic infections of various etiologies.
The drug can be used to treat both children and adults. Indications for the use of "Arbidol" may vary in varying degrees, depending on the severity of the viral infection. In some cases, you have to resort to taking additional antipyretic drugs, for example, based on paracetamol.
Recommended dosage
Depending on age, weight, gender, dosage may vary.
Children from three years to six should receive a standard therapeutic dosage of 50 mg (one tablet) per day, about an hour after eating in the morning or at lunch. Children from 6 to 12 years old take 100 mg per day. The dose of "Arbidol" may vary and be increased with the knowledge of the attending physician - immunologist or pediatrician. The average therapeutic dosage for an adult weighing about 70 kg is about 200 mg (4 tablets or two capsules, divided into several doses throughout the day).
If the patient is forced to contact people infected with viral diseases, 4 tablets per day can be taken for prophylaxis for about two weeks.
If there is a risk of viral complications after surgery, for prevention, you can take capsules or tablets "Arbidol" at 150-200 mg per day, divided into several doses.
Side effects and contraindications
Instructions for use with Arbidol tablets for adults reports that the drug can lead to the following side effects:
- from the organs of the gastrointestinal tract: nausea, pulling pain in the epigastric region, digestive upset;
- from the nervous system: anxiety, drowsiness or insomnia, problems with the phases of sleep, headache (rarely);
- from the side of metabolism: in rare cases, accelerated excretion of calcium metabolites is observed.
Contraindications to taking capsules and tablets:
- individual intolerance of active components;
- chronic renal and liver failure;
- chronic alcoholism;
- pregnancy and lactation - only after consultation with your doctor.
Regarding an overdose, there is no confirmed information, but the action of Arbidol is cumulative. Therefore, it is advisable to start taking with relatively low doses and gradually increase to 200 mg per day for a week. Intoxication can occur with the combined use of Arbidol and alcohol, as well as with a significant excess of the recommended therapeutic doses.
Drug interaction
When combining high doses of the drug with tranquilizers, it is possible to enhance the sedative effect, a strong, long and deep sleep without awakening. You should not take these classes of drugs immediately one after another - it is optimal to withstand a break at least two to three hours.
When combined with alcohol tinctures (Corvalol, Valoserdin, Hawthorn), the toxic effect on the liver is enhanced. It is undesirable to take such drugs one after another, it can also lead to the development of a toxic effect on the cells of the nervous system, because of which a person becomes anxious, irritable, unmotivated aggression may appear.
The combination of Arbidol with other immunomodulators often makes no sense, since the cells of the immune system cannot fully absorb umifenovir along with other ingredients. Some patients believe that such a combination will get rid of autoimmune diseases. This is an erroneous opinion.
Drinking alcohol during viral diseases
Reception of "Arbidol" and alcohol cannot be carried out by the patient already because with viral diseases any alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited. Ethyl alcohol creates an acidic environment in the body, which is ideal for the reproduction of viruses, bacteria, pathogens. No wonder it is believed that chronic alcoholics may not have good immunity. They are usually susceptible to rapid infection with acute respiratory infections, influenza, SARS.
"Arbidol" is excreted from the body with the help of the kidneys and the gastrointestinal tract, therefore, combining the drug with drinking alcohol gives an additional burden on these organs. Typically, the following symptoms indicate violations in the functioning of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract when combining the drug with alcohol:
- drawing pain in the lumbar region;
- nausea and vomiting;
- cloudy urine;
- painful urination;
- pain when trying to defecate;
- diarrhea or constipation.
The effects of intoxication on the body
Do not take lightly to the joint intake of "Arbidol" and alcohol. Even slight intoxication can lead to unpleasant consequences in the future. In particular, fatty degeneration of liver cells begins imperceptibly for the patient, this process is not accompanied by pain and does not bring tangible discomfort. If alcohol intoxication is repeated frequently, this process leads to the development of drug hepatitis, and then to cirrhosis.
Do not underestimate the consequences for the esophagus and stomach: even weak alcohol can corrode the walls of the mucosa, which leads to the development of erosion and ulcers, which can subsequently provoke the appearance of a full-fledged peptic ulcer. The kidneys, bladder, and nervous system also suffer.
Joint reception of "Arbidol" and alcohol
In recent years, the popularity of the drug during the autumn-winter season has reached all sorts of conceivable limits. Capsules are bought from shelves to treat both adults and children. Among antiviral drugs "Arbidol" occupies one of the leading positions. Umifenovir in the composition makes this drug an excellent tool for both prevention and treatment of existing viral diseases.
It is extremely undesirable to combine Arbidol and alcohol, as this increases the load on the internal organs due to intoxication. The liver is especially affected, since it is it that is a barrier from toxic metabolites to the whole body.
How to minimize toxic effects on the liver
If the fact of the simultaneous administration of Arbidol and alcohol did occur, then you should try to reduce the effects of intoxication with the following drugs:
- "Essential" will help prevent fatty degeneration of liver cells, support the work of the body.
- "Urososan" normalizes the outflow of bile and will have a mild choleretic effect.
- Karsil is an excellent prevention of cirrhosis due to regular intoxication.
- "Heptral" is an expensive, but the most modern drug for the restoration of liver cells, in addition, it has an antidepressant effect, which is extremely useful for alcohol intoxications.
First aid for alcohol and drug poisoning
How to help a person if there is a suspicion that he was poisoned by mixing Arbidol and alcohol?
- If he is conscious and ill, try to rinse the stomach, forcing him to drink a large amount of clean drinking water and provoking vomiting.
- If he is unconscious, turn him on his side (so that he does not choke on the vomit) and call an ambulance, describing the situation. Sometimes a strong slap in the face or cotton wool soaked in liquid ammonia and brought to the nose can bring a person to their senses.
- In no case can you give a person an alcoholic drink for hangover, this can aggravate the situation and lead to severe intoxication not only of the liver, but of the whole organism.
- Drink the patient a weak solution of "Regidron" to stop dehydration, which inevitably occurs after alcohol intoxication. If there is no such drug in the house, you can use cabbage or cucumber pickle.
- If a patient after alcohol abuse during treatment with Arbidol fell into a coma, care should be taken to ensure that vomiting does not open. The patient may not wake up, and the vomit will go to the nasopharynx and trachea, and death will result from mechanical asphyxiation.