Asthma, unfortunately, is a fairly common disease. The attacks and exacerbations of this ailment are not only unpleasant, but also extremely dangerous, as they can lead to suffocation. Naturally, patients are offered a lot of drugs that can stop asthmatic attacks. To the list of such funds include cromolyn sodium.
Of course, patients who are faced with the need to take this drug are looking for additional information about it. What is included in the composition? Are there any contraindications? In what forms is the medicine produced and how to take it correctly? Answers to these questions will be useful to many readers.
Cromolin-sodium: release form
Cromolin-sodium is a substance on the basis of which many different drugs have been created. Most often, in a pharmacy, the medicine can be purchased in the form of capsules with powder inside. Each of them contains 20 mg of the active substance (usually 30 capsules in one package). They are not taken orally, but are used for inhalation. Naturally, you will also have to purchase a special turbo-inhibitor for such a procedure.
In addition, the medicine can be purchased in the form of a solution. As a rule, pharmacists offer patients special Bikromat ampoules, which are also designed to irrigate the mucous membranes of the respiratory system. A special inhaler is included. It is worth saying that for each procedure you need to open a new ampoule - the remnants of the solution should never be used.
There is a special form of sodium chromoglycate intended for oral administration. The drug "Nalkrom" is released in the form of capsules. The medicine is used to treat allergic reactions from the digestive tract. As part of complex therapy, the drug can be used for ulcerative colitis.
In the pharmacy you can even get special nasal drops called Lomusol. The drug in the form of an aerosol, placed in cans, is widely used for the prevention and treatment of allergic rhinitis.
How does medicine affect the human body?
How does cromolyn sodium affect the body? The pharmacological group of drugs created on the basis of this component are substances that relieve bronchospasm. Similar properties of the drug are associated with its effect on the mast cells of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Cromolin-sodium inhibits the degranulation of mast cells and delays the release of mediators - specific active substances that can cause bronchospasm, an allergic reaction, and an inflammatory process.
Researchers also admit the possibility that cromolyn partially blocks the receptors with which inflammatory mediators bind . It is possible that this substance inhibits the release of adrenergic and cholinergic mediators by lymphoid cells.
It is worth immediately saying that the medicine is effective only if you use it for inhalation. Oral administration of the drug does not give the desired effect.
When is a medicine prescribed? Indications
According to studies, cromolyn sodium helps patients suffering from asthmatic attacks. It is asthma that is the main indication for the use of the drug. On the other hand, it is not used for the relief of acute attacks. It is believed that the drug helps to reduce the number and intensity of seizures. Treatment is more successful if the patient does not yet have chronic pathological changes in the lung tissue. The medicine is more effective in atopic forms of asthma. As part of complex therapy, it is also used for pneumosclerosis and asthmatic bronchitis.
Cromolin-sodium: instructions for the use of different drugs
For asthma, bronchospasm, allergic reactions, asthmatic bronchitis, as a rule, a medicine is prescribed in the form of special capsules containing powder inside. To use the drug, you need a special turbo-inhibitor, inside of which the capsule is placed. When you press the lid of the device, the capsule is punctured, and the powder can freely enter the respiratory tract during inhalation. Most patients need to take four deep breaths to get the medicine completely inside.
The daily dose, of course, is determined individually. Nevertheless, most often, patients are recommended to carry out inhalation four times a day. In the most difficult cases, it is necessary to take eight capsules per day. The maximum effect can be observed after 2-4 weeks. After this, the dose of medication can be gradually reduced.
Are adverse reactions possible during therapy?
Statistical studies, as well as reviews of drugs containing cromolyn sodium, indicate that this tool rarely causes any serious side effects and in most cases is well tolerated by patients. Sometimes patients notice a small cough that occurs after inhalation - it can usually be relieved by drinking a glass of warm water. In some patients, after this substance enters the body, a spasm of the bronchi is observed - in such cases, the drug can only be used in the form of inhalation.
If you experience more severe complications during therapy, your health worsens, your seizures become more severe, then you should immediately tell your doctor about this.
Contraindications to treatment
Can all patients be prescribed medications that contain cromolin sodium? The instruction indicates that the tool has very few contraindications. For example, drugs based on it are not prescribed for women during the first three months of pregnancy. The restrictions include children's age - a similar therapy is not prescribed for a child under five years of age. Different forms of medicine have their own set of additional substances - it is worth familiarizing yourself with their list, since hypersensitivity to any of the components is a contraindication.
In addition, this drug is prescribed with caution to patients suffering from severe kidney and liver diseases - in such cases, patients should be carefully monitored, noting the slightest changes in health status.
Analogues and synonyms of the drug
What preparations contain cromolyn sodium? A prescription (in Latin the name of the active substance looks like this: Cromolyn sodium), prescribed by a doctor, can sometimes be misleading, since there is no drug with the same name as in the title of our article. But there are many medicines based on it. Naturally, each of them has its own, unique set of excipients and additional active components. And a different form of release. The list of drugs containing cromolin includes Intal, Lomusol, Lomudal, Lomupren, Introl, Bikromat and many others.
Additional Information
This drug cannot be used directly for an asthmatic attack. On the other hand, cromolyn sodium is perfectly combined with bronchodilators and corticosteroids. Unfortunately, with a long-term, chronic disease, when there are irreversible changes in the structure of the lung, the medicine does not give the desired effect.
Keep capsules (or spray cans) in a cool place, away from sources of light and fire.
Drug Reviews
Naturally, having familiarized themselves with the basic information about a substance called cromoline sodium, patients are looking for feedback from doctors and patients who have already completed a course of therapy. Experts note that there is indeed a positive effect from the use of the drug. With proper use, it is possible to reduce the intensity of asthmatic attacks. Moreover, in some cases it is even possible to abandon steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Patients themselves also have a good opinion about the drug, as it helps to cope with a lot of problems, including allergic diseases. That is why in modern medicine, products based on cromolin-sodium are so popular. Their price, of course, depends on the form of release. For example, the packaging of capsules "Lomadul" or "Lomusol" (this is the option most often used for asthma) ranges from 1350 to 1500 rubles.