The season of colds, which lasts the entire autumn-winter period and captures the early spring, requires all replenishment of home first-aid kits with popular medicines, among which medicines that help cough up phlegm occupy a special place. For example, the drug "Bromhexine-Akrikhin."
What are the dosage forms of the drug
A popular and popular Bromhexine drug is produced by many pharmaceutical companies, which often leave the working name of the active component of Bromhexine and attach the name of the factory to it. It turns out, for example, a tool such as Bromhexine-Akrikhin. Syrup and tablets - these are two forms of a mucolytic drug manufactured by OJSC "HFK Akrikhin", located in Moscow and having more than 80-year history of its development.
What does the drug consist of
The drug "Bromhexine-Akrikhin" in its actives has only one functionally significant substance - it is Bromhexine (Bromhexine). Few people know that such a popular drug originates from the plant world, because it was the flower of justice, adatoda (Adhatoda vasica), that gave the world vasicin, the chemical analogue of which is Bromhexine, a widely demanded mucolytic. One tablet or 5 ml of the drug may contain 4 or 8 mg of the active ingredient. Syrup is available in only one dosage - 5 mg contains 4 mg of bromhexine.
All other substances that make up the drug depend on the dosage form and have no therapeutic value.
How the active component works
The functional of the drug Bromhexine-Akrikhin, regardless of its form, is based on the work of Bromhexine, which has a mucolytic (secretolytic), expectorant and antitussive property.
The active component performs its work due to its ability to stimulate the production of surfactant - a multicomponent surfactant that lines the walls of the alveoli and prevents their adhesion. The drug with bromhexine lowers the viscosity of sputum, which contributes to an increase in its volume, which means a better discharge from the bronchi. A feature of the use of this medication is that it requires a course of use: at least 5 days to get the desired therapeutic effect. Its bioavailability is very high; in almost 90% of cases, bromhexine begins to work 30 minutes after oral administration. It is excreted mainly in the urine.
In which cases is the use of the drug indicated
Syrup and tablets "Bromhexine-Akrikhin" are indicated for use in the same cases:
- bronchial asthma;
- bronchiectasis of various origins;
- cystic fibrosis;
- obstructive bronchitis;
- pneumoconiosis;
- pneumonia of various forms;
- tracheobronchitis;
- tuberculosis;
- emphysema.
This drug is used in the postoperative period to prevent the accumulation of secretions in the lungs, as well as in preoperative preparation for debridement. "Bromhexine" can be prescribed for diagnostics and therapeutic intrabronchial manipulations.
If the drug cannot be taken
For the drug "Bromhexine-Akrikhin" the instructions for use contain information about absolute contraindications. This is a child's age up to 2 years, pregnancy in the first trimester and the period of breastfeeding. Also, the drug can not be taken with hypersensitivity to the components of dosage forms and during an exacerbation of gastric ulcer. For Bromhexine-Akrikhin syrup, there is a special indication of the presence of sugars in the composition, which should be taken into account when these substances are intolerant.
How to take medicine
The instructions for use for Bromhexine-Akrikhin take into account the form of release of the drug. The tablets are taken orally (orally), regardless of the meal, they must be washed down with a sufficient amount of water. For a day, the drug can be taken 3-4 times a day. Adults are recommended to take 8-16 mg of the drug simultaneously. Children six to fourteen may take 8 mg at a time. Patients under 6 years of age are indicated for treatment with a syrup.
Children aged 2 to 6 years should take 2.5-5 ml of the drug at one time, patients aged 6-10 years can take 5-10 ml of syrup at the same time. But older children should take 10 ml of syrup 3 times a day for quality treatment.
For babies, the achievement of the therapeutic effect will be more pronounced when conducting a vibration massage to stimulate sputum discharge and a cough reflex.
Any form of the drug requires the use of sufficient water to make the production of pulmonary secretion more complete and high-quality. The drug should be taken in a course of 4 to 28 days. Its duration is determined by the attending physician depending on the course of the disease and the effectiveness of the treatment. You should not wait for the instant effect in the treatment with Bromhexine, because this drug should work well so that the lungs begin to clear themselves of the secretion accumulating in them. When prescribing drug therapy, the doctor can prescribe the simultaneous administration of sulfa drugs and antibiotics of the penicillin group, since these substances penetrate well with the bromhexine into the bronchial tissue, destroying the pathogenic microflora that caused the disease. But such a therapeutic tandem is possible only after an adequate diagnosis
Side effects and overdose
Bromhexine-Akrikhin, like any other drug, has its side effects. They can be manifested by the appearance of dizziness, nausea or vomiting, skin rash, itching, rhinitis, dyspeptic symptoms, and also headache. During the diagnostic examination, an increase in the activity of hepatic transaminases can be seen. Such undesirable effects in the treatment of bromhexine develop quite rarely. But in case of their appearance and amplification, drug withdrawal and symptomatic treatment are required.
With strict adherence to the dosage and dosage regimen, an overdose is not possible. But if within 1-2 hours the patient develops nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, we can talk about exceeding the therapeutic dose of the drug. In this case, the patient should be sent to a medical institution, rinse the stomach and prescribe symptomatic therapy.
This medicine is available at the request of the buyer without a prescription in any dosage form. Complete information about it contains instructions for use, enclosed in each package. It must be carefully studied, paying particular attention to the drug treatment regimen and possible contraindications. The drug is stored, like most medicines from a home medicine cabinet, at room temperature, out of the reach of sunlight and children.
Despite the fact that the Bromhexine-Akrikhin preparation has a long history of therapeutic work and many positive and recommendatory reviews from specialists and patients, it is not recommended to take it without consulting a specialist.