If a toxic substance enters the body through food, the immune system can deal with it quickly by getting rid of the toxins.
Symptoms do not always occur, but sometimes the body reacts with nausea, vomiting and indigestion. Signs indicate poisoning, which leads to discomfort. The best solution is gastric lavage. Doctors recommend smecta for poisoning. The drug alleviates symptoms, eliminates negative consequences and helps relieve discomfort. The body is cleansed, and at the same time the state of health improves.
Smecta: effectiveness, indications and contraindications
The instructions indicate that this drug can be used even for infants, which makes smecta a universal and effective enterosorbent that can help in the treatment of almost any problems associated with the gastrointestinal tract.
Thanks to its properties, smecta is able to remove viruses, pathogenic bacteria, toxins and other unwanted bacteria from the body in the shortest possible time. Since smecta is a natural medicine, it is recommended for both children and adults.
At the same time, the pleasant taste of the medicine contributes to the rapid absorption of the resulting mixture by children. If you do not violate the therapeutic dosage, the drug is absolutely safe for intestinal motility.
If we look at this medicine in more detail, it is a powder with shades of gray or yellow, as well as a subtle pleasant aroma of orange or vanilla.
See also on the blog: Main causes of bloating
The primary task of the drug is to eliminate diarrhea. With the help of the formation of a mucous layer, the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract is normalized, thereby reducing the entry of toxins, various pathogenic bacteria, salts, bile and other harmful substances into the body. At the same time, smecta actively removes all problematic bacteria from the body with the help of feces.
There are the following contraindications for taking smecta:
- Increased sensitivity.
- Severe constipation and intestinal obstruction.
- Problems with sugar regulation.
General information
We can say for sure that at the moment smecta is the safest drug that restores the normal functioning of the digestive system, which is sometimes difficult to achieve with any other pharmaceutical product. Indications for taking smecta are varied.
It helps and exerts its influence only in the intestinal area, is not absorbed by the blood, and its composition includes a natural sorbent obtained from porous clay. Therefore, it is used by pregnant women, already nursing mothers, and even newborn babies. In all cases, it has good reviews, and the method of application is quite convenient. But remember, only a specialist can tell you how to take smecta. Next, we will consider the main indications for use.
Indications for use
The effectiveness of the drug is high due to its unique properties and safety of use. After all, it can be given even to infants, especially when the tummy is bloated.
The main indications for use are:
- Diarrhea of a medicinal, allergic or acute nature.
- Diarrhea after taking antibiotics.
- Severe intestinal diseases (in complex therapy).
- Various intestinal problems, colic, gastritis, colitis, constipation, heartburn.
The medicine is also used for food poisoning.
Among all enterosorbents, the drug is one of the best, which is confirmed by research:
- Currently, rotavirus infection has become the scourge of society, which is actively progressing in groups, especially, it occurs in schoolchildren and preschool children. And only smecta is really capable of removing rotavirus from the body from the body; its effectiveness reaches up to 85%.
- This medicine is also capable of performing therapeutic actions, like rehydron. When an intestinal infection is active, a deficiency of potassium, magnesium and sodium occurs in the intestines. The balance can be restored by taking smecta.
- Thanks to its ability to increase the volume of mucus, the drug protects the intestinal walls from the penetration of various bacteria and toxins. It also reduces the frequency of visits to the toilet during diarrhea, relieves colic, pain and cramps in the abdomen and much more.
- Due to the removal of toxins and bacteria, changes occur in the intestines that help improve digestion and absorption of beneficial minerals. Against this background, the body’s recovery after illness occurs faster.
Composition of the drug
The effectiveness of smecta on the body lies in the characteristics of the chemical composition of the medicine. It is based on a substance of natural origin, which has a powder consistency. This includes aluminosilicates and clay, which, when water is added, takes the form of a suspension. The drug is used for internal use.
The active component of dioctahedral smectite has the following properties:
- antidiarrheal;
- gastroprotective;
- enveloping.
To improve the taste, grape sugar, saccharin, and vanilla are used. For children, the drug is available in fruit flavor.
The following can be mentioned as excipients:
- Sweetener (sodium saccharinate). With its help, the medicine has a sweet taste.
- Dextrose monohydrate. Due to it, the lack of glucose is compensated.
- Extracts of orange, vanilla. Included in children's smecta to make use more comfortable.
Instructions for use
An important factor when using smecta is the dose. After all, if the dose is increased, unpleasant consequences may appear. To prevent this from happening, we will tell you how to dilute the drug for your child.
For newborns, infants and children up to one year old, it is recommended to dilute one sachet in 50 ml of water or any other product that is guaranteed to be consumed by the child.
The drug removes toxins very effectively. And if your baby has jaundice, you can clean the child’s gastrointestinal tract with smecta. But before treatment, be sure to consult your pediatrician.
If the child is not able to drink that much, the medicine must be diluted in a smaller volume and the required amount of the mixture given in several doses. It happens that a child does not want to drink the drug because of the taste or smell. Then smecta can be replaced with neosmectin
To use smecta, adults need to dissolve the powder in a half-liter container. And stir until you get a liquid suspension.
We will answer below how much of the drug you should take per day.
Dose for administration: according to the instructions, the drug can be used for no more than 7 days, three times a day. It all depends on the severity of the problem. Since the powder is enveloping, its use is recommended between meals, except in the case of heartburn, in which case you need to drink smecta after meals.
Also, for convenience and ease of use, smecta cocoa caramel was created, which is more tasty and kids like it. This type of drug is used according to the instructions.
Causes of vomiting
The effectiveness of Smecta for nausea and vomiting depends on the reasons that provoked the pathological condition.
Nausea and vomiting can be caused by the following factors:
- indigestion;
- eating unusual foods or dishes;
- proliferation of pathogenic bacteria;
- infectious infection of the digestive tract;
- binge eating;
- sharply decreased or increased acidity of gastric juice;
- use of antibiotics for a long time or in high dosages;
- food poisoning.
In addition, vomiting accompanies diseases of the pancreas, high blood pressure, motion sickness, and organic pathologies of the digestive tract.
To determine the cause of vomiting, especially if it appears frequently over several days, you should consult a doctor - a therapist or gastroenterologist for adults, a pediatrician for children. In case of excessive vomiting, it is important to prevent dehydration of the body until qualified medical care is received, since a large amount of water is removed from the body with vomit.
Can pregnant women take smecta?
Studies have found that there are no side effects from taking the drug for pregnant women! After all, the drug does not enter the bloodstream and is unable to harm the fetus.
The use of smecta during lactation is allowed, because it is not capable of harming the little person.
This medicine is very effective for heartburn and bloating in a pregnant woman. At the same time, you should be careful, since, due to the possibility of constipation, this drug should be used once, and no more than 3 days in a row.
If you have diarrhea, you should consult a doctor. Remember self-medication can be harmful to your health.
Undesirable effects
Adverse reactions were mainly noted from the digestive system. Constipation most often develops, but it does not require additional therapy and disappears after reducing the dosage. In some patients, severe constipation may require discontinuation of Smecta therapy.
Less common symptoms were bloating, flatulence, and increased vomiting or diarrhea. Allergic reactions to the drug are accompanied by skin rash, hives, and itching. In some patients, a severe allergic reaction caused angioedema. An allergy is an indication for immediate discontinuation of taking Smecta.
Analogues: what to replace smecta with?
For one reason or another, you may have a question, what to replace smecta with? What analogues exist? And fortunately, modern medicine offers you not only the drug in sachets, but also tablets with adsorbing properties, namely:
- Activated carbon
- Polysorb
- Enterofuril
- Neosmectin
- Phosphalugel
Features of treatment
The medicine should be taken with caution if there is a history of severe, prolonged constipation. Children with acute vomiting and diarrhea must be prescribed oral solutions to restore water and electrolyte balance. The volume of solution depends on the intensity of vomiting or diarrhea; rehydration can also be prescribed for adults.
Smecta helps with nausea if the following treatment rules are followed:
- taking sweet or salty liquids to restore water and electrolyte balance;
- maintaining a gentle diet;
- exclusion of fatty foods, raw fruits and vegetables, spices;
- exclusion of frozen foods and drinks;
- preference for low-fat, boiled and steamed dishes.
If Smecta has not shown effectiveness within a week, you should consult a doctor.
How to give to children
- For children under one year of age, the daily dose is a maximum of 3 grams (1 sachet).
- From one to two years, give 1-2 sachets per day (maximum daily dose 6 grams).
- After two years, 2-3 sachets per day (up to 9 grams) are prescribed.
If the dosage is accidentally exceeded, nothing bad will happen. Short-term constipation is possible, which is undesirable in case of poisoning, because toxic products must be removed from the body.
A hangover syndrome is nothing more than poisoning of the body with the breakdown products of alcohol. Nausea and headaches are mainly caused by the formation of acetate compounds in large quantities in tissues. In this case, the drug will not particularly relieve the symptoms. But if a person has consumed low-quality alcohol or exceeded the dose, then taking adsorbents somewhat improves the situation.
pharmachologic effect
Antidiarrheal drug, is an aluminosilicate of natural origin. Has an adsorbing effect.
Stabilizes the mucous barrier of the gastrointestinal tract, forms polyvalent bonds with mucus glycoproteins, increases the amount of mucus and improves its cytoprotective properties (with respect to the negative effects of hydrogen ions of hydrochloric acid, bile salts, microorganisms and their toxins).
It has selective sorption properties, which are explained by its discoid-crystalline structure; adsorbs bacteria and viruses located in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract.
Smecta in therapeutic doses does not affect intestinal motility.
Diosmectite is radiolucent and does not stain stool.
Aluminum in the composition of diosmectite is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, incl. for gastrointestinal diseases accompanied by symptoms of colitis and colonopathy.
Smecta is not absorbed. It is excreted from the body unchanged.
special instructions
Use with caution in patients with a history of severe chronic constipation.
For adults, therapy with Smecta in combination with rehydration measures is prescribed if necessary.
A set of rehydration measures is prescribed depending on the course of the disease, age and characteristics of the patient.
The interval between taking Smecta and other medications should be 1-2 hours.
In children with acute diarrhea, the drug should be used in conjunction with rehydration measures.
