Small yellow tablets in standard packages are familiar to many from childhood. Furazolidone for diarrhea has been and remains an effective remedy for adults and children. But what else will Furazolidone save you from? As it turned out, not only from stool disorders expressed in diarrhea.
In complex therapy, the drug is successfully used to treat many ailments. And the whole point is in its unique properties, which help cope with infections that enter the body from the outside. Well, let's get acquainted again with the already known medicine.
Composition and release form
Furazolidone for diarrhea is not a well-known drug. Each tablet contains 50 mg of the active substance - furazolidone. It is noteworthy that this medicine is used to treat problems in adults, children and even animals.
The drug is available in the form of tablets, granules for the preparation of suspensions and powder. The properties of the drug are the same, regardless of the form of release of the drug.
In addition to the main active ingredient, each tablet contains auxiliary compounds, including lactose, which should be taken into account by those who are intolerant to this substance. Dispensed from pharmacies without a prescription in packages of 10 or 20 tablets.
What to do in case of overdose
- The patient should be provided with complete rest.
- Next, the person needs to be given an absorbent. The sorbent must “collect” the excess of the active substance of the drug, and then remove it from the body. What sorbent can be given? The most common remedy that is in every first aid kit is activated carbon. It is enough for an adult to take 10 tablets of activated carbon.
- Now he needs to rinse his stomach. This must be done with an enema.
To help a person who has overdosed on medication, you can induce vomiting. Along with vomit, excess active substance of the drug will be released from the body.
Storage periods and procedures
Like any medicinal drug, Furazolidone has clearly defined storage conditions and the period during which the tablets are suitable for use.
The medicine must be stored under suitable conditions:
- at a temperature of 15–25 degrees;
- in places where the sun's rays do not penetrate;
- without high humidity.
The shelf life from the date of manufacture should not exceed 3 years. At the end of this period, the medication must be disposed of and its use is prohibited.
Indications for use of the drug
The instructions for use contain all the necessary information on how to take the medication correctly and in what cases it is actually necessary.
We recommend: How to take Imodium for diarrhea?
Furazolidone is not an easy anti-diarrhea pill. This is a broader action product. To understand this, it is important to understand what the mechanism of operation of this medicine is after penetration into the human body.
Furazolidone is an antibacterial drug from the nitrofuran group. The medicine has a pronounced effect against microbes, gram-negative anaerobic microorganisms. Although Furazolidone affects gram-positive bacteria and some fungi, this effect is less active.
When a medicine penetrates inside the human body, it affects the processes of cellular respiration in pathogenic microorganisms. As a result, most aspects of life become impossible and infections die out. First, the cell membranes are destroyed, causing the microorganisms to become unviable.
Due to the rapid reduction of the infection population, the level of intoxication is reduced. Even a clinical analysis will still show the same level of pathogenic microorganisms, but the patient’s well-being will already improve. Furazolidone derivatives are capable of stimulating the activation of phagocytic cells that participate in immune defense processes.
The drug is effective in cases where problems with the gastrointestinal tract were caused by the following infections:
- streptococci;
- staphylococci;
- shigella;
- salmonella;
- Eshecheria;
- proteas;
- Klebsiella;
- Trichomonas;
- Giardia;
- mushrooms of the genus Candida.
The advantage of the drug over other medications is that pathogenic microorganisms very slowly become resistant to this drug and this increases its effectiveness.
Furazolidone is used:
- for infectious diarrhea;
- for food poisoning;
- with diarrhea caused by dysentery.
This drug not only helps with diarrhea, but also affects the very cause of the intestinal disorder, which is more effective than just fighting the symptoms.
So who are you, familiar stranger?
Furazolidone is classified as an antibiotic. But it's not that simple. It has powerful antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. To a much lesser extent it acts as a local immunostimulant. Its use can become addictive only in very long courses.
The product contains the active main component - nitrofuran. Its action is as follows:
- Violation of cellular respiration of harmful bacteria (gram-negative to a greater extent, gram-positive – partially);
- blocking chemical processes occurring as a result of the activity of pathogenic microflora. As a result, a decrease in intoxication of the patient’s body;
- destruction of the integrity of the cell membrane and the entire structure of the pathogen cell.
As a result of this effect, the pathogenic agent dies and recovery occurs. The drug has an immunostimulating effect, does not destroy the intestinal microflora, but, on the contrary, stimulates its natural restoration, which is extremely unusual for antibiotics.
The full composition of Furazolidone is as follows:
- Nitrofuran is the main active ingredient (one tablet contains 0.05g);
- potato starch;
- milk sugar (lactose);
- calcium stearate;
- polysorbate.
Knowledge of the auxiliary components will make it possible to find out the safety of taking the medicine, since intolerance to any of the components may become a reason for a contraindication.
The effectiveness will directly depend on the dosage. But only a specialist can determine the amount and treatment regimen, because diarrhea can be caused by various factors. For example, Furazolidone for diarrhea of viral origin will be absolutely ineffective.
Application procedure
Treatment of diarrhea with the help should be carried out as prescribed by a doctor. Without adequate medical diagnosis, it is impossible to accurately determine the cause of the disorder, and using such a drug unnecessarily can harm the body.
The dosage of the drug must strictly correspond to that indicated in the instructions, unless the doctor has issued a different prescription. Yellow Furazolidone tablets must be swallowed whole with water, without chewing or dissolving. The drug is taken only after meals. The duration of treatment is purely individual, depending on the patient’s condition, diagnosis and age.
For adults
The use of the drug "Furazolidone" should be carried out only according to the instructions:
- for paratyphoid fever, dysentery and food infections, take 2-3 tablets 4 times a day for 4-10 days;
- if infected with Giardia, take the drug 2 tablets four times a day;
- if Trichomonas penetrates, treatment is carried out by using Furazolidone 4 times a day, 2 tablets for 3 days.
We recommend: Instructions for use of the drug Polysorb for diarrhea
Depending on the diagnosis, along with Furazolidone, suppositories with the same active ingredient may be prescribed. The maximum permissible dosage per day that can be taken by adults is 16 tablets.
For children
Furazolidone is also successfully used in the treatment of children. The maximum duration of treatment for this category of patients is 10 days. When determining the normal dosage, it is important to consider body weight.
First, you need to calculate the maximum daily amount of the drug, and then divide it into 3-4 doses. For every kilogram of weight there should be 10 mg of the drug. So, with a total body weight of 25 kg per day, children can take 250 mg, that is, the dosage in this case will be 5 tablets.
During pregnancy
Pregnancy is a special period when most medications are contraindicated. Furazolidone can be used strictly as prescribed by a doctor. This drug is prescribed during pregnancy only when the potential benefit to the mother is greater than the risk to the fetus.
Since this drug is not allowed for infants, it is not recommended to be treated with Furazolidone during lactation. If this treatment is carried out while breastfeeding, breastfeeding should be stopped. The active substance penetrates into milk and can cause severe pathologies in the child, including hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia.
Some nuances
Anti-diarrhea tablets Furazolidone do not work well with all medications. This must be taken into account before starting therapy. If you are taking any medication, you must inform your doctor so that he can take into account all the nuances.
Combined use is possible with:
Antipyretics; antihistamines; oral contraceptives.
Important information! Under no circumstances should you take alcohol-containing medications together with Furazolidone or drink alcoholic beverages, even weak ones.
The same rule must be followed for at least 5 days after stopping the drug.
If you do not take all these precautions into account, the side effects may be as follows:
Painful sensations and a feeling of heaviness in the chest; difficulty breathing, shortness of breath without exercise; hyperemia of the skin on the face; attacks of dizziness; Fainting states that turn into deep fainting are possible.
Agree, it’s a rather frightening prospect to drink even a bottle of beer for the dubious pleasure. But even without this, side effects occur while taking Furazolidone tablets. Namely:
A slight increase in temperature that disappears spontaneously; pain in the throat and joints; allergic reactions in the form of skin redness, rash, itching, sometimes Quincke's edema may occur; headache; feeling of nausea, leading to vomiting; discomfort or abdominal pain; increased diarrhea.
If any of these symptoms are detected, you must immediately stop taking the drug and contact a medical facility. Symptomatic treatment, a change in the treatment regimen, or even a change in medication may be required.
Although such reactions develop, according to doctors, extremely rarely, and only in case of violation of the rules of prescription, or in case of a significant overdose.
Contraindications
Despite the urgent need to quickly get rid of diarrhea, existing contraindications cannot be neglected:
- individual intolerance to the components of the drug;
- chronic renal failure;
- lactase deficiency.
Furazolidone is not prescribed to a child under 1 year of age. With particular caution, this drug is used to treat patients with disorders of the central nervous system, liver dysfunction, and when working with dangerous mechanisms that require increased concentration.
The drug is not taken to eliminate diarrhea associated with alcohol intoxication. Violation of these rules for using the drug can lead to serious consequences.
Interaction with other drugs
The simultaneous use of Furazolidone with certain other drugs may change the properties and degree of effect of the drugs.
We recommend: Instructions for using enterosgel for diarrhea
The simultaneous use of Furazolidone and drugs that change the pH level of urine affects the effectiveness of the drug. When using drugs that oxidize the environment, the rate of elimination of the drug decreases and, as a result, its effectiveness increases. When the environment changes to a more alkaline side, the rate of elimination increases and, as a result, the effectiveness of the drug decreases.
The simultaneous use of aminoglycosides and tetracycline enhances the properties of all drugs. The combination of Furazolidone with chloramphenicol leads to a decrease in hematopoietic function. A similar effect occurs when the drug is combined with ristomycin.
It is prohibited to combine the drug "Furazolidone" with alcohol and medications containing ethyl alcohol. In this case, the following side effects may develop:
- feeling of heat;
- facial skin hyperemia;
- difficulty breathing;
- decreased blood pressure;
- nausea;
- vomit;
- tachycardia.
All these are disulfiram-like reactions that occur in response to the combination of the drug with alcohol.
Does Furazolidone help with diarrhea?
It is not recommended to use the medication together with antidepressants, since simultaneous use causes an increase in blood pressure. When taken simultaneously with alcohol, teturam-like reactions develop, which can lead to coma. The drug enhances the effect of tetracycline and aminoglycosides (kanamycin, gentamicin). Furazolidone allows you to fight the following ailments:
- typhoid fever;
- dysentery;
- paratyphoid fever;
- giardiasis;
- food poisoning;
- salmonellosis.
In most cases, the drug is not addictive. Indications for use:
- disorder due to infection of various parts of the intestine. The drug quickly neutralizes loose stools. In this case, treatment is supplemented with sorbents;
- prevention against lamblia.
In the process of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, a person may suffer from nausea, weakness, and high body temperature.
In some cases, severe dizziness is even possible. Before starting treatment with this medication, be sure to consult with a qualified physician. Side effects:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Decreased appetite.
- Allergic reactions manifest themselves in the form of rashes and itching.
- With long-term use - polyneuritis.
- Increasing intensity of urine color with a change in color: from pink to dark brown.
- Palpitations, sweating, increased body temperature, feeling hot and anxious - after drinking alcohol during treatment.
To avoid side effects, it is recommended to take Furazolidone before meals with a sufficient amount of liquid. If serious side effects occur, call a medical team at home.
Analogs
This medication has both more expensive and cheaper analogues.
- "Fthalazol" costs about 30 rubles, while possessing all the properties of the medicine.
- "Furasol" is the most expensive analogue. The price for a record can reach 300 rubles. The drug has the same effect as Furazolidone.
- "Sulgin" is a drug that is used to treat diarrhea caused by infection with pathogenic microorganisms. Contraindicated for pregnant women and newborns.
Reviews
Irina, 32 years old. The doctor prescribed this drug for an intestinal infection. I feel bad, constantly nauseous and dizzy. Diarrhea gradually decreases.
Maxim, 41 years old. I suffer from chronic diarrhea. Food poisoning and infectious diseases often occur. The doctor recommended taking a course of Furazolidone. It has become much better, the disorder practically does not bother me.
Inna, 28 years old. I had to give a 5-year-old child a pill because he had caught some kind of infection, he felt bad, his stomach hurt a lot. Fortunately, he felt better and the pain went away. After consultation with the pediatrician, therapy was continued.
Side effects
Before you start taking these pills, you need to familiarize yourself with the list of side effects that can be caused by them:
- Tachycardia.
- Headache.
- Nausea. In rare cases, vomiting.
- Pain when urinating.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Manifestations of allergies, such as skin rashes or itching.
- Discomfort in the body, etc.
Also, the patient may suffer from panic attacks during treatment with this drug.
