"Acyclovir" is an antiviral agent that is used to treat herpetic diseases. The drug has several forms of release (eye ointment, cream, tablets, powder for the preparation of a solution for injection (droppers)), which allows it to be used for various locations of the virus. Children "Acyclovir" is most often prescribed to combat labial herpes, as well as to support the body in severe cases of chickenpox.
Material Content:
The composition of the drug
The active substance of "Acyclovir", as well as most of its analogues, one is acyclovir.
In addition to it, the preparation contains auxiliary components that differ depending on the form of release of the drug:
- tablets contain lactose, starch and magnesium stearate;
- ointment - fat component, purified water, nipazole;
- cream - paraffin, cellulose, purified water, cetostearyl alcohol.
These substances are needed in order to give the drug a specific shape and appearance, to protect against the influence of environmental factors.
What is prescribed Acyclovir for children
Medications, the main component of which is acyclovir, have a narrow specialization. They are prescribed for the treatment of diseases that develop as a result of activation of the herpes virus in the body.
Herpetic infection can provoke the appearance of the following pathologies:
- chicken pox;
- Burkitt's lymphoma;
- Infectious mononucleosis;
- shingles;
- chronic fatigue syndrome;
- cytomegalovirus infection;
- leukoplakia of the tongue.
In addition, the virus causes a number of non-specific lesions - conjunctivitis, stomatitis, tonsillitis, rashes on the genitals. When infected at an early age, false rubella develops.
Children most often experience acyclovir with the appearance of herpetic eruptions on the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes, lips, and also during chickenpox.
Instructions for use and dosage in tablets, ointments
“Acyclovir” tablets are rarely used to treat children, because at a young age the body itself easily copes with the herpes virus. The exception is severe forms of the disease, as well as immunodeficiency conditions of the patient.
In the instructions for use of the drug, the following optimal doses of the active substance are indicated separately in each age category:
- 1 - 2 years - 0.5 tablets (100 mg) every 4 hours;
- 2 - 5 years - 200 to 400 mg 3-4 times a day;
- Children older than 6 years and adults - 600 - 800 mg every 6 hours.
The dosage of acyclovir for children is significantly lower than that of an adult, but with a severe course of pathology, for example, with shingles, it can be increased.
Depending on the severity of the disease, the condition of the child, as well as the reaction of the body to the drug, the doctor can change the dose and draw up an individual treatment regimen. However, you should not do this yourself, since self-medication can not only not improve the situation, but also harm it.
Ointment "Acyclovir" in childhood is used much more often than tablets. The maximum allowable dosage is determined based on the weight of the baby. At one time, no more than 80 mg of acyclovir per 1 kg of mass can be applied to the skin. However, in practice it is impossible to accurately calculate the amount of substance, so doctors simply recommend not zealous, but lubricate only the affected areas with a thin ball of ointment.
Treatment of foci of infection should be carried out every 4 hours during wakefulness, it is not worth disturbing the patient at night. The standard course of treatment lasts 5 to 7 days.
Interaction with other drugs
When using local forms of the drug (ointments, creams), there is no interaction, since too little of the substance enters the patient’s blood.
The intake of acyclovir simultaneously with immunosuppressants lengthens the time required to remove the components of the drug from the body. However, this does not have any clinical importance, since it does not affect the patient’s condition, therefore there is no need to adjust the dosage.
Contraindications, side effects and overdose
The drug has only one contraindication - individual intolerance to acyclovir. With caution, it is worth using the drug for the elderly, young children, as well as patients who have kidney problems.
Basically, the medicine is well tolerated by all groups of patients, but in some cases nausea, headache, intestinal upset, and fatigue can occur.
An overdose occurs when ingested more than 20 g of acyclovir at a time. In case of swallowing, vomiting and diarrhea appear, less often - headaches and blurred consciousness. Intravenous administration of large doses of the drug is much worse.
The following symptoms develop almost instantly:
- excessive agitation of the nervous system;
- auditory and visual hallucinations;
- cramps that can spread to the whole body;
- coma.
Due to a sharp increase in blood levels of creatinine and urea, the patient develops renal failure.
In case of an overdose, symptomatic treatment is carried out, in severe cases, hemodialysis (artificial kidney) is used.
Antiviral drug analogues
Analogs of Acyclovir are drugs that have the same pharmacological name and, accordingly, the same active substance. Depending on the country of manufacture, as well as the brand’s popularity, the cost of analogues can be higher or lower.They differ only in the name that the company gives, and sometimes, in auxiliary components.
List of drugs whose main component is acyclovir:
- Gaviran. Country of manufacture Poland. Available in the form of tablets of 200, 400 and 800 mg.
- "Lysavir." Italian cream-based product.
- Medovir. Vials containing the powder from which the acyclovir solution is prepared. It is made in Greece.
- Zovirax. One of the most popular analogues, has various forms of release - tablets, ointment, solution.
"Acyclovir" is a good remedy that exhibits a therapeutic effect immediately after the start of administration. With all the recommendations of the doctor, the risk of side effects is minimized. In addition, the price of Acyclovir is lower than its analogues with identical composition.
