Nurofen syrup for children - instructions for use

Nurofen Syrup is a product specifically designed for use in children. Thanks to the sweet taste, pleasant smell and liquid consistency, parents do not have problems in order to drink sick children with medicine. The drug will help reduce temperature and relieve pain even in the smallest, since it is allowed for babies from the age of three months. However, the medication has a list of contraindications, and an overdose is fraught with poisoning, so you should not give it to children without a doctor's prescription.

Syrup for children Nurofen: release form, composition

Nurofen Children's Syrup comes in two different flavors - orange and strawberry. Each of them has a characteristic smell, but the differences in taste are insignificant. The product has a liquid, sugar consistency, it has a white color, which, under the influence of external factors, can darken somewhat.

The main active ingredient of the drug is Ibuprofen, 5 ml of syrup contains 100 mg of the main component.

There are also auxiliary substances that betray the drug's shape, taste and smell:

• glycerol;
• lemon acid;
• sodium chloride;
• sodium citrate;
• maltitol syrup;
• water;
• xanthan gum;
• orange or strawberry flavors.

In pharmacies you can find jars of medicine of various sizes: 100, 150 or 200 ml.Each of them comes with a special syringe dispenser, which allows you to accurately measure the dose and easily insert the syrup into the child’s mouth.

Pharmacological action and indications for use

Nurofen belongs to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It has an active analgesic and antipyretic effect on the body. The action of the drug is based on the inhibition of the production of prostaglandins - active substances that are mediators of pain, fever and inflammatory processes. Simply put, a suspension disables the elements through which the brain receives information about pain or hyperthermia.

How long does nurofen work? The drug most actively relieves pain caused by inflammation in any part of the body. Nurofen acts after 20-30 minutes, the effect can last up to 8 hours.

The drug is used as symptomatic therapy in children from 3 months to 12 years. It is not forbidden to use it at an older age, but for teenagers you can choose more effective medications.

Nurofen is only able to hide symptoms for a short period, but it does not affect the cause of the disease, and therefore does not cure. Therefore, along with it, one must also take etiotropic treatment, which will eliminate the cause of the appearance of unpleasant sensations.

The instructions for use indicate the following list of conditions in which the use of the drug is appropriate:

• body temperature above 38.5 degrees due to influenza, acute respiratory infections, childhood infections and other diseases;
• post-immunization fever, that is, hyperthermia against the background of the vaccine;
• toothache or headache;
• joint pain;
• muscle stretching, tendons;
• Ear ache;
• migraine;
• neuralgia and myalgia of various localizations.

Mode of application

Before drinking the suspension, it must be shaken thoroughly to raise the preparations from the bottom and mix the components. For convenience, a special syringe with a marking is attached to each packaging of the medication, which is inserted into the neck of the bottle. It is reusable, therefore, after use it must be washed with warm water, dried and put back in the packaging.

Nurofen is intended solely for short-term use, doctors do not recommend drinking the drug for more than 3 days in a row. You can take the drug only inside, preferably during a meal, since it has an irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.

Syrup dosage

You can take the medicine no more than 1 time in 6-8 hours. Maximum during the day you can drink 30 mg of the drug per 1 kg of body weight. A single dose depends on the intensity of the pain syndrome, age and weight.

Age	The weight	Recommended dosage	The maximum allowable daily dose of medication
3 months - half a year	Not less than 5 kg	2.5 ml three times a day	no more than 150 mg in 24 hours
half a year - a year	7 - 9 kg	2.5 ml 3-4 times a day	no more than 200 mg in 24 hours
1-3 years	10 - 15 kg	5 ml three times a day	no more than 300 mg in 24 hours
4-6 years old	15 - 20 kg	7.5 ml 3 times a day	no more than 450 mg in 24 hours
7-9 years old	20 - 30 kg	10 ml three times a day	no more than 600 mg in 24 hours
10-12 years old	more than 30 kg	three doses of 15 ml	no more than 900 mg in 24 hours

Special instructions for taking the drug

Nurofen is recommended to be taken in the minimum dose, which gives the desired effect, and in the shortest course. This will help to avoid the appearance of unwanted reactions in the body, for example, allergies, gastritis and others. If you need longer treatment, you need to carefully monitor the functioning of the urinary system and liver, as well as the condition and composition of peripheral blood.

If symptoms of a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract appear, a complete examination should be done: feces for the Gregersen reaction (occult blood), FGDS (endoscopic examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract), general blood test.

Nurofen can not be used to treat children whose body does not accept fructose, since it contains maltitol. But due to the lack of glucose, the drug is allowed to be taken by patients suffering from diabetes. In addition, the syrup does not contain any dyes.

Components can cause fluid retention and accumulation in the body. Therefore, patients with kidney problems or hypertension should take the drug only under the supervision of a specialist.

Pregnancy and lactation

Nurofen is forbidden to take in the last months of pregnancy (3 trimester). Its use at an earlier date, as well as during breastfeeding, should be agreed with your doctor.

It is known that the active substances of Nurofen in a small amount penetrate into breast milk, but this does not have any negative consequences for the baby.

Drug Interactions with Other Drugs

Nurofen is able to enter into active interaction with some other groups of drugs, so it is not recommended to take it simultaneously with such drugs:

• Acetylsalicylic acid - the risk of adverse reactions increases, and the effectiveness of the drugs decreases;
• Anticoagulants - ibuprofen enhances the effect of blood thinning. In case of extreme need for admission, the dosage of anticoagulants must be adjusted, taking into account the effect of nurofen;
• Tacrolimus - significantly increases the toxic effect on the kidneys;
• Cardiac Glycosides - heart failure is aggravated, glomerular filtration in the nephrons of the kidneys is disturbed, the active components of cardiac glycosides accumulate in the blood plasma;
• Mifepristone - the effectiveness of the drug decreases. You can take Nurofen no earlier than 10 days after the last use of Mifepristone;
• Quinolones - convulsions develop;
• Another drug from the NSAID group - while taking two or more drugs of the same group, the risk of an overdose and the appearance of complications increases significantly;
• Blood Pressure Relievers - firstly, their effectiveness decreases, and secondly, the toxic effect of ibuprofen on the liver increases;
• Cyclosporin - increased nephrotoxicity;
• Zidovudine - increased hepatotoxicity.

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Regarding the simultaneous use of Nurofen with any other drugs, you need to consult your doctor. Otherwise, the drugs will not take any effect, or, worse, lead to unpleasant consequences - problems with the liver, kidneys, allergies, changes in the blood.

Contraindications, side effects and overdose

Nurofen has a fairly extensive list of contraindications, so you should not assign it to yourself or your children yourself. Otherwise, side effects and serious complications may occur.

It is not recommended to drink the drug with:

• intolerance to any drugs from the NSAID group;
• a combination of bronchial asthma with polyposis of the upper respiratory tract;
• perforation of ulceration or gastric bleeding in the past after the use of such medications;
• the presence of ulcerative defects of the gastrointestinal tract;
• severe renal failure;
• acute liver disease, chronic failure;
• hyperkalemia
• internal bleeding;
• blood pathology with a violation of its ability to coagulate;
• fructose intolerance;
• decompensated heart failure;
• recovery after heart bypass surgery.

It is also undesirable to use Nurofen in the last trimester of pregnancy and give it to children whose weight has not reached 5 kg.

Side effects appear mainly with improper use of the drug, it is also possible to develop them in the case of prolonged treatment or the use of large doses:

• disorders of the blood;
• allergic body responses (urticaria, bronchial asthma, Quincke edema);
• ulcer perforation, bleeding;
• pain in the abdomen, dyspepsia;
• the development of acute renal failure;
• increase in blood pressure.

In case of overdose, a characteristic clinical picture develops - vomiting, stomach pain, drowsiness, headache, bleeding in the digestive tract, convulsions. In severe poisoning, the patient may fall into a coma. The treatment is symptomatic.

Terms and conditions of storage of syrup

Nurofen should be kept out of the reach of children.

The shelf life of the drug is 3 years at an ambient temperature of not more than 25 degrees.

Analogs of syrup for children

Analogues of Nurofen are drugs such as Brufen, Ibuprofen, Imet, Advil and others. The main active ingredient in them is one - ibuprofen, but the auxiliary components differ. In addition, there are differences in pricing policies.