Drops "Zodak" for children: instructions for use

Among the modern and effective antihistamine drugs prescribed to children, drugs in drops are especially popular. It is easy for parents to dose them, and for babies to swallow. One of these medicines is Czech medicine. Zodak. Is it permissible to use it in children from birth, in what dose do they give this drug to children and what side effects can this drug cause?

Zodak in droplets is represented by a clear liquid, placed in 20 ml vials. It can be both colorless and with a light yellow tint. Each milliliter of this solution includes 20 drops.

The medicine bottle is equipped with a special cap that prevents the risk of opening the bottle with a small child. It should be strongly pressed down and then unscrewed counterclockwise. Having counted the necessary quantity of drops, it is necessary to screw the bottle tightly.

The medicine is also produced in other forms:

• Banana flavored syrup.
• Tablets that have a white film coat.

The anti-allergic effect of Zodak drops is cetirizine. This substance is presented in the form of dihydrochloride at a dosage of 10 mg per milliliter of solution. Glacial acetic acid present in the formulation gives a scent. In addition, this liquid form of the drug includes propyl and methyl parahydroxybenzoate, sodium acetate trihydrate, glycerol, sodium saccharinate dihydrate and propylene glycol. The remainder of the drug is purified water.

Cetirizine in droplets has the ability to block H1-receptors that are sensitive to histamine. This action leads to the cessation of the release of histamine by fat cells at an early stage of an allergic reaction, which facilitates the course of allergic diseases and accelerates recovery. In addition, Zodak drops can also prevent allergic reactions.

Such a drug is also effective in the late stage of inflammation caused by allergies, since cetirizine affects the movement of cells involved in the inflammatory response (neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils), and inhibits the production of inflammatory mediators. Due to its ability to reduce the permeability of small blood vessels, the drops help eliminate tissue swelling or prevent it. Also, the medication has an antispasmodic action aimed at smooth muscles. Effectively such a tool and with severe itching.

Drops are absorbed very quickly, and then combine with protein molecules in the blood plasma and are transferred throughout the body. Most (approximately 70% of cetirizine) is excreted through the work of the kidneys. The effect after oral administration can be observed after 20-30 minutes in half of the patients, and an hour after the intake, antiallergic action is observed in almost all patients. In this case, the effect of the drug lasts up to 24 hours.

Studies have shown that taking drops in a dosage of 10 mg per day for 10 days does not lead to accumulation of the drug in the body. The half-life of the drug occurs after about 10 hours, but in children younger than 12 years old, this period is shorter (5-6 hours), and renal pathologies cause its lengthening.

And now Dr. Komarovsky will tell us all the secrets about childhood allergies, what causes and how to deal with this unpleasant factor.

Zodak in liquid form is prescribed:

• With conjunctivitis, provoked by allergies;
• With allergies caused by allergies (both seasonal and year-round);
• In case of itchy dermatoses caused by an allergen reaction;
• With pollinosis;
• With any form of urticaria, for example, cold or idiopathic;
• In case of itching, which worries a child with chickenpox (drops are prescribed as a symptomatic remedy to relieve the condition of the little patient);
• With angioedema.

The instructions for the drops noted that this form of the drug is not used in children of the first year of life. Pediatricians prescribe such medication only to babies who are 1 year old. For children aged from one year to 2 years, Zodac is given only in the form of drops. If a child is already more than 2 years old, syrup can be used in its treatment, and from the age of six it is acceptable to give a tablet form of the drug.

Zodak drops do not give children not only under the age of 1 year, but also in case of hypersensitivity to any of their components. For adults, the drug is contraindicated in carrying a child, and during breastfeeding.

Caution and medical supervision are required when prescribing the drug to children with chronic renal failure, if a small patient has a severe or moderate form. This degree of severity forces to adjust the dosing regimen of the funds.

Since the composition of the drops does not include sugar, it is acceptable to prescribe this medicine to children with diabetes without having to change the dose. The sweetener in this medicine is saccharin.

Allergies are different, and irritants, too, but what if allergic to drugs? This is what the next edition of Doctor Komarovsky will tell us.

Some children’s digestive system responds to Zodak with dry mouth and dyspepsia symptoms. They usually have a transient nature and disappear after dropping is canceled.

The drug can provoke an allergic reaction, such as itchy skin, hives, a rash on the surface of the skin or angioedema.

If you do not exceed the dose prescribed by the doctor, drops in most patients do not cause a sedative effect, and taking a long course does not lead to the appearance of tolerance. However, occasionally the medication can cause drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, pain in the head. The rare symptoms of cetirizine on the central nervous system, such as agitation or migraine, are also possible.

Very rare side effects include thrombocytopenia, taste disturbance, convulsions, fainting, sleep disturbances, blurred vision, trembling of limbs, diarrhea, increased heart rate, runny nose, weight gain, and some other disorders. They are determined in the treatment of drops in isolated cases.

The age of the child directly affects the dosage and frequency of medication:

• A child older than one year to two years of age is shown a double dose of the drug in a single dose of 5 drops, which corresponds to 2.5 mg of cetirizine per dose. Means give the first time in the morning, and the second time - in the evening.
• If the child is 2 years old, then up to the age of 6, the daily dosage is 5 mg cetirizine, that is, 10 drops, but the regimen can be either double (in the morning and in the evening) or once (all 10 drops are given at one time As a rule, in the evening.
• The daily dose for children 6-12 years old is 10 mg cetirizine, which is contained in 20 drops.The drug can be given once a day a full dose or divided into two doses of 10 drops.
• A child older than 12 years old Zodak give a dose of 20 drops once a day, mostly in the evening.

Another interesting program of Dr. Komarovsky about seasonal allergies in children.

Concomitant diseases also affect the dosage of drugs in childhood. For example, violations of the liver are the cause of limiting the daily dose of cetirizine to 5 mg, that is, children of any age with liver disease give a maximum of 10 drops per day. If a child has renal failure, as a rule, the dose recommended for his age is halved, for example, a child at the age of 4 years old will not receive 10, but only 5 drops of Zodak per day.

The duration of the drops is determined by the doctor on an individual basis, but most often the agent is used for 7 or 10 days. If a longer course of treatment is required, usually the drug is prescribed for three weeks, and then no drops are taken for seven days, after which therapy can be continued.

Taking high-dose cetirizine (more than 50 mg at a time) results in:

• Fatigue;
• Tachycardia;
• Inhibitions;
• Increased irritability;
• Weakness;
• Drowsiness;
• Headache;
• Delayed urine excretion.

You can help a child with an overdose by consulting a doctor and using symptomatic therapy. At the same time, there is no antidote to the drops of Zodak, and hemodialysis does not remove cetirizine from the children's body. If an overdose is detected immediately, gastric lavage is recommended, and then activated charcoal or another sorbent is given to the baby.

Abstract drops notes that any pronounced effects from the liquid form of the drug Zodak, affecting the treatment of other medicines, is not installed. However, it is not recommended to combine such antiallergic drug with any drugs that can inhibit the nervous system, as well as with alcohol-containing medicines. If you use this medicine with theophylline, it affects the elimination of cetirizine from the body, but does not affect the action of theophylline.

Since the Zodac in the form of drops is a non-prescription drug, it can be freely purchased at the pharmacy without showing a prescription from the doctor. The average price of one bottle of medicine is 200 rubles.

The manufacturer does not provide any special conditions for storing drops of Zodak. The only important point is the restriction of access to medication by small children. In addition, the child should not be given a remedy if its shelf life has expired (it is 3 years).

And now Dr. Komarovsky will tell us about a child's allergic rash and "sort through" methods of treatment.

Parents who have used Zodak in drops for the treatment of their children speak mostly positively about this drug. They note that the drug copes well with various symptoms of allergies, for example, reduces swelling of the throat, eliminates bronchospasm, speeds up getting rid of the rash, reduces itching.

The shape of the drops of the mother is called convenient and the packaging means are satisfied, and the taste of the drug does not cause a protest in most kids. Judging by the reviews, the bottle is very economical, and the cost of the drug is called mom low and acceptable, which is why it is often chosen instead of the more expensive counterpart - Zyrtec drops.

Disadvantages of the drug, many parents do not detect. Only in reviews, they mention an allergy to Zodak and the occasional drowsiness in young patients after taking it, due to which the remedy has to be given once in the evening. In addition, some kids do not like to drink drops because of their smell and taste.

Zydak has almost identical composition with drops Zyrtec, which is also produced in the form of drops.Its main ingredient is also cetirizine, but it is prescribed from the age of 6 months and costs a little more.

Replace any of these drugs can and other products containing cetirizine, for example, drops of Cetirizine Hexal, Parlazin drops or drops Tsetrin. In addition, children can be given Cetrin syrup or tablet formulations of Parlazin, Zyrtec, Cetirizin-Teva, Letizen, Cetirinax, Cetrin and others.

In the treatment of allergies in a child, the doctor may also use drugs with a different composition, but with a similar therapeutic effect, among which are in demand:

• Erius syrup, whose main ingredient is desloratadine. He is appointed at the age of 1 year and older.
• Pills Tavegil, in the composition of which is present clemastin. They are written out for children over six years old.
• Suprastin tabletscontaining chloropyramine as an active ingredient. They are prescribed from the age of three, and if a younger child is to be treated, an injection form is allowed, which is allowed from 1 month of age.
• Drops FenistilThe basis of which is dimetinden. The drug is contraindicated in newborns, so it can be given only to infants older than a month. This antiallergic agent is a good substitute for Zodac drops in babies younger than 6 months.
• Claritin Syrup, eliminating the symptoms of allergy due to the presence in the composition of loratadine. This medicine is used in the treatment of children older than two years.