"Smecta": instructions for use

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

Children often have bowel problems. Babies are born with a digestive tract that is not sufficiently adapted to extrauterine conditions, and its full formation ends by 4-6 years.

"Smecta" for abdominal pain in a child will help to normalize the condition and eliminate intestinal upset. This drug, unlike many enterosorbents, has a selective effect and does not adsorb beneficial lactobacilli, without which the normal process of digestion is impossible.

This very important property of the drug is especially appreciated in the treatment of children. The beneficial flora populates the intestines after birth, and intestinal immunity is finally formed by 5-6 years. The death of a lactobacillus colony postpones this time. Thanks to "Smecta", which protects the intestines, the beneficial flora is preserved.

"Smecta" is taken not only by children, but also by adults, therefore, the instructions for the drug contain special instructions for use regarding the patient's age.

"Smecta" - release form and action

This drug belongs to the group of antidiarrheals. It is produced in the form of two types of powder - orange and vanilla, so children do not refuse to drink it.

The main active ingredient is dioctahedral smectite.

The orange version includes the following excipients: orange and vanilla flavors, dextrose monohydrate and sodium saccharinate.

Vanilla powder contains only one flavor - vanillin.

The packaging is exactly the same - in laminated paper sachets of 3, 76 g.

The anti-emergency agent is made of porous clay - an aluminosilicate of natural origin with an adsorbing effect. After taking the Smekty solution, the amount of produced protective mucus increases, which stabilizes the mucous barrier of the gastrointestinal tract, creates a protective barrier to neutralize the effects of toxins, hydrochloric acid, bile and pathogenic microorganisms.

Selective sorption properties help to adsorb pathogenic microorganisms and toxins that are in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract - their substance draws in, due to the discoid-crystalline structure. In the future, all toxins are eliminated naturally, with feces.

The use of the drug - in the recommended doses - does not have a negative effect on intestinal motility, does not stain the stool, and allows - if necessary - an X-ray examination without special preparation. It is very important that dioctahedral smectite is not absorbed into the bloodstream and is excreted unchanged.

Instructions for using the drug - indications and contraindications

The instructions for "Smekta" provide the following instructions for use:

• food poisoning;
• toxic infections;
• acute and chronic diarrhea - medicinal, allergic;
• infectious diseases;
• enterovirus;
• in case of violation of the regime and nature of the diet;
• under the influence of climatic factors.

The drug is used during the treatment of diseases of the digestive tract - peptic ulcer, gastritis, cholecystitis, colitis, to eliminate the characteristic symptoms:

• bloating;
• flatulence;
• increased gassing;
• intestinal cramps.

Sweet taste does not mean at all that "Smecta" has a universal effect.

It should not be taken under the following conditions:

• with allergies to fragrances;
• with sucrose-isomaltase deficiency;
• with glucose-galactose malabsorption;
• with fructose intolerance;
• with a tendency to severe constipation;
• with intestinal obstruction;
• with a weakening of intestinal motility or - in children - with congenital underdevelopment of the intestine.

Like any enterosorbent "Smecta" reduces the rate of absorption of other drugs that are prescribed simultaneously with it, so the interval between doses should be about 2 hours.

Children, along with "Smecta", must be given rehydration solutions to restore the water-electrolyte balance.

How to give enterosorbent to children?

The dose of "Smekta" and the frequency of use depends on the age of the child and the clinical picture of the disease.

For infants - with acute diarrhea - powder from one sachet is completely diluted in 50 ml of milk, food mixture, porridge, compote, even water. If the baby does not completely drink this amount of liquid, then a smaller amount of the drug should be dissolved - for example, half a sachet per 25 ml of water. It is advisable to dilute as much powder as the child can drink at a time.

The course of treatment is from 3 to 7 days. If the condition has not improved, it is necessary to consult a doctor for further advice.

Powder is diluted in the same proportion for children aged 1 to 6 years; from 1 year to 2 children are given 2 sachets per day, older ones - up to 3 sachets. For the first 3 days, it is recommended to take 2 sachets per day, then one at a time, infants under one year old are given half a sachet per day.

It is advisable to take a solution of powder between meals, but there is an exception - with reflux esophagitis, the medicine is given to children after meals.

The advantage of "Smekta" in the treatment of children

Currently, rotavirus infection is quite often spreading in children's groups - thanks to the effective enterosorbent, 86% of all virions that enter the body are adsorbed within the first day after the deterioration of the condition.

It is very important that due to its soft structure, it not only cleanses the body of toxins, but also protects the mucous membrane from irritation.

For the reception of most enterosorbents, a contraindication is a peptic ulcer or erosive lesions of the intestines and digestive organs due to the threat of internal bleeding. The use of "Smekta" eliminates the risk of bleeding.

The drug enhances the secretion of mucus and its density, which makes it possible to create reliable protection of the intestinal walls from the effects of toxins and harmful substances that irritate the digestive tract. These actions shorten the duration of diarrhea and relieve intestinal cramps in a short time.

Taking the medicine is quite simple - the powder dissolves easily, due to the taste, the gag reflex is absent, children drink it with pleasure. That is why parents should hide the drug so that "inquisitive" patients do not take an extra dose - this can provoke not only long-term constipation, but also the occurrence of glucose-galactose malabsorption.

Symptoms of the condition are diarrhea (that is, diarrhea has become more frequent), increased excitability or unjustified drowsiness and lethargy, the skin becomes dry to the touch, and dehydration develops rapidly.

Such a case requires special treatment.

If the overdose is limited to constipation, then it is enough to wait until the effect of the drug ends, or to give the baby an enema.

It is possible to take "Smecta" on its own and give it to babies with diarrhea only in the absence of the following symptoms:

• high temperature;
• impurities of blood in the feces;
• incessant vomiting;
• seizures;
• severe dehydration - its signs are dry mouth, mucous membranes, a decrease in the frequency of urination and the amount of urine produced.

In this case, self-treatment of children is very dangerous - metabolic processes at an early age are very fast, and dehydration occurs within a few hours.

"Smecta" is a very effective enterosorbent, but its reception is not always justified.