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Instructions for using pulmicort. Adverse reactions from the use of Pulmicort

In some cases, a cough can lead to a serious illness if ignored and not treated promptly. It can cause pathologies such as pneumonia or bronchial asthma.

Today, one of the best drugs for treating any type of cough is the inhalation drug Pulmicort.
How to properly use Pulmicort for children, instructions, dosage? Does it have any contraindications? Read on to learn how to dilute the drug and other important points of use.

Pulmicort: instructions and composition

Pulmicort is a hormonal drug intended for the treatment of coughs of various etiologies. It is a synthetic glucocorticosteroid, produced in powder and solution form. Pulmicort for inhalation for children perfectly relieves swelling of the bronchi, while having an anti-inflammatory effect and preventing bronchospasm.

The drug is completely safe for children and is suitable for long-term use. The main component is budesonide, it is quickly absorbed and excreted from the body in the urine. The effect of therapy is noticeable already during the procedure, and the maximum effect occurs after a few hours.

For what pathologies is Pulmicort used?

chronic pulmonary obstruction;
chronic rhinitis;
bronchial asthma;
lichen planus;
vasomotor rhinitis, as well as caused by allergens;
psoriasis;
dermatitis;
non-allergic asthma;
emphysema;
infection of the respiratory tract;
cough without etiology in a chronic form.

In addition, this drug can be taken for preventive purposes if there is a predisposition to the growth of polyps in the sinuses.

The drug must be prescribed by a doctor. The dosage is individual in each specific case. Before starting therapy, you need to familiarize yourself with the contraindications.

Contraindications to the use of Pulmicort

Pulmicort for inhalation instructions for children do not recommend the use of:

children under 6 months;
with special sensitivity to the components of the drug.

The drug is prescribed with caution to patients with tuberculosis, liver cirrhosis, as well as bacterial, fungal or viral infections.

Pulmicort for inhalation for children

The drug Pulmicort is produced in the form of turbuhaler and suspension - nebula, it has shown excellent results in the treatment of laryngitis in children.

Inhalations are carried out using a nebulizer with a mask and mouthpiece that are attached to it. All these components contribute to the deepest possible breath. It is thanks to this application that the product is distributed along all routes respiratory system.

Before using Pulmicort for inhalation, you must dilute the drug in accordance with the instructions.

How to dilute Pulmicort?

For children, it is recommended to dilute the drug Pulmicort using: saline solution, fenoterol, terbutaline, acetylcysteine and salbutamol. It is better not to prepare such a solution for inhalation yourself; you can purchase a ready-made mixture at the pharmacy.

Pulmicort for nebulizer is diluted with saline in the ratio recommended by the doctor. Typically, the volume of the product is from 0.25 to 1 ml and is diluted with saline to a total of 2 ml.

The drug can cause oral candidiasis, so after inhalation you must rinse your mouth.

Dosage of the drug for adults and children

For maintenance therapy, the dosage for inhalation for adults ranges from 0.5 to 4 ml. With exacerbation of the disease, the dose may be increased. At the beginning of therapy, the dosage is usually about 2 ml per day.

The dosage of Pulmicort for inhalation for children is selected individually, but if you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, it is 0.25-0.5 ml. If necessary, the amount of the drug can be increased to 1 ml, but only with the permission of the doctor.

If the daily dose for a child does not exceed 1 ml, the procedure is carried out once in the evening. If the prescribed dose exceeds 1 ml, it should be divided into two times: morning and evening.

Adolescents from 12 years of age receive up to three inhalations per day, each 0.25 ml. The product must be diluted with saline solution in equal quantities.

For adults, if the dose exceeds 2 ml, inhalations are carried out with an undiluted solution.

Despite the fact that the drug is well absorbed, it is important to remember that it may cause unwanted reactions in some patients.

Adverse reactions from the use of Pulmicort

The use of Pulmicort can cause growth retardation in children, but after withdrawal everything returns to normal. Complications after use appear more often in those patients who have been recommended a large dose of the drug. With frequent use, hypofunction of the adrenal glands was detected in patients.

The following body reactions are also often observed:

throat irritation;
oral candidiasis;
feeling of dry mouth;
bronchospasms;
cough,
headache;
allergic reaction.

Overexcitement, depression, and general malaise were also observed in children. Using the drug with a nebulizer mask may cause bruising and irritation on the facial skin.

How to properly inhale Pulmicort?

The drug is not used in ultrasonic devices.

The inhalation device is connected to a compressor, which provides the required air flow, up to eight liters per minute. It must be filled with up to 4 ml of solution.

Before using the product in nebulas, the container with the drug is shaken, opened and the contents are squeezed into the nebulizer. If the procedure requires 1 ml of suspension, squeeze out the product until the liquid level reaches the required line.

The drug enters the body only with a deep breath, so you need to inhale evenly and carefully.

If, during the procedure, small children are unable to take a deep breath on their own, use a special mask. Parents must ensure that it fits tightly to their face.

All components of the inhalation device must be thoroughly cleaned after each procedure, rinsed with warm water using detergent. The device itself should be rinsed and dried thoroughly.

Is Pulmicort a hormonal drug or not?

Many parents are interested in the question: Is Pulmicort a hormonal drug or not? The answer is clear - yes. After parents hear such an answer, they categorically refuse to use the drug.

The reason for refusal is fear of such drugs. This is because hormonal drugs can cause uncontrolled weight gain. There is also an opinion that after using hormonal drugs, the child will no longer be able to live without them.

In fact, fears are justified, and cases have been observed where body weight after uncontrolled use hormonal drugs increased, which happens due to disruptions in the body's metabolic processes.

Cases of addiction to hormones have also been observed, but all this happens due to the fact that a person for a long time used hormonal therapy and his body stopped producing hormones on its own. This ultimately causes the need for medicine. However, there are a number of diseases that require the use of hormonal drugs, one of them is bronchial asthma.

Pulmicort for inhalation makes it possible to achieve the most stable remission and significant improvement in health.

Special instructions for the use of Pulmicort

It is undesirable to use it simultaneously with itraconazole or ketonazole, as well as other substances that retain CYP 3A4 in the body. If you absolutely cannot do without taking these medications, you need to try to keep the gap between doses as long as possible.

When switching from taking oral corticosteroids to Pulmicort, the patient may experience pain in the joints and muscles. With such symptoms, the doctor may increase the dosage of oral corticosteroids.

In isolated cases, nausea, vomiting, increased fatigue. Such symptoms may indicate systemic glucocorticosteroid deficiency.

When replacing inhaled drugs with oral ones, an allergic reaction of the body may occur. To relieve it, systemic means are used.

Use during pregnancy

There are absolutely no contraindications to the use of the drug during pregnancy. Studies confirm that no increased risks of abnormalities in fetal development have been identified. However, such risks should not be excluded, since the drug is hormonal. Therefore, if you cannot do without its use, then the initial dose should be minimal.

As for breastfeeding, the main substance, budesonide, does not pass into milk. But still, when prescribing the drug, it is necessary to take into account that the child still has a risk of developing pathologies. It might be worth finding another remedy.

Pulmicort price

The price of the inhalation product depends on the amount of active ingredient in the drug:

20 doses of 500 mcg/ml cost approximately from 1300 rubles to 1500;
20 doses of 250 mcg/ml - from 900 to 1100 rubles.

Analogs

If there are contraindications to the use of Pulmicort, then with the permission of the doctor you can use its analogues:

Budenit;
Apulein;
Benacort;
Benacap;
Tafen nasal;
Pulmicort turbuhaler;
Cicortide cyclocaps.

Pulmicort gives maximum effect in the treatment of cough of any etiology. Especially good results were obtained in the treatment of patients with bronchial asthma. The drug is hormonal.

Self-medication can cause irreparable harm to health, so the drug should only be prescribed by a doctor who will correctly select the course of treatment and the required dosage.

Useful video on the topic: how to use Turbuhaler Pulmicort

Bronchial asthma.

Pulmicort contains a powerful non-halogenated corticosteroid - budesonide, intended for the treatment of bronchial asthma in patients for whom the use of nebulized inhalers medicinal substances compressed air or in the form of a dry powder dosage form is unsatisfactory or unsuitable.

Croup

Pulmicort is also recommended for use in children aged 6 months and older with croup (acute viral infection upper respiratory tract, also known as viral laryngotracheobronchitis or ulcerative laryngitis), which is an indication for hospitalization.

Contraindications

Hypersensitivity to budesonide or any other ingredient of the drug.

Directions for use and doses

Pulmicort should be administered using nebulizers. The dose delivered to the patient may vary depending on the inhalation equipment used. Nebulization time and dose delivered depend on flow rate, nebulizer chamber volume, and fill volume. The air flow rate through the device used for spraying should be 6-8 liters per minute. The filling volume should be 2-4 ml. The dosage of Pulmicort must be adjusted depending on the individual needs of the patient. The dose should be reduced to the minimum necessary to maintain adequate control of asthma. The highest dose (2 mg) for children under 12 years of age should be given only to children with severe asthma and for a limited period of time.

Bronchial asthma

Start of therapy

At the beginning of treatment, during periods of exacerbation of bronchial asthma and when reducing or stopping oral intake of glucocorticosteroids, the recommended dose of Pulmicort is:

Adults (including older people): usually 1-2 mg twice daily. In very severe cases, the dose can be further increased.

Children aged 12 years and older: dosage is the same as for adults.

0.5-1 mg twice a day.

Maintenance therapy

The maintenance dose should be individualized and equal to the lowest dose at which the patient is asymptomatic.

Adults (including older people and children over 12 years of age): 0.5-1 mg twice a day.

Children aged 6 months to 12 years: 0.25-0.5 mg twice a day.

Patients taking oral glucocorticoids for maintenance therapy

Pulmicort makes it possible to cancel or significantly reduce the dose of oral glucocorticosteroids in order to maintain control of bronchial asthma.

When starting a transition from oral steroids, the patient should be in a relatively stable condition. A high dose of Pulmicort is used for 10 days in combination with the dose of oral steroid that was used previously. After this, the dose of oral steroids should be gradually reduced to the lowest possible level. possible level, for example, 2.5 mg of prednisolone or equivalent per month. Often, the use of an oral steroid can be stopped completely.

Dose distribution and miscibility

Pulmicort, a suspension for nebulization, can be mixed with 0.9% saline and with aerosol solutions containing terbutaline, salbutamol, fenoterol, sodium acetylcysteine cromoglycate or ipratropium bromide. The mixture should be used within 30 minutes.

In patients for whom it is desirable to increase the therapeutic effect, especially patients without large amounts of mucus in the respiratory tract, it is recommended to increase the dose of Pulmicort instead of combination treatment oral corticosteroids, which is associated with a lower risk of systemic side effects.

Croup

For children over 6 months of age with croup, the usual dose is 2 mg nebulized budesonide. This dose is used in one dose or twice, 1 mg at an interval of 30 minutes. Administration of the drug can be repeated every 12 hours, up to a maximum of 36 hours or until clinical improvement.

Instructions for correct use of Pulmicort

The container must be detached from the strip, shaken gently and opened by breaking off the eye of the tip. The contents of the container are carefully squeezed into the nebulizer bowl. The empty container is removed and the nebulizer cup is covered with a lid.

Pulmicort should be administered using a jet nebulizer with a nozzle or an appropriate breathing mask. The nebulizer should be connected to an air compressor that provides sufficient air flow (6-8 l/min), and the filling volume should be 2-4 ml.

Pulmicort, a nebulized suspension, is inhaled using a jet nebulizer fitted with a nozzle or an appropriate breathing mask.

Note. It is important that the patient

carefully read the instructions for use contained in the patient information leaflet included in the packaging of each nebulizer;
understood that ultrasonic nebulizers are not suitable for administering Pulmicort, and therefore their use is not recommended;
was informed about the possibility of mixing Pulmicorta with 0.9% saline and with nebulization solutions containing terbutaline, salbutamol, fenoterol, sodium acetylcysteine cromoglycate and ipratropium bromide. The mixture should be used within 30 minutes;
washed oral cavity water after inhalation of the prescribed dose to minimize the risk of developing oropharyngeal mycosis;
Wash your face with water after using the breathing mask to prevent irritation;
Properly cleaned and stored the nebulizer according to the manufacturer's instructions.

The dosage of Pulmicort needs to be adjusted depending on the needs of each individual patient.

Adverse reactions

Clinical studies, reports in the literature and post-marketing experience indicate the possibility of the following undesirable adverse reactions:

*in isolated cases observed in children

Oropharyngeal candidiasis infection occurs due to drug deposition. Rinsing the mouth with water after each use of the drug minimizes this risk. As with any inhalation therapy, in some cases the development of paradoxical bronchospasm is possible.

Systemic effects may occur with the use of inhaled corticosteroids, particularly if high doses are taken over a long period of time. These effects are much less likely when inhalation treatment than with oral corticosteroids. Possible systemic effects include adrenal suppression, growth retardation in children and adolescents, decreased mineral density bone tissue, cataracts and glaucoma. The effect is likely to depend on the dose, exposure time, concurrent and prior corticosteroid treatment, and individual sensitivity.

Facial skin irritation has been reported in some cases where a breathing mask has been used. To prevent this, you should wash your face after using the mask.

Overdose

Pulmicort contains 0.1 mg/ml disodium edata, which has been shown to cause bronchoconstriction if levels exceed 1.2 mg/ml. Acute overdose of Pulmicort is not a clinically significant problem.

Use during pregnancy or breastfeeding

Pregnancy

Data obtained from approximately 2000 pregnancies did not reveal any increased risk of developmental disorders that would result from budesonide treatment. Animal studies have demonstrated that corticosteroids may cause developmental problems, however these data are not considered significant in humans at recommended doses, but inhaled budesonide therapy should be regularly reviewed and the drug used at the lowest effective dose.

Administration of budesonide during pregnancy requires careful weighing of the benefits to the mother versus the risk to the fetus. Inhaled glucocorticosteroids should be given an advantage over oral glucocorticosteroids given the lower severity of systemic effects when used in doses necessary to achieve the same respiratory response.

Breastfeeding period

Budesonide passes into breast milk. However, when using therapeutic doses of Pulmicort, no effect on the child is expected. Pulmicort can be used during breastfeeding.

Children. Pulmicort is used for children aged 6 months and older, patients with bronchial asthma and croup.

pulmicort-for-inhalations-for-children

Greetings, dear readers! Today we will talk about the drug Pulmicort for inhalation, the instructions for which for children will be reviewed, and we will also clarify the correct dosages of the drug. The drug is serious, hormonal. Not used independently, but only when prescribed by the attending physician. Inhalations are one of the most acceptable forms of treatment for diseases of the respiratory system in children. With the advent of this process, this process has been simplified and even turned into a game, since the devices are produced in the form of trains and other toys.

Pulmicort is a Swiss drug that effectively treats bronchitis and bronchial asthma.

The active ingredient of the drug is budesonide micronized, which is a hormone, so the medicine should be used only after consultation with a pulmonologist.

The main form of release of Pulmicort is a transparent suspension, packaged in 2 ml polyethylene containers. The dosage of the drug can be 0.25 and 0.5 mg per 1 ml.

In pharmacies you can find the medicine in the form of a white powder in sachets of 100 and 200 mcg.

You can see what the packaging of the medicine looks like in the photo. The drug can be stored unopened at room temperature. Once the package is opened, the containers should be used within a month. The suspension in an open container is active for 24 hours.

The mechanism of action of the drug includes anti-inflammatory, decongestant and antiallergic activity. It reduces the secretion of mucus in the bronchi and trachea. With a dry cough, the bronchi are cleansed, inflammation is eliminated, and increased activity of the respiratory tract is relieved.

For asthma, the drug eliminates attacks of suffocation; for tracheitis and laryngitis, it relieves swelling of the glottis and normalizes the passage of air into the respiratory tract.

Indications

Pulmicort is a drug with a large list of contraindications and side effects, so you need to know when to use it. Indications for its use, according to the instructions, are:

rhinitis;
nasopharyngitis;
hay fever;
asthma of any etiology;
tracheitis;
laryngitis;
bronchitis;
pulmonary diseases.

The drug can be used both long-term and short-term. Long-term use is prescribed when asthma is diagnosed.

But for a short period of time, up to 3 days, Pulmicort is used to relieve hoarseness in children, as well as a dry, painful cough. As a rule, relief is observed after the first session. In this case, inhalation of Pulmicort is recommended no more than 2 times a day, and in between, inhalations are carried out with saline solution or Borjomi water.

The child then inhales a bronchodilator, after which the breathing is recorded again after a quarter of an hour. If during forced inspiration the readings differ from normal by more than 15%, a diagnosis of asthma can be made. Only after this the pulmonologist prescribes Pulmicort.

Contraindications

Before use, carefully study the contraindications:

viral and bacterial infections in the body;
active phase of tuberculosis;
cirrhosis;
fungal infections;
skin tumors;
age up to 6 months;
allergic reactions to the active ingredient.

The drug should be used with caution by people with kidney problems.

Pregnant women are allowed to use Pulmicort in minimal dosages: it is believed that the active substance does not harm the fetus.

Breastfeeding women should be careful and not actively use this medication, as it passes into breast milk, but there is no accurate data on its negative effects on the baby during lactation.

Side effects

The medicine may cause side effects, therefore it is assigned individually:

irritation, dry mouth;
thrush in the mouth;
temporary growth retardation, which is reversible;
bronchospasms;
headaches;
allergic skin rash;
bruises on the face and skin irritation;
excitability or depression.

At long-term use or exceeding the dosage may cause dysfunction of the adrenal glands.

Combination with other medications

Pulmicort enhances the effect of the following drugs when used simultaneously:

beta-agonists;
methandrostenolone;
estrogen containing medications.

The following medications weaken the activity of Pulmicort:

Phenytoin;
Rifampicin;
Phenobarbital.

Itraconazole and Ketoconazole affect plasma concentrations.

Advantages

Despite the fact that Pulmicort should be used with caution in children, it has many advantages compared to other inhaled medications:

does not cause addiction with prolonged use;
relieves spasms well;
does not interact with other medications prescribed for the treatment of asthma;
the medicine penetrates directly into the bronchi, so it is much more effective than drops or tablets;
If the instructions are followed during use, the effect on other organs and systems is minimal.

For the drug to have maximum effect, it must be used correctly.

Pulmicort dosage for children

For inhalation with a nebulizer, it is necessary that the doctor prescribe the optimal dosage for the child, and also take into account cases when the medication is contraindicated.

Children from 6 months

Doctors prescribe from 0.25 to 0.5 mg per day. The maximum daily dose for children over 6 months does not exceed one mg. That is, if the doctor prescribed your baby 0.25 mg per day, you take one nebula with a dosage of 0.25, there is 2 ml of the drug. Perform inhalation once a day.

If the doctor prescribes 1 mg of the drug per day, the inhalation should be divided into two doses: morning and evening.

Children under 6 years old

At the age of six months to 6 years, children are also prescribed 0.5 mg per day, but this amount can be increased to 1 mg per day or more, depending on the indications. Therefore, it is recommended to inhale twice a day, morning and evening.

After 6 years, the dosage is adjusted by the doctor, which allows you to achieve maximum effect.

To prepare the solution for the procedure, you need to shake the container and carefully open it. If you do not use the entire contents of the container at one time, the medication can be taken out with a syringe. If you require all the liquid for inhalation, place the container over the nebulizer cup and pour the contents of the nebula into it.

It is very important how to dilute the medicine. If your total volume of solution is less than 2 ml, you should add 2 ml of saline solution (sodium chloride) into the glass.

Pulmicort can be diluted with other medications:

salbutanol solution;
terbutaline;
sodium cromoglycate;
ipratropium bromide.

Once you prepare the suspension, use it within half an hour.

Rules for inhalation

Only a compressor nebulizer is suitable for the procedure (ultrasonic nebulizers are not suitable for these purposes).

After you have prepared the suspension, attach the cup to the mask and place it on the child’s face so that the mask covers the nose and mouth.
Turn on the device and inhale until all the contents of the glass have evaporated.
During the procedure, ask your child to cover his eyelids and eyes with his hand or do it yourself so that the vapors with the medicine do not touch the mucous membrane of the organs of vision.
After this, wash your child’s face and ask him to rinse his mouth with a soda solution to avoid fungal infection.
For kids, you can wipe the mouth with a finger wrapped in a handkerchief and dipped in water with soda dissolved in it.
Rinse, wipe with alcohol and dry all parts of the device that come into contact with the child's body or contain medicine.

The doctor determines how many times a day to inhale. You can divide the daily dosage into 2 or 3 times, if the volume of the medicine allows it. Since the minimum dosage in which the medication is produced is 0.25 mg, children under 6 years of age need one container for 2 procedures.

The doctor must decide how long to use the drug. The course of treatment is not indicated in the instructions, however, when treating bronchitis, doctors usually do not prescribe Pulmicort for longer than 7 days. When discontinuing the medication, the dosage should be reduced gradually.

An overdose of a medication, according to studies, does not cause dangerous consequences, but can negatively affect the condition of the kidneys and liver, so independent use of the drug is strictly prohibited.

It is difficult to imagine at least one disease of the respiratory system that could not be accompanied by a cough. This mechanism causes great discomfort to a person and can lead to a lot of complications, so it is impossible to delay its treatment. Therapy should be aimed not so much at suppressing cough, but at neutralizing its sources. Inhalations with Pulmicort are often prescribed for treatment; this method is effective even in the most advanced cases.

What is Pulmicort for inhalation

According to international standards, Pulmicort is referred to as budesonide. The basis of the drug is a steroid hormone, which is characterized wide range effects on the body.

The substance is produced by the adrenal cortex. Due to its powerful immunoregulatory effect, the hormone is used in many areas of medicine, including to achieve an anti-inflammatory effect.

The release form of the drug Pulmicort is a suspension that is in polyethylene containers (250 and 500 mcg/ml). The substance is also sold in the form of dosed powder for inhalation (one dose contains 100 and 200 mcg of budesonide).

Composition of the drug

The active ingredient of the drug Pulmicort is the glucocorticosteroid budesonide. Add as auxiliary components:

sodium salt;
sodium citrate and chloride;
citric acid;
polysorbate 80;
purified water.

Action and indications for use

The action of the active substance of the drug is aimed at relieving inflammation and allergic reactions. Under the influence of budesonide, the mechanism for the production of anti-inflammatory agents is activated, which helps neutralize the inflammatory process.

Inhalations with Pulmicort can reduce the production of mucus and facilitate its removal. The drug’s effect is also aimed at reducing the production of nitric oxide. This allows you to avoid bronchospasm, which often happens with allergic reactions. Inhalations with Pulmicort promote hyperreactivity of the respiratory tract and help relieve swelling.

Thus, inhalations with Pulmicort are indicated for the following diseases:

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
allergic rhinitis;
bronchial asthma;
bronchitis, laryngitis (only in case of emergency, to quickly improve the patient’s condition).

In what cases is the use of Pulmicort contraindicated?

The use of Pulmicort is prohibited in the following cases:

The use of Pulmicort is prohibited when

skin diseases (tuberculosis, erythematous acne, dermatitis, facial skin tumors);
cirrhosis;
budesonide intolerance;
the child is less than 6 months old.

Dosage

In the case of maintenance therapy, the daily dose of the drug for adults should not exceed 4 mg. It is recommended to start treatment with small doses (no more than 2 mg per day), gradually increasing to 4 mg. In case of exacerbation, the total daily dose can be adjusted upward, but only with the permission of the doctor.

If the daily dose fluctuates within 1 mg, then one inhalation will be sufficient. Otherwise, two or more procedures will be required.

The daily amount of the drug for children at the beginning of treatment varies from 0.25 to 0.5 mg. If necessary, the dosage can be increased, but the total dose should not exceed 1 mg per day.

Inhalation of Pulmicort using a nebulizer

The drug is intended for inhalation using a special device - a nebulizer, which is equipped with a mouthpiece and a special mask. For adults, as a rule, a mouthpiece is used, since this category of patients is able to inhale the therapeutic aerosol evenly and calmly. The mask is intended mainly for children.

How to dilute Pulmicort for inhalation

Pulmicort suspensions are not intended for ultrasonic nebulizers. In this case, any other type of device will do. Before use, the drug must be diluted with the amount of liquid indicated in the nebulizer instructions (usually 2–4 ml). For dilution, ipratropium bromide or 0.9% sodium chloride solution, etc. are usually used. There is no need to prepare a supply of the composition, as it must be used within half an hour. It is recommended to do this immediately before inhalation.

How to breathe correctly

Inhalation is allowed no earlier than 90 minutes after meals and heavy physical activity. The prepared solution is placed in a special nebulizer container and the procedure begins. Its duration depends on the amount of fluid administered. This usually lasts from 10 to 15 minutes. Before manipulation, it is important to wash your hands, this will prevent germs from entering parts of the device.

Inhalation of Pulmicort for coughing should be treated with special care. Diseases of the larynx, lungs, trachea, and bronchi require calm inhalation of a therapeutic aerosol through the mouth. The inhalation should be deep, after which it is important to hold your breath for a few seconds and then calmly exhale through your nose.

At the end of the procedure, the nebulizer must be thoroughly cleaned (how to do this correctly is indicated in the device instructions).

When inhaling with a nebulizer, children use a special mask that covers the mouth and nose. Before the procedure, the child must wash his hands and clean his face. antibacterial agent. After inhalation, wash your face and rinse your mouth with water. Taking into account the features of the drug, this will reduce the risk of developing mucosal candidiasis and skin irritation.

Inhalation of Pulmicort is recommended to be carried out at a temperature not exceeding 37.5 degrees. The restriction is caused by the possibility of worsening the condition due to bronchitis, pneumonia or infection. However, if you experience attacks of suffocation or asthma, you can breathe Pulmicort even at high temperatures.

Use for children

Steam inhalations of Pulmicort should be carried out with caution in children

Steam inhalations of Pulmicort are prescribed to children with extreme caution. Depending on the condition and age of the child, the doctor develops a dosage regimen.

For liquidation acute laryngotracheitis, which often manifests itself as an intense cough and hoarseness, 2 procedures are prescribed over 2–3 days. If Pulmicort is used as the main therapy, more procedures will be required. As an emergency medical care the drug is prescribed for laryngitis and bronchitis. In this case, its use does not exceed 3 days. To improve sputum discharge and reduce its production, it is recommended to alternate Pulmicort inhalation with saline solution.

If a child has shortness of breath, emergency use of inhalations using two drugs is required: Pulmicort and. The intervals between procedures should be at least 20 minutes. First of all, inhalation with Berodual is used, this allows you to relieve spasm, and then the Pulmicort procedure is carried out.

Use during pregnancy

Many doctors claim that budesonide does not have a teratogenic effect, so inhalation of Pulmicort does not harm either children or expectant mothers. Despite such statements, clinical trials have not been conducted on this matter, so the use of the medication is advisable if the benefits of taking it outweigh the possible risk to the baby.

As for the lactation period, there is also no data on the negative effects of budesonide on a child during this period. Although the drug itself passes into mother's milk. At breastfeeding Doctors allow the use of Pulmicort inhalations. In any case, during pregnancy and lactation, the dosage of the drug should be minimal, and inhalations should be as infrequent as possible.

Interaction with other drugs

Systemic exposure to a is minimal, since its metabolites are practically undetectable in the blood. However, combined use with estrogens increases the systemic exposure of the drugs. To enhance the therapeutic effect of inhalations, drugs to dilate the bronchi may be prescribed. No other interactions of Pulmicort have been described.

Harm and side effects

The drug may cause reversible growth retardation. In most cases, systemic complications are possible only with large dosages of the drug.

Uncontrolled use of Pulmicort for inhalation in rare cases provokes:

dry throat;
adrenal hypofunction;
coughing attacks;
irritation of the mucous membrane occurs;
skin rash;
fungal infection of the oral mucosa;
bronchospasm;
headache.

Sometimes patients' behavior changes, depression and increased excitability occur. Using a mask during inhalation may cause skin irritation and bruising on the face.

Pulmicort is intended to facilitate breathing in diseases such as chronic obstructive bronchitis (COB) and bronchial asthma. Unfortunately, these diseases, once they appear, remain with patients for life. Periods of remission periodically occur, and under unfavorable factors, problems with normal breathing in adults and children begin again.

In childhood initial stages COB and bronchial asthma are cured in 40% of cases and no longer bother the child, but such cases still make up a smaller percentage. There are also cases when the doctor diagnoses bronchial asthma, but in fact it is not even close. Therefore, parents thank the doctor for effective treatment non-existent asthma, handing out the “miracle doctor” phone number left and right.

To use pulmicort for inhalation and calculate the correct dosage for children, you need to clearly define the diagnosis. The drug is a strong drug that contains a hormone.

Note to parents - this is important! Use Pulmicort only after consultation with a pulmonologist; a regular appointment with a pediatrician is not enough. Before using the product, a special diagnosis must be carried out: spirography, and for older children, body plethysmography is recommended.

First, the child’s breathing is recorded on a machine, then a bronchodilator (Ventalin or another drug) is given to inhale, and after 15 minutes the recording is repeated again. If the values of forced expiration differ by more than 15%, a diagnosis of bronchial asthma will be made.

When the forced expiratory rate changes by a few percent, by about 1-6%, the doctor can suspect COB, and the initial numbers should already be up to 86%, which is the lower limit of the norm for this value.

Only after these studies can a pulmonologist decide whether to prescribe Pulmicort or its analogue for inhalation to a child.

So, after all, an unpleasant diagnosis has been made - COB or bronchial asthma; in any case, there is no need to despair. Modern methods treatments will make it possible to “keep” patients in a stage of long-term remission for a long time. Therefore, let's move directly to the instructions for pulmicort for children, which tell in detail how to properly perform inhalations for successful treatment.

We have already become familiar with the indications for the use of pulmicort - these are bronchial asthma that requires hormonal support and obstructive bronchitis with a chronic course. The drug can also be used to relieve false croup in children.

When is pulmicort contraindicated?

The drug is not used until six months of age and in cases where the child has an individual intolerance to the active substance (budesonide).

Pulmicort has and relative contraindications, they are as follows:

viral infections;
bacterial damage to the body;
tuberculosis (if Koch bacilli are present in the sputum) - active phase of the disease;
fungal pathologies;
cirrhosis.

At large doses of pulmicort, the drug exhibits a systemic effect, which leads to the appearance of various adverse symptoms.

Composition, release form, storage and price

The main active ingredient of the Swedish drug Pulmicort is budesonide, a glucocorticosteroid for topical use.

Pulmicort (suspension) for inhalation has dose packs of 0.25 mg/ml and 0.5 mg/ml. Each container contains 2 ml of the drug. There are 5 containers connected to each other on one sheet. They easily come apart from each other.

The drug is stored at a temperature of no more than 30°C. After opening the envelope containing the containers with pulmicort, medicine must be spent within 3 months. An opened container is stored for no more than 12 hours. A mandatory condition for storing the drug is protection from sunlight and normal indoor air humidity.

Price for pulmicort for inhalations is in the range of 900 - 1300 rubles. A dosage of 0.25 mg/ml usually does not exceed 1000 rubles, and a dose of 0.5 mg/ml, on the contrary, more than 1000 rubles. Most parents consider the product expensive, so we will consider cheaper analogues.

How does pulmicort work?

Budesonide, the main component of the drug, exhibits decongestant, antiallergic and anti-inflammatory activity. Pulmicort 0.25 and 0.5 for inhalation reduces the frequency and intensity of attacks in children, and also helps reduce the production of sputum and mucus in the tracheobronchial tree.

When performing inhalations with pulmicort for a dry cough and difficult to separate sputum, the bronchi are cleansed, the inflammatory reaction and hyperactivity of the airways are relieved, and this, in turn, is necessary to prevent the development of attacks and obstruction in COB.

The form for inhalation (container) is already thought out in itself. Parents do not need to carry out long manipulations mixing powders with solvents. The main thing is to know how to dilute pulmicort for children, because... doses for therapeutic inhalations are very important, the effectiveness and safety of the child’s treatment depends on this.

To carry out inhalations you will need a special device - nebulizer. This is a modern device where the medicine is placed, and the child easily takes the necessary treatment by inhaling healing vapors.

For every little patient therapeutic dose selected by a pediatric pulmonologist. Typically, children from 6 months of age are prescribed up to 0.5 mg of the drug per day, but if the frequency and duration of attacks is high, the dose is increased to 1 mg. Such dosages allow the procedure (inhalation) to be carried out once a day. With more high doses Treatment is divided into several inhalations.

For correct use pulmicort, parents should know the correspondence of the dose in milligrams to the volume of the suspension in milliliters. So, 0.25 mg = 1 ml, 0.5 mg = 2 ml, 0.75 mg = 3 ml, 1 mg = 4 ml.

Pulmonologists often prescribe pulmicort for inhalation in its pure form, i.e. without diluting the drug, although the instructions for use advise the following: “pulmicort should be diluted with 0.9% sodium chloride solution to a volume of 2 ml.” In practice, a 1:1 dilution of pulmicort with saline is often used.

An important aspect of treatment remains the selection of the minimum and effective therapeutic dose for each child.

Side effects occur in 10% of all cases of pulmicort use. Firstly, this drug includes a hormone, and its long-term use reduces immune defense, and secondly, like any other drug, budesonide ( active substance) can cause individual pathological reactions.

These may be the following disorders: fungal infection of the oropharynx, nausea, hoarseness, dry mouth, changes in the central nervous system (excitability, depression), angioedema, skin rashes, and others.

Important! To minimize the occurrence of unpleasant reactions after inhalation, it is necessary to force the child to thoroughly rinse the growth with boiled water. It is also recommended to wash your face where the mask touches.

Cheap analogues of pulmicort for inhalation

If for some reason pulmicort is not suitable, then you can resort to its substitutes (analogs). The most popular analogues are the following drugs:

benacort (Russia) solution 2.2 ml 10 bottles - the availability of the drug and the price in pharmacies should be clarified (used in adult children over 16 years old);
novopulmon E novolizer (Switzerland) for inhalation - 200 mcg cartridge 2.18 g 200 doses - 1300 rub. (from 6 years old);
Atrovent (Germany) - solution for inhalation 0.025%, 20 ml - 220 rub. (from 12 years old);
Berodual (Germany) - solution for inhalation 0.1%, 20 ml - 260 rub. (from 6 years old);
Berotek (Germany) - solution for inhalation 0.1%, 20 ml - 250 rub. (from 12 years old);
budesonide-native (Russia) 10 bottles of 2 ml (0.5 mg/ml) - 360 rubles (only after 16 years);
flixotide (Australia) - nebulas for inhalation 0.5 mg/2ml No. 10 - 700 rub. (from 4 years old).

From the presented list of analogues for inhalation, it is clear that the price of drugs has wide ranges, there are cheap drugs, and there are also expensive drugs, for example, novopulmon E novolizer.

Compared to all its analogues, pulmicort has an important advantage- it is allowed to be used for very young children (from 6 months).

If it is not possible to perform inhalations using a nebulizer, budesonide-based drugs can be used as analogues of pulmicort, but only in other dosage form. These drugs include: benarin, budecort, budenofalk. It should be noted that their prescription does not always clearly replicate the effect of pulmicort, so only a doctor selects a replacement.

The drugs in question belong to different pharmacological groups. Pulmicort is a glucocorticosteroid (GCS), and Berodual belongs to bronchodilators that expand the lumen of the bronchi and relax their smooth muscles.

Berodual does not have an antiallergic or anti-edematous effect, and its anti-inflammatory effect is weaker than that of Pulmicort. Berodual is often used before the administration of inhaled medications.

In general, you should not compare Berodual and Pulmicort; each drug has its own composition, mechanism of action and purpose.

Both drugs are aimed at relieving attacks of bronchial obstruction and preventing the development of severe attacks of bronchial asthma.

The following question is often found on Internet pages: “Is it possible to mix Pulmicort with Berodual for inhalation?” These drugs are potent drugs, so it is not advisable to use them in one mixture, especially in pediatric practice. Usually Berodual is prescribed first, and if there is no effect, Pulmicort is used. This scheme is practiced by ambulance crews.

In any case, only a doctor will tell you the necessary remedy, its dose and inhalation regimen.

Berodual inhalations for children - personal experience

Pulmicort for inhalation for children - reviews

Valeria

We took pulmicort when our daughter (3 years old) had laryngitis. The child had difficulty breathing and suffocation at night. The emergency doctor wrote down: 2nd degree stenosis. We were advised to have pulmicort in the first aid kit and in cases of urgent need not to wait for the emergency room, but to use it immediately.

The drug is certainly not cheap, but there is no way out, it works quickly and effectively. The doctors also scared us and said that you want to turn blue and get 3rd degree stenosis before we arrive. Therefore, despite the cost, we buy the product, the child’s health is more expensive.

We hope that in the near future these attacks will leave us, and we will successfully outgrow all diseases. Of course, I would like to get rid of attacks more easy means, for example, folk.

Victoria

I would like to immediately warn all parents against the mistakes of taking such drugs as pulmicort and berodual. Berodual was recommended for my son (10 years old). The Institute of Pulmonology diagnosed bronchitis with obstruction. They offered inhalations with Berodual, and warned that this remedy without hormones and weaker than pulmicort.

As a result of inhalation with Berodual, the child developed severe bronchospasm with a gag reflex. Called ambulance. They injected me with something intravenously and let me breathe pulmicort vapor. The attack was stopped quickly, thank God there is an ambulance in the next house. Remembering that terrible incident still makes me feel uneasy.

I believe that such strong drugs should only be used for the first time in the presence of a doctor. The child was now prescribed pulmicort for a long time. There are also doubts about this: is it possible to stay on hormonal medication for so long and then experience various withdrawal symptoms? All this is also alarming.

Conclusion

Pulmicort - modern and effective drug for the treatment of serious bronchial pathologies in children and adults. The effect of the drug will be adequate if it is handled correctly and skillfully. Only an experienced pulmonologist will be able to clearly adjust the dose and timing of treatment; the main thing is to receive not only high-quality therapy, but also to reduce relapses of the disease, and not harm the little patient in any way.

If your child was prescribed bronchodilators at the clinic, try to get additional advice from a pulmonologist. Unfortunately, doctors at children's clinics prescribe these medications when there are no indications for them. Be vigilant, take care of the health of your children!

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