Immune-boosting drugs

How to strengthen your immune system? Lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, exercise, and, if necessary, take special medications that boost your immune system.

Immunity is a complex system that ensures the body's resistance to infectious, viral and bacterial invasions that can harm our health. Weakness of the immune defense is one of the direct causes of frequent illnesses in humans.

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Indications for the use of drugs that enhance immunity

Immunity-boosting drugs are used for therapeutic and preventive purposes:

• for acute and chronic respiratory pathologies and influenza;
• for infectious and inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity;
• for gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer;
• for chronic infectious diseases of the urinary system;
• before and after surgical interventions;
• for herpes and cytomegalovirus infections, for chlamydia;
• in acute intestinal infection;
• for neuroinfectious lesions (borreliosis, meningitis);
• in chronic hepatitis of viral etiology;
• in case of AIDS at stage 2A-3B;
• as a preventive measure during periods of high incidence of acute respiratory viral infections.

Release form

Immunity-boosting drugs can be produced in various forms:

• in the form of regular or enteric-coated tablets for oral administration;
• in the form of tablets for resorption in the oral cavity;
• in the form of a solution or powder for injection;
• in the form of liniment or ointment for external use;
• in the form of tincture of 40 ml, 50 ml, 100 ml in dark translucent jars;
• in the form of capsules for internal use;
• in the form of rectal and vaginal suppositories.

Pharmacodynamics

1. Herbal immunostimulants. The action of herbal preparations is explained by the properties of stimulating immunity at the cellular level, enhancing the phagocytic capacity of macrophage cells and activating targeted cell migration. Long-term use of such preparations can increase non-specific immunity and the resistance of immune forces to external influences.
2. Immunostimulants based on the action of bacteria. Their mechanism of action resembles vaccines: a certain dose of a drug consisting of weakened or dead bacteria – probable infectious agents – is injected into the bloodstream. As a result, the body synthesizes antibodies to these bacteria. These immunostimulants affect bacteria, allowing to prevent pathology or speed up recovery.
3. Immunostimulants based on nucleic acid. They have multiple properties: they accelerate tissue healing and restoration, activate bone marrow function and the formation of leukocytes, stimulate the phagocytic activity of macrophage cells and form non-specific resistance of the body.
4. Interferon preparations. Prevent damage to the body by viruses, stimulate protective functions.
5. Thymus gland agents. Restore the body's adequate response to pathogenic irritants, activate immunity at the cellular level, accelerate phagocytosis processes, and improve cellular metabolism.

Pharmacokinetics

The pharmacokinetic properties of the drugs have not yet been studied, or have not been studied sufficiently.

What medications boost immunity?

There are quite a lot of drugs that are intended to boost immunity. They can be divided into several groups.

1. Plant immunostimulants. Such preparations are suitable for both preventive and therapeutic purposes. They have a minimum number of side effects, are effective and harmless. Such preparations include immunal, extracts of eleutherococcus, magnolia vine and ginseng.
2. Immunostimulants based on the action of bacteria. The action of such agents is similar to vaccines: bacterial enzymes stimulate the synthesis of immune bodies and strengthen the immune defense. Such drugs include ribomunil, broncho-munal, likopid, imudon, IRS.
3. Immunostimulants based on nucleic acid. Such agents include, for example, sodium nucleinate, which inhibits the growth and development of streptococcal and staphylococcal infections.
4. Interferon preparations. Effective in the initial stage of acute respiratory viral infections. Such preparations are not used for prophylactic purposes. Interferon-containing products include leukocyte interferon injections, Viferon, Grippferon, Arbidol, Anaferon, Amiksin, etc.
5. Thymus gland remedies are used only as prescribed by a doctor. Such remedies include taktivin, thymalin, etc.

Drugs that boost immunity in children

Immune protection in children has a number of features. For example, from birth to six months, a child's immunity is based on immunoglobulins that were passed on to the baby from the mother. After six months, the immune reserve is depleted, and the child becomes more susceptible to all kinds of bacteria. A child will be able to independently synthesize immunoglobulins only from the age of six, and his immune system will be fully formed only by the time of puberty.

The use of drugs that enhance immunity in children may be justified in the following situations:

• the baby gets sick more than six times a year;
• a common sore throat or runny nose is characterized by a protracted course, often complicated by other pathologies (ear inflammation, sinusitis);
• Colds usually last a long time and their treatment is ineffective.

Of course, the question of whether it is appropriate to prescribe immunostimulants to a child should be decided by a doctor.

As a rule, from the age of three, herbal preparations such as immunal, echinacea, magnolia vine can be prescribed. Children under 3 years of age are stimulated with interferons: laferobion, grippferon, gammaferon.

Nucleic acid preparations (ridostin, derinat) are prescribed only after the child reaches 3 years of age.

In addition, pay attention to your child's nutrition, play with him more often, walk in the fresh air, and do simple morning exercises in the morning. In this way, you will significantly strengthen your baby's immune system.

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Drugs that boost immunity in adults

To boost weakened immunity in an adult, it is sometimes advisable to use several drugs in combination. Firstly, this method of treatment will be more successful, and secondly, you can use the minimum dose of each drug.

Every year, with a weak immune defense, it is allowed to undergo 3 to 4 treatment and preventive courses. It is especially recommended to take the drugs during mass influenza cases, or simply in the off-season, when the body receives a minimum amount of vitamins with food. The duration of taking the drugs should not be too short: usually the effect from them is observed only after 7-14 days from the start of treatment.

Relatively recently, pharmacy chains have introduced qualitatively new drugs aimed at increasing immune protection. These are such drugs as polyoxidonium and galavit. Studies have shown that these medications are effective even with critically weakened immunity. Perhaps the only drawback of these drugs is their still very high cost.

Of course, in case of severe immune pathologies, the drugs used should also be serious, and in some cases, vaccination is recommended to boost immunity. For example, such serious diseases as encephalitis, diphtheria, and even flu can provoke the development of quite severe complications. Vaccination will allow the body to resist a specific disease.

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Drugs that boost immunity against herpes

A significant drop in immunity can be observed during viral infectious diseases (especially in chronic form). For this reason, for the treatment of viral infections, for example, herpes, specialists have developed special drugs - interferon inducers. Such drugs are designed to activate the synthesis of the body's own interferon. In addition, such drugs have fewer side effects than medical interferon drugs.

There are several more advantages of inducer drugs:

• low price of drugs;
• lack of addiction;
• long duration of action even with a single use;
• no interaction with other drugs.

In the fight against herpes, domestic specialists use various interferon inducing medications. Among them are kagocel, amixin, ridostin, cycloferon, and poludan. Sometimes treatment with such medications is combined with the use of acyclovir, famciclovir, etc. The main condition for the effectiveness of treatment is the timely administration of medications.

Method of administration and dosage

Echinacea tincture is usually used in a dosage of 5 to 15 drops 2-3 times a day.

Cycloferon requires the appointment of a schematic intake of the drug. Treatment is prescribed for each day. The tablet is usually taken once daily before meals, without chewing, with plenty of water.

Immunal is taken on average 20 drops three times a day, with a small amount of water. The course of therapy is from 1 to 8 weeks.

Imudon is taken 8 tablets per day, every 3 hours. The duration of treatment is about ten days.

Broncho-munal is taken in the morning before meals, 1 capsule per day, for 2-4 weeks.

Polyoxidonium is used in the form of intramuscular or intravenous injections, or vaginal suppositories. The dosage is prescribed depending on the pathologies existing in the body.

Before starting treatment with immune-boosting drugs, read the instructions for the drug carefully. Do not start taking the drug without consulting your doctor.

Use during pregnancy

The list of immune-boosting drugs that can be used during pregnancy is not that long. This is because many drugs have simply not been tested on pregnant and breastfeeding women. Such experiments require large financial investments, and not every pharmaceutical company can afford it.

However, there are some drugs that are allowed during pregnancy (of course, after consultation with a doctor):

• Viferon - approved for use from the 14th week of pregnancy and throughout the lactation period;
• Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic medicine that can be used after consultation with a doctor;
• Beresh-Plus drops are an immunomodulatory drug with a general strengthening effect;
• vitamin complexes: Vitrum prenatal, Elevit pronatal, teravit pregna, pregnavit, Multitabs for pregnant women, etc.

Prohibited during pregnancy: amixin, immunofan, groprinosin, anaferon, sodium nucleinate, trimunal, broncho-munal, echinacea, polyoxidonium, etc.

Contraindications to the use of drugs that enhance immunity

Contraindications to the use of drugs that enhance immunity are:

• pregnancy and lactation period (in some cases);
• hypersensitivity of the body to the components of the drug.

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Side effects of immune boosting drugs

1. Plant immunostimulants have virtually no side effects. Sometimes allergic reactions are possible, which manifest themselves in the form of skin rashes, vomiting and digestive disorders.
2. Immunostimulants based on the effects of bacteria can sometimes cause dyspeptic disorders (vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain).
3. Nucleic acid-based immunostimulants: pain at the injection site, pain in the stomach, difficulty breathing, decreased heart rate.
4. Interferon drugs can cause quite a lot of side effects, which manifest themselves in the form of skin rashes, allergic reactions, furunculosis, digestive system disorders, disorders of hematopoiesis, cardiac activity, and the development of depressive states.
5. Thymus gland agents may cause the development of allergic reactions.

Overdose

Overdose symptoms usually manifest as increased drug side effects. Treatment of overdose is symptomatic.

Interactions with other drugs

Polyoxidonium and interferons combine well with any antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal drugs, as well as with chemotherapy drugs.

It is necessary to avoid the combined use of thymalin with T-activin, thymactide, thymogen and thymoptin, drugs that have a similar mechanism of action.

Storage conditions

Immunity enhancing drugs should be stored in dry, dark places at temperatures up to 25°C. Suppositories should be stored exclusively in the refrigerator.

You can find out the expiration date of the drugs from the special annotation included in the packaging.

It is better to prescribe drugs that enhance immunity after a thorough examination of the state of the body's defenses. Such a study is called an immunogram.