Ecomed

Ecomed is an antibiotic with a wide range of medicinal activity.

Indications Ecomed

It is used in the treatment of the following infectious pathologies caused by pathogenic bacteria sensitive to the active substance of the drug:

• ENT organs together with the upper part of the respiratory system: sinusitis with tonsillitis, and in addition, otitis media with tonsillitis, as well as scarlet fever;
• lower respiratory system: bacterial or atypical pneumonia (pulmonary inflammation), as well as bronchitis (bronchial inflammation);
• subcutaneous tissues and skin: impetigo and erysipelas, as well as secondary infection dermatoses;
• pathologies in the urogenital system: gonorrheal or non-gonorrheal urethritis or cervicitis (inflammation in the area of the cervix);
• tick-borne borreliosis (an infectious pathology caused by the Borrelia spirochete).

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Release form

Release in capsules. Ecomed with a volume of 500 mg - 3 capsules inside a blister. In a separate package - 1 blister plate.

Ecomed 1000 is produced with 4 capsules inside a blister. The pack contains 1 blister plate with capsules.

Ecomed 250 is produced with 6 capsules inside a blister plate. In a separate pack - 1 blister with capsules.

Pharmacodynamics

A macrolide antibiotic that belongs to the azalide subgroup. In the case of creating a high concentration level inside the inflammatory focus, the drug acquires bactericidal properties.

Among the bacteria sensitive to the component:

• gram-positive cocci: Streptococcus pyogenes, pneumococcus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, streptococci types C and F with G, as well as St. viridans;
• gram-negative microbes: Moraxella catarrhalis, Legionella pneumophila, Haemophilus influenzae, Ducrey bacillus, Campylobacter jejuni, whooping cough bacillus and parapertussis bacillus, as well as Gardnerella vaginalis and gonococcus;
• individual anaerobes: Clostridium perfringens, Bacteroides bivius and peptostreptococci;
• and also: Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Borrelia burgdorferi, Chlamydia trachomatis, Treponema pallidum and Ureaplasma urealyticum.

The drug is not active against gram-positive microorganisms resistant to erythromycin.

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Pharmacokinetics

Azithromycin is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, this process is due to the fact that the substance is lipophilic and stable in an acidic environment. When taking 500 mg of the drug, the peak plasma level is observed after 2.5-2.96 hours and is equal to 0.4 mg/l. The bioavailability level is 37%.

The substance is well distributed within the tissues and organs of the genitourinary system (including the prostate), respiratory organs, subcutaneous layer and skin. The concentration level inside the tissues is higher than inside the plasma (10-50 times), which is due (along with the long half-life) to the weak synthesis of azithromycin with plasma protein, and also to the ability of the component to penetrate into eukaryotic cells and accumulate in a medium with a low pH that surrounds lysosomes. Such properties contribute to high distribution volume (31.1 l/kg) and clearance inside the plasma.

The ability of the active substance to accumulate mainly inside lysosomes is very important for the processes of elimination of pathogenic bacteria inside cells. It has been found that phagocytes move the drug to the site of inflammation, where it is released by phagocytosis. The level of concentration of the component inside infectious foci is higher than inside healthy tissues (average value is 24-34%) and correlates with the severity of swelling. Although azithromycin is observed in large quantities inside phagocytes, it does not have a noticeable effect on their activity.

The bactericidal properties of the substance are preserved inside the inflammatory foci for 5-7 days after the last dose. This allows the use of short-term therapeutic courses (for 3 or 5 days).

The excretion of the component from the plasma occurs in 2 stages: the half-life is 14-20 hours (in the period of 8-24 hours after taking the capsule) and 41 hours (in the period of 24-72 hours), due to which the drug can be taken once a day.

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Dosing and administration

Before using a drug, it is necessary to determine the sensitivity of pathogenic microflora to it.

The medication should be taken once a day – before meals (1 hour) or after meals (2 hours later).

Dosages of Ecomed for adults:

• for diseases of the upper and lower respiratory system, as well as in the subcutaneous layer with the skin: 0.5 g of the drug on the 1st day, and then take 0.25 g for 4 days (or 0.5 g every day for 3 days). The total dose per course is 1.5 g;
• acute pathologies in the genitourinary organs: single dose of 1 g of the drug;
• in the treatment of tick-borne borreliosis (early stage): 1 g is prescribed for the 1st day, and then 0.5 g of the drug is taken daily for the next 4 days. The total dose for the course is 3 g.

The sizes of children's doses are determined depending on weight. For children weighing more than 10 kg: 10 mg/kg on the 1st day, and 5 mg/kg over the next 4 days. The treatment course can last 3 days - in this case, a single dose for taking every day will be 10 mg/kg. The course requires taking 30 mg/kg of the medicine.

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Use Ecomed during pregnancy

Ecomed is not prescribed to pregnant or breastfeeding women. The exception is cases when the benefit from its use is higher than the risk of complications.

Contraindications

The main contraindication is intolerance to any macrolides.

Caution is required when using the drug in people with severe renal/hepatic functional disorders, and also if the patient has a history of allergies.

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Side effects Ecomed

Taking capsules may cause the following side effects: diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain. More rarely, bloating and vomiting occur. A temporary increase in liver enzyme activity may be observed. Skin rashes may appear sporadically.

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Overdose

As a result of overdose, patients usually experience the following symptoms: transient hearing loss, diarrhea, as well as vomiting and severe nausea.

To treat the disorder, it is necessary to wash out the stomach and take aluminum or magnesium-containing antacids.

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Interactions with other drugs

Ecomed potentiates the effects of dihydroergotamine and ergot alkaloids.

When combined with chloramphenicol and tetracyclines, the properties of the drug increase, and when combined with lincomycins, on the contrary, they decrease.

Ethyl alcohol, antacid drugs and food reduce the degree of absorption of the drug and its speed.

The drug increases the serum index, inhibits excretion and potentiates the toxic properties of the following drugs: indirect anticoagulants, felodipine with cycloserine and methylprednisolone.

By slowing down the oxidative processes of microsomes inside hepatocytes, the drug inhibits excretion, prolongs the half-life, and also enhances the toxic effect and increases the concentration of such drugs: valproic acid with carbamazepine, phenytoin and ergot alkaloids with disopyramide and hexobarbital, and in addition bromocriptine with oral antidiabetic drugs and theophylline with other xanthine derivatives.

Not compatible with heparin.

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Storage conditions

Ecomed should be stored in a place protected from moisture and sunlight, and inaccessible to children. Temperature values are within 15-25°C.

Shelf life

Ecomed can be used for a period of 2 years from the date of manufacture of the drug.

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