Smecta for diarrhea: does it help, how to dilute and take

Previously, when people had diarrhea, they would first take a few tablets of activated charcoal, drink chamomile or St. John's wort infusion. Now, pharmacies have a huge selection of different drugs that help with diarrhea quickly and act safely. Such safe remedies include Smecta for diarrhea - it can be taken at almost any age, because the composition of the drug is as natural as possible.

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Indications Smecta for diarrhea

Smecta can be offered to children of any age:

• in case of acute or prolonged diarrhea, if it is caused by allergies, taking certain medications, nutritional disorders, or eating poor-quality food;
• for diarrhea that develops against the background of infectious diseases (only in combination with other combination medications);
• to eliminate increased gas formation in the intestines, heartburn caused by functional disorders of the digestive organs.

Smecta for vomiting and diarrhea can be used only when there is a possibility that the drug will have time to act and will not leave the body with vomit. Sometimes medical professionals recommend first washing the stomach, clearing it of toxic substances that cause nausea, and only then taking the drug.

Smecta for fever and diarrhea allows you to quickly remove toxins from the body, normalize stool, and improve metabolic processes. In combination with other drugs aimed at eliminating the cause of fever and diarrhea, the medicine will help speed up recovery.

Smecta also demonstrates a therapeutic effect in severe diarrhea: intestinal microflora is normalized, stool is fixed, nausea and discomfort in the abdomen pass. In case of severe diarrhea, it is important not to overdo it: an adult patient is allowed to take no more than six packets of Smecta per day.

Smecta for bloody diarrhea will help stop diarrhea. However, in the future, the patient must definitely consult a doctor to find out the cause of the bleeding. If this is not done, the patient faces serious health consequences.

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Release form

Smecta is a powdery mass from which an oral suspension is prepared with different flavors - you can choose the flavor of vanilla or orange.

The powder mass is packaged in sachets, each containing three grams of the active ingredient dioctahedral smectite.

The powdery mass is light in color with a slight grayish or yellowish tint and a barely perceptible non-specific or vanilla aroma.

The cardboard packaging can contain ten or thirty moisture-proof bags. Instructions for using Smecta for diarrhea are included.

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Pharmacodynamics

Smecta is a combined silicate with magnesium and aluminum. The product has a stereometric structure and increased elastic viscosity, which determines its enveloping effect on the mucous tissues of the gastrointestinal tract.

Smecta for diarrhea binds with glycoproteins of mucous tissues and provides increased mucous protection from irritants. The drug strengthens the barrier properties of tissues and creates an additional protective layer.

It is absolutely transparent to diagnostic rays and does not cause changes in the color of feces.

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Pharmacokinetics

The structural features of the drug prevent the drug from being absorbed and metabolized in the body.

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Dosing and administration

For severe diarrhea, Smecta is used as follows:

• for children from 1 to 12 months – two packets per day for three days, then one packet once per day;
• in childhood, starting from 1 year old – four packets per day for three days, then two packets per day;
• for adults - about three packets per day, depending on the doctor's prescription. The maximum you can take is six packets per day (for adults).

For mild diarrhea take:

• children – one package per day;
• adults – 2-3 packets per day.

How to prepare Smecta for diarrhea?

The powder mass from the package is mixed with water. For children, 50 ml of water is enough, and for adults - 100 ml. The medicine is prepared immediately before administration. For children, mixing is allowed not only with water, but also with baby food, compote, porridge.

If Smecta is taken to treat esophagitis, it is taken after meals. Smecta for diarrhea is taken between meals.

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How often should I drink Smecta?

For adults, it is optimal to take one packet every 4 hours.

Use in adults

Adults should exercise caution when taking Smecta if they usually have a tendency to persistent chronic constipation.

It is important to remember that it is necessary to introduce a sufficient volume of fluid into the body. The exact volume of fluid is determined by the doctor, as it depends on the severity of diarrhea, the age of the patient, the characteristics and cause of diarrhea.

• The average daily volume of fluid for rehydration is about 2 liters.
• The diet should be reviewed while taking the medicine. Preference should be given to lean boiled meat and rice dishes. Raw plant products, fatty foods, spices, smoked foods, semi-finished products, and carbonated drinks should be temporarily excluded.

Use in children and newborns

Smecta can be used as an adsorbent in children of any age, starting from 1 month.

When used in children, special attention should be paid to introducing a sufficient volume of fluid into the child's body to avoid dehydration.

Enema with Smecta

This is a relatively unusual treatment option, you can call it a folk method. As a rule, it is used at home if the child has diarrhea and vomiting. Experts recommend preparing an enema using 1 liter of boiled water at room temperature and one packet of Smecta. The enema is given once a day. At the same time, the child should be given a sufficient amount of liquid during the day, and also given Smecta orally, according to the instructions.

Before starting such treatment, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Smecta is not offered to newborns: the drug is only allowed to be used after the baby is 1 month old.

Use Smecta for diarrhea during pregnancy

Smecta is considered absolutely safe for diarrhea, since it does not enter the systemic bloodstream and does not accumulate in the body, being excreted from it unchanged. Given this, it is allowed for use during pregnancy, but only in doses recommended for use by adult patients. Exceeding the proposed dosage should not be allowed.

Contraindications

It is not used if the patient has a tendency to allergy to diosmectite or other auxiliary ingredients of the drug. Another contraindication to taking is intestinal obstruction of any etiology.

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Side effects Smecta for diarrhea

Side effects when taking the drug are conventionally divided into frequently occurring and rarely occurring.

• Common side effects include constipation and difficulty with defecation, which usually go away after reducing the frequency of taking Smecta.
• Rare side effects include bloating and vomiting.

Isolated cases of allergy during drug intake manifested themselves with symptoms such as skin rash, itching, swelling.

Diarrhea after Smecta is rare and is probably one of the variants of hypersensitivity of the body to the action of the drug. If this happens, it is recommended to stop treatment with the drug and consult a doctor.

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Overdose

Consuming Smecta in excess of the recommended amount may result in constipation or the formation of a bezoar stone in the stomach.

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Interactions with other drugs

Smecta has an adsorbent effect that can affect the absorption and effectiveness of any other oral medications. Therefore, the drug should not be used simultaneously with any other oral medications.

Storage conditions

A medicine such as Smecta is not demanding to storage conditions. The place for medicines should be inaccessible to children.

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Shelf life

The drug is stored for up to three years. The diluted suspension should be taken immediately.

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Analogues: names

The active ingredient of the drug Smecta is diosmectite. This substance is also part of other medications with a similar mechanism of action:

• Benta powder (made in Ukraine);
• Diosorb powder (produced in Great Britain and India);
• Neosmectin powder (made in Russia);
• Smectite powder (made in Ukraine).

There are also a number of other drugs with different active ingredients, but with similar effects:

• Atoxyl;
• Maxisorb;
• Silix;
• Polysorb;
• activated carbon;
• white coal;
• Polyphepan;
• Sorbentgel;
• Enterosgel;
• Sorbentomax;
• Ultrasorb.

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Enterosgel

What is better to choose for diarrhea - Smecta or Enterosgel? In fact, the difference is not fundamental. Both drugs have almost the same effect, adsorbing toxic substances and removing them from the body. Therefore, their effectiveness is equivalent.

Polysorb

Both Smecta and Polysorb are sorption drugs that are used as a freshly prepared suspension. They have a similar effect, but have different contraindications. If you need to stop diarrhea in a child under 1 year old, or in a pregnant woman, then it is best to choose Smecta. In other cases, there is no fundamental difference.

Activated carbon

Activated carbon and Smecta have a similar mechanism of action. However, it is more convenient to use Smecta, so it is better to choose this drug if we are talking about treating children or the elderly. In order to achieve the effect of taking activated carbon, it must be taken in large quantities - 20-30 g per dose (dose for an adult). Therefore, it is more convenient to take Smecta - one standard package is enough for one dose.

Phosphalugel

Smecta and Phosphalugel are different drugs in their action. Thus, Smecta is an enterosorbent, and Phosphalugel is not only a sorbent, but also an acid neutralizer and an astringent. Therefore, Smecta can be taken not only for diarrhea, indigestion. But the indications for taking Phosphalugel are more extensive: gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, gastritis, diaphragmatic hernia, diarrhea, functional disorders, heartburn, sour belching, bloating, etc.

Which drug to choose should be based on the indications.

Linex

Linex has nothing in common with Smecta in its pharmacological action. Smecta is a sorption drug for binding and removing toxic substances. Linex is a drug containing microorganisms that help normalize adequate intestinal flora and restore the balance of intestinal microbes. The use of Linex is appropriate for rotavirus infection, after antibiotic therapy.

In case of digestive disorders, diarrhea, poisoning, it makes sense to first carry out treatment with Smecta, and then restore bowel function with Linex. Smecta for diarrhea always acts effectively and safely, with a minimal likelihood of developing side effects.