Sumamed for angina in adults and children is often included in the main treatment regimen. Sore throat, or acute tonsillitis, is a common infectious disease that is characterized by an acute inflammatory process that affects the tonsils. Etiological agents are viruses, bacteria, fungi.
Sumamed is often prescribed for the treatment of sore throat in adults and children.
Sumamed is a broad-spectrum antibacterial drug. It contains the active ingredient azithromycin, which belongs to the group of macrolides-azalides and has a bacteriostatic effect.
Macrolides act as both primary and reserve antibiotics in the treatment of sore throat. They are the drugs of choice for protracted, severe disease, as well as in the presence of intolerance to penicillin antibacterial agents and cephalosporins.
The drug is included in the first line of antibiotics during exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis, in which pathogens resistant to standard antibacterial agents are often encountered.
Antibiotic therapy for sore throat
Sore throat is manifested by severe sore throat, inability or difficulty in swallowing solid and soft food, water, saliva due to pain, increased body temperature to febrile levels, chills, headaches, joint and muscle pain, hyperemia and swelling of the mucous membrane of the palatine arches, palatine tonsils , soft palate, fibrin or purulent plaque on the tonsils, as well as painful enlargement of regional lymph nodes. Inflammation may spread with the appearance of pharyngitis and laryngitis.
Antibiotics should be prescribed only for bacterial etiologies of sore throat.
In the etiology of angina, the leading role is played by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, which not only causes severe inflammation of the lymphoid tissue of the palatine tonsils, but also often leads to various infectious and rheumatic complications in both adults and children. These include:
- rheumatism;
- glomerulonephritis;
- carditis;
- retropharyngeal or paratonsillar abscess;
- mediastinitis;
- pyelonephritis.
It is important to remember that antibacterial therapy is only necessary for bacterial infection of the tonsils, since antibiotics are useless for viral or fungal tonsillitis.
Due to the need for individual selection of the dose of medication, it is a mistake to self-medicate, especially in children. This may be hazardous to your health.
The outcome of the disease, with or without complications, depends on the correct choice of medication. Therefore, if the above symptoms of the disease appear, it is necessary to promptly consult a doctor - an infectious disease specialist, an otolaryngologist or a therapist - for examination and determination of treatment tactics.
Composition and medicinal effects
Sumamed is used for angina in adult patients and children because this drug is destructive against many bacteria. It is classified as a drug with a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity.
The effectiveness of the drug has been verified not only by clinical trials, but also by experience of many years of use. Doctors know exactly how the drug works and what effects to expect from it.
In Russia, the drug has also gained wide popularity due to the fact that it has a detrimental effect on those strains of bacteria that are resistant to it in other countries, for example, in America. However, this does not mean that Sumamed can be self-prescribed as soon as signs resembling a sore throat appear. Self-medication with antibiotics is unacceptable.
Experts recommend taking Sumamed only in cases where the disease is severe. The fact is that the drug has not only positive therapeutic effects, but also side effects.
Sumamed is used with extreme caution for sore throat in children. The product has clear age restrictions.
The main active ingredient of the drug is azithromycin. Its undoubted advantage is its ability to accumulate in body tissues, which causes a long-lasting antimicrobial effect. Therefore, sometimes an antibiotic is prescribed for sore throat or other inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system for only 3 days.
It has been established that the last dose taken will act for another week, destroying all pathogenic flora in the area of inflammation.
The drug is resistant to the acidic environment of the stomach, so it is not destroyed when taken orally. Once in the blood, it quickly reaches the source of infection, penetrates the cell membranes of bacteria and destroys them.
Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of Sumamed
The mechanism of action of azithromycin in the antibiotic Sumamed is to suppress the synthesis of microbial cell protein. After binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit, peptide translocase is inhibited at the translation stage, which leads to suppression of protein synthesis, slower growth and reproduction of bacteria.
Azithromycin belongs to the group of macrolide-azalides
At high concentrations, azithromycin has a bactericidal effect.
The spectrum of action of the antibiotic includes gram-positive, gram-negative, anaerobic and intracellular microorganisms: staphylococci, streptococci of groups A, B, C, G, pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, gonococci, chlamydia, mycoplasma, fusobacteria.
Bacterial resistance to azithromycin, according to various authors, is 10–20%. The drug is well absorbed and quickly distributed in the body, transported by phagocytes to the site of infection, and concentrated in tissues and cells. Due to the ability to penetrate membranes, the effectiveness of azithromycin against intracellular pathogens increases.
Sumamed has a very long half-life, which ranges from 35 to 50 hours or more. Therapeutic concentrations of azithromycin are maintained for up to 5–7 days after the last dose.
The substance is excreted unchanged through the intestines and kidneys.
The interaction of an antibiotic with other drugs in most cases does not affect the absorption and concentration of simultaneously prescribed drugs, but it is important to warn the doctor about all drugs taken.
The drug is included in the first line of antibiotics during exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis, in which pathogens resistant to standard antibacterial agents are often encountered.
According to reviews, Sumamed relieves a sore throat in a few days. The pain syndrome is quickly relieved, body temperature decreases, swelling and inflammation of the mucous membrane of the palatine tonsils and oropharynx are resolved, and purulent discharge stops.
Contraindications
Sumamed compares favorably with many antibiotics in that it has a minimal set of contraindications. It cannot be used to treat people who are hypersensitive to the main active substance. The drug is prohibited for use by patients with impaired kidney and liver function. In this case, the pathology must have a severe course.
Another absolute prohibition regarding taking the drug is under 6 months of age.
Mode of application
The drug is taken orally 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals. The dispersible tablet can be swallowed whole with water or dissolved in 50 ml of water. The resulting suspension must be mixed thoroughly before administration.
Sumamed is taken orally with water, or the tablet is dissolved in 50 ml of water.
The severity of the condition often determines how long you need to take the medicine.
In most cases, adults are prescribed the drug 1 tablet per day for 3 days.
The dosage of Sumamed for angina in children is calculated individually by the attending physician, depending on body weight: 20 mg per kg, drink once a day for 3 days. The dose per course of treatment is 60 mg per kg of body weight.
If you miss one dose of Sumamed, it should be taken as soon as possible, and the next one should be taken 24 hours later.
While taking an antibiotic, it is considered necessary to use complex products containing lactobacilli and bifidobacteria (probiotics and prebiotics), which are designed to help restore or preserve intestinal microflora. The drugs Linex or Bifidumbacterin are often prescribed, 1-2 capsules 2 times a day for two weeks.
Pharmacological properties of Sumamed for angina
The instructions for use of the drug indicate that it is a macrolide antibiotic, azithromycin. It is used for infections caused by bacteria sensitive to azithromycin.
In addition to other indications for use, it is effective for ENT diseases - bacterial pharyngitis, tonsillitis, that is, treatment of sore throat with Sumamed is advisable. Only as a second-line drug. It does not prevent rheumatism and is used for staphylococcal sore throat or allergies to penicillins.
Reviews about taking Sumamed for sore throats are mostly positive, it is very effective, positive dynamics are observed already on the 2nd day of use. However, there are cases of severe allergies to the drug in children. Therefore, it is better to cover its use with antihistamines, and in case of allergic manifestations, consult a doctor to discontinue the drug. In cases where improvement when taking an antibiotic for a sore throat does not occur within 2-3 days, the drug must be discontinued and the doctor should prescribe another medicine.
Possible adverse reactions
Like any other drug, Sumamed can cause side effects from various organs and systems, including allergic reactions such as urticaria or angioedema. Therefore, the selection of an antibacterial agent should be carried out by a specialist, and if any violations occur, you must stop taking the antibiotic and immediately consult a doctor.
In general, Sumamed is considered a safe drug, but in rare cases the following side effects are possible:
- nausea, vomiting, flatulence, diarrhea;
- headaches, dizziness;
- psychomotor hyperreactivity;
- stomach pain;
- transient increase in the activity of liver enzymes due to negative effects on the gallbladder and liver;
- exacerbation or appearance of arrhythmias;
- candidiasis of the oral mucosa, genital candidiasis;
- leukopenia (decreased number of white blood cells);
- hemolytic anemia.
According to reviews, Sumamed relieves a sore throat in a few days. The pain syndrome is quickly relieved, body temperature decreases, swelling and inflammation of the mucous membrane of the palatine tonsils and oropharynx are resolved, and purulent discharge stops.
The pharmacokinetic properties of azithromycin make it possible to prescribe a short and simple dosage regimen, so longer courses of treatment than indicated in the instructions and on the doctor’s prescription sheet are not recommended for use on their own. This can lead to a number of side effects. Thus, with long-term use of Sumamed, the development of pseudomembranous colitis caused by Clostridium difficile, in the form of mild diarrhea or even severe colitis, is possible. Therefore, if antibiotic-associated diarrhea develops while taking the drug, as well as for two months after the end of antibacterial therapy, it is necessary to exclude clostridial pseudomembranous colitis.
Indications for use
If a person develops bacterial tonsillitis, the mucous membranes of the tonsils become inflamed. Microbes produce toxic substances that poison the body. The patient's body temperature rises, weakness and malaise increase.
Sumamed for angina allows you to eliminate severe symptoms of intoxication in just a day, as it begins to work just a few hours after taking the first dose. The bacterial focus, which is concentrated in the nasopharynx, will be partially eliminated in 12 hours. Completing the full course of treatment will completely destroy the pathogenic flora and restore health.
The drug can be used in the following cases:
- Diseases of the upper and lower organs of the respiratory system, including various types of sore throat, sinusitis, etc. It is important that the microbes are sensitive to azithromycin.
- Borreliosis.
- Diseases that are sexually transmitted.
- Gastric and duodenal ulcers (in a complex treatment regimen).
- Skin diseases.
Sumamed for purulent sore throat is prescribed when the inflammation was caused by certain types of streptococci, staphylococci, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxela catarrhalis and other microbes sensitive to azithromycin.
To determine the pathogenic microorganism that caused the sore throat, you need to conduct a bacterial examination of a nasopharyngeal smear. This is a highly informative analysis, but its results cannot be ready earlier than after 3 days. If all this time the patient does not receive treatment, he will develop serious complications. Therefore, doctors prescribe broad-spectrum drugs to the patient, which include Sumamed.
Rules for taking an antibacterial drug
You should not independently change the prescribed dosage of Sumamed, the duration of treatment, or replace the drug itself. This can lead to complications, chronic inflammation or the emergence of resistance of pathogenic bacteria to the antibiotic.
Due to the need for individual selection of the dose of medication, it is a mistake to self-medicate, especially in children. This may be hazardous to your health.
As a rule, before prescribing an antibiotic, the doctor takes a swab from the oropharynx to determine the nature of the pathogen and sensitivity to antibiotics. Based on the results of this analysis, it is possible to check whether the isolated pathogen is sensitive to Sumamed and, if necessary, adjust the treatment.
Sumamed: contraindications
Sumamed should not be taken in case of renal or liver failure or individual intolerance. It can be taken during pregnancy if the possible benefit significantly outweighs the risk. It is not recommended to take for arrhythmia, during lactation and for newborns . Side effects of Sumamed include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and gastritis. Headache, dizziness, drowsiness, neurosis, sleep disturbance may occur. There is a risk of allergic reactions: hives, itchy skin, rash.
Sometimes doctors prescribe the antibiotic Sumamed , but before that they always refer the patient for tests: a throat smear to determine the microflora and sensitivity to the drug. Since any antibiotics have a very strong effect on the human body, especially a child, it is best to stop the disease with a sore throat at the first signs of its appearance than to use such a serious drug that weakens the immune system. But if it was not possible to cope with a sore throat at the initial stage, then you should not delay a visit to the doctor, especially if a child is sick.
Only a competent specialist can prescribe effective treatment and prevent possible complications after a sore throat. Take care of yourself and do not self-medicate!
