Why is Kagocel dangerous? Kagocel is a new generation antiviral drug. Contraindications and side effects
Vasily Vlasov, professor at the Higher School of Economics, president of the Society of Evidence-Based Medicine Specialists.
This is not the first flu season, and following the advice of the Ministry of Health and Rospotrebnadzor, Russians have been purchasing the dubious drug Kagocel. They are especially strongly influenced by massive television and other advertising. Let's see what Kagocel is and whether we should trust the manufacturer's advertising.
How to check the activity of drugs and how Kagocel was tested
Throughout the civilized world, without the results of randomized clinical trials (RCTs), not a single drug is allowed to be used. The essence of such tests is simple: sick people are divided into two groups, some are given medicine, others are not. If the group with the drug gets better faster, the drug is approved.
Manufacturers of Arbidol, Atorvastatin, Dexamethasone and other drugs are conducting RCTs to prove their effectiveness. What benefits of Kagocel have been confirmed by RCTs?
Let's use the best and free information. On the pubmed.gov website, enter “kagocel AND randomized controlled trial” in the search bar. The first part selects all publications mentioning Kagocel, the second - all RCTs. We receive 12 articles mentioning Kagocel. Not a single RCT.
If you dig deeper, it turns out that in some Russian journals there is still a mention of two simple blind RCTs of Kagocel. They are very small (one has 81 adults, the other has 60 children). The quality of such studies is questionable.
Antiviral
The Russian Ministry of Health recommends Kagocel “for the treatment and prevention of ARVI (acute respiratory viral infections) and influenza, as well as for the treatment of herpes.” It turns out that a healthy person will not get sick, but a sick person will get better. As we have seen, there is no convincing evidence of the effectiveness of Kagocel. Just please do not confuse symptomatic remedies, which only relieve symptoms, and remedies that treat the disease (early recovery)! It has not been proven that Kagocel supposedly prevents complications of influenza. Not everyone knows that every year hundreds of people in the country die from complications from the flu.
Side effects of Kagocel
The Kagocel molecule consists of two parts: carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and gossypol.
CMC is the basis detergents and wallpaper glue.
Gossypol is a substance of plant origin. Before its introduction, Kagocel was primarily studied for its suppression of male reproductive function. At one time, they even wanted to use gossypol as a contraceptive. They were afraid of its toxic effects and the fact that the suppression of spermatogenesis in men can be very long-lasting. The toxicity of gossypol is analyzed in their article by E. Ushkalova and N. Chukhareva.
How do Kagocel manufacturers protect themselves? They claim that the drug contains gossypol in bound form and is not dangerous. How do they prove this? Experiments on mice! Only over the many years of Kagocel’s existence, no one showed us the results of studies on humans.
Kagocel actively produces interferons in the body. These are substances that animal cells release when they are infected, intoxicated, or damaged. It turns out that by forcing cells to produce interferons, you can protect them from the virus. Everything seems to be logical. But research doesn't confirm this. We still don't have evidence.
It is unknown whether Kagocel protects against influenza and ARVI or not. It is unknown whether he is dangerous or not.
A logical question is why Kagocel was allowed to be sold without a prescription? All over the world, only safe and well-studied drugs are sold this way. Another question: how did a toxic drug end up on the List of Vital Drugs? necessary medications? Drug manufacturers seek a place on this List because it significantly increases sales...
Merkulova L.N. et al. Therapeutic effectiveness of Kagocel... Clin. Pharmacol. Therap., 2002. 11(6):21-3
Kharlamova F. S. et al. Clinical effectiveness of the drug Kagocel... Children's infections, 2010. (4): 1-7.
E. Ushkalova, N. Chukhareva. Leaders in sales of over-the-counter drugs and their safety problems. Doctor, 2014. (9)
Does the antiviral drug Kagocel work well, why does the Russian Government recommend it, but the World Health Organization does not know, whether doctors can be suspected of falsifying the results of the study and whether the drug will be tested according to international standards, the site says.
In September 2016, according to DSM Group estimates, Kagocel took first place in the list of the top 20 best-selling drugs in Russia, accounting for 0.97% of all sales of pharmaceuticals. Kagotsel's turnover is measured annually in billions of rubles. What is really working in this scheme: the active substance of the drug or the marketing?
From what, from what?
Kagocel is a Russian drug that is recommended to combat influenza, ARVI and herpes. Its active ingredient should stimulate the production of interferons in the human body - proteins that are released in response to the appearance of viruses, bacteria and the presence of tumor cells. With the help of interferons, cells “warn” each other about danger, advising neighbors to strengthen their defenses.
As indicated on the drug’s website (section “Safety”), Kagocel is Chemical substance, during the synthesis of which gossypol molecules are firmly attached to carboxymethylcellulose molecules (a cellulose derivative).
Gossypol is a naturally occurring polyphenol, a yellow pigment derived from cotton plants.
Wikimedia Commons
It also states that gossypol exhibits “antiviral, antitumor, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activity.” However, in its free state, the substance is toxic and also suppresses spermatogenesis. However, scientists managed to circumvent this problem: to neutralize gossypol, manufacturers used carboxymethylcellulose, which is designed to prevent the carcinogenic and toxic effects of the drug, as well as possible infertility. According to studies on pregnant mice, rats and human lymphocytes, this combination should not harm humans.
Interferons are also used in medicine to create drugs to combat autoimmune diseases, in cancer therapy and other areas, primarily for the treatment of viral infections. In these areas, the effectiveness of gossypol compounds is also being tested.
Not on the lists
Since 2005, Kagocel has been available without a doctor's prescription. Since 2010, the drug has been included in the “List of Vital and Essential medicines", approved by the Government of the Russian Federation.
Kagocel is not found among the drugs approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). Perhaps the point here is that the list includes drugs registered in many countries around the world, so that WHO recommendations are relevant in as many countries as possible. In total, there are four items on the list of antiviral drugs recommended by WHO, while treatment standards are set independently in each country. At the same time, Kagocel is present in the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System (ATC system), recommended by WHO for international studies of the use of drugs.
The Cochrane Library is a database of the international non-profit organization Cochrane Collaboration, which participates in the development of guidelines of the World Health Organization. The organization's name comes from its founder, the 20th-century Scottish medical scientist Archibald Cochrane, who championed the need for evidence-based medicine and good clinical trials and wrote the book Efficiency and Effectiveness: Random Reflections on Health Care. Medical scientists and pharmacists consider the Cochrane Database to be one of the most authoritative sources of such information: the publications included in it have been selected according to the standards of evidence-based medicine and report the results of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials.
Among scientific articles about research on the effectiveness of Kagocel, which can be found in the international databases PubMed or MEDLINE, the vast majority were published in Russian scientific journals with a low impact factor. Thus, one of the most comprehensive articles with experimental data was published in the journal Clinical Pharmacology and Therapy, which in 2007 (five years after publication) had an impact factor of 0.201.
Impact factor is an indicator that reflects the frequency of citations of articles in a scientific journal over a certain period (usually two years). For example, for one of the largest medical journals The Lancet has an impact factor of 44.0, and the average for good journals is 4.
It would seem that it makes no difference where and in what language the article is published, as long as the drug works. However, it must be taken into account that articles published in national languages do not exist for scientists from other countries. Some of the articles presented on the company’s website and addressed, as stated there, to “specialists”, are written not in a scientific, but in a journalistic style. It seems that their main goal is to attract attention, and not to provide a convincing evidence base. Among them there are also reviews that use the authors’ references mainly to themselves, that is, to the same Russian-language works.
There are also articles that present only a mathematical model or testing at the cellular level (need I explain that to prove clinical effectiveness, reliable data on tests at the level of the body, and the human one, is also necessary).
They exist!
It would be disingenuous to remain silent about those articles that are nevertheless published in English in foreign publications and can be found by searching for “kagocel” in the PubMed system. One of them was published in the Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research, whose impact factor as of 2015 is 2.135. This article is a review entitled "Russian experience in screening, analysis and clinical use of new interferon inducers." No experiments were conducted during the compilation of this material; it is based on information from other studies (Russian-language and in low-rated journals).
To this it can be objected that Russian journals, in principle, are poorly integrated into international science, hence the low ratings. But to place Russian experience in a special niche when science has long become international, and to demonstrate its few achievements against the backdrop of the general proud isolationism of any country, looks at least ridiculous.
Another review, already published in Current Pharmaceutical Design (impact factor 2.86), also does not contain experimental data and is “ short description the most popular interferon inducers ( substances that stimulate the production of interferons - approx. website)". Kagocel in both of these works is mentioned not just one, but in a list of several (in the second case - more than 20) inducers of interferon production, for many of which the effectiveness has been scientifically proven.
Two more works were published on English language in Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. This publication is a translated version of two Russian-language journals (“Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine” and “Cell Technologies in Biology and Medicine”) and has an impact factor of 0.488. One article talks about the fact that the drug Ridostin is more effective than Kagocel, and the other talks about the effect of Kagocel on the number of multipotent stromal cells (those that can turn into different cells bone tissue, cartilage or become fat) and the functioning of cytokine genes (signaling molecules that trigger many reactions that can tell a cell to grow or make it die) in mouse cells. Both studies were carried out at the cell culture level.
A very recent study was published in Therapeutic Archives (impact factor 0.693) in November 2016. This study involved almost 19,000 people from four countries (Russia, Georgia, Moldova and Armenia) over 18 years of age diagnosed with ARVI or influenza. In the course of the work, the scientists examined three visits of each patient to the doctor, the intervals between which were not regulated, and each doctor treated according to the methodology accepted in his country. At the end of the study, scientists concluded that the drug has a positive effect on the course of influenza and ARVI.
Treatment as needed
The fact that articles on the effectiveness of a drug that manufacturers call revolutionary are not accepted in major foreign journals is not the result of the pharmaceutical lobby or a political boycott of domestic developments. In order for a research article to be accepted for publication in an international scientific journal good level, it is necessary to adhere to existing standards and research methodology. For example, when comparing a study drug with a placebo, neither patients nor doctors should know which group is receiving the real drug and which should be content with a dummy drug, so that researchers are not tempted to intentionally (or unintentionally) distort the statistics of the results.
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled method is a method of clinical drug research in which the subjects are not privy to important details of the study. “Double blind” means that neither the subjects nor the experimenters know who is being treated with what, “randomized” means that the assignment to groups is random, and placebo is used to show that the effect of the drug is not based on self-hypnosis and that This medicine helps better than a tablet without active ingredients. This method prevents subjective distortion of the results. Sometimes the control group is given another drug with proven effectiveness, rather than a placebo, to show that the drug not only treats better than nothing, but is superior to its analogues.
In these articles you may see the expression “single-blind, placebo-controlled study.” Before the adoption of new standards in 2010, that is, during the period of work, such research was “counted” as sufficient, but there is a catch in it. “Simple blind” means that patients don’t know who gets what, but doctors do. Considering that both groups received penicillin drugs and symptomatic treatment of influenza “as needed,” it is quite possible to suspect doctors of deliberate manipulation or unknowingly dispensing slightly larger doses of other medications to those treated with Kagocel, caused by the desire to receive best result. To be fair, it is worth making a reservation: in this work, the criteria for improving the patient’s condition are not vague indicators like “general improvement in well-being,” but quantitative, objective parameters, such as the patient’s body temperature and the presence of inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx.
However, this is not enough to unconditionally recognize the effectiveness of the drug, the course of the trial of which doctors could covertly influence. To protect yourself from all suspicions of falsification, it is necessary to follow the generally accepted rules of clinical trials and conduct a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, which has a sobering effect on many scientific papers, like midnight on Cinderella.
In addition, discovering that some drug in a fairly crowded niche is more effective than a placebo is pointless work. International standards (for example, the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association) require in such cases to compare the new drug with existing ones. After all, there is no need to create a medicine that helps better than no treatment when there are many analogues on the market with proven effectiveness. The scientific community also criticizes the insufficiently clearly defined information about the sample, which does not provide sufficiently detailed information about the gender, age and other data of the subjects. Thus, one of the articles mentions the measurement of interferon levels, ECG, and other parameters, but the data themselves are presented rather sparingly.
Comma instead of dot
At a press conference dedicated to the innovative development of the Kaluga region (where the plant producing the drug is located), the site’s correspondent asked representatives of NEARMEDIC PLUS why the company was not conducting research that would allow the drug to enter the international market outside the CIS countries.
Vladimir Nesterenko, CEO company, replied that nothing prevents the company from entering the international market: “We are in the process. In order for any manufacturer, Russian and not only, to enter the international market, it is necessary to comply with the rules of international GMP ( Good Manufacturing Practic, Good Manufacturing Practice, is a system of rules and regulations governing the production of medicines, medical devices and diagnostics, approx. website) production and produce both the substance and the final product. Without this, even if you have a very a good product and it was made normally from the point of view of the country where it was produced, nothing will work out. There are all sorts of bureaucratic subtleties.”
“We deliberately decided to invest a lot of money and build our own pharmaceutical plant in the Kaluga region, which satisfies both the European bureaucratic system and the FDA (Food and Drud Administration, Office for Sanitary Supervision of Quality food products and US medicines), similar to the American one. Now we are forced to repeat the long path that we have already traveled, make our own substance at our production facility, study the preclinical again, and then conduct clinical trials again. This is a long path that will take 5-7 years, and we are going to go through it,” says Vladimir Nesterenko.
Information about whether research on the drug has begun and, if so, how it will end, will need to wait for several more years. Therefore, the site can neither recommend a drug nor do the opposite: on this moment Kagocel did not provide sufficiently convincing arguments for either the first or the second.
I rarely get colds, although I get a runny nose every time it gets cold. I lie flat and have a fever about once a year. So this fall, the cold caught up with me again: on the November holidays, I was hanging out in the square, got caught in the rain and got my feet wet. The result was a runny nose, and then a fever.
Through much torment of doubt, I acquired antiviral drug Kagocel. The manufacturer, by the way, is a Russian pharmaceutical company. I was surprised when I found out. My treatment stories will be in the review, let's go!
"Kagotsel" is a Russian medicinal product. In the USA and Western Europe not registered. According to representatives of the Formulary Committee of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and SDDM, the effectiveness of the drug has not been proven.
That is why I doubted whether to take the drug again, despite the fact that I had already taken it. In general, you can find a lot of negative things about Kagocel on the Internet, but I didn’t bother to overwhelm myself with information. All my acquaintances and friends actively advised me of it as an effective remedy for colds, and I succumbed to persuasion. Main For me it was to quickly recover from ARVI and get back on my feet. Usually, at the first signs of illness, I save myself with all sorts of powders, but this time they did not help me.
For sale Kagocel in any pharmacy, the only difference is the price, available without a prescription. I bought in the pharmacies "Mint" and "First Aid" (St. Petersburg) for 244 and 248 rubles. Not the cheapest pharmacies, but it was not possible to go to others, since they are far from home. For Kagocel the price in Ozerki (St. Petersburg) is 212 rubles. This is the cost of one box of 10 tablets.
A course of treatment requires two packages, the monetary equivalent of 500 rubles. My opinion: Even if it costs a thousand, the main thing is that it heals! Health is not an area where you need to save money.
For sale Kagocel in a glossy cardboard box, which contains one blister of tablets and instructions for use. The design of the box is simple, in gray and white tones. Present brief information about the drug, best before date, which amounts to 2 years.When I was googling quotes for a review, I saw that just a couple of days ago the design of the box changed. Now it is wider and yellow in color (photo below). The following information regarding the new packaging was found online:
Now the packaging has a QR code that can be read using a smartphone or tablet, go to the official website of the drug and get detailed information about Kagocel.
The new blister is more convenient to use, and the manufacturer has also added information in Braille to the packaging. For those who are thrifty, there is great news: the shelf life of the antiviral drug Kagocel is now 4 years.
The tablets themselves are simply milipizer in size! This size will not scare children. A Kagocel tablet is several times less than fifty and ten kopecks. Color they have beige smell don't have, but taste I didn’t feel it during the reception. He probably doesn't exist either. Swallowed without problems, although Kagocel should be washed down better water, like any other tablets.
How to use Kagocel adults and children described in detail in the instructions for use. I quote it here in full. To view the picture in large format, click on it. I highlighted the points about dosage and method of use in red. The instructions, unfortunately, have their drawbacks, since they do not indicate whether to take Kagocel before or after meals and at what time interval. I came to this information through experience.
For a course of treatment colds (adults) require 2 packs of 10 tablets, As a result, there are 2 extra tablets left, which it is not clear what to do with. Kagocel 20 tablets do not exist, which is a pity. It would be nice if they made one package of 18 or 20 tablets. Kagocel can also be used for prevention, but there will be completely different dosages and financial costs.
How to take Kagocel for adults with a cold? I took 2 tablets according to the instructions on the first day, then one tablet three times a day. Total the course of treatment is 4 days. Very convenient, especially if the drug helps. But he only helped me once, just this year.
My first acquaintance with Kagocel took place in 2016, I caught a cold and had heat. I was treated with powder antipyretic Vicks Active and, in fact, the subject of this review. I started treatment on time; I didn’t want to get sick during the holidays. Then I did not notice a pronounced effect from Kagocel. I was completely cured within a week, that is, three days after taking the pills. Vicks helped relieve the temperature. Then I was treated for cough for another month.
During the November holidays of 2017 (I’m lucky to get sick when people are out and about!) my ARVI was less severe; at first my nose was very stuffy. I took AnviMax powder at night. I seemed to feel better in the morning, but I also had a sore throat.
On the second day I was treated only with AnviMax. By the evening of the second day, a low-grade fever appeared - 37.2. I really don’t like this one, it’s hard to knock it down. I took the powder and sweated well. But on the morning of the third day, the temperature remained, weakness and dizziness appeared. It was decided to take Kagocel. When they brought it to me, I took 2 tablets at once. Since I did not start taking the medicine in the morning, I took the tablets at intervals of 4 hours. In the evening of the same day I felt better, drank the powder, sweated and the temperature became normal!
Then I drank Kagocel after breakfast, lunch and dinner one tablet for 3 days. Tablet My health gradually improved, the temperature did not return. For the throat, I additionally used Hexoral and Lazolvan cough syrup. Now a day has passed since taking the last Kagocel tablet. I feel great, there is no congestion, the cough has gone away. I have never recovered so quickly.
I believe that Kagocel significantly contributed to my quick recovery the second time. With delayed treatment of ARVI, therefore, it is more effective than with timely. The answer to the main question of the review “does Kagocel help?”: Yes, but not always.
Analogs Kagotsela Remantadine, Cycloferon and Arbidol are considered. The first one was given to me by my mother when I was a child for the flu (it helped), and the second one I took to prevent the herpes virus (Kagocel, by the way, can also be taken for herpes). In terms of action, Remantadine is a more predictable drug; it has always helped, as far as I remember. Cycloferon is also a means to strengthen the immune system.
Kagocel can be used to prevent colds, which should strengthen the immune system. Do you need immune boosters? My mother, a general practitioner, took a categorically negative position on this issue. Such drugs will still not help avoid the disease, which means it is a waste of money. I, in turn, believe that if you are engaged in maintaining immunity, then only with proven drugs whose effectiveness has been proven. And this is clearly not Kagocel.
To take or not to take Kagocel the question is controversial. If the usual methods of treatment do not help, then it is worth taking a risk. If the drug were dangerous, I think it would not be sold everywhere without a doctor's prescription. But the unproven effectiveness does not inspire confidence, and even repels. Nevertheless, I had no side effects or allergic reactions to the drug. In one of the two cases, Kagocel helped me significantly, so I still recommend it. In cases similar to mine.
Thank you for your attention to the review, good luck to you! And if you are already sick, then get well soon
When faced with any illness, it is important to learn as much as possible about it. Forewarned is forearmed. Having a full range of information about pathology, a person knows when to see a doctor, what symptoms to focus on, and whether it is possible to get rid of health problems on our own and what complications should be prepared for.
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Influenza, parainfluenza, rotavirus, herpes infection and others. For this reason, adults, adolescents and children suffer. According to disappointing statistics, in Russian Federation about 16% of the working population is forced to take sick leave due to exacerbation of viral diseases. In the spring (usually March), many schools and kindergartens are closed for quarantine for the same reason. Fortunately, there are modern antiviral drugs that can be used as both prevention and treatment. "Kagocel" is one of these. This is a very popular remedy. From this article you will learn a lot about "Kagocel": instructions for use, reviews, price, analogues, contraindications for use.
Composition and principle of action of the drug
The active ingredient is the substance Kagocel (12 milligrams in one tablet). The composition also includes fairly safe and common auxiliary elements: fructose, crospovidone, potato starch, povidone, ludipress.
In terms of pharmacological effects on the human body, Kagocel is somewhat reminiscent of other antiviral drugs. The effectiveness of the therapeutic effect of "Kagocel", unlike its analogues, is possible due to the ability of its active substance to influence the production of gamma globulin (human interferon). Gamma globulin is an antibody that has the maximum antiviral activity of all substances discovered to date.
Antibody synthesis in the body occurs at the cellular level. This process becomes possible due to the production of T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, and granulocytes. Due to this process, “Kagocel” influences viruses and infections. Another property of the drug is that in addition to fighting and preventing infection with viral diseases, it can improve immunity.
Approximately eighteen hours after taking the first Kagocel tablet, the concentration of antibodies in the red blood cells of the blood reaches quite high level. The effect is quite long-lasting compared to analogues (the effect of interferon in human blood lasts up to five days).
"Kagocel" is not a hepatotoxic drug, i.e. it does not cause harm to the liver and bile ducts. It has been studied and is relatively unproblematic regarding the possibility of teratogenic and mutagenic properties.
"Kagocel" does not accumulate in tissues. The low toxicity of the drug towards the human embryo makes its use during pregnancy acceptable (only after consultation with a doctor). "Kagocel" does not have a carcinogenic effect on the cells and tissues of the body.
pharmachologic effect
For the fastest and most obvious therapeutic effect, you should start drinking Kagocel no later than three days from the appearance of the initial symptoms of the infectious disease. The more time passes from the moment the virus becomes active, the less effective the medication may be. Reviews about "Kagocel" confirm its maximum effectiveness at the most early stages colds and flu, herpes infections.
The drug is also ideal for the prevention of the following diseases:
- ARVI,
- flu,
- parainfluenza,
- rotavirus infection,
- herpes infection and others.
You can read about contraindications, instructions, price and reviews for Kagocel just below.
pharmachologic effect"Kagotsela": has mild antiviral, immunostimulating, radioprotective and partially antimicrobial activity. Belongs to a large family of interferon inducer drugs. Instructions for use, analogues, price and reviews of this drug confirm that it is one of the most popular drugs on the modern pharmacological market.
"Kagocel" is activated in the liver into antibodies five to eight hours after taking the first tablet. In people with liver disease, this process may take three to four hours longer. The active substance partially settles in lymph nodes, kidneys. A tiny concentration (about 5 mmol) may remain in muscle tissue. After a week, all accumulations of antibodies leave the tissue and not a single laboratory test will prove the fact of taking interferons from the outside.
Indications for taking the drug
"Kagocel" is prescribed by general practitioners and pediatricians to adults and children for the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections. Also, the drug showed in laboratory tests the ability to alleviate the condition of patients with the following conditions:
- acute period of herpes (including genital);
- rotavirus infections- as an aid;
- urogenital chlamydia in both men and women (as part of complex therapy);
- manifestations of viral infection - runny nose, wet cough, lacrimation, weakness and low performance.
Reviews of the use of "Kagocel" for herpes indicate that the drug not only treats existing scabs, but is also a good preventive measure due to its ability to increase general immunity.
In case of acute viral infections and influenza in adults, it is recommended to carry out a course of treatment with Kagocel for four days. The total number of tablets taken is 18 pieces. For the first two days, you should take a loading dose for maximum impact on viruses: two tablets three times a day. The following days, take one tablet three times a day. The timing of meals does not affect the absorption of Kagocel in any way.
In order to prevent viral diseases and influenza in adults, the drug should be used in cycles. For the first two days, take two Kagocel tablets once a day. Morning or evening - it doesn't matter. Then take a five-day break. And repeat the shock dose in the amount of two tablets. In this way, repeat the described scheme from one week to two months. This dosage will allow you to avoid infection with viral diseases even during quarantine and epidemics.
For the treatment of children from three to six years old, the following scheme is most effective: the duration of the course is four days, the total number of tablets taken is six pieces. They should be taken for the first two days, one tablet twice a day. For the next two days, give the child one tablet once a day.
In order to prevent viral diseases and influenza in children over six years of age, the following dosage is recommended: the first two days, one tablet once a day, then a five-day break. Thus, repeat the described scheme of cyclic administration from one week to two months. A proper dosage will allow you to avoid infection with viral diseases even during periods of quarantine and epidemics.
Overdose
In case of overdose, it is indicated with subsequent induction of vomiting. It is recommended to consult a specialist before resuming therapy.
Side effects
Reviews and instructions for use for Kagocel (we will describe analogues later) claim that in 85-90 percent of cases, everything goes well and without any complications. However, about 10 percent of adults and children may develop the following symptoms:
- chills, increased thermogenesis due to accelerated metabolism from taking interferons;
- abdominal upset - possible with individual intolerance to the main active ingredient or auxiliary components;
- allergic reactions - hives, rashes, swelling.
The simple use and price of Kagocel make this drug a leader in the modern pharmacological market of antiviral drugs. Has minimal side effects possible reception even for children. Instructions, price, reviews, analogues of "Kagocel" - it is recommended to study all this information before use.
Contraindications for use
You should carefully start taking small doses or completely stop using Kagocel in the following cases:
- Pregnancy and lactation - only after consultation with a doctor.
- Children up to three years of age inclusive.
- Increased sensitivity to the components of the drug.
- Lactose intolerance and glucose-galactose malabsorption.
Instructions and reviews of "Kagocel" report relatively rare manifestations side effects even if there are contraindications. Nevertheless, you should not tempt fate and if you suspect unfavorable absorption of the drug, it is better to stop taking it altogether.
Use for children and teenagers
Application of any medications for children requires a careful approach. Once you start giving your child Kagocel, you should monitor his condition every few hours, measure his temperature and examine his body. If fever increases or urticaria appears, use should be discontinued.
Instructions for use and reviews of Kagocel emphasize that the drug should not be given to children under three years of age. Starting from the age of four, the drug proved to be a mild and effective remedy with sufficient rare manifestation side effects. It effectively removes all cold symptoms. Relieves sore throat with sore throat, reduces lacrimation and nasal discharge. "Kagocel" will help schoolchildren recover in just a few days and not miss classes. The effect of strengthening general immunity will allow you to suffer less from viral diseases in the future.
"Kagocel": analogues
The pharmacological market offers the following medicinal alternatives to Kagocel:
- "Anaferon" is a homeopathic antiviral drug. The price varies from two hundred to five hundred rubles. Reviews about the Kagocel analogue are mixed: there are many people dissatisfied with the effect of the drug, who claim that it is just a placebo without a clinically proven effect.
- "Arbidol" is an antiviral drug with an active substance called umifenovir. The price for it starts from three hundred rubles. Some pharmacies sell one blister each. Judging by the reviews consumers leave about Kagocel, it is much more effective than Arbidol in fighting the flu and colds.
- "Remantadine" is an antiviral drug developed back in the Soviet years. It is cheap - about sixty rubles per package. Alas, its effectiveness leaves much to be desired: over the years, viruses have adapted to Remantadine, and now it is practically useless in most cases. In addition, it has many side effects and contraindications. Reviews of the Kagocel analogue called Remantadine are often negative.
- "Cycloferon" in addition to its antiviral effect also effectively reduces pain syndrome. Excellent for sore throat, sore throat, and muscle pain. Able to relieve pain from radiculitis. With regular use, it strengthens the immune system. In its own way chemical formula the main active ingredient is closest to Kagocel interferons.
Interaction with other drugs
If you experience side effects from colds and flu, you often have to take multiple medications at the same time. How safe is it to combine other medical medications with Kagocel? Reviews do not report any serious side effects. Let's turn to the medical opinion on this matter.
Based on the studies conducted, it has been proven that “Kagocel” effectively complements the action of homeopathic antiviral remedies. This fact makes it possible to take it in complex therapy.
"Kagocel" enhances the effect of antibiotics, antihistamines and immunostimulants. If you use these drugs simultaneously, you should first consult with your doctor about your intentions. Under no circumstances should you self-medicate.
When taking several medications at the same time, the therapeutic effect of one or both drugs often increases or decreases. This is a big risk, since with increased exposure to serious drugs, cases of falling into a coma, poisoning and even death are possible.
