Festal for children: instructions for use

Enzyme preparations are prescribed for diseases of the pancreas, intestines or other pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). One of the most popular drugs in this group is Festal.

"Festal" is produced by the famous company Sanofi in one form - dragees, clothed in an enteric coating. They have a glossy surface, white color and a round shape. Such jelly beans taste sweet and smell like vanilla. They are packaged in 10 pieces in an aluminum shell and sell from 20 to 100 dragees in one box.

The main ingredient of "Festala" is pancreatin, which in one tablet includes 192 mg. If you look at the activity of enzymes present in it, then each tablet acts as a source of 6000 IU of lipase and 4500 IU of amylase, as well as 300 IU of proteases.

In addition to pancreatin, Festal includes two more active ingredients. These are hemicellulase in a dosage of 50 mg in 1 tablet and components of bile, which contain 25 mg in each tablet. Additionally, there is sodium chloride in the core of the drug, and its shell is made of liquid dextrose, ethyl vanillin, propyl paraben, glycerol, and other substances that give it density, smell and taste.

Since Festal contains enzymes that the pancreas secretes, taking this medicine helps to compensate for the impaired function of this organ. It is due to pancreatin, pills have the ability to facilitate the digestion of fat (due to the presence of lipases), carbohydrates (due to the large amount of amylase) and protein molecules (due to the presence of proteases), resulting in such food components more fully absorbed in the small intestine.

Since Festal additionally includes bile acids, This medicine also helps to compensate for impaired liver function (to eliminate biliary insufficiency). These acids have a choleretic effect. In addition, they improve the absorption of fats, stimulate the secretion of lipase in the cells of the pancreas, and are also important for the absorption of vitamins, which are fat soluble.

The presence of hemicellulase in Festal also has a positive effect on digestion and helps to reduce gas formation in the intestine. This enzyme is needed for the breakdown of fiber, which is in plant foods.

The most common reason for the use of Festala is chronic pancreatitis, because in this disease the secretory function of the pancreas is impaired, and the pills help to eliminate this problem. In addition, Festal is prescribed as part of a complex treatment of malabsorption, duodenitis, cholecystitis, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic gastritis, dysbacteriosis, biliary dyskinesia and other diseases.

The drug can be used in the absence of pathologies of the digestive tract, for example, if there were errors in nutrition (the child ate unaccustomed food or eaten), the patient is forced to stay in a lying position for a long time or he will have to examine the abdominal organs.

Children "Festal" can be given from 3 years of age. In patients younger than three years, this tool is not used, because the dragee cannot be divided, and it is usually difficult for young patients to swallow the drug.

Festal does not apply for the following diagnoses:

• acute pancreatitis;
• chronic pancreatitis during exacerbation;
• hypersensitivity to any component dragee;
• tendency to diarrhea;

• obstructive jaundice;
• gallstone disease;
• liver failure;
• intestinal obstruction;
• hepatitis;
• elevated levels of bilirubin in the blood;
• hepatic coma;
• purulent inflammation of the gallbladder

Taking Festala can provoke vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea, various allergic reactions and other negative symptoms. Their occurrence should be reported to the attending physician and change therapy.

In children, the doctor prescribes the dosage and frequency of medication, taking into account both the patient's age and his diagnosis. Drops are taken without chewing and chewing. It is best to give "Festal" to the child during the meal, suggesting the child to drink it with a small amount of water. It is also permissible to give pills immediately after a meal.

The duration of treatment depends on the reason for using Festal. For example, if pills are prescribed in violation of the diet, just a few days of intake is enough. If the medication was discharged after an operation on the pancreas or in case of marked impairment of its function, the intake can last for several years.

Excessively high doses of Festal provoke a rise in the level of uric acid in the blood and urine. When detecting elevated levels in tests, the doctor cancels the drug and prescribes the means to eliminate these changes. Taking Festala can affect treatment with many other drugs, including antibiotics, iron preparations, sulfonamides, antacids, and so on.

It is not required to present a prescription from a doctor to buy “Festal” in pharmacies, but specialist advice is desirable. The average price of 40 pills is 250-270 rubles. It is necessary to store the medicine at home at room temperature, putting the packaging in a place inaccessible to children. The shelf life of the drug - 3 years

About Festal often respond positively, calling such a drug effective and effective. According to parents, the drug helps eliminate many digestive problems, and due to its small size and smooth sweet shell, it is very easy to swallow it for most children 3-4 years old and older. Only in some reviews, mothers complain of negative side effects, for example, an allergic rash.

A similar composition has the drug "Engistal", which is represented by tablets in the shell. It is prescribed to children over 6 years of age with pancreatitis and various diseases of the digestive tract. In addition, pancreatin-based enzyme preparations can also replace Festal, for example:

• «Mezim forte»;
• Creon 10,000;

• Penzital;
• «Mikrasim»;
• Panzinorm 10,000;
• Hermital and others

About what analogues can replace this drug, see below.