Nystatin for children

Nystatin is an affordable antifungal medication, which is often prescribed for adults with candidiasis. Is it allowed to treat children with this drug, in what diseases and in what dosage?

Nystatin is produced by many Russian pharmaceutical companies in the following forms:

• Tablets in the shell. One pack of this Nystatin contains 10-20 small round yellow-green tablets that have the smell of vanilla.
• Rectal candles. They have a torpedo shape and a yellow tint, and one package includes 10 suppositories in blisters of 5 pieces each.
• Vaginal candles. They are also sold for 10 pieces in a pack, have an elongated shape and yellow color.
• Ointment. Such Nystatin is represented by a yellow thick mass placed in aluminum tubes of 15, 25 or 30 grams.

All variants of the drug as the main ingredient contain nystatin, the amount of which is measured in current units. In one tablet, one rectal suppository or one vaginal suppository contains 250 or 500 thousand IU, and the dosage of such a substance in one gram of ointment is 100,000 IU.

Additionally, the nystatin tablet form includes magnesium carbonate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, potato starch, vanillin, tween 80, lactose, liquid paraffin, and some other compounds. In the composition of the candles (both vaginal and rectal use) in addition to nystatin, there is citric acid, Witepsol, liquid paraffin, and other components for the convenience of using this form. The only ingredients of nystatin ointment are petrolatum and lanolin.

Nystatin has the ability to destroy fungal cells, because its structure includes double bonds that make it similar to cell membranes. Thanks to these connections, nystatin molecules are embedded in membranes and form many channels in them through which electrolytes, water and other substances pass. As a result, the fungal cell becomes vulnerable to osmotic exposure, which leads to its death.

Nystatin has been shown to be effective against yeast and yeast (especially Candida), as well as aspergillus. The drug copes well with intestinal, skin, oral cavity or vaginal lesions, affecting the fungi locally. In this case, treatment does not impair the composition of normal flora in the intestine.

Taken inside nystatin is not absorbed in the digestive tract and excreted in the feces, virtually unchanged. During external treatment, the drug is also not absorbed. Tolerance to the drug in susceptible fungi develops slowly. However, the drug does not affect the protozoa and bacteria (in particular, it is ineffective against Gardnerel and Trichomonas), as well as viruses.

Nystatin is used in the treatment of candida of the skin, mucous membranes, intestines or internal organs. In addition, the drug can be administered prophylactically, for example, with long-term antibiotic therapy.

In the instructions for drugs, there are no restrictions on the use in childhood, but only a doctor should prescribe Nystatin to children and preferably after determining the sensitivity of the fungi to its active ingredient.

Nystatin treatment is prohibited:

• When hypersensitivity to any component of the selected form.
• With ulcerative lesions of the duodenum or stomach 12.
• With pancreatitis.
• If you have problems with the work of the liver.

Taking Nystatin tablets may cause nausea, stool thinning or vomiting. The drug in any form can provoke an allergic reaction, for example, itchy skin. In such a situation, the drug is canceled and another antifungal agent is selected.

The form of Nystatin is chosen depending on the reason for which the drug was prescribed. For example, if the medicine is needed for the prevention of candidiasis due to the long-term use of the antibiotic, then it is prescribed in tablets. The tablet form is also used when Candida is damaged by internal organs.

If the child has candidiasis of the skin or mucous membranes, it is more convenient to use ointment. Rectal suppositories are preferred when diagnosing a fungal infection of the intestine. For thrush in the mouth, a powdered pill can be mixed with a solution of vitamin B12 or water and lubricate the infected areas.

Nystatin tablets are taken regardless of the diet, and the frequency of administration and the daily dose depends on age:

• Children 1-3 years medication give 1 tablet of 250000 IU three times or four times a day.
• For a child older than 3 years a single dosage is 250-500 thousand units, and the frequency of taking the pills - 4 times a day.
• Kids up to a year the drug is prescribed in a dose of 100-125 thousand ED and given under the supervision of a physician.

It is advisable to swallow the medicine without chewing and chewing, but for small children it is permissible to disintegrate the tablet, and for oral candidiasis, the drug can be absorbed by the cheek. The duration of treatment with a solid form is usually from 10 to 14 days.

If the child was prescribed nystatin in an ointment, then a thin layer of such medication smears the place affected by Candida twice a day. The treatment is carried out for 7-10 days and, if necessary, supplemented by taking the medication in tablets. For 10-14 days, nystatin in rectal suppositories is administered one suppository into the rectum in the morning and evening.

Since the main component of Nystatin acts only locally, and when released into the intestine is not absorbed, the drug is classified as low-toxic, and there have been no cases of its overdose.

Simultaneous treatment with Nystatin and any of the drugs clotrimazole is not recommended, because the effectiveness of these antifungal drugs in this combination is reduced.

All forms of Nystatin are drugs that are sold by prescription. The average price for packing rectal candles is 60 rubles, for a tube of 30 g of ointment you need to pay about 70-80 rubles, and approximate cost of 20 tablets - 35-40 rubles.

Tablets Nystatin is recommended to keep in a dry place at room temperature, and suppositories and ointment should be stored in the refrigerator. The shelf life of the ointment is 3 years, the remaining forms of the medicine - 2 years.

On the treatment of children Nystatin there are different reviews. In some, the medicine is praised and noted that it helped get rid of candidiasis. In others, the drug is called outdated and ineffective, and the tablet form is inconvenient to use. Doctors consider the drug effective and is prescribed if the pathogen is sensitive to it. Judging by the reviews, the tolerability of Nystatin is mostly good, and negative effects are rare.

Replacing Nystatin may be another antifungal medication. The doctor may recommend:

• Candide. This drug is produced in the form of a solution, cream, gel, powder and vaginal tablets. Its action is provided by clotrimazole. The drug is used at any age.
• Fluconazole. This antifungal agent in the form of capsules or injections is often prescribed to prevent complications during treatment with antibiotics. It can be given to children from 4 years of age.

• Pimafucin. The basis of such tablets, suppositories and creams is natamycin. The drug can be administered with a fungal infection at any age.
• Diflucan. Such a suspension on the basis of fluconazole can be used for candidal stomatitis in a child from birth.

In addition, if a candidal lesion occurs in a child’s mouth, children can be given such topical agents in the form of a gel, solution, extract or spray, such as Stomatidin, Hexoral, Oralcept, Tantum Verde, Holisal, Stomatofit other. Lubrication of wounds or irrigation of the throat with these drugs helps to eliminate the inflammatory process, reduces pain and contributes to the fight against fungi.

In the next video you will find a detailed review of the doctor about this drug.