Antibacterial drugs are always included in the therapeutic regimen for the treatment of colds. With the onset of cold weather, the choice of the most effective drug becomes an extremely important issue of maintaining he alth. "Flemoxin" and "Flemoklav" - are popular antimicrobial agents. They are available in similar packages, have a similar mechanism of action and mode of administration. Their comparison will help determine whether one drug can be replaced by another.
Composition of drugs
The first thing you need to pay attention to when figuring out which is better - "Flemoxin" or "Flemoklav", is the composition of both tablets.
Data on the composition of both drugs say that they can be considered analogues. The active substance of these drugs is the same: "Flemoxin" and "Flemoclav" contain amoxicillin, an antibioticpenicillin series. It has a broad spectrum of activity and is extremely popular among patients with a wide variety of infections.
But it is impossible to consider these drugs as completely alternative to each other. The difference between "Flemoxin" and "Flemoclav" is that the latter contains an additional component: clavulanic acid. It is needed so that bacteria that are resistant to penicillin antibiotics cannot inactivate amoxicillin. In addition, the acid itself has little antimicrobial activity, enhancing the effect of the antibiotic.
Dosages and formulations
Pharmaceutical company "Astellas Pharma Europe B. V." produces both Flemoxin and Flemoklav. What is the difference between the two besides one additional component in the composition?
The release form of both drugs is water-soluble tablets (solutab). This form is considered extremely convenient, as it allows you to both drink a tablet and make a solution that will be more convenient, for example, for use in children. What is the difference between Flemoxin Solutab and Flemoclav Solutab: only one of the dosages.
There are four possible doses for "Flemoxin":
- 125 mg;
- 250 mg;
- 500 mg;
- 1000 mg.
A tablet always has an engraved value of the dose of the substance contained in it.
In the drug "Flemoklav" a slight difference from not containingclavulanic acid analogue is in the highest dose. The maximum content of amoxicillin is 875 mg.
Pharmacological properties
Let's move on to the main part of the comparison of "Flemoxin" and "Flemoclav". What are the differences and similarities between these tools? The main differences are found in the study of the pharmacological action of both drugs. The active substance in them is the same, and therefore there are no differences in the main part of its effect on microorganisms. But another substance has been added to Flemoklav. Let's take a closer look at why this was done.
Amoxicillin belongs to a class of antibiotics called beta-lactam antibiotics. This name was given to the substances of this group by the name of the main part of the molecule. For a long time, beta-lactams worked fine, but later, microbes developed an enzyme that cleaves the beta-lactam ring and destroys the antibiotic.
In order to prevent this, a substance, clavulanic acid, is added to certain antibiotics, which can take over the work of this enzyme and allow the active substance to work. Therefore, considering "Flemoxin" and "Flemoclav", you can find out that the drug with the addition of clavulanic acid will be more effective. This affects the rate at which the infection is destroyed, as well as how resistant the microorganisms that caused the disease can be with treatment.
Treatment comparison
The course of treatment, dosage and frequency of administration for "Flemoxin" and "Flemoclav" do not differ. Dosages of 1000 mg for "Flemoxin" and 875 mg for "Flemoclav" are taken twice a day for at least 7 days. While doses of 500 mg for both drugs are drunk three times a day during the same period.
Performance evaluation
Considering the question of how "Flemoxin" differs from "Flemoclav", it is necessary to evaluate the differences in the effectiveness of drugs during therapy. As already mentioned, the combined drug is significantly superior in effectiveness, successfully destroying the infection where the remedy with one substance in the composition cannot cope.
"Flemoklav" is the drug of choice in cases of diseases caused by resistant microorganisms. It is used mainly for infections of the upper respiratory tract, urinary system, skin and soft tissues.
The treatment of gastric ulcer caused by Helicobacter pylori is also considered separately. The use of protected combined antibiotics in therapy increases the success of therapy by more than 90% compared with the use of unprotected beta-lactam. Therefore, the advantage of "Flemoclav" in this case is absolutely obvious.
Use in pediatric practice
Specifically, the use in pediatrics does not indicate any difference between "Flemoxin Solutab" and "Flemoklava Solutab" in terms of ease of use. Both drugs can be used in children with a doctor's permission. A child from 3 months old can be treated with these antibiotics. Medicin althe form of Solutab allows you to dissolve (disperse) the drug in water and give the solution to children, which is much more convenient than taking antibiotics in a tablet.
For children, "Flemoxin" and "Flemoclav" are available in dosages of 375 mg and 250 mg, which are used twice and thrice a day, respectively. It must be remembered that both drugs should be taken at the same time intervals.
From the age of 10, the child can increase the dosage to an adult and take the drug according to the same scheme that is used for adult patients: 500 mg three times a day and 875 mg (1000 mg for Flemoxin) twice a day.
User safety
The safety of using the drug is not the last factor when choosing antibiotics, as this group is capable of producing many undesirable side effects. In addition, the fact that monopreparations are still popular, despite the advantage of combined versions, suggests that Flemoklav is still worse in terms of safety.
This is true: despite the fact that the active substance of both drugs is the same, the additional substance in the composition of "Flemoclav" can also give a number of side effects. This is mainly due to the similar structure of clavulanic acid to other beta-lactam substances.
Complaints about side effects in the case of the use of "Flemoclav" occur more often than for a single drug, and liver diseases are recorded six timesmore often.
Since the patient cannot independently assess the level of drug safety, it is recommended to trust the attending physician, who, based on the medical history of a particular person, will be able to draw a conclusion about the advisability of taking one or another antibiotic.
Cost of drugs
Another equally important part of the comparison is the price. "Flemoksin" and "Flemoklav" are produced by the same manufacturer, but at the same time they have a seriously different cost. Differences in prices between medicines of similar dosages can reach 30%, which is extremely important when buying an antibiotic for people with limited financial resources.
Therefore, when choosing how to be treated, you need to focus on the course of therapy, calculating its full cost. In order not to interrupt it in the middle to replace a more expensive drug with a cheaper one. Such substitutions may adversely affect the success of treatment. Sometimes it is more rational to buy a cheap generic with exactly the same composition than to refuse a combined antibiotic in favor of a monopreparation from the same company.
Replacing one drug with another
As mentioned above, replacing "Flemoclav" with "Flemoxin" and vice versa in the middle of the course is highly undesirable, since microorganisms can develop additional resistance to the drug. But for cases where the prescribed drug is not on sale or it will not arrive soon, it is allowed to purchase a similar one, but with added or absent clavulanic acid.acid.
Exceptions are diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. In this case, treatment with a combination drug is mandatory, since an antibiotic in the form of a single drug simply will not have the desired effect on the pathogen.
Any change in antibiotic therapy requires the mandatory permission of a doctor, since microbial contamination can lead to serious consequences if the effectiveness of the drug is less than expected. Therefore, if the patient did not find the drug he needed on sale, you should find out from the doctor if a replacement for a similar drug is allowed and how the course should be adjusted. You may need to change the dosage, frequency of administration and duration of treatment.
Which is preferable
Based on the results of studying the information on both drugs, we can say that the preference for one or the other should be based on an individual approach to the patient. Of course, in the presence of a severe infection in the body caused by resistant bacteria that cannot be treated with conventional antibiotics, the choice in favor of a combined remedy is obvious. But it is not always suitable for people who have contraindications and a tendency to side effects.
Also, the cost of the medicine plays an important role: an antibiotic with clavulanic acid always costs a little more. The difference may not affect one pill or even one course, but if a person is prone to developing infections, then as a result the difference can add up to a tangible amount that not everyone can affordspend yourself.
The final argument should always be the doctor's word as the most knowledgeable person. If he insists on taking a particular of these two drugs, you should follow his instructions for your own good. Of course, during the appointment, you should check with the specialist why the remedy was prescribed and how the doctor sees further treatment.
