Every person almost every year faces a cold. Children of preschool and school age are especially often sick in winter. For the treatment to be truly effective, you must consult a doctor for an appointment. But in recent years, more and more patients have complained that they are being prescribed expensive drugs at a time when cheap cold remedies can be prescribed. From today's article, you will learn about these. Below you will be given cheap analogues of expensive cold medicines. But this does not mean that now you can safely self-medicate. If something worries you, then you need to seek medical help. Only then can you be sure of the safety of the treatment.
Antiviral drugs: the first to be prescribed
If a person falls ill, then the infection is caused by a virus. This happens most often. Therefore, at the first symptoms of the disease, doctors prescribeantiviral agents. Such medicines as Arbidol, Amiksin, Tamiflu, Kagocel and others are widely popular and in great demand. But all of them are quite expensive (about 400-1000 rubles). Does it make sense to overpay or can you find cheap funds?
Rimantadine can be used for a cold caused by a viral infection. The medicine costs an average of 50 rubles. At the same time, its effectiveness is not lower than that of the above drugs. The drug "Rimantadine" acts exclusively on existing viruses. Therefore, for the purpose of prevention, it is not used. It is forbidden to use the medication for children under 7 years of age. You can replace antiviral agents with inexpensive "Cycloferon". Tablets of 10 pieces will cost you 150-200 rubles. It's not as cheap as Rimantadine, but not very expensive either. The medicine "Cycloferon" can be used in children from the age of 4. In addition, the drug also has an immunomodulatory effect, it can be used for prophylactic purposes.
Grippferon drops and spray are popular with doctors. This medication can be used in newborns and pregnant women, it is prescribed everywhere. The nasal medicine costs about 200 rubles. You can replace the drug with the usual "Interferon", keeping within only 100 rubles.
Rhinitis relievers
Often with a cold, a person has a runny nose, accompanied by nasal congestion. To eliminate this unpleasant symptom, doctors prescribe drugs such as Nazivin,Sanorin. Such drugs cost about 200 rubles. You can replace them with Naphthyzin, Galazolin, which will cost you no more than 50 rubles. You can use them for no more than 3-5 days, like expensive analogues.
As an antiseptic, doctors can prescribe Miramistin solution. You can buy it in a pharmacy for 200-350 rubles. An analogue of this medication will be Chlorhexidine, which costs no more than 50 rubles. An expensive nasal antiseptic based on silver ions is Sialor (250-300 rubles). Without any fear, it can be replaced with a Protargol solution for 60-80 rubles.
Drops "Pinosol" (200 rubles) replace the drug "Pinovit" (100 rubles). These medicines are made on the basis of plant extracts and oils. Their composition is absolutely identical, only the manufacturer differs.
Rinse the nose
Saline solutions are often prescribed to treat viral and bacterial infections with rhinitis. These are Aquamaris, Aqualor, Humer, Dolphin and so on. They are relatively expensive (about 100-300 rubles). Is it possible to pick up cheap remedies instead (for a cold accompanied by a runny nose)?
You can replace these compounds with the drug "Rizosin". It costs about 80 rubles per bottle. If you want to save even more, then give preference to a solution of sodium chloride. Such a medicine will cost you 50 rubles for a large bottle of 200 milliliters. Note that saline solution for washing the nose can be completely prepared independently. In this case, it will be practically free. In boiled waterroom temperature, add a spoonful of s alt and soda, mix thoroughly and enjoy!
Cheap antibiotic for colds
Sometimes it happens that a viral infection takes on a bacterial form. Often this is the result of improper treatment, reduced immunity, if a person suffers a cold on his feet. In such a situation, the use of bactericidal and bacteriostatic drugs is indicated. A cheap antibiotic (for a cold) should not be chosen independently, since the preferred medication may simply be ineffective. Therefore, consult a doctor and discuss the issue with him. Pay attention to which drugs can be replaced with inexpensive analogues:
- "Sumamed" (500 rubles) to "Azitrus" (50 rubles).
- Flemoxin (300 rubles) to Amoxicillin (40 rubles).
- Supraks (800 rubles) to Cefatoxime (50 rubles) and so on.
Cough medicines
For bronchitis and pneumonia, doctors always prescribe mucolytic or bronchodilator formulations. In pediatrics, such means as Lazolvan and Ambrobene are often used. The drugs can be taken orally or used by inhalation. They cost about 250-300 rubles per bottle. The composition of the medicine contains the active substance ambroxol. Based on the same component, the drug of the same name "Ambroxol" is produced at a cost of no more than 50 rubles.
What other cheap cold medicines are there for kids? Muk altin will also be an effective and inexpensive cough remedy. These tablets cost an average of 20rubles for 10 pieces. At the same time, pills help no worse than syrups. You can also give the drug to children. If desired, Muk altin can be replaced with Althea syrup, which will cost you no more than 40 rubles.
Cheap preventative cold medicine
It is not uncommon for people who get sick often to be prescribed preventive medicines. At the same time, it is quite difficult to find a cheap tool. For colds and flu, doctors prescribe drugs such as Ergoferon and Anaferon. They cost an average of 300-400 rubles. The more expensive "Isoprinosine" (600 rubles) is used. Homeopathic formulations are prescribed, for example, Oscillococcinum (900 rubles). Bronchomunal and Immunal medicines are very popular.
You can replace the described drugs with cheap cold remedies. For the purpose of prevention, use Echinacea or Echinacea-P tablets. They are an absolute structural analogue of the drug "Immunal". The difference in price is almost 900 rubles. "Echinacea-P" costs 90 rubles for 100 tablets, and "Immunal" 200 rubles for 20 pills. If you were unable to purchase the described remedy, then you can safely buy echinacea tincture or dried tea briquettes. The effect will be identical.
Symptomatic treatment
Often, patients use drugs such as Fervex, Teraflu, Coldrex in the form of powders for colds. One serving of such medicines costs an average of 20-60 rubles. As part ofcontains antipyretics and vitamin C. You can safely replace these magic bags with cheap medicines. From a cold, the usual "Paracetamol" will help you. In most cases, it is he who is the component of expensive drugs. 10 tablets of antipyretic will cost you about 8-12 rubles. You can also buy vitamin C at a pharmacy at a reasonable price (20 rubles for 100 pills).
When the temperature is high, doctors also prescribe Nurofen. This drug is often used for young children. But adult patients take it at least as often. You can replace expensive tablets (200 rubles) with inexpensive Ibuprofen, the price of which is on average 50 rubles per 100 capsules.
Replace expensive with cheap: reviews
Is it really possible to find a good cheap remedy for a cold? Or is it better not to take risks and take expensive drugs that have already become familiar to everyone? What do doctors think about this?
Doctors report that some cheap medicines are sometimes better than expensive ones. Unfortunately, in recent years, more and more often you can hear about counterfeit drugs. At the same time, the choice of ill-wishers falls precisely on expensive drugs. After all, it is more profitable to fake a medicine for 1000 rubles than one that costs 20 rubles. In this regard, recently doctors are trying to prescribe inexpensive generics. But as before, doctors cooperate with pharmacological firms, promoting their drugs. Therefore, this issue remains controversial to this day.
Judging by the reviewsconsumers, we can say that cheap cold medicines are no worse than expensive drugs. The stereotype that expensive means good is gradually collapsing. It is possible that soon all consumers will take long-proven and inexpensive drugs, abandoning new drugs at exorbitant prices.
Summarize
From the article you learned which cold medicines are prescribed especially often and how they can be replaced. It is not recommended to choose an analogue of the drug on your own. Despite this, many patients do not heed this rule. It is worth remembering that when choosing a generic of an expensive drug, you should pay attention to its composition, dosage and limitations. Many cheap medicines are not thoroughly tested, so they have more contraindications. Save on he alth without harming yourself, all the best!
