Atopic dermatitis is a common chronic disease. It occurs due to a special condition of the immune system and a congenital deficiency of certain proteins in the skin. This disease is characterized by a high sensitivity of the skin to various environmental factors and a tendency to allergic inflammatory reactions. Atopic dermatitis is manifested by dry skin, itching, redness. To suppress these symptoms, there are various drugs, one of which is Tacropic ointment. Reviews about it and instructions for use are a relevant and important topic for people who have atopic dermatitis and are going to use the named remedy.
What patients say
Every person who receives a prescription from a doctor for the purchase of Tacropic, first of all begins to find out how other people have used this medicine and whether they have experienced a deterioration in their condition. There are no terrible reviews about the Tacropic ointment. In general, people respond positively to the drug. It works effectively on the skin. Usually the next day after the firstuse, some symptoms disappear or become less pronounced. In some patients, itching stopped, swelling disappeared. The redness was completely gone in about a week.
There are very few negative reviews about Tacropic ointment. In them, people complain that the ointment does not help. However, experts note that the ointment is effective only for atopic dermatitis. If there is some other disease, then the remedy, of course, will not help. In negative reviews, they often write about the high cost. The approximate price of the drug is from 550 to 700 rubles for an aluminum tube 15 g.
Manufactured varieties of ointment and composition
Now let's start looking at the drug. First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that different types of Tacropic ointment are mentioned in the reviews - with 0.03% and 0.1% concentration. The drug at a dosage of 0.03% is prescribed only for children aged 2 to 16 years. For adolescents from 16 years of age and adults, doctors prescribe both 0.1% and 0.03% ointment. Treatment usually begins with a more concentrated preparation. It helps to achieve a normal skin condition in the lesions. With noticeable improvements, they switch to the drug 0.03%.
The ointment, produced under the name "Tacropic", has a white or almost white color. It may have a slight specific smell. The composition of the ointment includes one active substance - tacrolimus. There are several excipients in the preparation:
- macrogol-400;
- liquid paraffin;
- Vaseline white soft;
- emulsion wax;
- disodiumedetat;
- purified water;
- Euxyl PE 9010 preservative based on phenoxyethanol.
Pharmacological features
In the instructions for use of the Tacropic ointment, the pharmacotherapeutic group is indicated. The drug belongs to anti-inflammatory drugs intended for topical use only.
The active substance, called tacrolimus, is a calcineurin inhibitor. It is a highly active immunosuppressant that suppresses the immune response at the cellular level. Tacrolimus, when penetrated into the skin, inhibits calcineurin, which triggers the conduction of a T-cell signal. When exposed to the active component, some processes are blocked - the division of lymphocytes, the production of cytokines, the proliferation of beta cells. Additionally, the release of inflammatory mediators is inhibited. Tacrolimus does not affect collagen synthesis. This means that the drug does not cause skin atrophy.
Tacrolimus has several pharmacokinetic features:
- The substance only affects the skin. The active component enters the systemic circulation in minimal amounts.
- Tacrolimus metabolism in the skin does not proceed. When released into the systemic circulation, this process occurs in the liver.
- The half-life of repeated use is 65 hours in children and 75 hours in adults.
It is worth noting that tacrolimus was first isolated in 1984 by Japanese scientists. Lots of research has been done. Their results were proof of the therapeutic valuesubstances in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. However, the safety of tacrolimus in long-term use (more than a year) has not been studied. Some experts note that with prolonged use there is a possibility of immunosuppression and the development of oncological formations. There are no terrible reviews about the Tacropic ointment on this topic. However, cases with malignancy, i.e., with the acquisition of the properties of a malignant tumor by cells, were still recorded in practice. True, these cases were isolated.
Indications and contraindications
Atopic dermatitis is the only indication for the use of Tacropic ointment. There is an additional explanation in the instructions for use. Its essence - this tool refers to second-line drugs. The ointment is prescribed for the treatment of moderate and severe forms of atopic dermatitis in cases where:
- disease is resistant to other topical drugs;
- the person has contraindications to the use of other drugs intended for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.
Tacropic ointment should not be used in case of hypersensitivity to the active and auxiliary components. There are also age restrictions. Those people who are already familiar with the remedy focus their attention on one thing in the reviews: for children, 0.03% Tacropic ointment is contraindicated up to 2 years, and 0.1% ointment cannot be used until the age of 16.
Not intended for pregnancy and lactation, as no studies have been conducted to confirmthe safety of the drug for mother and child. You can not use the ointment for congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies, when taking immunosuppressive drugs. Another contraindication is the presence of serious violations of the epidermal barrier. Patients with this problem are at risk of increased systemic absorption of the active ingredient from the formulation.
In some cases, experts recommend caution in use. This applies to those people who have been diagnosed with decompensated liver failure, there are extensive skin lesions.
Using an ointment for healing purposes
Knowledgeable patients in reviews of Tacropic ointment are advised to strictly follow the instructions for use, because this determines not only the effectiveness of the remedy, but also its safety. There are a few general guidelines:
- Affected areas on the skin should be treated with the drug, applying it in a thin layer. This procedure can be performed on any part of the body for treatment purposes. The only exceptions are mucous membranes. You can't put ointment on them.
- Do not apply the drug under an occlusive dressing, as safety studies have not been conducted. Experts suggest that occlusion may lead to systemic effects of the ointment.
How to use this remedy correctly and for how long? A specific answer to this question cannot be found in the reviews of the Tacropic ointment. Application rules are determined by age.
| Patient groups | Children aged 2 to 16 |
Patients belonging to this group are prescribed ointment 0.03%. Treatment is carried out in 2 stages:
|
| Children over 16 and adults | Treatment of atopic dermatitis begins with the application of 0.1% ointment 2 times a day. With noticeable improvements, either reduce the frequency of use of the product, or switch to 0.03% ointment. | |
| Older people (over 65) | Older people are not given special treatment advice. The ointment is used according to the scheme that is provided for children from 16 years of age and adults. |
Prophylactic use of the drug
T. to. atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease, prevention is indispensable. It allows you to reduce the frequency of exacerbations and increase the duration of remissions. "Tacropic" for the purpose of prevention is not prescribed to all people. Doctors prescribe this medicine to those patients who experience exacerbations of the disease more than 4 times a year (adults and children from 16 years old - 0.1% ointment, children from 2 to 16 years old - 0.03% ointment).
The remedy for prevention is used infrequently, as evidenced by reviews of the Tacropic ointment. This is confirmed in the manual. The medicine is applied only2 times per week. In this case, you can not smear the skin for 2 days in a row. There must be a gap of at least 2-3 days between applications.
Where should I apply the drug? In reviews of Tacropic ointment, people often share this information. During prophylaxis, those areas that are most often affected during exacerbation of atopic dermatitis should be treated.
Note to patients. If the doctor prescribed Tacropic ointment for prevention, this does not mean that it will need to be used in the future for the rest of your life. After 12 months of maintenance therapy, its results are evaluated, a decision is made on the advisability of further prophylactic use of the drug.
Side effects
The body of each person is individual, so all patients tolerate Tacropic ointment differently for dermatitis. In the reviews, people talk about the symptoms that they experience due to the drug. If we analyze all real stories, we can conclude that most often patients during the period of using Tacropic experience symptoms of skin irritation. Undesirable effects are observed at the sites of application of the drug. Patients complain of itching, burning, pain. When viewed on the skin, a rash and redness are noticeable. Symptoms of skin irritation are most often mild. All these negative phenomena disappear on their own within the first week of using the drug.
Common side effects include local skin infections. During treatmentall patients have an increased risk of developing Kaposi's herpetic eczema, folliculitis, infection provoked by the pathogen Herpes simplex (herpes simplex virus), etc. In medical practice, it is known that rosacea occurs due to 0.03%, 0.1% Tacropic ointments. In the reviews, experts note that these were isolated cases.
During the use of the drug is not recommended to drink alcohol. Often, after taking alcohol-containing drinks, the face of patients turns red, irritation occurs on the skin. These unwanted effects are symptoms of alcohol intolerance.
Drug Interactions
That part of the active substance of the drug that enters the systemic circulation is metabolized in the liver under the influence of the CYP3A4 isoenzyme. In theory, this process may worsen if a person takes inhibitors of this isoenzyme (for example, erythromycin, ketoconazole). However, in reviews of Tacropic ointments 0.1% and 0.03%, experts note that the interaction of tacrolimus and inhibitors of the CYP3A4 isoenzyme is unlikely. At the same time, it is not worth excluding the possibility of this (especially in people with extensive areas of skin lesions).
Unfortunately, large-scale studies have not been conducted to evaluate the effect of Tacropic ointment on the effectiveness of vaccination. Because of this, it is impossible to say with 100% certainty that tacrolimus does not affect the effectiveness of different vaccines. In order not to endanger people's he alth, doctors prescribe vaccinations:
- 2 weeks before the start of treatment with Tacropic ointment or after 2weeks after the last use of the named drug;
- 28 days in advance, or 28 days later for a live attenuated vaccine.
There is only information on a conjugate vaccine against Neisseria meningitidis serotype C. When given concomitantly with tacrolimus in children aged 2 to 11 years, there was no negative effect on the primary response to vaccination, cellular and humoral immune response, formation immune memory.
Nothing can be said about the simultaneous use of Tacropic ointment and other external preparations, systemic glucocorticosteroids, immunosuppressants. The interaction of these drugs has not been studied by specialists.
Additional information for patients
Today it is not known whether the ointment can affect the sensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet light. For this reason, experts recommend to patients - during the treatment period, avoid exposure to sunlight, do not visit solariums. All these measures are considered to be the prevention of photocarcinogenesis (skin cancer). Also, in no case should Tacropic ointment be applied to those areas that are considered pre-malignant and malignant. If you ignore this recommendation, you are more likely to develop skin cancer.
It is also important to know that:
- Ointment should not get into the eyes. Otherwise, they should be rinsed with water immediately.
- No cases of overdose have been reported with external use.
- When the medication hitsinside you need to call an ambulance. Before the arrival of specialists, it is impossible to induce vomiting, wash the stomach. The patient needs measures such as monitoring the general condition, monitoring the vital functions of the body.
- The effect of Tacropic ointment on the ability to drive various mechanisms and vehicles has not been studied. However, it can be assumed that the medicine does not have any negative effect, because it is applied externally.
- After using the Tacropic ointment (as after using any other local medicine), you need to thoroughly wash your hands. The exceptions are when the medicine is applied to the hands for medicinal purposes.
Analogues of Tacropic ointment
This drug does not have too many analogues. "Protopic" is considered to be a complete analogue. This medicine is available in the form of an ointment for external use with a concentration of 0.1% and 0.03%. The active ingredient is tacrolimus. This means that Protopic works exactly the same as Tacropic. These drugs have the same indication, the same method of application, similar contraindications and side effects. The differences are only in the features of the release and prices. The drug "Protopic", which is an analogue of the ointment "Tacropic", in the instructions for use says that it is available in plastic tubes of 10, 30 and 60 g. The price, of course, depends on the volume and dosage. For example, 10 g of ointment 0.1% and 0.03% costs about 650 rubles, and 30 g of ointment 0.1% and 0.03% costs about 1550–1650 rubles.
There is also a nosological analogue of the drug "Tacropic" - this is "Elidel". Thethe drug is available in the form of a cream. The active ingredient is pimecrolimus. This component is a macrolactam derivative of ascomycin. It has high anti-inflammatory activity. The drug is prescribed for atopic dermatitis (eczema). It can be used not only by adults. Treatment of children with Elidel cream is allowed from the age of 3 months. The approximate price is about 850 rubles for an aluminum tube with 15 g of 1% medicine.
Atopic dermatitis is a serious and complex disease, so you can not treat it yourself with different medicines. All drugs, including the agent considered, can harm the human body if used improperly. It is also not recommended to be guided in the treatment of adults and children by reviews of the Tacropic ointment, even if they are written by specialists. Nothing can replace a face-to-face consultation with a doctor.
