Laktozhinal: what is it?
The drug Laktozhinal is actively used in gynecology for problems with vaginal microflora. The drug allows you to fight various infectious diseases and inflammatory processes. It is also often taken before planned surgical procedures.
After intravaginal administration, the shell quickly dissolves and the active substances begin to act, killing harmful bacteria. Under the influence of the drug, the vaginal microflora noticeably improves and unpleasant symptoms cease to bother you.
Rules for using vaginal suppositories
The drug is used intervaginally. Therefore, before use, it is necessary to carry out hygienic procedures for the genitals, insert the suppository deeply into the vagina, wetting it with water beforehand so that the shell dissolves faster.
Doctors most often advise administering a vaginal remedy before bedtime. When the medicine enters the female body, the substance remains on the mucous membrane. For the medicine to work more effectively, the woman needs to spend as long as possible in a horizontal position. And this is only possible while sleeping at night. Otherwise, the contents of the candle will leak out and the treatment will not have the desired effect.
How the drug works
The medicine and its analogues are actively used for the treatment of gynecological pathologies. They belong to the class of dental products and improve the vaginal microflora. The components are perfectly absorbed by the body. Laktozhinal can be used in parallel with other antimicrobial drugs. In addition to the fact that they improve the natural flora of the vagina, they also have a positive effect on metabolic processes and help strengthen protective functions. The medicine begins to act within 25-30 minutes: the burning sensation and itching disappear, and discomfort does not bother you.
The active substance helps to increase the acidity of the mucous membrane due to the production of lactic acid. In such an environment, harmful organisms are unable to survive.
Drug interactions
Spermicidal agents inhibit the effect of this eubiotic due to the content of components that kill lactobacilli. To restore local immunity and normal vaginal microflora, you can take Lactozhinal suppositories according to the instructions together with the following groups of medications:
- antibacterial agents;
- immunomodulators;
- vitamin complexes;
- antiviral drugs.
How to take Laktozhinal capsules
Suppositories are intended exclusively for intravaginal administration. Under no circumstances should you take capsules orally.
In order for the capsule to dissolve as quickly as possible, it must be moistened in water before administration.
For bacterial vaginosis and to improve the vaginal microflora after treatment with antimicrobial drugs, you need to use 1 suppository per day for 2 weeks or 1 suppository 2 times a day for a week.
If surgery or childbirth is planned in the near future, then you need to use 1 capsule 2 times a day. The treatment course lasts a week. In this case, additional complex therapy will not hurt.
Only a specialist can determine the required dose and adjust the treatment regimen, based on the patient’s condition and the effectiveness of treatment.
Side effects and overdose
Taking into account the characteristics of a particular clinical case, the dosage of the drug can be adjusted. Gynecologists advise not to increase the number of capsules used per day, but to extend the course of therapy by 7 or 14 days. Thanks to the natural composition of Lactozhinal, not a single case of overdose has been recorded to date. However, the instructions for the drug contain information about side effects when treated with lactobacilli.
Laktozhinal can provoke the following unpleasant symptoms:
- itching;
- allergy;
- increased mucous discharge from the vagina;
- redness;
- discomfort.
How to replace Laktozhinal
There are no analogues of the drug with the same components. The following drugs have a similar effect: Depantol, Betadine, Macmiror. You cannot independently replace the original with an analogue without a doctor’s permission.
Bepatin is available not only in the form of suppositories, but also in the form of ointments and solution for external use.
Macmiror is a drug in the form of tablets that have an antibacterial effect.
Depantol is a drug in the form of cream and suppositories that has a regenerating and antiseptic effect. Has the least number of contraindications.
Terms of sale and storage
Russians can purchase capsules with lactobacilli at almost any pharmacy. You should start using it only on the recommendation of a specialist, but you can buy the drug without a special prescription. It is important to consider that the product has its own characteristics and requires careful and careful handling. If you do not follow the storage rules for the medicine, it may lose its pharmacological properties due to the death of lactobacilli.
The storage conditions for suppositories are as follows:
- It is imperative to observe the temperature regime. The properties of the drug deteriorate if stored in a room with a temperature above 25 degrees.
- The medicine should be kept away from children.
- The shelf life of the drug is 3 years.
special instructions
As already mentioned, it is not always possible to use Lactozhinal while taking antibiotics. Reviews for thrush are always more than modest, that is, if there is a predisposition to fungal diseases that worsen while taking antibacterial drugs, you first need to undergo a course of special therapy, and then begin to restore the microflora.
The capsule dissolves without a trace in the vagina, leaving no white spots, so you don’t have to worry about your clothes. The use of the drug can be combined with antibacterial, antiviral and immunomodulating drugs. However, during treatment it is worth stopping the use of spermicidal contraceptives, and it is better to abstain from sexual intercourse. The cost of the drug is about 560 rubles, which is the average price in this category of medicines.
Recommendations
To increase the effectiveness of treatment, it is useful to adhere to the following recommendations:
- give up sexual activity - while using Laktozhinal you should abstain from any type of sex and, if necessary, treat your partner;
- use sanitary pads - discharge after Laktozhinal is not abundant, but can be disturbing;
- do not use spermicides – many couples use spermicides as contraception; the drug may reduce their effect.
Reviews
According to patient reviews, it is impossible to draw a specific conclusion about the effectiveness of the product, since the reviews are diverse. But the overwhelming majority still confirm the effectiveness of the drug and the achievement of effect in a short period of time. Unpleasant symptoms completely disappear already on the 3-4th day of the therapeutic course. A few patients were unable to give an accurate assessment of the drug, since it was used for prophylactic purposes and no particular effect was observed.
There are many positive reviews from women who took the product before the upcoming birth. The capsules were well tolerated by the body and did not cause side effects.
Pharmacological properties
Pharmacodynamics
Lactobacillus casei is a Gram-positive, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria from the anaerobic group. They are part of the normal obligate flora of the human oral cavity, vulva, vagina and intestines. In the microflora of the vagina and vulva, this type of lactobacilli is presented together with other lactobacilli (L. fermentum, L. acidophilus, L. cellobiosum).
As a result of colonization of the vagina by living rods L. casei rhamnosus Doderleini, an environment similar to the physiological one is created in the vagina. The L. casei rhamnosus Doderleini strain exhibits antagonistic properties against a number of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria (including Proteus spp., Staphylococcus spp. and enteropathogenic E. coli), improves local metabolism and restores the natural immunity of the vagina.
After the gelatin shell dissolves in the vagina, a lyophilized culture of live lactobacilli is released from the capsule.
In vitro studies have shown that L. casei rhamnosus Doderleini reduces pH to normal within a few hours, and this helps restore the natural microflora of the vagina.
One of the most important factors in the development of vulvovaginal candidiasis is precisely the deficiency of lactobacilli. They act as physiological antagonists of fungi of the genus Candida, secreting antifungal substances and competing for receptors on the epithelial cells of the vagina (lactobacteria prevent the attachment of fungi of the genus Candida to epithelial cells, and also inhibit their reproduction and growth).
The effectiveness of the drug Laktozhinal is proven by the results of clinical studies confirming the effectiveness of the drug in restoring the vaginal microflora and preventing relapses of vulvovaginal candidiasis (when using the drug after the end of therapy with antifungal agents).
Analogs
This medicine does not have any drugs similar in structure. Spontaneous use of the Laktozhinal analogue for its pharmacological effect is prohibited. The prescription of capsules and adjustments to therapy are carried out only by a doctor. Medicines with similar effects on the body are presented below:
- Lactonorm;
- Betadine;
- Vagiflor;
- Acylact;
- Lactobacterin;
- McMiror;
- Depantol.
Indications
The drug "Lactozhinal" is widely used in gynecological practice as a local remedy for the treatment of certain diseases. Main indications for its use:
- complications resulting from the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (in particular, its form that arose after antibiotic therapy);
- caesarean section or natural birth (for the purpose of sanitizing the birth canal and to prevent postpartum complications);
- different types of surgical intervention in the pelvic organs (as a prevention of possible infection);
- pregnancy (if a woman is at risk for the possibility of vaginal pathologies).
When is it prescribed?
Indications for the use of "Lactozhinal" are as follows.
- After treatment of colpitis . Vaginal capsules are prescribed during the treatment of inflammation or after completion of the main regimen, as well as for gardnerellosis.
- On the eve of operations . To improve subsequent healing of sutures. This is especially true for vaginal operations, when the removal of the uterus, appendages or manipulation of the cervix is performed through this access, and not through an incision on the abdomen.
- During pregnancy . With borderline vaginal smears, as well as on the eve of labor, it is important to minimize any inflammation in the vagina to prevent rupture.
- To prevent thrush . After an acute attack of candidiasis has been relieved, Lactozhinal is prescribed to restore the microflora and prevent relapses.
- In menopause . To reduce the manifestations of dryness, burning and similar unpleasant sensations.
Compound
1 capsule includes : active component: lyophilized culture of lactobacilli Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus Doderleini - 341 mg (which is at least 1 * 108 CFU of viable lactobacilli); auxiliary components: lactose - 5.59 mg, magnesium stearate - 3.41 mg. At the same time, the following are added to the lyophilization of the culture as auxiliary components (as a percentage of the mass of the lyophilisate): potato starch (about 41%), lactose (about 20.6%), sodium glutamate (about 4.5%), sodium thiosulfate (about 26.8%). Composition of the gelatin shell: gelatin - 98 mg.
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Special instructions for use
Laktozhinal suppositories can be used during pregnancy, as they are absolutely safe for the child. On the contrary, at this time a woman’s risk of gynecological infections increases, and this drug helps prevent them. This is the only remedy that is safe at this time.
Lactozhinal suppositories are also used to treat existing infections. In this case, they can be used in conjunction with other antimicrobial drugs. After all, the composition of the candles is such that it does not interact with other products at all. But if preparations containing spermicides are used together with them, lactobacilli may die.
Sometimes, if it is impossible to use this drug, its analogues are recommended. The Laktozhinal suppositories themselves cost about 600 rubles, but cheaper drugs with a similar effect are freely available in pharmacies. The issue of replacing a drug with an analogue can only be decided by the attending physician.
