Today, allergies are a fairly common occurrence in pediatric practice. Often, such pathological conditions occur after routine vaccination and are a variant of the child’s body’s reaction to the introduction of foreign material.
To facilitate the tolerability of vaccine solutions before and after vaccinations, children are advised to take antihistamines to minimize the risk of post-vaccination complications.
Most pediatricians do not expect the development of side effects from vaccination, but recommend immediately giving children antiallergic medications, in particular, such an effective medication as Fenistil. Therefore, it is important for parents to know how to give Fenistil, and when is it better to stop taking it?
What is Fenistil used for?
Vaccinations intended for newborns are often accompanied by severe allergic reactions that are dangerous to the child's body. Even the most experienced doctor cannot guarantee that your child does not have this predisposition.
In order to avoid possible consequences, an antihistamine is prescribed. Medicine should not be given to a child without consulting a doctor. The doctor sets the following indicators:
- dose of the drug;
- time of receipt;
- duration.
Most often, antihistamines are prescribed before vaccination for children who experience the following allergic reactions:
- Rashes on the body in the form of urticaria and whooping cough dermatitis.
- Dermatitis or eczema as a response to an injection or vaccination.
- Reaction to food and medications.
- Allergic rhinitis.
- After vaccination, redness and itching appear.
If the child does not have such manifestations, then he does not need Fenistil drops. If there is a reaction: the doctor will prescribe a drug to relieve allergy symptoms. Since Fenistil acts on the symptoms that arise after vaccination, it must be taken after vaccination.
Is it necessary and why to give Fenistil after DPT vaccination?
DTP is one of the most controversial vaccines, which is famous for its side effects. The pertussis component of the immune preparation is reactogenic and is recognized as the main culprit in the development of post-vaccination complications, which sometimes pose a danger to children’s lives. That is why pediatricians strongly recommend that parents take vaccination seriously and take action to prevent possible adverse reactions after vaccination.
Often, before and after vaccination, experts prescribe Fenistil drops to children, justifying their decision with their ability to protect the child’s body from complications of the procedure.
The drug is an effective antihistamine that helps prevent various types of hypersensitivity reactions in the child’s body to the introduction of foreign biological material.
According to research, this medicine several times reduces the risk of developing allergies after injection of a combined immune solution and reduces the severity of symptoms of the pathological condition.
Leading experts from the World Health Organization warn that taking antihistamines, which include Fenistil, before vaccination, can become an additional irritant for the baby’s fragile body and provoke the occurrence of post-vaccination pathological conditions.
Doctors insist on using the products only if the child has a predisposition to allergies or has had bad experience with previous vaccinations. Without suspicion of a hyperreactive immune response, it is better not to give Fenistil.
After vaccination, parents should be attentive to the health of their baby and resort to using the drug only after the development of characteristic symptoms of disorders and consultation with a doctor.
Preparing for vaccination
Before vaccination, each child is examined by a doctor for the presence of diseases. The injection will not be given if the baby is weakened, has a fever, snot flowing, or has a cough. The doctor pays special attention to babies from three to six months. It is during this period that DPT vaccination should be carried out in three stages. Vaccination will help in the future to resist such serious diseases as:
- diphtheria;
- whooping cough;
- tetanus.
A proper approach to vaccination will protect against negative consequences after vaccination. What do I need to do? Take blood and urine tests, be examined by a pediatrician and other doctors (if necessary), give Fenistil as prescribed by the pediatrician. During an epidemic, vaccination cannot be done. Hot and cold weather is also contraindicated. These three points will guarantee against the body’s adverse reaction to the vaccine.
How the drug works
Usually, infants are prescribed Fenistil drops; the medicine is easy to dose and has a pleasant taste.
By taking the drops, it will be possible to prepare the child for vaccination (for example, such as DPT) and reduce the severity of side effects after vaccination. Fenistil is a symptomatic drug; it eliminates the characteristic signs of allergies (hyperemia, rashes, itching), but does not in any way affect the very cause of such manifestations. The drug blocks special cell receptors that are susceptible to the vaccine. It is in this regard that the severity of reactions to the components of the administered drug may decrease.
Today, not every doctor agrees with taking such preventive measures before vaccinating children. For example, the well-known doctor Komarovsky is sure that it is impossible to prepare a child’s body for vaccination with any drugs (including DTP). So it is worth giving Fenistil before vaccination after consultation with a doctor, he will evaluate the feasibility of such measures.
There is information that while taking Fenistil, there is a suppression of the immune response to the vaccine, so antibodies will not be able to be fully developed. For example, when administering the DTP vaccine (whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus), doctors warn parents about possible adverse reactions (fever, pain at the injection site, hyperemia, swelling) and ways to suppress them. In this case, it is recommended to give the child an antihistamine to improve the general condition and prevent complications. This will in no way affect the formation of immunity to pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus infections.
Doctor Komarovsky claims that the tolerability of the vaccine is related to a number of factors. In turn, the quality of the vaccine preparation used has a much smaller impact on the final result than the correct preparation and implementation of the vaccination procedure itself.
Is it worth taking it?
To prevent side effects such as rash or hives after vaccination, the child remains cheerful and healthy, the drug Fenistil is prescribed. We previously used Suprastin, but it causes more adverse reactions in a fragile body. Therefore, doctors abandoned it in favor of Fenistil for DTP vaccination.
But if the child does not have allergies, parents usually refuse antihistamine therapy. Pediatricians play it safe and prescribe medicine to everyone without exception. Therefore, the mother herself needs to weigh the pros and cons; if in doubt, you can consult another doctor for advice. But unless absolutely necessary, it is better to refuse the drug.
Video on the topic
Dermatovenerologist about the drug Fenistil:
Thus, DTP is a reactogenic vaccine, which can sometimes cause adverse reactions in children, including allergies. In order to prevent or relieve manifestations of hypersensitivity, pediatricians advise using Fenistil.
This is an antihistamine that comes in the form of capsules, drops and gel. To eliminate minor rashes, it is worth using a gel; for more pronounced manifestations, small children are given drops.
In what form is the medicine available?
For ease of use, the manufacturer produces an antihistamine in three forms:
- Drops for oral use for newborns from 1 month.
- Capsules for oral use for children over 12 years of age.
- Gel for external use for symptomatic treatment.
The doctor decides which form to use after an examination. Choosing a drug on your own is dangerous for the baby’s health. The most convenient form for infants is drops. Once in the body, they block histamine receptors, which cause unwanted reactions. Thus, itching and redness disappear. The drops are colorless and odorless, they taste sweet, so the child will not feel disgust when taking them.
For a baby, drops can be added to breast milk or a formula bottle. But it is important not to heat it, because when heated, the healing properties will disappear.
Price
The price ratio for the drug in pharmacies of different categories may vary slightly. Also, the cost depends on the form of the medicine and the volume of the package. It is convenient and profitable to buy this drug in an online store, look at the catalog and order it for delivery. Here are the prices for the Fenistil range that you can use as a guide:
Release form | Price, rubles |
Drops, 20 ml | 710-870 |
Gel 30 g, 0.1% | 575-720 |
Capsules, 20 pcs., 24 mg | 1875-1995 |
How to take Fenistil?
The dosage of the medicine is calculated individually; the calculation is made by the pediatrician based on the baby’s height and weight. The individual characteristics of the body are also taken into account. Parents need to learn about possible reactions to the active substance on the part of the child’s body in order to be prepared for this. Often the reaction manifests itself in:
- gastrointestinal disorders - nausea;
- the occurrence of dizziness;
- dry throat and sinuses;
- temperature increase;
- lowering blood pressure;
- dilation of the eye pupils.
All of the listed side symptoms appear in children with an overdose of the drug. Incorrect calculations will cause damage to a small organism. If one or more signs are detected, the baby should be given activated charcoal to drink. When using any medicine, you should consult your doctor and read the instructions for use.
Many mothers wonder: how many drops per day should a child be given? The instructions for use state that the medicine is given to babies in the form of drops:
- From 1 month to a year in a single dosage of 3-10 drops three times a day.
- From one to three years, 10–15 drops three times a day.
- From 3 to 12 years, 15–20 drops three times a day.
20 drops of Fenistil contain 1 milligram of dimethindene.
After taking the drug, you do not need to drink water. Usually the medicine is prescribed 5 days before vaccination and 3-5 days after it. In this way, the body will resist allergic reactions caused by the vaccine. But this is an approximate dosage regimen; doctors give individual recommendations after examination.
Contraindications for use
There are conditions in which Fenistil is contraindicated for use:
- Infants are up to 1 month old.
- Sensitivity to the active substance - dimethindene.
- Breast-feeding.
- Bronchial asthma.
- Pregnancy (especially the first trimester).
- Hyperplasia.
If your child has one or more of the conditions described above, you should tell your doctor. He will stop taking the medicine or adjust the dose. But if taking an antiallergic drug is not necessary, then it is better to refuse the medicine. If the baby does not have an allergy, he does not need Fenistil.
Sometimes doctors simply play it safe by prescribing medicine for adverse reactions after vaccination. Many parents also fear for their child and place responsibility on the drug and doctors.
Fenistil before vaccination
An antihistamine before vaccination is prescribed by a doctor to those children who have severe allergic reactions to medications or food. Fenistil relieves allergic manifestations, thereby freeing the body from unnecessary stress before vaccination. And as you know, vaccination is also a big burden on the body.
Possible complications
Sometimes the pharmaceutical drug "Fenistil" can provoke such undesirable reactions as:
- headache;
- irritability, tearfulness;
- lethargy, hypersomnia;
- impaired breathing, apnea;
- nausea, vomiting;
- stomach pain;
- muscle spasms.
The dosage regimen for this antihistamine developed by the doctor must be followed by parents of infants with the greatest precision.
Exceeding the dose of drops prescribed by the doctor can lead to the following phenomena:
- the child experiences hallucinations;
- mild cramps;
- lack of urination;
- low pressure;
- tachycardia;
- facial redness;
- dry mucous membranes in the oral cavity.
If you have even one of these side effects, contact your local doctor without delay.