Viferon gel storage after opening

Recently, immunostimulating drugs used to treat viral infections have become increasingly popular. Doctors often prescribe Viferon suppositories in such cases. According to reviews, the drug is a potent and very effective remedy that can overcome almost any illness of viral etiology. It is prescribed to infants, elderly patients, pregnant and lactating women. Is such a massive use of suppositories justified? What do the instructions for Viferon suppositories and reviews of specialists and patients say about this product? Let's take a closer look at this drug in our article. And we will try to answer all these questions.

Before you understand the safety of the product, you need to find out what is included in its composition, according to the instructions for use. Reviews of Viferon suppositories, based on clinical studies and medical practice, will help you better navigate this issue.

In addition, it is not enough just to know the composition of the drug. It is very important to use it correctly. Careful study of the instructions for the Viferon candles will also help us with this. Consumer reviews show that it is very important to take the product as indicated in the instructions and recommendations of the attending physician.

Otherwise, you may not only miss the effect, but also harm your body.

So, this article will introduce you to such a drug as Viferon suppositories, with instructions for use, price, consumer reviews about this product and other useful information.

The most important thing is the composition

What is the active ingredient of the drug? Numerous reviews of Viferon suppositories for adults and children boil down to the fact that the active component of suppositories is the most harmless substance that has a strong effect on the human body. But is it?

The active ingredient of the drug is recombinant interferon (or a protein obtained from human blood). This substance can help cells become immune to the virus in the body. However, as follows from numerous statements by specialists and their reviews of Viferon suppositories for adults and children, the main component of the drug is a very complex and strong substance that can provoke many side effects. We will talk about this in more detail below.

What else is included in suppositories? Excipients include vitamin E, polysorbate, fat, cocoa butter, vitamin C. Thanks to these components, suppositories can quickly dissolve in the body.

Release form and composition

Viferon is available in 3 forms: gel, ointment and rectal suppositories. The active component of the drug is recombinant human interferon.

Excipients:

• Gel – α-tocopherol acetate, benzoic acid, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, citric acid monohydrate, methionine, sodium chloride, human serum albumin, glycerol (distilled glycerol), sodium carmellose, ethanol 95%, purified water;
• Rectal suppositories – α-tocopherol acetate, sodium ascorbate, ascorbic acid, disodium edetate dihydrate, polysorbate, confectionery fat and cocoa butter;
• Ointment – ​​tocopherol acetate, anhydrous lanolin, peach oil, petroleum jelly, purified water.

How is it produced by the manufacturer?

The suppository is a white suppository with a yellow tint, made in the shape of a rocket, pointed at one end.

As the annotation for the drug explains, each suppository can contain 150 thousand, 500 thousand, 1 million and 3 million international pharmacological unit of interferon. What is the difference, according to the instructions and reviews, between Viferon candles for children and adults? First of all, the amount of the active component.

Most often, Viferon 150000 suppositories are prescribed for the treatment of the youngest patients. Instructions for children, reviews of this product and other recommendations related to its use will be discussed below in a separate section. In most cases, adults are prescribed a drug with a dosage of three million units of interferon.

Contraindications

acute respiratory viral infections, including influenza, including those complicated by a bacterial infection, pneumonia (bacterial, viral, chlamydial) in children and adults as part of complex therapy; infectious and inflammatory diseases of newborns, including premature babies: meningitis (bacterial, viral) , sepsis, intrauterine infection (chlamydia, herpes, cytomegalovirus infection, enterovirus infection, candidiasis, including visceral, mycoplasmosis) as part of complex therapy;

chronic viral hepatitis B, C, D in children and adults as part of complex therapy, including in combination with the use of plasmapheresis and hemosorption for chronic viral hepatitis of pronounced activity, complicated by cirrhosis of the liver; infectious and inflammatory diseases of the urogenital tract (chlamydia, cytomegalovirus infection, ureaplasmosis, trichomoniasis, gardnerellosis, human papillomavirus infection, bacterial vaginosis, recurrent vaginal candidiasis, mycoplasmosis) in adults as part of complex therapy;

Contraindications Hypersensitivity to any of the components of the drug.

Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding The drug is approved for use from the 14th week of pregnancy. There are no restrictions for use during breastfeeding.

The use of the drug should be discontinued if you are hypersensitive to any of its components.

Cost of the drug

What is the price of Viferon candles? According to reviews, the drug is quite affordable, especially considering its effectiveness. The cost of suppositories, of course, depends on the dosage. Purchasing a drug that contains three million units of interferon will cost 850-1000 rubles. It is clear that “Viferon 150000” candles, according to customer reviews, are much more affordable for the family budget. Their price ranges on average from 230 to 300 rubles. In both cases, the cost of the drug is indicated for a package containing ten suppositories.

For what diseases is this drug used?

In what cases is it prescribed?

It is very important to use Viferon suppositories responsibly. According to reviews from doctors and manufacturers, the drug should be used only after prescription by the attending physician.

For what diseases is it recommended to use an immunostimulating agent? Most often it is prescribed for acute respiratory illnesses of viral etiology, prolonged acute respiratory viral infections. The drug is also used as a prophylaxis against acute respiratory infections, when it is impossible to limit contact with patients, or during hypothermia.

Moreover, Viferon suppositories can be prescribed as a complex therapy for such serious ailments as cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, meningitis, parainfluenza, chlamydial infection, sepsis, candidiasis, pneumonia, enterovirus infection, herpetic disease, influenza and so on.

As you can see, the range of diseases is quite wide and varied. How does the drug work when it enters the human body?

Upon entering the body

As soon as the active substance enters the general bloodstream, it immediately begins to activate the protective function and recognizes the location of viral pathogens for their subsequent elimination.

Other components of suppositories, entering the blood, also perform important functions. For example, vitamin C increases the antiviral effect of interferon, and vitamin E eliminates free radicals (harmful microorganisms) and restores cells damaged by them.

According to the instructions and reviews, Viferon suppositories can help the body overcome the virus without taking antibiotics. In some cases, doctors may consider it appropriate to prescribe a minimum dosage of antibacterial agents. Still, this treatment minimizes the load on the liver.

However, it should be understood that suppositories do not improve human immunity, but simply inhibit the body’s production of its own interferon, which makes it possible to cope with the infection. Moreover, if you constantly use the drug, it can become addictive, after which the body will no longer be able to cope with diseases on its own in the future.

Are there any contraindications for the use of this product? Of course, we will talk about this below.

Pharmacological forms

External forms are “Viferon” ointment and “Viferon” gel.

The ointment externally looks like a mass of viscous and uniform consistency, with a light yellow or yellow tint and a characteristic lanolin aroma. The drug is packaged in quantities of 12 grams in polystyrene jars or aluminum tubes.

Gel "Viferon" is a homogeneous, opaque, gel-like mass that has a white-gray tint. It is packaged in 12 grams in aluminum tubes.

What is the difference between Viferon gel and ointment?

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Both types of the described drug are capable of exerting an immunomodulatory and antiviral effect, however, there are some differences between them, which is due to the pharmacological form and composition itself.

For example, the gel contains twice as much vitamin E as the ointment. In addition, it contains methionine, an amino acid not synthesized by the body. Its presence in the gel enhances the cytoprotective and wound-healing effects. Other additional components enhance the effect of the active substance and exhibit additional antifungal and antimicrobial activity.

Viferon gel is absorbed faster, so the list of its indications for use is much wider. However, good absorption affects the methods of using the drug: the gel has to be applied more often, and before using other external medications, the film that has formed on the skin must be removed.

An important advantage of the gel is that it is safe for children from birth, and reviews about its level of safety are extremely positive. The ointment, at the same time, can be used for the treatment of children only from one year of age.

Can the drug cause harm?

Can side effects occur during treatment with Viferon? According to some reviews, patients experienced unpleasant symptoms caused by taking the drug. First of all, this is a skin rash, burning or itching in the anus (at the time of insertion of the suppository) or any other discomfort in the anus.

According to some studies, taking interferon can lead to such serious disorders as ischemia, furunculosis, depression and others. Side effects can affect such vital systems of the human body as the cardiovascular, nervous, digestive, as well as sensory and hematopoietic systems. Therefore, it is undesirable to prescribe the drug yourself or treat a child with it without appropriate advice from a specialist.

How to use the drug correctly will be discussed in detail below.

How to take for newborns?

Infants under six months are usually prescribed interferon in the amount of 150 thousand units. How to take Viferon 150000 suppositories in this case? Instructions for children and reviews from numerous pediatricians are unanimous - newborns need to be administered one suppository twice a day. What is the duration of the course of taking the drug? According to reviews, Viferon 150000 candles for children should be used for six to seven days, no longer.

But what if the baby was born premature and already has a viral infection? In this case, he needs to administer one suppository once a day for five days. If a serious pathology is detected in a newborn (for example, candidiasis, herpes, chlamydia, meningitis and others), then interferon treatment can be resumed after a five-day break.

As can be seen from numerous reviews of Viferon suppositories, they can also be prescribed for newborns as a preventive measure if the baby was born prematurely and there is a possibility of infection.

"Viferon" against coronavirus

It is still difficult to say whether Viferon helps against coronavirus. Scientists continue to debate the effectiveness of interferons against COVID-19. In 2003, they performed well in the fight against SARS, a close relative of Covid.

At the beginning of the epidemic, Chinese doctors adopted COVID-19 treatment protocols that included interferon. However, we knew little about the disease back then.

In early April, the Russian Ministry of Health released a list of drugs recommended for the treatment of coronavirus. This list includes interferon-alpha, which is the basis of Viferon. Therefore, Russian doctors quite often recommend Viferon to patients against coronavirus. True, not as a treatment, but as a means of prevention that increases immunity.

For example, Natalya Batskalevich, candidate of medical sciences, infectious disease doctor, advises her patients to take any medications containing alpha-interferon, including Viferon suppositories. Doctor of Medical Sciences and Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Valery Isakov also believes that Viferon ointment is effective against coronavirus.

The same applies to medical institutions. The Federal Center for Neurosurgery recommends taking Viferon as a preventive measure against coronavirus. It can be added that Gennady Onishchenko, an honored doctor and State Duma deputy, publicly advises interferon drugs to improve immunity. He told reporters that he himself regularly uses ointments and sprays.

Babies from six to twelve months

How to use Viferon candles for children under one year old? Reviews from qualified pediatricians and recommendations from manufacturers boil down to the following - a child in this age period can be prescribed interferon in an amount of up to 500 thousand once a day for five to seven days.

Older children may be prescribed Viferon in higher doses, but the exact amount of the drug should be calculated by the pediatrician, taking into account the age of the baby, as well as the course of his illness.

Recommended Dosages

For the purpose of treating herpes, the drug should be applied to the affected area four times a day. The duration of therapy is up to 7 days. Treatment should begin as soon as the first clinical manifestations appear. If the infection is chronic, then therapy should begin in the interval between incubation and the disease itself.

Let's look at the instructions for use of the Viferon gel for children.

For the treatment of influenza and seasonal infections, the nasal passages should be covered with a thin layer:

1. Children 1-2 years old - three times a day, using about 0.5 cm of gel.
2. Children 2-12 years old - four times a day in the same dosage.
3. Children 12-18 years old - four times a day in double dosage.

The duration of therapy in this case should be 5 days.

The gel should be applied with a cotton swab or spatula to the tonsils or the lining of the nasal passages in an amount of 0.5 cm. The duration of therapy and the frequency of applications depends on the disease:

1. ARVI, influenza – up to 5 times within 5 days. In order to prevent these diseases - twice a day for half a month.
2. Stenosing laryngotracheobronchitis of recurrent type6 in acute manifestations five times a day, then three times a day for 3 weeks. It is recommended to repeat courses of therapy every six months.
3. Recurrent herpes of acute and chronic form - five times a day for five days, or until clinical manifestations are completely eliminated.
4. Herpetic cercivitis - apply 1 mm of gel twice a day for two weeks to the cervix.

Instructions for use of Viferon gel for children must be strictly followed.

The gel must be applied to cleansed and dried skin surfaces and mucous membranes, avoiding touching body tissues. If therapy involves applying gel in the oral cavity, then the manipulation should be carried out at least half an hour after eating.

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Treatment of women with interferon

As mentioned above, this active substance can help in the fight against urogenital infections. In what cases can Viferon suppositories be prescribed for women? Feedback from patients draws attention to the fact that they were recommended interferon in the amount of 500 thousand units twice a day (morning and at night) or in the amount of 1 million units once a day. Suppositories should be used rectally for chlamydia, vaginosis, mycoplasmosis, candidiasis and other diseases.

For vaginal and common herpes, Viferon 1000000 is prescribed twice a day.

The use of VIFERON suppositories for various diseases

We suggest you familiarize yourself with Viferon suppositories or gripferon

Interferon and expectant mothers

Can pregnant women use the drug for the diseases mentioned above? Reviews of Viferon suppositories indicate that this remedy helped expectant mothers safely and effectively cope with such ailments, with virtually no side symptoms. But most importantly, the treatment turned out to be completely safe for the fetus.

What should you pay attention to when deciding whether or not to take Viferon suppositories during pregnancy? Reviews and recommendations from satisfied patients boil down to the fact that it is important to listen to the opinion of the attending physician and carefully follow his recommendations.

What can be said about breastfeeding women? Can they take interferon? According to the manufacturer's recommendations, nursing mothers can safely use the drug and continue breastfeeding. It is contraindicated only in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Treatment of colds

For complicated acute respiratory viral infections, influenza and pneumonia, adult patients can be prescribed interferon at a dosage of 5 million units twice a day for a week. In some cases, the attending physician prescribes a comprehensive treatment, including vitamins, antipyretics and antibiotics.

In the treatment of liver cirrhosis and hepatitis, the exact schedule and dosage of interferon is prescribed by the attending physician, taking into account the patient’s age and body weight, the degree of the disease and concomitant ailments.

Instructions and dosages

Suppositories are administered rectally in the prescribed dosage, which is determined by the doctor depending on the disease.

In addition to the complex treatment of chronic hepatitis B, C, D in children and adults:

• up to six months: 300,000–500,000 IU per day;
• six months to a year: 500,000 IU per day;
• from one year to seven years: 300,000 IU per 1 m2 of body surface area per day;
• over seven years: 500,000 IU per 1 m2 of body surface area per day.

Suppositories are administered twice a day every half day for the first 10 days. Then three times a week, every other day for six months to a year.

Important!

In case of chronic viral hepatitis of severe activity and cirrhosis of the liver, before receiving plasmapheresis and/or hemosorption, suppositories should be used for two weeks.

• Children over 7 years old: 1 suppository twice a day every 12 hours.

In the complex treatment of chlamydia, cytomegalovirus, ureaplasmosis, trichomoniasis, gardnerellosis, human papillomavirus infection, bacterial vaginosis, recurrent vaginal candidiasis, mycoplasmosis Viferon 500,000 IU is used:

• Adults, including pregnant women, 1 suppository 2 times a day every 12 hours for 5–10 days. Several courses may be prescribed with breaks of 5 days.

For complex therapy of primary or recurrent herpetic infection of the skin and mucous membranes of a localized form, mild to moderate, the drug is prescribed:

• Pregnant women in the 2nd trimester (from 14 weeks): 1 suppository every 12 hours, twice a day for 10 days. After this, 1 suppository every 12 hours, twice a day, 2 times a week for 10 days. Then, after 4 weeks, prophylaxis is carried out using Viferon at a dosage of 150,000 IU for 5 days, repeating the course every 4 weeks.

For the complex treatment of ARVI, including influenza and diseases complicated by bacterial infection, Viferon 500,000 IU is prescribed:

• Adults: 1 suppository rectally twice a day every 12 hours daily for 5–10 days.

Useful tips

Although the product is stored in the refrigerator, this does not mean that the suppository should be warmed in the palm of your hand before administering it, as is usually done with drops or suspensions. The composition of the candles is such that they melt very easily in your hands, so there is no need to warm them before use. Moreover, the manufacturer recommends using the suppository immediately after removing it from the package.

It is best to empty your bowels before administering the drug. This will help the active ingredients begin to act without delay. If the patient suffers from constipation, then doctors advise using a cleansing enema, and only then inserting the suppository directly into the anus.

Below is an illustration showing how to properly administer a suppository to an infant.

First of all, you need to wash your hands, then open the package and remove the candle. After which the drug is injected directly into the child’s posterior opening. In this case, you can put the baby on his side or slightly lift his legs up. Many mothers find it more comfortable to carry out this procedure wearing thin medical gloves.

Interferon and other drugs

According to the annotation for the drug, interferon interacts well with other pharmacological agents without causing side effects or negative reactions. And yet it is worth knowing that recombinant protein can enhance the effect of drugs such as antiviral (drops, tablets, sprays, suspensions), antibacterial, antimicrobial, immunostimulating and others. Therefore, if the doctor decides to prescribe Viferon, and the patient is taking any other medications, the specialist should be informed about this.

Analogues of “Viferon”

You can replace the drug with other drugs similar to it in composition and spectrum of action.

Analogues of the described suppositories are the following drugs:

• "Lafirobion". The drug based on human interferon is available in the form of rectal suppositories and powder for the preparation of a solution that can be used intravenously, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, rectally, intranasally, and so on. Most often, the drug is prescribed for viral and bacterial infections, as well as hepatitis B, herpes, papillomavirus, various tumors and oncologies, melanoma. Can be used starting from infancy.
• "Grippferon". Interferon-based nasal drops are used to treat colds and to prevent them. It can be prescribed to babies from the moment of birth and even to pregnant women.
• "Laferon". Available in the form of rectal suppositories, nasal solution and powder for injection. It can be used in complex therapy for such serious illnesses as hepatitis B, sepsis, herpes, chlamydia, multiple sclerosis, papillomavirus, oncology and neoplasms. However, this drug should not be used during pregnancy, since the active substance can cause pregnancy interruption.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of analogues of “Viferon”, and each has its own purpose and warnings. Therefore, only the attending physician, who will take into account the disease and other characteristics of the patient, should cancel the drug and prescribe a new one instead.

What is Viferon?

Viferon is a Russian antiviral drug developed in the mid-90s of the last century. The research group was led by Professor Malinovskaya. In 1998, Viferon successfully passed the registration procedure, and today it is one of the most popular drugs in Russia.

The manufacturer reports that Viferon has an antiviral and immunomodulatory effect; it is recommended to be taken for ARVI, herpes, viral pneumonia and even hepatitis. It is available in the form of ointment, gel and rectal suppositories.

Viferon is not used anywhere in the world except the CIS countries. There are no articles in reputable scientific publications proving its effectiveness. The active substance of this drug is interferon alfa-2b.

Interferons are a large group of protein compounds that are produced by our body in response to a viral attack. They change cell metabolism in such a way that further reproduction of viral particles becomes impossible.

Interferons were discovered in the late 50s of the last century and since then have been actively used in medicine to treat viral diseases. Dozens of medications have been created based on them.

Reviews about the drug

What do patients say about Viferon? Many parents are grateful to the manufacturer for such a wonderful drug that can be used to treat even infants. However, patients argue that it is best to use interferon at the very beginning of the disease, since that is when it is able to help the body overcome the disease. During the period of disease progression, “Viferon” has minimal effect, this is evident from numerous consumer reviews.

Also, some parents pay attention to another drawback of the drug - it is not always easy to insert suppositories into the child’s rear hole, especially considering that the baby resists.

Also, many note that you cannot constantly use interferon, as it causes addiction in the body, and then the drug becomes ineffective. Moreover, many parents are concerned that Viferon causes unwanted symptoms, such as burning, rash, nausea and even fever.

And yet, suppositories are a fairly effective and practically safe remedy if used according to the instructions and prescriptions of the attending physician. Only in this case will the drug have the necessary effect on the well-being and health of the patient. This is confirmed by numerous reviews from both specialists and patients themselves.

In this article, the instructions for using Viferon suppositories were studied in detail. Price, consumer reviews, dosage schedule and dosage were also listed.