All about Sumamed Explained by Canadian Health and Care Mall

Sumamed was invented over 30 years ago. Experts accepted drug as a new word in antibiotics. Powerful broad-spectrum antibiotic appeared to be ideal means to fight infection. However, over time, it has opened up new unexplored side of drug that are somewhat froze out idealists’ point of view.

For example, only in 2013, US scientists have found Sumamed effects on heart muscle, which can be potentially dangerous. It should immediately be noted that likelihood of this effect is very small and hardly exceed one-hundredth percent. Let’s still try to figure out how effective and safe Sumamed is.

History of Creation

Sumamed was invented by research team of Croatian company – Pliva. It may be noted that Pliva for almost 100 years is a source of pride in Croatia. The company employed outstanding scientists, among whom was Croatian Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1975 Vladimir Prelog.

The group of chemists from Zagreb, who managed to synthesize azithromycin (Sumamed active substance), has achieved worldwide recognition. In 2000, scientists led by Dr. Slobodan Đokić have won prestigious award of the American Chemical Society’s Heroes of Chemistry for Azithromycin invention.

Croatia takes pride in the fact that they are occupied place in the list of the nine countries in which original antibiotics have been synthesized. To this day, Azithromycin or Sumamed is the most important pharmaceutical product invented in Croatia. And one of the most important – in the world.

Sumamed Has Spread Globally

Sumamed is used around the world. In 2010, azithromycin has become the most popular antibiotic in the United States. Estimated revenue from the sale of Azithromycin online is about 1.5 billion dollars a year. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has exclusive rights to sell Azithromycin in the United States. Therefore Sumamed in the United States is produced under the brand name – Zithromax.

However, in some European countries, popularity of Sumamed is not so obvious. For example, in Sweden Azithromycin discharged in only 4% of cases, although a group of macrolide antibiotics are popular and account for 30% of all prescriptions for antibacterials.

Nevertheless, the World Health Organization included Sumamed in the list of essential medicines.

Antibiotic – Sumamed: Bright Representative of Macrolides

Very often when describing antibiotics we meet name of the whole class of drugs. And if penicillin is mentioned majority of readers associates it with Ian Fleming, word “macrolides” usually appears as encrypted puzzle.

So, let’s decipher this puzzle. Macrolide antibiotic contains in its chemical structure lactone ring consisting of 14-16 members. All drugs in this group have similar spectrum of activity, and consequently, indications. But Sumamed distracts from macrolides on virtually every indicator.

Sumamed represents the first new subclass of antibiotic macrolides with 15-membered lactone ring – azalide. It is considered to be follower of erythromycin, however, due to differences in chemical structure, having a much higher activity against many bacteria.

Furthermore, Sumamed of generic origin differs from other macrolide drugs by slowed excretion process from organism. Due to this property we can successfully treat a variety of infections in 3-5 days, taking antibiotics only once a day. Erythromycin can not stand no comparison with Sumamed in this respect. Erythromycin should be taken three times for successful therapy, or even four times a day, and treatment can last up to two weeks.

Sumamed Composition and Pharmaceutical Form

Sumamed – Azithromycin tradename is antibiotic which is used in form of chemically stable dihydrate. Pliva Company offers many forms of Sumamed pharmaceutical form.

Tablet and Capsule

• Canada Azithromycin tablets containing 500 mg;
• Sumamed capsules 250 mg;
• Sumamed tablets 125 mg.

Sumamed tablets are film-coated. The package contains minimum number of Sumamed tablets required for treatment: Sumamed 500 mg tablet contains 3, and 250 mg and 125 mg – 6 tablets or capsules.

Sumamed Suspensions for Children

Pliva company produces a wide range of children’s Sumamed suspension. When this difference between various forms consists in not only the dosage but also finished in a volume of slurry. A doctor may choose pharmaceutical form taking into consideration child’s age, and disease’s severity.

Sumamed, like the overwhelming majority of other antibiotics, rapidly destroyed in solution. Therefore, Sumamed suspension prepared prior to use is available in the form of dry powder. So, we list children’s forms of Sumamed:

• Sumamed containing 100 mg Azithromycin in 5 ml of suspension (volume of the finished drug – 20 ml);
• Sumamed forte contains 200 mg in 5 ml of antibiotic drug (volume 15 ml suspension);
• Sumamed Forte 200 mg in 5 ml, volume – 30 ml;
• Sumamed Forte 200 mg in 5 ml, volume – 37.5 ml.

The injectable form for severe diseases treatment is available as well. Azithromycin pharmaceutical form is most commonly used in hospital. Parenteral Sumamed is available in powder form, which is prepared from suspension before use.

“Smart Antibiotic”

High Azithromycin efficiency and short course of treatment for most infections are caused by drug’s pharmacokinetic properties.

Canadian Pharmacy Sumamed is easily and quickly absorbed, reaching peak (maximum) concentration in blood and tissues within 2,1-3,2 hours after oral administration. Thus, unlike many other antibiotics Azithromycin can penetrate through cell membrane. Due to this property Sumamed is effective against intracellular pathogens, which include chlamydia.

Sucked into the bloodstream, the drug very quickly goes directly to site of infection. The level of antibiotic in the tissues affected by about 25-30% more than in healthy subjects.

Furthermore, Azithromycin perfectly distributed in lipids, and thus quickly absorbed by the tissues. Sumamed concentration in tissues is 50 times higher than in blood.

Azithromycin is eliminated from the body within a few days. Due to long half-life drug can be taken only once a day, and treatment should last for one to five days. And the last thing I would like to mention in this section – Sumamed refers to acid-drugs. It means that it is not destroyed in stomach and hydrochloric acid solution does not need additional protection.

Sumamed: Antibacterial Activity Spectrum

Sumamed is effective against many pathogens. And there is clinically proven evidence of in vitro Azithromycin activity to a wide variety of pathogens, including:

• staphylococcus aureus;
• streptococci;
• streptococcus pneumoniae – causative agent of pneumonia;
• Haemophilus influenzae;
• Moraxella;
• Gonorrhoea;
• Chlamydia – Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and Chlamydia trachomatis;
• mycoplasma.

We would like to note Sumamed high activity towards methicillin-susceptible S. aureus of streptococci strains. These micro-organisms are resistant to many antibiotics causing severe nosocomial infections.

After invention Azithromycin online appeared to quickly and effectively treat the most dangerous Nosocomial pneumonia and other diseases. Some microorganisms proved Sumamed activity only in vivo, i.e. in vitro. Experience in clinical use of azithromycin at infection is not enough. This group of microorganisms is included:

• beta-hemolytic streptococcus group C, F, G;
• viridans group streptococci;
• bordetella pertussis;
• ureaplasma;
• legionella.

Sumamed Indications for Use

Among indications for Sumamed use are various infectious diseases treatment. Oral forms of Sumamed, ie, capsules, tablets or suspension are indicated for diseases of mild to moderate severity. Severe infections are treated, usually in hospitals, including injection with molds usage.

Azithromycin feature – its high activity against Gram-negative, Gram-positive and other microorganisms, such as Chlamydia. Due to these properties, this drug is used in a wide variety of infections: respiratory, genitourinary, post surgery. Let’s take a closer look at the main diseases that are treated by Sumamed.

Respiratory Tract Diseases

• acute bacterial exacerbations of COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – associated with Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella or streptococcus;
• acute bacterial sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses);
• community-acquired pneumonia, the major pathogens in which are Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Mycoplasma and streptococcus (Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae).

Sumamed performs well for all these organisms. It should be noted that Azithromycin online is not recommended for pneumonia in debilitated patients who are immunocompromised, the elderly people, people who require hospitalization because of severe course of disease or comorbidities. In such cases, antibiotic selection decision is made based on individual patient data. Pharyngitis and tonsillitis (inflammation of tonsils and pharynx), are treated effectively which are caused by streptococcus Streptococcus pyogenes.

The gold standard in these diseases is considered to be penicillin antibiotics. Thus Sumamed may be appointed at angina, but more often such an appointment is carried out because of an allergy to amoxicillin.

Circulatory System Diseases

Sumamed is indicated for uncomplicated skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus agalactiae.

Borreliosis or Lyme disease

Drug of choice for this bacterial infection is antibiotic from group of penicillins and cephalosporins. However, recently it was obtained conclusive evidence that Sumamed is effective in initial stages of borreliosis. Note that Azithromycin is shown only in cases of ring-migrating forms of disease.

STD’s: Sumamed Effectiveness

Under very innocuous abbreviation for STDs lurk not harmless infection, which previously were called simply and clearly – venereal diseases. So STDs are the diseases that are sexually transmitted.

Sumamed is characterized by high activity against pathogens of some STDs, namely gonorrhea and chlamydia. So Azithromycin is used at chlamydia infections.

It should be noted that effect of Sumamed in high doses may mask symptoms of syphilis. Therefore prior to treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease, urethritis (inflammation of the urethra), cervicitis (inflammation of the cervix) it should be identified exact pathogen. Simply put, you need to make sure the inflammation of the urogenital tract is caused not by Treponema pallidum – the causative agent of syphilis.

I would like to warn very desperate patients who are diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea, self-treatment with sumamed doesn’t deprive of risk. Despite high sensitivity of pathogens these infections ( Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) to azithromycin, it is not worth putting at risk and taking medicine at random.

The fact is that when there is a high enough dose or relatively short treatment course there is a very substantial risk of microorganisms adaptation to antibiotic. If this trouble occurs, treat these, frankly, not harmless infection, will be even more difficult.

Therefore, allocation of pathogens chlamydia or gonorrhea should immediately begin treatment, which must be appointed by a qualified doctor. Proper care scheme, including Sumamed, strict implementation of expert’s recommendations – and after a few weeks you can forget about those nasty diseases.

Canada Sumamed Dosage for Children

Children’s Sumamed suspension, however, as the adult form, you need to take, one hour before a meal or after a meal. This requirement is due to the fact that azithromycin bioavailability is reduced, while the use with food.

Children’s drug dosage depends on disease’s type. According to instructions for use Sumamed dose for children is as follows: in acute otitis media – 30 mg of azithromycin per kg of body weight once or 10 mg per kg for three days; acute bacterial sinusitis – 10 mg per kg of body weight for three days; in community-acquired pneumonia, recommended dosage of Sumamed suspension is 10 mg per kg of body weight once only on the first day of treatment. Azithromycin dosage was then reduced to 5 mg per kg of body weight, and treatment is usually not more than five days.

Terms of Sumamed Suspension Receiving and Storing

Sumamed suspension, for that matter, as any other two-component system is not uniform. Azithromycin is practically insoluble in water, so preparation liquid form is a suspension – suspended active substance in a solvent (water). Antibiotic is significantly heavier than water, and it quickly settles to the bottom of the vial.

Therefore, before taking Sumamed suspension, however, like any other suspensions, it is important to achieve the greatest possible distribution of azithromycin in water. Only in this case dosage should be corresponded to stated in the instructions. Storing the prepared suspension should be at room temperature. Note that temperature should be above 25 degrees.

If the thermometer exceeds these figures, you should put a bottle of medicine to the most “warm” shelf in refrigerator, where the average temperature does not go below 8-10 degrees Celsius.

At what Age Sumamed is safe: Instructions for Use

According to information provided in instructions to Canadian Sumamed, a drug in the form of children’s suspension shows for children older than 6 months. However, in practice Sumamed is used to treat children whose weight exceeds five-kilogram. It should be noted that the treatment of infants and children under the age of six months are engaged exclusively in doctors-neonatologists and pediatricians.

Sumamed 125 mg dose can be taken already when a child is 3 years of age, especially when child is able to swallow the tablet. Additionally, in Sumamed pills preferable for children, child if high sensitivity is different for different flavors, which comprise the slurry.

Sumamed for Adults: Dosage

The instructions for Sumamed use in average therapeutic dosages indicated drug dosage for adults and children whose weight more than 45 kg. Experts emphasize that children over age of 12 years may already be prescribed adult dose of azithromycin. The course of Sumamed treatment depends on location and severity of the infection.

Infections of Respiratory Tract and Skin

The average treatment regimen of these diseases provides a three-day course of therapy for a single tablet dose of 500 mg Sumamed. The so-called course dose is 1.5 grams.

Urogenital infections Caused by Chlamydia Trachomatis

According to official data given in instructions to original Sumamed, in uncomplicated process for complete elimination of pathogen only one gram of azithromycin is used. However, this “soft” scheme is used, if infection has occurred recently. Note that chlamydial infection, is usually diagnosed after a certain period of time after infection.

Thus, most patients have detected Chlamydia already in chronic stage. Based on these data, we can draw a simple conclusion. As a rule, full course of chlamydia treatment include Sumamed in high dosages, treatment duration is determined individually.

Lyme Disease and Borreliosis

Sumamed usually is given on the first day of treatment in a single dose of 1 gram, and from the second to the fifth day inclusive – 500 mg. Total course dose of azithromycin in such cases is 3 grams.

Pregnancy and Sumamed

We have already said that Azithromycin easily penetrates into various body tissues due to its excellent solubility in lipids. And, of course, to overcome placental barrier is not a problem for such an ubiquitous antibiotic. Several years ago, a group of scientists studied effect of Azithromycin on reproductive system at laboratory rats and mice. During this experiment pregnant female animals were administered fantastic Sumamed dose.

It would seem that no one organism will withstand Sumamed dosage of 200 mg per kilogram / body weight per day. However, laboratory rats get used to fate difficulties. Imagine that at the end of the study, researchers reported no side effects on fetus.

Carrying out clinical trials, studying drugs’ effect on prenatal development is associated with certain difficulties. It is rather difficult to find volunteers for this purpose. As a result pharmacologists should be satisfied by data received after experiments on animals. A drug falls into the so-called B category and recommended to be taken in pregnancy if benefit for women is higher than potential complications for baby. It is proven extremely low toxicity of Sumamed, combined with promising data on experiment laboratory rats which were given the opportunity to use drug in pregnant women.

We add that WHO – World Health Organization – Sumamed is recommended as first-line drug for chlamydia treatment in pregnant women. This fact serves as a proof of Azithromycin safety for child. We add that in most cases, chlamydia treatment is performed in the second trimester of pregnancy (after 20 weeks), when all baby’s organs are already formed. We would like to note that so far azithromycin use is not studied in breast-feeding women. Moreover, scientists have not yet proven the fact of Sumamed penetration into breast milk. Despite it, exposure risk of antibiotic to child is preserved, so this medication use while breastfeeding is not recommended.

Infection Out – Disbacteriosis In. Diarrhea during Sumamed Treatment

One of the most common side effects when taking most antibiotics is diarrhea. Severity degree of diarrhea may range from mild to severe, accompanied by dehydration and requiring medical treatment. The condition that we used to refer to disbacteriosis during treatment with antibiotics, in fact, is known as pseudomembranous colitis.

Its reason is the change in intestinal flora composition and growth of opportunistic bacteria. Generally, antibiotic diarrhea is caused by clostridium – Clostridium Difficile multiplication, which produce two fairly powerful toxins. By the risk of colitis development patients with diarrhea are included during treatment with any other antibiotics in anamnesis. That is, if your treatment is connected with antibacterial drugs accompanied by diarrhea, likelihood of this side effect recurrence is quite great.

In case of pseudomembranous colitis you should immediately consult a doctor, who must first consider desirability of further treatment with Sumamed. In case of severe antibiotic diarrhea drug withdrawal is required. Oddly enough, to fight against clostridia you should choose another antibiotic, which is active against Clostridium Difficile. Furthermore, in severe cases rehydration therapy is required, aimed at restoring fluid-and-electrolyte balance in dehydrated body.

We would like to note that at pseudomembranous colitis symptoms presence you should not take antidiarrheal preparations containing loperamide. Drugs in this group contribute to further growth of pathogenic bacteria. If you come across with this or that side effect please visit your doctor.

Sumamed Analogs: what to Choose?

Even 15 years ago in pharmacies including Canadian Health and Care Mall you could find 1-2 analogue of Sumamed. Today pharmaceutical market is overfiled with generics of Sumamed. There are so many analogues that to list them is not an easy task. Therefore we note only those Sumamed analogs, which have earned positive reviews both from physicians, and patients.

Traditionally, the most high-quality generics are produced in the European Union. Among them, worthy place is occupied:

• Hemomycin is drug produced by Serbian company Hemofarm, which main features are very affordable price with excellent quality;
• Azicid is produced by Czech company – Zentiva.

Indian Sumamed counterparts is combined by relatively low price, but quality of some products often leaves much to be desired. In various online pharmacies you may find the following generics of Sumamed:

• Azithral;
• Azimycin;
• Zithromycin;
• Sumamox;
• Aziwok;
• Zimax.

Sumamed detailed description is given by Canadian Pharmacy Mall online – www.aboutcanadianhealthcaremall.com.

Category: Antibiotics

Tags: infection, Zithromax