When their kids are feeling under the weather, many parents turn to the well-liked homeopathic remedy occillococcinum. This medication, which is well-known for having natural ingredients, is frequently used to help children with their cold and flu symptoms.
Oscillococcinum is commonly chosen by parents due to its ease of administration and generally good kid tolerance. It is convenient for young children who may not take traditional medicines because it comes in small doses.
Even though occillococcinum is frequently used, it’s crucial that parents know when and how to give it to their kids. It is imperative to adhere to the usage instructions in order to guarantee its effectiveness and safety.
Aspect | Details |
Dosage | Children under 6 years old should dissolve 1 dose in water, while children over 6 can take the dose directly under the tongue. |
Usage | Oscillococcinum is typically taken at the first sign of flu-like symptoms for best results. |
Frequency | It can be taken every 6 hours, up to 3 times a day, until symptoms improve. |
Form | The medicine comes in pre-measured doses in small tubes, easy to administer to children. |
Safety | Considered safe for children, but consult a doctor if unsure or if symptoms persist. |
- Release form
- Composition
- Principle of action
- Indications
- From what age is it allowed?
- Contraindications
- Side effects
- Instructions for use and dosage
- Overdose
- Interaction with other drugs
- Terms of sale
- Storage features
- Reviews
- Video on the topic
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Release form
The French company "Boiron" only produces occillococcinum in the form of granules that dissolve quickly in water or saliva. They have no smell, are nearly spherical in shape, and are white in color. The granules have a sweet flavor. They are put into one-gram white plastic tubes. A drug dose is contained in one of these tubes. A polyethylene stopper firmly seals the granules inside. Each box contains 2, 4, or 10 blisters (corresponding to 6 to 30 doses) of the tubes, which are packaged in blisters of three pieces.
Composition
An extract derived from the organs of the musk duck, also known as the Barbary duck, serves as the granules’ active ingredient. The substances that are taken out of the bird’s heart and liver are diluted to a power of 10 to the minus 400. Sucrose and lactose are combined with the active ingredients to make the drug sweet and quickly dissolve in the mouth.
Principle of action
When symptoms of acute respiratory infections such as fever, cough, headaches, chills, body aches, sore throat, rhinitis, and others appear, homeopathic medicine occillococcinum is advised. Numerous studies have shown that the granules’ active ingredient can help patients feel better and slow down the progression of a viral infection. However, the manufacturer does not explain how the extract works on viruses or the immune system in humans.
Indications
Oscillococcinum is most frequently prescribed for mild to moderate cases of influenza. Granules can also be used to treat other virally-induced acute respiratory illnesses.
From what age is it allowed?
Oscillococcinum has no age restrictions, so schoolchildren, teenagers, and infants or toddlers attending kindergarten can all take it. Although the product is labeled as harmless, it is advised that children only use it with a doctor’s prescription because complex therapy occasionally calls for the use of additional medications.
Contraindications
Children who have been diagnosed as hypersensitive to any of the granules’ ingredients shouldn’t take them. For example, patients with both lactase intolerance and lactase deficiency should not take Oscillococcinum due to the drug’s milk sugar content. If you have malabsorption, a hereditary disorder of the absorption of glucose-galactose, you should not take this medication.
Side effects
The information in the granules’ annotation indicates that there are no negative effects from consuming them. Oscillococcinum use, however, can very rarely result in an allergic reaction.
Any discomfort experienced while taking the medication should be communicated to the physician supervising the small patient.
Instructions for use and dosage
- If the product is given to a baby, the granules are dissolved in water and the resulting solution is poured into a bottle, and then given through a nipple.
- The smallest drug can also be given from the spoon, having previously dissolved the contents of the tube in a small volume of water.
- Older patients can pour the granules directly into the oral cavity (under the tongue) and ask to hold them in the mouth until they are completely dissolved by saliva.
Oscillococcinum should be given to a child fifteen minutes before feeding or eating. The administration of the granules should be delayed for at least one hour if the child has just eaten.
The patient’s age has no bearing on the drug’s dosage; instead, the disease’s stage determines it:
- If the viral infection has just begun to manifest itself with negative symptoms, the first dose of Oscillococcinum should be taken as soon as possible. If the progression of the disease has not stopped, it is recommended to re-dissolve or swallow the dissolved drug every 6 hours 2-3 more times.
- If the granules are prescribed at the height of the disease, then they should be taken for 1-3 days twice a day – one dose in the morning and another in the evening.
- If the drug is recommended for a preventive purpose, then it is given to the child in the ease of the distribution of SARS once a week in one dose.
A common homeopathic treatment for children experiencing flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, and body aches, is occillococcinum. It is easy to administer in small doses, but in order to ensure safe and efficient use, it is crucial to carefully follow the instructions. Before giving your child any medication, it’s always a good idea to see a pediatrician, even though some parents find it helpful.
Overdose
To date, there have been no reports of Oscillococcinum side effects from very high doses.
Interaction with other drugs
Granule use does not conflict with antiviral, antibacterial, antipyretic, or other medication treatments, nor does it interfere with the use of other homeopathic remedies.
Terms of sale
You do not need to present a prescription from a doctor in order to purchase Oscillococcinum at a pharmacy. A box with six doses typically costs between 340 and 380 rubles, a pack of twelve tubes costs between 600 and 700 rubles, and a package containing thirty doses costs approximately 1400 rubles.
Storage features
For five years, sealed tubes have a shelf life. Oscillococcinum should be stored at a temperature of no more than 25 degrees Celsius until it is finished. Make sure the granules are kept out of children’s reach and out of direct sunlight.
Reviews
Oscillococcinum has been reviewed favorably and unfavorably for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza. Parents who believe in homeopathy praise this product for being safe and effective in their reviews. The granules are praised for their easy-to-take form of release, tasty flavor, and availability without a prescription for kids.
They claimed that taking 1-2 doses allowed the infection to spread more readily or prevented the disease from developing in the first place. These mothers view Oscillococcinum as a profitable treatment despite its relatively high cost because using it can prevent the need for other medications (antitussives, antibiotics, expectorants, etc. d.).
Simultaneously, a number of unfavorable reviews referring to Oscillococcinum as a dummy and placebo are visible. Mothers complain that their child needed to be given other medications that affect viruses because the drug had no effect on the disease.
Many physicians who advocate for evidence-based medicine also have unfavorable things to say about Oscillococcinum. One of them is well-known pediatrician Komarovsky, who believes homeopathic granules are safe but completely ineffective. Despite this, the medication is highly well-liked in France, where it is the most widely used treatment for the flu and is available without a prescription.
Furthermore, it has been on the pharmaceutical market for many decades, which gives us some justification to call it an effective treatment.
Nonetheless, a number of medical professionals oppose homeopathy, arguing that the extract from a duck’s internal organs has an unclear immune-boosting mechanism and that the active ingredients are diluted to the point where the granules are no more potent than regular sugar balls.
According to these physicians, the effectiveness of Oscillococcinum in the early stages of the illness is linked to the patient’s immune response (the body actively fights the virus and the illness does not progress).
Consequently, the decision of whether or not to administer Oscillococcinum to a sick child must be made on an individual basis, considering the condition of the child as well as the parents’ attitude toward homeopathic treatment.
After giving the child the first dose of granules, if the child is still feeling sick, you should see a doctor, have the baby examined, and start giving him additional medications as recommended by the pediatrician.
Parents frequently use the well-liked homeopathic treatment oscillococcinum to help treat their children’s cold and flu symptoms. Although many families find it helpful, it’s vital to keep in mind that there is ongoing discussion in the medical community regarding the efficacy of homeopathic remedies such as this one.
If you decide to give your child Oscillococcinum, make sure you adhere to the directions on the container or get guidance from a medical expert. Knowing when and how to use such remedies is essential to supporting your child’s health, as safety is always the top priority.
In the end, parents are able to choose the best course of action for their children when they are knowledgeable about available treatments. It’s always a good idea to lead a healthy lifestyle and get professional help when necessary, regardless of whether your family uses occillococcinum.