Elkar: instructions for use for infants

Every mother wants her baby to grow faster and better than his peers. This is especially true for boys. After all, no one will offend a big guy either in kindergarten or at school. And tall girls are always held in high esteem. Parents think about such things even when the baby is sleeping peacefully in its cradle and may well grow up on its own.

It’s a different matter when it comes to weak, premature or simply sick children. Well, they don’t have time to invest in the deadlines and development standards. But mothers want the baby to quickly catch up, or even better, surpass his peers. And he doesn’t eat more than he needs now. So what should I do?

Very often, for a number of developmental disorders, pediatricians prescribe drugs that stimulate metabolic (that is, metabolic) processes in the body. In the case of a weak or sick child, they return the baby to normal, helping to outgrow all troubles. In the case of healthy children, such drugs are used more to prevent disruption of these same metabolic processes. One of the most popular drugs used for infants to establish and improve metabolism in the body is Elkar, which has earned a lot of positive reviews among parents. Let's talk about him.

How the drug works

Elkar is rightfully classified as one of those medicines that have a huge impact on the infant’s digestive system. Along with this type of activity, it also ensures the active course of metabolic processes.

In fact, it is a synthetic analogue of L-carnitine, referred to as levocarnitine. This is an amino acid that is normally produced by itself in the body of a newborn, and an adult too. It is a universal corrector and stimulator of energy metabolic processes in cells, tissues and organs. Due to this, the drug improves the activity of the nervous system, its ability to create and conduct impulses necessary for the correct functioning of all systems and organs. Along with this, the drug significantly improves the structure and activity of the cerebral cortex.

In general, the effect of this stimulant is aimed at:

• normalization of fat and protein metabolic processes;
• increased secretion and enzymatic composition of digestive juices;
• improving the quality of absorption of nutrients obtained from food (in the case of infants, from milk or formula);
• reduction of excess weight;
• reduction in the number of fat cells in muscle tissue;
• increasing overall tone and physical endurance;
• inhibition of destructive metabolic processes in cells;
• providing tissues with energy for growth and development.

Elkar for athletes

In sports, especially in disciplines associated with high physical activity, L-carnitine-based products are used to accelerate fat burning, increase endurance and improve performance.

Elkar is recommended for those involved in bodybuilding, fitness, weightlifting, team sports and, of course, crossfit.

The use of Elkar promotes:

• accelerating fat burning due to activation of metabolic processes involving fatty acids;
• increasing energy production;
• increasing endurance, which allows you to increase the effectiveness and duration of training;
• improvement of strength and speed indicators.

Athletes are recommended to use Elkar before competitions for 3-4 weeks. The optimal dosage is 2.5 grams (the maximum daily dose should not exceed 7.5 grams).

Should be taken before training, approximately 2 hours before. The best results are observed when taking the drug in combination with a rational and balanced diet.

Composition and release form

The metabolic stimulator is produced in the form of drops in dark glass bottles. The drops themselves are a clear liquid with a slight specific odor and a 20% concentration of the main active ingredient - levocarnitine.

Of the additional components of the drug that ensure its shelf life and dosage form, Elkar contains:

• citric acid monohydrate;
• methyl parahydroxybenzoate;
• water;
• propyl parahydroxybenzoate.

There is Elkar 30%, as well as a tablet form of the drug. But they are not prescribed to newborns.

Main indications

Elkar for infants is most often used for liver pathologies such as neonatal jaundice, hepatitis and cirrhosis as a stimulating therapy. It is also prescribed to weak children who, for one reason or another, consistently gain weight poorly. The medicine is especially popular among neurologists when there is damage to the brain in infants, accompanied by nervous phenomena.

Elkar is prescribed for a deficiency of growth vitamin in the body of a newborn, for disorders in the myocardium, electrical or mechanical dysfunction of the heart. Also, indications for its use may be acute hypoxic conditions, hemodynamic disorders in the brain, and in cases of complex surgical interventions.

In addition, the medicine will have the necessary effect on children in whose lives the following have occurred:

• birth injuries;
• asphyxia;
• poor development or absence of the sucking reflex;
• malnutrition;
• decreased muscle tone;
• low immune status;
• complex diseases, injuries and long periods of rehabilitation.

General indications of the drug

Now you know for what conditions the Elkar medication is prescribed for infants. Reviews from neurologists, other specialists, and instructions indicate that this drug has other indications. These include:

• anorexia nervosa;
• encephalopathy (as an additional medicine);
• chronic inflammation of the pancreas;
• chronic gastritis;
• mild forms of hyperthyroidism;
• levocarnitine deficiency;
• high physical activity;
• organic aciduria;
• skin pathologies (as an additional medicine);
• mitochondrial pathologies;
• hereditary diseases.

How to give Elkar to a newborn

Infants are usually prescribed Elkar 20%. These drops should be given half an hour before feeding, diluted in a small amount of water. The drops themselves are quite sweet, so babies drink them with pleasure. The doctor should prescribe the exact dosage, taking into account the individual characteristics of the baby. But, in general, the youngest are recommended to take up to 30 drops of Elkar per day, dividing this dose into two or three doses.

It is important to understand that the dosage specifically for your baby is regulated by a number of important factors:

• the reason why the drug was prescribed;
• general condition of the baby;
• his weight and height.

The duration of medication is also regulated by the pediatrician. Often the course is 20 days, with a break and repeating the course after a month or two.

How to give to a child and dosage

The drug is prescribed to newborns from the first days of life. In hospital settings it is administered by muscle or intravenous injection. At home they use drops inside. Elkar is given to infants 30 minutes before feeding, after mixing it in a sweet drink - compote, jelly, slightly sweetened water (5% glucose solution). The dosage is calculated based on the condition, weight and age of the baby. The total volume of a 20% drug received by a child under one year of age should not exceed 30 drops per day, which are divided into 3 doses.

The course usually lasts 2 weeks. If there is improvement, treatment can be re-prescribed after 2-3 weeks, adjusting the dose if necessary.

Starting from 3 years, the doctor can prescribe Elkar in 20 or 30% concentration, calculating the amount of levocarnitine per day and per dose. Use of Elkar for children of other ages:

• 3-6 years – 0.2-0.3 grams of L-carnitine per day for a monthly course;
• 6-12 years – 0.2-0.3 grams of levocarnitine for a month;
• older – 0.4-0.9 grams per day for at least a month.

With slow physical development, Elkar is given to children according to different schemes with a daily dose of 0.5-0.75 grams of levocarnitine per day.

Contraindications and side effects

The Elcar stimulant is not prescribed if the potential patient has previously been diagnosed with allergic reactions to any of the components of the drug. The drug is prescribed with special caution to children under three years of age. Such actions must be justified and carried out exclusively under the supervision of the attending physician.

The stimulant itself is quite safe for infants, but side effects from its use are still possible. In practice, the following adverse reactions to taking this drug were recorded:

• sleep disorders;
• abdominal pain;
• digestive and stool disorders;
• decreased muscle tone;
• allergic type reactions;
• increased nervous excitability and other disruptions in the functioning of the nervous system;
• loss of appetite.

All adverse reactions go away on their own within a couple of days after stopping the drug. If the undesirable manifestations are too strong, general symptomatic treatment is carried out.

Contraindications

The drug is not prescribed to children with known intolerance to any component of Elkar. Let us remind you that infants are recommended to take 20% of the product. The medicine is not given to infants with acute pathologies of the digestive tract, including gastritis, as well as sleep disorders.

Despite the fact that Elkar is classified as a dietary supplement and is sold without a prescription, you should not give the drug to an infant yourself. Before taking Elkar, you need to identify the indications and determine the dosage. Only a pediatrician can do this after examining the baby’s condition.

Compatibility with other drugs

According to the instructions for use of Elkar for newborns, the drug is excellently tolerated and does not cause any cross-interactions with drugs aimed at maintaining the consistency and regulation of processes in the body. At the same time, glucocorticosteroid drugs promote the accumulation of levocarnitine in the cells and tissues of various organs. The exception to this process is the liver. Any drugs aimed at stimulating metabolism enhance the effect of the stimulant.

Elkar in children's sports

In 2013, the journal “Russian Bulletin of Perinatology and Pediatrics” published the results of a study of the drug Elkar, conducted at the Children's Clinical Republican Hospital of Mordovia. For it, 40 children from 11 to 15 years old who were seriously involved in artistic gymnastics were selected. At that time, each of the participants had been involved in this sport for at least 3-5 years (training intensity about 8 hours per week).

The results showed that the administration of Elkar to child athletes is effective as a cardioprotective and neuroprotective agent.

A course of treatment can significantly reduce the likelihood of pathological remodeling of the heart by reducing the content of biomarkers of damage to the heart muscle and activating heart functions in systole and diastole.

The children who took part in the study underwent various physical and mental health tests. The results of psychological testing suggest that taking Elkar significantly reduces anxiety levels and increases resistance to stress.

While taking the drug, the content of stress biomarkers (norepinephrine, cortisol, natriuretic peptide, adrenaline) decreases.

It has been established that prescribing the drug to children involved in sports helps prevent damage to the immune system and cardiovascular organs caused by stress. Sports activities are a high physical and psycho-emotional stress for children, and a course of Elkar's treatment allows you to avoid the development of overtraining syndrome and stress-induced disorders.

Alternative remedies

The Elkar stimulator has a fairly wide spectrum of action. Therefore, if taking it becomes impossible for a number of reasons, you can easily choose an alternative that meets the needs of your specific baby:

1. The drugs Carnitene or L-carnitine will have a similar effect. This is not just an alternative, these are the real analogues of Elkar. Therefore, they will be able to replace it quite adequately.
2. If it’s only a matter of grams and centimeters, any “vitamins for children’s growth” will help the baby, including the banal and so familiar “Aquadetrim”, the instructions for use of which indicate that it improves metabolic processes, calcium absorption and prevents rickets.
3. If the problem is mineral metabolism and vitamin deficiency, you can use Supradin Kids as an alternative, having first read the instructions for its use.
4. For “heart” problems, Riboxin or Potassium Orotate would be an excellent option.
5. For pathologies in the brain and central nervous system, Cocarboxylase, Cortexin or Glycine will help.

In any case, both an analogue and an alternative to Elkar can only be selected together with the doctor who prescribed this stimulant to the child. Arbitrariness in this matter may not only not bring a positive result, but also harm the baby.

Analogues of the drug

Doctors prescribe Elkar both as a prophylactic and for the treatment of various diseases. To eliminate serious problems, stronger medications may be needed, and to improve appetite and weight gain, there are medications that can be used instead of Elkar.

Elkar analogue drugs (gallery)

Experts' opinion

Many doctors today, without fear or concern, prescribe Elkar to children with different diagnoses, needs, age and weight characteristics. This stimulant has proven itself to be the best due to its mild action and tangible results at the end of the course. But not all pediatricians and neonatologists share this opinion and not all highly appreciate the effectiveness of this drug.

To be specific, the famous doctor Komarovsky is categorically against taking it in the context of treating children. According to him, this medicine rather calms the parents than has any effect on the child. He is partly right, since there have been no serious scientific studies that would confirm the 100% effectiveness of this drug. But in defense of this stimulant for infants, Komarovsky says that he did not observe the side effects described in the instructions in his practice. Therefore, this medicine cannot cause harm.

At the same time, the most important experts in matters of the health of their children (that is, their parents) are definitely in favor of such a stimulant. Based on their experience, the drug is highly effective and really does what the manufacturer promises. Therefore, many mothers give their infants a course even as a preventive measure. However, it is better not to make such decisions without a pediatrician.

Data on side effects and overdose in children

Taking Elkar in some situations can cause a number of negative reactions in newborns and infants. Side effects:

• sleep disturbance, insomnia;
• dyspeptic manifestations: abdominal pain, gas formation, rumbling;
• allergy to the drug: rash and diathesis on the face, body;
• muscle weakness.

An overdose for infants is dangerous and can cause digestive upset with attacks of intestinal spasms and stool disturbances.

Rarely, an overdose leads to the development of myasthenia gravis. First aid in case of exceeding the dose of levocarnitine is gastric lavage and the use of adsorbents.

On our website we will tell you about dysbiosis in infants - read about the symptoms and signs of the disease, methods of its treatment.

In the next article, find out how to correctly take a test for dysbacteriosis in an infant and how to correctly decipher its results.

Do you know what mucus in a child’s stool means? Find out if you should worry when this symptom appears by reading our special review.

Video: why Elkar drops are prescribed for newborns

In this video, a neurologist explains why drugs that stimulate metabolic processes in the body are needed. The doctor gives brief instructions on the use of Pantogan syrup for children, and also describes in detail the drug Elkar, its effect and how to take it for newborns.

Elkar is a drug based on carnitine, the action of which is aimed at stimulating and regulating metabolism in the body of a little person. Due to its action, it can solve problems with digestion and metabolism, increase immunity, establish and significantly improve the functioning of the cerebral cortex and central nervous system. Doctors recommend it for children who are severely delayed in development, are in rehabilitation after serious illnesses or injuries, or have disabilities of various natures.

At the same time, not all doctors agree with the effectiveness of this drug. Komarovsky considers it practically water, arguing that this stimulant has neither benefit nor harm. Whether to use such a drug or not is, in any case, up to you to decide. But remember: before using even such a harmless stimulant, it is better not to neglect consultation with a pediatrician or neonatologist, especially when it comes to infants.

Have you given Elkar to your baby? What was this connected with? Did you get the expected effect? Share your impressions in the comments, this is important for those young parents who are in the process of making a decision “for” or “against” Elkar. Healthy and active children to you!

Medicine elkar

In pharmacological practice, it is rare that the same drug is prescribed to children, adults, and infants, and even for different purposes. One of these rare medicines is Elkar. It is successfully used in their practice by neonatologists, nutritionists, neurologists, cardiologists, orthopedists and many other specialized doctors.

A 20% solution of Elkar contains the only active ingredient – ​​levocarnitine. This substance is natural and it is synthesized by the body, moreover, it is quite close in structure to B vitamins.

Levocaritin elcar has many properties that affect metabolic processes in the body. It is often prescribed to athletes to increase endurance, as well as to young children to improve appetite. The solution is also used as an aid to the development of adolescents, and elkar is also useful for weight loss. Levocarnitine is not included in many medications.

In this case, how to give Elkar to certain groups of patients if they differ in age and diagnosis?

How to give elkar to children

There are many forums on the Internet where mothers share their experiences on how to give elkar to their children. The use of any medicine for children should only be started as prescribed by a doctor. Elkar is prescribed mainly by neonatologists up to one year of age. The reason for the prescription may be underweight, poor appetite, muscle inactivity, etc.

Elkar is not dangerous for newborns, since it is present in the body of every person from birth. It is only important to choose the right dosage and determine individual tolerance. Since giving Elkar to children can be started very early, it is important not to become addictive. The neonatologist will explain the reason for choosing the medicine and tell you how to give Elkar to children. After all, the dosage is often selected individually, and there are cases that are not always true. Some babies have an allergic reaction to Elkar syrup. In this case, reducing the dosage or completely abandoning the drug will help.

Levocarnitine elcar is a substance that accelerates all metabolic processes, so some children experience increased excitability after taking it. This causes dissatisfaction for many mothers, since giving Elkar to children with increasing activity is one thing, but when the child’s sleep and routine are disturbed, this is completely different. Such a reaction indicates an excess dosage or an individual reaction to the drug.

So how to give elkar to children so as not to deprive parents of a night's sleep? The entire dose of the drug should be taken in the morning and lunch. Even if Elkar is prescribed more than 2 times a day, the dosage and frequency should be divided in the morning, since giving Elkar to children after two o'clock in the afternoon is not recommended.

How to give Elkar to older people

Levocarnitine is synthesized in the human body throughout life. But not always in the required quantities. This may be due to excessive physical activity (for example, in athletes) or a slower metabolism (in older people), or metabolic disorders (in people with excess body weight). Elkar can be even more useful for adults than for children. This is especially true for older people.

You can also replenish levocarnitine reserves with food. The highest concentration of this substance is found in meat and dairy products. But with age, the digestibility of these particular products can be complicated due to liver or pancreas diseases. An excellent alternative in this case can be elkar solution.

One 25 ml bottle of this substance contains 15-20 daily doses of levocarnitine elcar. For an adult, an average of 250-500 mg of this substance is required. In case of illness, stress, pregnancy and heavy physical activity, the daily dose may increase several times. Elkar is prescribed for appetite in older people less often than in children, but it can still have a similar effect on an adult body. In any case, if the cost factor is acceptable, or you have some medicine left after a course of treatment for a newborn child, you can safely use it yourself or give it to your grandmother (after consultation with a doctor), since giving Elkar to older people is also very useful.

Elkar for weight loss

Elkar drops have one “star” property - they help the body burn fat. Actually, this is the effect of levocarnitine. This substance burns fat to obtain the energy necessary to support the functioning of the body's systems. Elkar for weight loss is used both in its pure form and together with various biological additives.

There is also a nutrition system in which the basis of the diet is meat and low-fat dairy products. Using, for example, the Japanese diet and taking Elkar for weight loss, you can achieve better results.

But you should not abuse the properties of this drug. Since giving Elkar for weight loss to a patient is possible only with his full consent. After all, by accelerating your metabolism, your appetite may increase. And then without appropriate control, the result can be completely opposite.

Body contouring and weight management activities often occur with increased physical activity. Elkar for weight loss can be used as an adjuvant. Training in the gym can help change the quality of muscle tissue, but for quick recovery after exercise and a more effective fat-burning process, elkar is also recommended.

Elcar vitamins, method of use

The medicine Elkar belongs to the group of “vitamins and vitamin-like products”. It is not difficult to draw a conclusion about the method of its application. Like any artificially synthesized substance, elcar, when taken for a long time, can accumulate in tissues, especially in combination with glucocorticoids (hormones of the adrenal cortex). If you are hypersensitive to the device, pain and allergies may occur.

Elkar vitamins are usually taken half an hour before meals. The medicine can be diluted with available liquid: tea, water, jelly, fruit decoction. Adults take Elkar vitamins, 2-3 times a day, 1-2 chewable tablets or using a 20% Elkar solution (dosage as prescribed by a doctor, on average from 0.5 to 2 teaspoons).

Elkar syrup is often prescribed to newborn babies as an aid to immunity and development support. Typically the dosage is 3-4 drops of eclecar, 2-3 times a day. The dosage may be reduced if the child exhibits hyperreactivity, or use may be discontinued altogether. The drug Elkar has proven itself in the practice of neonatologists and has minimal side effects.

Elcar is administered intravenously for hemodialysis and acute heart attack. The methodology and doses are determined by the attending physician individually, based on existing recommendations. Elkar can also be administered intramuscularly as part of an auxiliary therapy.

The drug Elcar and its analogues have a minimal number of contraindications, including acute sensitivity to levocarnitine, lactation and pregnancy. In other cases, Elcar is prescribed for illnesses, heart failure, and even AIDS.

dosages, elcar