Racecadotril
Indications
Racecadotril is used for:
Acute diarrhoea
Adult Dose
Oral
Acute diarrhoea
Adult: 100 mg tid. Continue treatment until 2 normal stools are recorded. Max duration: 7 days.
Child Dose
Oral
Acute diarrhoea
Child: 3 mth to 17 yr <9 kg: 10 mg tid;
9 to <13 kg: 20 mg tid;
13-27 kg: 30 mg tid;
>27 kg: 60 mg tid.
Continue treatment until 2 normal stools are recorded.
Max duration: 7 days.
Renal Dose
Administration
May be taken with or without food.
Contra Indications
Hypersensitivity to Racecadotril, or to any of the excipients.
Precautions
Chronic & antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, bloddy or purulent stools & fever, patients w/ diabetes, renal or liver impairment, cases of prolonged or uncontrolled vomiting. Pregnancy, lactation.
Pregnancy-Lactation
Interactions
Adverse Effects
Side effects of Racecadotril :
Headache, tonsillitis, rash, erythema multiforme or nodosum; tongue, face, lip or eyelid oedema; angioedema, urticaria, prurigo, pruritus.
Mechanism of Action
Racecadotril increases the availability of endogenous opioids (enkephalins) by inhibiting the membrane-bound enkephalinase. These enkephalins activate delta-opioid receptors in the GI tract. This leads to a reduction in cAMP mucosal levels, resulting in a reducted secretion of water and electrolytes in the intestinal lumen.