Oxeladin is a cough suppressant. It is a highly potent and effective drug used to treat all types of cough of various etiologies. It is not related to opium

Opium

Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...

 or its derivatives, so treatment with oxeladin is free of risk of dependence

Substance dependence

The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...

 or addiction

Addiction

Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain.Addiction can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity...

. Oxeladin has none of the side effect

Side effect

In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is secondary to the one intended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequences of the use of a drug.Occasionally, drugs are...

s (such as hypnosis

Hypnosis

Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...

, respiratory depression, tolerance, constipation

Constipation

Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...

 and analgesia) which are present when common antitussives, such as codeine

Codeine

Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...

 and its derivatives, are used. It may be used at every age, as well as in patients with heart disease

Heart disease

Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...

, since it has a high level of safety and a great selectivity to act on the bulbar centre of cough.

Indications

Oxeladin is indicated in all types of cough. Besides its antitussive action, it helps to clear the respiratory tract

Respiratory tract

In humans the respiratory tract is the part of the anatomy involved with the process of respiration.The respiratory tract is divided into 3 segments:*Upper respiratory tract: nose and nasal passages, paranasal sinuses, and throat or pharynx...

, since it increases the quantity of secretion

Secretion

Secretion is the process of elaborating, releasing, and oozing chemicals, or a secreted chemical substance from a cell or gland. In contrast to excretion, the substance may have a certain function, rather than being a waste product...

 and thins bronchial secretion.

• Irritative
  Irritation
  Irritation or exacerbation, in biology and physiology, is a state of inflammation or painful reaction to allergy or cell-lining damage. A stimulus or agent which induces the state of irritation is an irritant...
  
   cough
• Allergic
  Allergy
  An Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid...
  
   cough
• Psychogenic cough
• Treatment of cough in patients with heart disease (it has no action upon the cardiovascular system)
• Infectious
  Infection
  An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
  
   cough: tracheitis
  Tracheitis
  Tracheitis is an inflammation of the trachea.Although the trachea is usually considered part of the lower respiratory tract, in ICD-10 tracheitis is classified under "Acute upper respiratory infections".-Bacterial tracheitis:...
  
  , bronchitis
  Bronchitis
  Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
  
  , pneumonia
  Pneumonia
  Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
  
  
• Treatment of cough in pre- and post-operative treatment for bronchoscopy
  Bronchoscopy
  Bronchoscopy is a technique of visualizing the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. An instrument is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth, or occasionally through a tracheostomy. This allows the practitioner to examine the patient's airways for...
  
  

Contraindications

Although fetal malformations

Congenital abnormality

A congenital anomaly is a condition which is present at the time of birth which varies from the standard presentation....

 have not been reported, oxeladin should not be used during the first trimester of pregnancy

Pregnancy

Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...

. Oxeladin is contraindicated in patients with MAOI therapy.

Side effects

Rarely, some patients have reported rash

Rash

A rash is a change of the skin which affects its color, appearance or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, cracked or blistered, swell and may be painful. The causes, and...

, dizziness

Dizziness

Dizziness refers to an impairment in spatial perception and stability. The term is somewhat imprecise. It can be used to mean vertigo, presyncope, disequilibrium, or a non-specific feeling such as giddiness or foolishness....

, sedation

Sedation

Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure...

 or mild digestive disturbances

Dyspepsia

Dyspepsia , also known as upset stomach or indigestion, refers to a condition of impaired digestion. It is a medical condition characterized by chronic or recurrent pain in the upper abdomen, upper abdominal fullness and feeling full earlier than expected when eating...

. These usually disappear on reducing the dosage or interrupting the treatment.

Addiction

Oxeladin differs from common antitussives that cause addiction (such as etilmorphin, codeine

Codeine

Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...

 or its derivatives) in that there is no evidence of risk of addiction or dependence.

Composition and packaging

Oxeladin is available as drops, syrup and tablets, providing easier ways of management which will be chosen depending on the age and clinical stage.

Drops

Each 1ml (33 drops) contains oxeladin citrate 20 mg. The bottle contains 20ml of solution.

Tablets

Each tablet contains oxeladin citrate 20 mg. The box contains 20 tablets in blister packs

Dosage

• Children 2-5yrs: 2.5ml-5ml (17 drops) every 4-6 hours
• Children 6-12 yrs: 10ml (33 drops), or 1 tablet, every 4-6 hours
• Children 12 yrs and over and adults: 15ml (50 drops), or 2 tablets, every 4-6 hours

Restrictions in use and availability

The Drug and Medical Technology Agency of Armenia

Armenia

Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...

 rejected the registration of oxeladin in July 2000 since studies in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

have shown potential carcinogenicity of the drug. (Reference: Communication to WHO, 9 August 2000.)