How simeticone works
Flatulent foods and carbonated drinks can be the reason for increased gas formation in the intestines. Pathological processes such as food intolerances and excessive swallowing of air (“aerophagia”) can also cause too much “air in the stomach”.
Symptoms such as flatulence, bloating, tightness and abdominal pain are possible consequences. The foaming of gastric and intestinal juices and the food pulp creates a fine bubble-like foam. The gases are trapped in the bubbles and cannot escape as wind or be absorbed into the bloodstream via the intestinal mucosa or exhaled through the lungs.
Defoamers such as simeticone reduce the surface tension of this foam and cause the many small gas bubbles to coalesce into larger gas bubbles, making them easier to transport or absorb.
At the level of the larynx, the foam can then enter the respiratory tract and lead to suffocation. Simeticone can prevent this by preventing the rinsing agent from foaming up in the stomach.
During imaging examinations (ultrasound, X-ray, gastrointestinal endoscopy) in the gastrointestinal tract, gas bubbles and foam can impair image quality and make diagnosis more difficult. To prevent this, patients are therefore often given simeticone in advance.
Ingestion and excretion
The active ingredient is taken orally, i.e. by mouth. It only acts physically in the gastrointestinal tract and is not absorbed into the blood through the intestinal mucosa. After passing through the digestive tract, it is excreted unchanged.
When is simeticone used?
Simeticone is approved:
- For the treatment of gas-related gastrointestinal complaints
- As an antidote for detergent poisoning
For gas-related gastrointestinal complaints, simeticone is usually only used for a short time. However, it can also be taken over a longer period of time for longer-term complaints.
Simeticone is available as a suspension, soft capsule or chewable tablet. The amount of active ingredient depends on the purpose for which it is taken and the nature of the symptoms.
For digestive complaints, 50 to 250 milligrams of simeticone are taken. In preparation for an imaging examination, about 100 milligrams are usually taken three times the day before and another 100 milligrams of the defoamer on the day of the examination.
For the treatment of washing-up liquid poisoning, it is recommended to take up to 800 milligrams of simeticone at a time, depending on the amount of washing-up liquid swallowed. The dosage must be reduced accordingly for infants, children and adolescents.
What are the side effects of simeticone?
There are no known side effects that can occur as a result of taking simeticone.
What should I bear in mind when taking simeticone?
Interactions
No relevant interactions are known.
If the symptoms of the digestive tract occur over a longer period of time or if they worsen, you should have the cause of the symptoms clarified by a doctor.
Diabetics must be aware of the added sugar in the chewable tablets. It is also advisable for patients who have to follow a low-salt/low-sodium diet (e.g. with high blood pressure) to take the composition of the medicinal product into account.
In individual cases, it has been reported that simeticone can alter the simultaneous absorption of other active substances, so that their blood levels either increased or decreased. Increased absorption has been reported for digoxin (heart medication), warfarin (anticoagulant) and carbamazepine (for epilepsy and seizures), and decreased absorption has been reported for ribavirin (medication for viral infections).
Age restriction
Simeticon may already be used in newborns.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Simeticone is well tolerated during pregnancy and breastfeeding and may be used throughout this period.
How to obtain medication with simeticone
How long has simeticone been known?
Simeticone was first approved in the USA in 1952. Due to its purely physical effect, it is considered a safe and reliable medicine that can also be used in children and pregnant women. There are now numerous preparations in different dosages and in different combinations with the active ingredient simeticone on the German market.
