What is simeticone? How and when should you take it? Get the facts about this medicine that can help reduce excessive flatulence and gas. Discover surprising insights into its effectiveness and potential side effects.

Simeticone: An Overview

Simeticone is a medication commonly used to relieve excessive flatulence, or gas, in both adults and children. It works by helping to break down gas bubbles in the digestive system, making it easier for the body to expel them. This can provide relief for those struggling with uncomfortable bloating, burping, and passing of gas.

How and When to Take Simeticone

The instructions for taking simeticone can vary depending on the specific product and formulation. It’s important to carefully read the information provided with the medication, whether on the packaging, leaflet, or bottle. Generally, the recommended dosage for adults to relieve wind is between 100mg and 250mg, taken up to 3-4 times per day, often after meals and at bedtime. For babies with colic, the typical dose is 20-40mg, up to 6 times a day.

Simeticone can be taken in different forms, such as liquid, tablets, capsules, or chewable tablets. Liquid formulations should be measured carefully using the provided dropper or syringe, while tablets and capsules should be swallowed whole with water. Chewable tablets should be chewed before swallowing.

Potential Side Effects and Overdose

Simeticone is generally considered a safe medication, and serious side effects are rare. However, taking too much may cause mild gastrointestinal issues like upset stomach, diarrhea, or constipation. If you or your child have taken more than the recommended dose, it’s important to contact a healthcare professional for advice.

How Long Can Simeticone Be Taken?

There is typically no strict limit on how long simeticone can be taken, as it is not known to cause long-term issues. However, it’s generally recommended to only use it occasionally or for a short period of time. If you find yourself needing to take simeticone regularly for more than 14 days, it’s a good idea to speak with a doctor.

When Simeticone May Not Be Enough

While simeticone can be effective in relieving occasional gas and bloating, it may not be sufficient for those with more chronic or severe digestive issues. Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or lactose intolerance may require additional treatments or dietary changes to manage flatulence and other symptoms.

Alternatives and Complementary Treatments

For those who don’t find relief from simeticone alone, there are other options to consider. Probiotics, enzymes like alpha-galactosidase, and addressing potential dietary triggers like lactose or certain foods can all play a role in managing excessive flatulence. It’s best to work with a healthcare professional to develop a comprehensive treatment plan.

What is the difference between simeticone and simethicone?

Simeticone and simethicone are actually the same compound, just with slightly different names. They are both used to help break down and expel gas bubbles in the digestive system, providing relief from bloating and flatulence.

Can simeticone cause constipation?

Yes, taking too much simeticone can potentially cause constipation, along with other mild gastrointestinal side effects like diarrhea or upset stomach. It’s important to stick to the recommended dosage to avoid these issues.

How long does it take for simeticone to work?

Simeticone typically begins working fairly quickly, often within 30 minutes to an hour of taking it. However, the full effect may not be felt for up to 2-4 hours as the gas bubbles are gradually broken down and expelled.

Can simeticone be taken long-term for IBS?

Yes, for individuals with conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that can cause chronic gas and bloating, simeticone can be taken on a long-term basis safely. Just be sure to discuss this with your healthcare provider.

Is simeticone safe for babies?

Yes, simeticone is generally considered a safe option for treating gas and colic in babies, when used as directed. The recommended dosage is lower for infants compared to adults.

Can simeticone interact with other medications?

Simeticone is not known to have significant interactions with most other medications. However, it’s still a good idea to inform your doctor about any other supplements or drugs you are taking to ensure there are no potential conflicts.

How and when to take simeticone

The instructions for taking this medicine will vary, depending on the type of simeticone.

Always read the information in the leaflet that comes with the medicine or on the box or bottle.

Dosage

Doses of simeticone vary depending on the type of medicine, the brand and the amount of simeticone in it. The dose is lower for babies.

For wind, the usual dose for adults is between 100mg and 250mg. You can take the medicine as needed, up to 3 or 4 times a day. You’ll usually take it after meals and at bedtime.

For babies with colic, the usual dose is between 20mg and 40mg, up to 6 times a day.

When to give it to your baby depends on the brand you have. Some brands are given before feeds and some are given with or after feeds. Check the leaflet that comes with it, or ask your health visitor or pharmacist if you’re not sure.

How to take it

Infant colic drops

Shake the bottle. Measure the dose using the dropper or syringe provided and give it to your baby right away.

Some brands can be added to your baby’s bottle of milk. Check the leaflet or ask your health visitor or pharmacist if you’re not sure.

Liquid

Shake the bottle. Measure the correct dose using a syringe, medicine spoon, or small measuring cup. If you do not have one, ask a pharmacist for one.

Do not use a kitchen teaspoon as it will not measure the right amount.

Tablets, capsules and gel capsules

Swallow these whole with some water.

Chewable tablets

Chew the tablets before swallowing. You can have a drink of water afterwards if you like.

How long to take it for

Simeticone is generally a safe medicine, so there’s no strict limit on how long you or your baby can take it for. However, most people will only need to take it occasionally, or for a short period of time.

Talk to a doctor if you’ve been taking simeticone regularly for more than 14 days.

It’s safe to continue giving your baby simeticone if they have colic for several weeks, but talk to a doctor or health visitor if their symptoms do not improve or if they get worse.

If you’re taking simeticone to treat bloating caused by an ongoing condition such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), there’s no harm in taking it long term. Just make sure you tell a doctor that you’re taking it.

If you take too much

Taking too much simeticone is not likely to cause any serious problems. However, it may cause an upset stomach, diarrhoea or constipation.

Urgent advice: Contact 111 for advice now if:

• you’ve taken or given your baby more than the recommended dose of simeticone

Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111. Call 111 if you’re asking about a child under the age of 5 years.

If you need to go to A&E, do not drive yourself. Get someone else to drive you or call for an ambulance.

Take the simeticone packet, or the leaflet inside it, plus any remaining medicine with you.

Page last reviewed: 13 October 2022

Next review due: 13 October 2025

Excessive Flatulence Creates Challenges | The People’s Pharmacy

Flatulence-aka gas-is an embarrassing problem. It can’t be broached in polite conversation, and many patients are reluctant to bring it up during a doctor visit. Nonetheless, excessive flatulence is troublesome and should be addressed. 

Excessive Flatulence At Night:

Q. I hope you can help with an embarrassing problem. In the afternoons I often have very loud gas.

I do eat breakfast but sometimes skip lunch. Different over-the-counter meds have been mostly useless. The flatulence happens throughout the evening. What can you suggest?

A. The first step in overcoming gas is to keep a “fart chart.” People can be sensitive to different foods. For many, legumes are the culprit. For others it is wheat or barley, especially if they are sensitive to gluten. Milk sugar (lactose) is another potential problem. That’s why keeping track of flatulence and food triggers can be helpful.

You didn’t mention whether you are taking any medications. A surprising number of drugs can trigger flatulence.

What About Simethicone?

Many OTC products advertised to treat gas contain simethicone.

One review notes, however, that:

“Simethicone does not appear to reduce the actual production of gas in the GI tract” (StatPearls, July 21, 2021). 

Milk Sugar:

People who have difficulty digesting milk sugar (lactose intolerance) may get benefit from probiotics and lactase enzyme replacement in the form of pills (Diagnostics, June, 2020). 

If legumes are the problem, the oral enzyme alpha-galactosidase could be beneficial.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found this treatment:

“can improve gas-related symptoms in children and adolescents” (BMC Gastroenterology, Sept. 24, 2013). 

This enzyme is found in Beano and other OTC digestive aids.

Sugarless Gum and Gas:

This reader was brave enough to mention her gassiness to her gastroenterologist.

Here is her question:

Q. I had complained to my gastroenterologist about having lots of gas. He asked if I chew sugarless gum – yes, I responded. I had not known that sugarless gum contains sorbitol which can/will cause gas.

The mystery of excessive flatulence was solved by an alert GI doc. That’s why it is important to mention embarrassing conditions to a health professional. Believe us when we tell you that doctors have heard it all! The good ones will not blink or crack a smile.

Here’s the straight and skinny on excessive flatulence:

A. Sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol and other “sugar alcohols” are sweet but not as caloric as sugar. Consequently, they may be used instead of sugar in certain diet desserts, candies or chewing gum.

Because we don’t absorb these compounds ourselves, they provide fodder for our intestinal bacteria to create gas or diarrhea. While most people can tolerate such foods in moderation, some are more sensitive and should avoid them.

How to Manage Excessive Flatulence:

There are lots of things that can cause gas. Of course you know that foods can do it. Remember the old rhyme:

“Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart

The more you eat the more you fart,

The more you fart the better you feel

So eat your beans at every meal.”

Other Unexpected Causes of Excessive Flatulence:

Q. I certainly hope you can help me.  My husband is bothered by excessive flatulence unresponsive to everything we have tried.  He has taken Charco-Caps, Prevacid, Creon and ALL the OTC stuff.

His current medications are Plavix, diltiazem, Aricept, Uniphyl, Celebrex (3x/week), aspirin, a multi-vitamin, calcium with vitamin D, vitamin C and vitamin E.   The Plavix and Aricept were started this past fall but the flatulence was present over a year ago.

He is convinced that if he remains seated that the gas is not so bad.  But one cannot sit forever!

He takes Tums by the handfuls thinking that it will help, but to no avail.  He also uses inhalers, with a spacer, for his asthma—Aerobid, Atrovent, and Proventil prn and Beconase nasal inhaler.

I know that he does “suck air” with the inhaler use but cannot get him (even after 18-20 years) to use the inhalers correctly.

I am wondering if there is any interaction of his medications that could cause the problem.  In addition, he is now taking Metamucil daily and thinking that it will help.  I cannot see any improvement of any kind with any of the things he’s tried.  I am sure the Metamucil helps with the occasional constipation he gets from sitting around so much.  Any thoughts or insight on this problem?

Drugs That Contribute to Flatulence:

A. Some of your husband’s medications might be contributing to his gas production. Aricept and Celebrex can contribute to flatulence in some individuals, but he may not be able to discontinue them. Inhaled air, or as you describe it, sucking air, when he uses his asthma inhalers could also add to the problem.

There may not be an easy solution when medications contribute to gas formation. Many people do not appreciate how many drugs can actually do this. Here is just a partial list:

• Aciphex (rabeprazole)
• Ambien (zolpidem)
• Augmentin (amoxicillin – clavulanate)
• Avapro (irbesartan)
• Chantix (varenicline)
• Cipro (ciprofloxacin)
• Depakote (divalproex)
• Diovan (valsartan)
• Eligard (leuprolide)
• Effexor (venlafaxine)
• Evista (raloxifene)
• Fosamax (alendronate)
• Hyzaar (losartan – hydrochlorothiazide)
• Klonopin (clonazepam)
• Lamictal (lamotrigine)
• Lexapro (escitalopram)
• Lipitor (atorvastatin)
• Lyrica (pregabalin)
• Mevacor (lovastatin)
• Naprosyn (naproxen)
• Paxil (paroxetine)
• Premarin (conjugated estrogens)
• Prinivil (lisinopril)
• Vytorin (ezetimibe & simvastatin)

You will note that drugs contributing to the problem include some acid-suppressing drugs as well as statin-type cholesterol-lowering medications. Many people try to change their diet to solve their gas problem. But if a medication is contributing, then modifying food intake won’t make a huge difference.

Why He Should Talk with his Doctor:

This is one of those side effects that is considered by many health professionals to be “minor.” But if it affects your lifestyle, limits your socializing or causes embarrassment, then we do not consider it minor. Although it is not always possible to eliminate an offending medicine, it is definitely worth a conversation with the prescriber. It may be possible to switch to a different medication that is less likely to cause gas.

While you are at it, ask the doctor to demonstrate the correct method for using an inhaler. Sometimes using a “spacer” can be helpful.

Finally, you may find our eGuide to Overcoming Digestive Disorders of some value. It lists other “fart-producing drugs,” foods that are especially likely to cause flatulence and some other strategies for dealing with this challenge. When all else fails, a Flatulence Filter that you sit on can be helpful. You will also find information on heartburn, celiac disease, constipation and diarrhea in this newly revised electronic health resource. It is available in our Health eGuides section at this link.

We welcome suggestions from visitors to this website. What causes your excessive flatulence? Has anything worked for you to control the problem? Share your secrets in the comment section.

Is there a medicine that makes you tell the truth?

October 6, 2013

Photo caption,

Michael Mosley tested sodium thiopental on himself get any information. Michael Mosley tested this drug on himself.

One of the most difficult tasks that modern society sets before us is to recognize what is true and what is false. We lie ourselves and are surprisingly bad at detecting when others are deliberately deceiving us.

There are many legends about deception, such as the notion that liars usually hide their eyes, twitch their legs, or scratch their noses when they lie (the so-called “Pinocchio effect”).

However, one study after another shows that professionals – for example, police officers – recognize lies no better than the rest of us. Therefore, it is not surprising that for many years scientists have been trying to invent a “medicine of truth” – a drug that would make you open up and tell the investigator everything you know.

One of the oldest and best known drugs is sodium thiopental. Developed back in the 1930s, it is still used in various situations, including by the police and the army of some countries.

I was skeptical about claims that this drug, developed for anesthesia, makes people tell the truth even against their will. And yet I was intrigued, and therefore decided to try it out for myself (it just fit into my series of experiments on outstanding drugs in the history of mankind).

Sodium thiopental belongs to a group of substances known as barbiturates; in the 1950s and 60s they were widely used as sleeping pills. Now their use has been discontinued, as it turned out that barbiturates are highly addictive and can lead to death – as you know, Marilyn Monroe died from an excessive dose of such sleeping pills.

I decided to take a small dose of sodium thiopental under proper medical supervision – my vital signs were constantly monitored by the anesthesiologist Austin Leach. Barbiturates work by slowing down the speed at which messages are sent through the brain and spinal cord. The higher the dose, the harder it is for chemical signals to move from one neuron to another. The thought process slows down until you fall asleep. With thiopental, this happens very quickly.

Although thiopental was originally intended for anesthesia, doctors quickly noticed that in the “twilight zone” between consciousness and loss of consciousness, patients became talkative and intemperate. When the effect of the drug wore off, they did not remember what they had said.

Then it was decided that sodium thiopental could form the basis of the “medicine of truth” needed during interrogations. But does it really work?

Caption before photo,

Sodium thiopental probably acts on the brain in the same way as alcohol

I decided that I would try to consistently stick to this fiction: I, Michael Mosley, am not a science journalist at all, but a well-known cardiac surgeon. At first I took a very small dose – and instantly felt a little dizzy and intoxicated. But will it incline me to tell the truth?

According to the well-known proverb, “in vino veritas” (truth is in wine). Alcohol is an anesthetic that depresses some of our higher centers, such as the cerebral cortex, where our thoughts are predominantly processed. It weakens the control over behavior and at the same time slows down thinking, from which thoughts lose their clarity. The Roman historian Tacitus reports that in the Germanic tribes drunk people had to come to important meetings, because it was believed that in this way people would not be able to skillfully lie.

One theory is that sodium thiopental works the same way. Since it is generally more difficult to lie than to tell the truth, the higher cortical functions should be suppressed, and the person will be inclined to the truth – only because it is easier.

I’m not sure that my lying under the influence of a small dose of thiopental could be considered skillful, but I could still lie.

“I am a cardio – ha-ha-ha – a cardiac surgeon! A world-famous cardiac surgeon!” I exclaimed when Dr. Leach asked what I did for a living.

“What was your last operation?” he asked politely.

“Coronary bypass, – I was not at a loss. – Everyone survived. Yeah, I’m cool!”

Hardly convincing, but I still somehow held on to my invention. But what happens if the dose is increased?

Then I felt uneasy. There was a risk that I would blurt out something that I did not want to tell the world about at all. However, confident in my ability to lie further, I asked Dr. Leach for another dose.

I was given some more sodium thiopental, and this time I felt more sober, more in control of the situation. All the more surprising was what happened next. Dr. Leach asked again what my name was and what my job was. This time I had no doubts.

“I’m a television producer. Actually, an executive producer, well, a host, in short, all this combined.”

“And you’ve never had heart surgery?” he said carefully.

“Never in my life! Never!”

It’s hard for me to say exactly what happened because this drug, in particular, distorts short-term memory. But it looks like I told the truth this time because the idea of ​​lying just didn’t cross my mind.

So does the “medicine of truth” work? Well, after my experiment and discussing it with the experts, I came to the conclusion: definitely, they are inclined to talk. At the same time, under their influence, a person becomes extremely open to suggestion. Maybe this is because the drug interferes with the work of higher centers, such as the cerebral cortex, which are responsible for making decisions. Therefore, there is a significant risk that instead of the truth, you will say what the interrogator wants to hear.

The truth is that we do not yet have a reliable “medicine of truth”. And if there is, then who will tell you about it?

“I was ready to gnaw the earth just to get this medicine” The Russian woman did everything to save her daughter from suffering. According to the law, this turned out to be impossible: Society: Russia: Lenta.ru

The criminal case against a Muscovite who bought the anticonvulsant drug Frizium abroad for her sick son was cancelled. Moreover, the prosecutor’s office called the case “illegal” and “unfounded.” However, the problem itself has not gone away: thousands of families raising children with epilepsy cannot receive those medicines that are the world standard, but are not registered in Russia (that is, prohibited). Despite the words of officials that there are no problems with legal access to medicines, the existing rules simply do not work, Nadezhda Morgasova, a resident of Sergiev Posad, told Lente.ru. She is one of the few who scrupulously carried out all the recommendations of the bureaucrats. But legally “Freezium” for her daughter Masha never received and is forced to take risks by buying it through intermediaries.

Lenta.ru: You claim that you followed all the instructions of the Ministry of Health in order to obtain an unregistered drug, but you still do not have the drug. Why?

Nadezhda Morgasova: I have been regularly, for the past three years, submitting official applications, drawn up in accordance with all the rules, to my clinic for the import of Frizium into Russia, but there is no answer. There are replies, of course. I recently received a letter from the Ministry of Health, which says that I first contacted them only recently. But this is not true. My daughter is 15 years old. AT 9months she was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis, epilepsy. For the past few years, all I have been doing is sending tons of appeals, including to the Ministry of Health.

What specific documents do you have?

I have three conclusions from medical commissions that my daughter needs drugs that are not registered in Russia. Back in 2015, when a new law was promulgated to ban the importation of unregistered drugs into the country, there was a big fuss. But it was then that the Ministry of Health assured everyone that no one would have problems. The patient needs to go through a medical consultation, and if the drug is prescribed, the state will buy it.

Related materials:

My daughter takes two medicines that are not available in Russia – Sabril and Frizium. And the medical commission issued a positive conclusion for their purchase. “Sabril” with difficulty the state bought us anyway. And not within five days, as stated in the rules of the Ministry of Health. It took over nine months. Well, with “Freezium” – just a disaster. The active substance that it contains – clobazam – is included in the lists of strict accounting, that is, it is psychotropic and potent. And the company must have permission to purchase it. I have not yet been able to find a company that would agree to buy it for me.

Why are you looking for a pharmaceutical company? I thought that you just take the papers to the clinic, and then you come for the medicine…

On paper, perhaps everything is so. But, firstly, it is also not so easy to submit documents to the clinic. At first, they did not want to take them to me in order to provide the necessary medicines. They said it was not their responsibility. But after the intervention of the prosecutor’s office, where I sent a complaint, the clinic took over the documents and bought Sabril for us. By the way, the company that bought this drug for us was also found by the parents and “brought” to the clinic. But a company that has a permit to work with narcotic drugs cannot be found. I am looking for myself, because this is my child, I am an interested person here. Therefore, she is forced to run ahead of the locomotive. At the polyclinic, they told me that since there is no company that can buy medicine abroad, the Ministry of Health does not give permission to purchase it.

And someone else’s experience to adopt? Has no one been able to get Frisium from the state over the years?

We, the community of parents of children with epilepsy, tried to find such lucky ones. There are cases of buying ordinary unregistered drugs that are not included in the lists of potent drugs. As for Frisium, they couldn’t find anyone. There is talk that they helped this one, this one. But it’s like a broken radio. The doctor even named a company from St. Petersburg that officially imports unregistered drugs. I wrote to them. They were surprised and cautiously asked – do you know that we are in St. Petersburg? Yes, even from Magadan, what difference does it make to us, the main thing is to deliver the drug to Russia. But after several days of correspondence, they said that they did not have security clearance.

Now I just don’t know what to do. It seems that there is a conclusion of doctors that the child needs medicines, there is a conclusion of the council. But in reality, it’s all bullshit. I have one last opportunity left – the court.

Did you pass the medical consultation easily? Many parents complain that it is quite difficult to organize.

The fact is that my daughter has been ill almost since birth. And we have been taking these medicines since the age of 4. When the law on the ban on the import of unregistered drugs appeared, Masha was 11. Therefore, it was we who had no problems. We are constantly monitored in the federal clinic, we were lucky with the doctors there. As far as I know, such conclusions are given just in federal institutions. And the consultation is issued only after hospitalization. This is an average of two weeks.

Imagine those who live far from Moscow, even if the child is not walking. Do you think there are difficulties with the organization? On the forums, parents complain that it is very difficult to get a consultation. But here we have it. And what? Filkin’s diploma. Having all the permissions, we cannot obtain the drug legally. Although officially no one seems to say “no”. I have a very small supply of Frizium. If it ends, Masha will die. And it will be a painful death.

Isn’t it possible to replace Frizium with some other medicine?

We had a tragic case when, due to a combination of circumstances, the drug ran out. As a result, in 2017, Masha ended up in intensive care with status epilepticus. Status is convulsions that do not stop. It took us 40 minutes to get to the hospital in an ambulance. All this time, without ceasing, she was injected with Relanium: injections one by one, because the action was short. She was in the intensive care unit for a day, and only Frizium managed to “return” her. Watching what happens to a child at such moments is very scary. Children used to die from status epilepticus. Now we have learned to control it. But if there is no cure, we are threatened with such painful attacks. Daughter won’t take it.

Then, having seen enough of all this, we tried to make sure that there was a supply of the drug. But do you see how the situation is developing? It is getting more and more difficult to get through our channels. And now you can’t risk asking friends to bring them with an opportunity.

Photo: Nadezhda Morgasova’s page on VKontakte

The Ministry of Health recommended that the Russian Antiepileptic League choose a replacement for Frizium by combining drugs allowed in Russia. Maybe this is the way out?

I don’t believe that such a combination is possible. We take handfuls of pills. We have four drugs for epilepsy alone. But there are a bunch of other problems as well. I can’t understand why officials do all this, why complicate things? Why not just take and import these drugs? In all countries it is a medicine, but in Russia it is a drug. Why did all the mothers of children with epilepsy turn into criminals overnight?

Most children with our condition always have seizures. But Masha’s condition is stable for our situation only thanks to these pills. We can even go outside, she does not fall, like many guys with this diagnosis. Their parents are afraid when children walk. This is fraught with fractures and epistatus for them. It’s all so difficult. Touching it and changing it to other combinations is barbarism and unprofessionalism on the part of doctors. Children are not guinea pigs. Our children just want to be killed. No person, no problem. Why haven’t they solved it for so many years?

But still, have you tried Russian medicines? What if something came up to you in a critical situation?

I have already said that we have been drinking these medicines since the age of four almost without stopping. When the child was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis, we were told that the drugs of first choice were Sabril and Frizium. When they told me the names, I thought, okay, what should I do, I’ll go to the pharmacy. I didn’t even know then that you can only buy them from the hands. In 2004, a pack of the same Sabril cost 120 euros.

We have been taking this medicine for a year, and our daughter has stabilized. And the doctor, probably seeing that it is difficult for us to buy these medicines (not only because they are not available in Russia, but also because they are expensive), says: “Let’s try to change the therapy.” And we have changed. We got much worse. Remissions disappeared, the child began to have frequent epileptic seizures.

Convulsions?

Indeed, many people imagine epileptic seizures as follows – a person falls in convulsions, foam from the mouth. Often this is not the case at all. During the attacks, our daughter folded in half, threw up her hands. What else is the danger of seizures in children – they kill the brain. Almost always, children with epilepsy are mentally retarded. Especially those from infancy. If the attacks are not stopped in time, then mental retardation shines on everyone. Therefore, the main task in epilepsy is to stop the attack. This preserves the intelligence of the child.

At that time we tried combinations of absolutely all the drugs available in Russia, and nothing worked for us. Now we have three medications that are critical for Masha’s life. And only one of them is registered in Russia. All drugs – remove different epileptic seizures.

Understand that drugs that are not available in Russia are for us, parents, a therapy of despair. Not a single family, without first trying everything that is available, will seek to look for drugs that are not available in the country and which are not only difficult to find, but also very expensive. We just had a difficult situation then. The child fought in endless tantrums, screaming. We did not even suspect that this was a form of an attack. We introduced Frizium from a quarter of a tablet. And it got better right away. When these conditions resumed, the dosage was slightly increased. And again everything was normal. Seeing this effect, I was ready to gnaw the earth, just to get this medicine.

My daughter is in transitional age. For a healthy child, a hormonal surge is not easy to survive. And what can we say about Masha? But still, the attacks on these pills are mild. What will happen without them – I’m scared to think. I can’t even save. Sometimes I risk stretching the pill for two days. But reducing the dosage instantly affects the state of health.

Photo: Nadezhda Morgasova’s VKontakte page

You said that it is very expensive for parents to buy Frizium. About what amount are we talking about?

My child has been taking this medicine for a long time, so there are checked phones for emergencies, there are familiar parents in Europe. They themselves have children with similar problems, we are trying to get through them. And if you just go to ordinary dealers, then you will be stunned. The package that I bought for two thousand is worth seven thousand. For me, this is outrageous. For a month we need five packs. Where will I find that kind of money if my sources disappear?

Can you independently buy this medicine in Europe according to the documents you have and bring it to Russia? Or does that also lead to prosecution?

I probably can. I know that in Poland, Spain according to Russian recipes you can buy, in France. But I haven’t been to France. And I don’t know when I’ll be there.

In addition to Masha, we have two more children – ten and eight years old. The youngest was given money for her birthday. She says: “Mom, let’s not buy anything, let’s save up for a ticket to the sea.” And I just smile, and sigh to myself – all our seas go to medicines. After all, it is only for the last two years that the state has been buying us one of the medicines not registered in Russia. Previously, everyone pulled themselves. Now we are looking only for Frizium. I still have the opportunity to fight. But there are families from whom this drug was taken away. What about their children? In the latter case, the guy had stopped epilepsy. I mean, she didn’t show herself. To take the medicine for such a pathology is to return a person to disability.

A month ago, I offered our girls a flash mob – to put on the avatars in social networks the inscription: “I am a criminal. My child needs a Freezium.” At first, no one agreed. And when the second mother was detained a month later, everyone began to resent. I, too, may end up in jail tomorrow.

How does Masha feel now? She studies?

Homeschooled. The disease, unfortunately, progresses. She is mentally retarded, on the autistic spectrum. She lives in her own world. But we appreciate her, we have been treating her for so many years, we are protecting her. After all, she is a person who has the right to live without pain.

At the request of Lenta.ru, a medical lawyer, managing partner of the Onegin Advocacy Group Olga Zinovieva :

Import of drugs not registered in Russia, even for personal needs is done in the prescribed manner. The order of a drug containing substances whose circulation is restricted or prohibited through the Internet trade is carried out in violation of this procedure. For this reason, the identification of such transactions and the conduct of inspections in relation to them is legitimate. As for the presence or absence of grounds for initiating a criminal case, this is precisely what is established during such checks and depends on the amount of evidence collected. Buyers cannot but understand that the mere presence of medical indications for taking such drugs can facilitate their importation procedure, but does not give them the right to disregard the established rules.

Photo: @Mosmedzdrav_com

I see the solution to the problem by simultaneously solving two problems: operational (in the sense of fast) cooperation between medical organizations, health authorities (Ministry of Health of Russia, regional ministries, departments, committees), customs authorities to solve a local problem importing a specific drug for a specific patient – this system really does not work perfectly. However, in the described situation (lack of access), it is not the system that is to blame, but the company that participates in the procurement, without having the necessary authority to do so.

And the second decision, which I think is completely unpopular: I consider it reasonable that the Ministry of Health announced the initiative to discipline doctors in prescribing drugs that are not registered in Russia to their patients. The patient is given the illusion that he has the right to violate the procedure for purchasing and importing the drug. An analysis of similar cases over the past year indicates a completely identical mechanism for such cases. No one questions the presence of medical indications for taking drugs, however, a doctor, prescribing a drug whose circulation is limited or prohibited in Russia, is obliged not only to fulfill his medical duty, leaving the patient alone with a difficult administrative procedure, but also to take reasonable and sufficient measures to provide the patient with a mechanism for access to such a drug through a system of medical commissions, approvals and purchases, or at least explain to the patient such a mechanism.