BILLARGIC Oral Solution 60ml

INTRODUCTION

BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION contains Bilastine which belongs to the group of medicines called Antihistamines. It is used in children (from 6 to 11 years of age with a body weight of at least 20 kg) to relieve the symptoms of hay fever (such as sneezing, itching, runny and stuffy nose and red or watery eyes) and other forms of allergic rhinitis, which is usually caused by an allergen such as pollen, dust, mold or flakes of skin from certain animals. It is also used to treat itchy skin rashes (hives or urticaria). Hives is a skin rash that may result from allergy which is triggered by reaction to food, medicine or other irritants.

BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION should be used with caution in children having a moderate or severe kidney or liver impairment. Avoid giving BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION to your child with food or with grapefruit juice or other fruit juices, as this will decrease the effect of this medicine.

It is not recommended for use in pregnant and breast-feeding women, since this dosage form is specifically used in children. BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION is not recommended for use in children (under 6 years of age with a body weight below 20 kg). The most common side effects of taking BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION are headache, nasal irritation, eye irritation and stomach pain. Consult your child’s doctor if any of the side effects worsens.  

USES OF BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION

It is used in children (from 6 to 11 years of age with a body weight of at least 20 kg) to:

• relieve the symptoms of hay fever (such as sneezing, itching, runny, blocked-up nose and red or watery eyes) and other forms of allergic rhinitis    
• treat itchy skin rashes (hives or urticaria)       

HOW BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION WORKS

BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION works by stopping the binding of histamine (a chemical that is produced by the immune system) to its receptor in the body and in severe cases it prevents the initiation of an allergic reaction.          

DIRECTIONS FOR USE

Give BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION to your child as advised by the physician. Shake well before use. Use a measuring cup to properly measure the dose. You should give this medicine to your child one hour before or two hours after they have taken any food or fruit juices. Your child’s doctor will decide the correct dose and duration of BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION for your child depending upon the age, body weight and disease condition.  

SIDE EFFECTS OF BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION

HOW TO MANAGE SIDE EFFECTS

Headache:  

Apply hot or cold-water bag on your child’s head. Advise your child to take rest in a quiet room. Massage child’s scalp or head with mild pressure for relieving effect. Consult child’s doctor if the symptom does not improve. 

Nausea:

Follow simple meal plan for your child. Avoid giving foods that are oily, fried or spicy foods. Do not let your child to lie down or sleep immediately after eating. Consult child’s doctor if the symptom does not improve.    

Diarrhoea:

Advise your child to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Avoid giving your child a high-fat diet or spicy foods. Try to avoid giving any medicine on your own to your child to treat diarrhea. Consult child’s doctor if the symptom gets worse.

Stomach pain:

Advice your child to rest and relax. Tell your child to eat and drink slowly or try to have lesser and more frequent meals. Keep a heat pad on child’s stomach to relieve pain. Consult child’s doctor if the symptom gets worse.

WARNING & PRECAUTIONS

PREGNANCY

BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION is not recommended for use in pregnant women since this dosage form is used only in children (aged 6 to 11 years).      

BREASTFEEDING

BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION is not recommended for use in breast-feeding women since this dosage form is used only in children (aged 6 to 11 years).        

DRIVING AND USING MACHINES

Do not let your child ride bicycles or drive other vehicles or operate machinery unless you know how BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION affects your child.

ALCOHOL

BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION does not increase the drowsiness produced by alcohol. Consult your child’s doctor for advice.    

KIDNEY

BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION should be used with caution in children suffering from moderate to severe kidney impairment. Consult your child’s doctor for advice.  

LIVER

BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION should be used with caution in children suffering from moderate to severe liver impairment. Consult your child’s doctor for advice. 

ALLERGY

Do not give BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION to your child if they are allergic to Bilastine or any other ingredients of this medicine.   

INTERACTIONS

A. Drug-Drug interactions:

Before giving BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION to your child, inform to child’s doctor if your child is taking any of the following medicines:

• ketoconazole (used to treat fungal infections)
• medicines used to treat bacterial infections (Ex. erythromycin, rifampicin)
• diltiazem (used to treat angina)
• cyclosporine (used to suppress the immune system to avoid organ rejection after transplantation)
• ritonavir (used to treat HIV infection)

B. Drug-Food interactions:

Avoid giving BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION to your child with food or with grapefruit juice or other fruit juices, as this will decrease the effect of this medicine.

Overdosage:

If your child or anyone else accidentally takes too much of BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION, consult your child’s doctor immediately or visit the nearby hospital. Overdosage symptoms of BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION includes dizziness, headache and nausea.       

SYNOPSIS

MORE INFORMATION

• Keep BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION out of reach of children
• Store BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION at room temperature

FAQs ABOUT BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION

What is BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION used for?

BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION is used in children (from 6 to 11 years of age with a body weight of at least 20 kg) to relieve the symptoms of hay fever (such as sneezing, itching, runny and stuffy nose and red or watery eyes) and other forms of allergic rhinitis, which is usually caused by an allergen such as pollen, dust, mold or flakes of skin from certain animals. It is also used to treat itchy skin rashes (hives or urticaria).

What are the common side effects of BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION?

The most common side effects of taking BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION are headache, nasal rhinitis (nasal irritation), allergic conjunctivitis (eye irritation) and stomach pain. Consult your child’s doctor if any of the side effects worsens.

Can BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION be used in children suffering from kidney impairment?

BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION should be used with caution in children suffering from moderate to severe kidney impairment. Your child’s doctor may monitor the kidney function test before and during treatment with BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION to prevent the risk of any unusual effects. Consult your child’s doctor for advice.     

Can I give BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION to my child with food?

Avoid giving BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION to your child with food or with grapefruit juice or other fruit juices, as this will decrease the effect of this medicine leading to poor therapeutic outcome. Give BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION to your child one hour before or two hours after they have taken any food or fruit juices.

Does BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION cause diarrhoea?

Yes, BILLARGIC ORAL SOLUTION may cause diarrhea in some individuals. To manage this effect, advice your child to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Avoid giving your child a high-fat diet or spicy foods. Try to avoid giving any medicine on your own to your child to treat diarrhea. Consult child’s doctor if the symptom gets worse.        

REFERENCES

1. Dan L. Longo, Anthony S. Fauci, Dennis L. Kasper, Stephen L. Hauser, J. Larry Jameson, Joseph Loscalzo. Allergy, Clinical Immunology, and Rheumatology. Harrison’s Manual of Medicine. 18th edition. Page- 1064.

2. Papadopoulos, N.G., Zuberbier, T. The safety and tolerability profile of bilastine for chronic urticaria in children. BMC. Part of Springer Nature. October 2019. [Accessed on 27th July 2022] https://ctajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13601-019-0294-3

3. Martin K, Marysia Tiongco-Recto, Erminia Ridolo and Zoltan Novk. Bilastine: a lifetime companion for the treatment of allergies. Taylor & Francis Online. November 2019. [Accessed on 27th July 2022] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03007995.2019.1681134

4. Faes Farma, S.A. Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC). [Revised December 2020] [Accessed on 27th July 2022] https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.11725.pdf

5. Berlin-Chemie AG. Bilaxten 2.5 mg/ml oral solution. [Revised in November 2020] [Accessed on 27th July 2022] https://quest3plus.bpfk.gov.my/front-end/attachment/7292/pharma/518818/518818_20201204_133346_.pdf

USEFUL DIAGNOSTIC TESTS

• Absolute Eosinophil Count
• Peripheral Smear Examination
• Total IgE test

AUTHOR DETAILS

Written By Dr. R. Dinesh John Rajkumar, Pharm.D
Last updated on 24 Sep 2022 | 05:28 PM(IST)