Chemistry:Simeticone
Simeticone (INN), also known as simethicone (USAN), is an anti-foaming agent used to reduce bloating, discomfort or pain caused by excessive gas.
Medical uses
Simethicone is used to relieve the symptoms of excessive gas in the gastrointestinal tract, namely bloating, burping, and flatulence.[1][2] While there is a lack of conclusive evidence that simethicone is effective for this use,[3][4] studies have shown that it can relieve symptoms of functional dyspepsia[5] and functional bloating.[6]
It has not been fully established that simethicone is useful to treat colic in babies,[7] and it is not recommended for this purpose.[4] A study in the United Kingdom reported that according to parental perception simethicone helped infant colic in some cases.[8]
Simethicone can also be used for suspected postoperative abdominal discomfort in infants.[9]
Side effects
Simethicone does not have any serious side effects.[10] Two uncommon side effects (occurring in 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000 patients) are constipation and nausea.[11]
Though poorly documented,[12] some studies show a possible negative interaction between simethicone and levothyroxine, meaning it can possibly bind levothyroxine in the GI tract and hence reduce its absorption leaving the patient prone to clinical manifestations of hypothyroidism. It is important to mention the long T1/2 of levothyroxine which makes the phenomenon a matter of at least a week of using levothyroxine with simethicone. To prevent this interaction, simethicone is recommended to be taken at least 4 hours before or after levothyroxine.[13]
Pharmacology
Simethicone is a non-systemic surfactant which decreases the surface tension of gas bubbles in the GI tract.[10] This allows gas bubbles to leave the GI tract as flatulence or belching.[10] Simethicone does not reduce or prevent the formation of gas.[14] Its effectiveness has been shown in several in vitro studies.[15][16]
Chemistry
Simethicone is a mixture of dimethicone and silicon dioxide.[17]
Names
The INN name is "simethicone", which was added to the INN recommended list in 1999.[18]
Simethicone is marketed under many brand names and in many combination drugs; it is also marketed as a veterinary drug.[19]
Brands
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Brand names include A.F., Acid Off, Aero Red, Aero-OM, Aero-Sim, Aerocol, Aerox, Aesim, Aflat, Air-X, Anaflat, Antiflat, Baby Rest, Bicarsim, Bicarsim Forte, Blow-X, Bobotic, Bobotik, Carbogasol, Colic E, Colin, Cuplaton, Degas, Dentinox, Dermatix, Digesta, Dimetikon Meda, Disflatyl, Disolgas, Elugan N, Elzym, Endo-Paractol, Enterosilicona, Espaven Antigas, Espumisan, Espumisan L, Flacol, Flapex, Flatidyl, Flatoril, Flatulex, Flucolic, Gas X, Gas-X, Gaselab, Gaseoflat, Gaseoflatex, Gaseophar, Gaseoplus, Gaseovet, Gaservol, Gasimetin, Gasnil, Gasofilm, Gastrex, Gastrosen, Gazim X, Gazix, Geludrox-HS, Genasyme, Ilio-Funkton, Imogas, Imogaze, Imonogas, Infacalm, Infacol, Infacolic, Lefax, Lefaxin, Lefoam, Logastin, Luftal, Maxi Flat, Meteosim, Metiorisan, Metsil, Mylanta, Mylicon, Mylicongas, Mylom, Mymus, Nanog, Neodrop, Neogasol, Neolanta, Orocure, Ovol, Pedicon, Phazin, Phazyme, Polysilane Junior, Restime, Rugby Gas Relief, Sab Simplex, Salinal, Semecon, Semeth, Sicongast, Siflat, Silbione, Siligas, Silipin, Sim, Simcone, Simecon, Simecrin, Simedill, Simegut, Simet, Simethicon, Simethicone, Simetic, Simeticon, Simeticona, Simeticone, Siméticone, Simeticonum, Simetigast, Simflat, Simicol, Simicon, Wilcon, Wind-eze and WindSetlers.[19] It is also marketed as a combination drug:[19]
It is also marketed as a veterinary drug under the brands Birp and Methysilox. |
References
- ↑ "Simethicone tablet". NIH DailyMed. April 2016. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=d93ff75d-9cdb-476c-bb65-eabeefb91a34.
- ↑ "Simeticone" (in en). NHS. 10 October 2019. https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/simeticone/.
- ↑ "Belching, Bloating and Flatulence" (in en). American College of Gastroenterology. July 2013. http://patients.gi.org/topics/belching-bloating-and-flatulence/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Simethicone". drugs.com. https://www.drugs.com/monograph/simethicone.html. "Efficacy not established for the symptomatic relief of immediate postprandial upper abdominal distress"
- ↑ "A randomized placebo-controlled trial of simethicone and cisapride for the treatment of patients with functional dyspepsia". Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics (Wiley) 16 (9): 1641–1648. September 2002. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2036.2002.01322.x. PMID 12197843.
- ↑ "Efficacy and safety of APT036 versus simethicone in the treatment of functional bloating: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel group, clinical study". Translational Gastroenterology and Hepatology (AME Publications) 3 (72): 72. 25 September 2018. doi:10.21037/tgh.2018.09.11. PMID 30511026.
- ↑ "Pain-relieving agents for infantile colic". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016 (9). September 2016. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009999.pub2. PMID 27631535.
- ↑ "A real world evaluation of a treatment for infant colic based on the experience and perceptions of 4004 parents". British Journal of Nursing 26 (5 Suppl 1): S3–S10. March 2017. doi:10.12968/bjon.2017.26.Sup5.S3. PMID 28350192.
- ↑ "Evaluation of simethicone for the treatment of postoperative abdominal discomfort in infants". Journal of Clinical Anesthesia 10 (2): 91–94. March 1998. doi:10.1016/S0952-8180(97)00249-3. PMID 9524891.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Simethicone.". StatPearls [Internet].. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. January 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555997/.
- ↑ "Simethicone Side Effects in Detail". Drugs.com. https://www.drugs.com/sfx/simethicone-side-effects.html.
- ↑ "Factors Affecting Gastrointestinal Absorption of Levothyroxine: A Review". Clinical Therapeutics 39 (2): 378–403. February 2017. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2017.01.005. PMID 28153426.
- ↑ "Drug interaction of levothyroxine with infant colic drops". Archives of Disease in Childhood 96 (9): 888–889. September 2011. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2011-300333. PMID 21785118.
- ↑ "Treatment of Gas" (in en-gb). International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. 4 September 2015. https://iffgd.org/symptoms-causes/intestinal-gas/treatment.html.
- ↑ "Mechanism of antifoaming action of simethicone". Journal of Applied Toxicology (Wiley) 14 (3): 207–211. May 1994. doi:10.1002/jat.2550140311. PMID 8083482.
- ↑ "Schaumzerstörung und Schaumverhinderung: Der Wirkmechanismus von Simeticon in vitro" (in German). Journal für Gastroenterologische und Hepatologische Erkrankungen. (Krause & Pachernegg) 8 (3): 19–25. 12 May 2010. https://www.kup.at/kup/pdf/9192.pdf.
- ↑ "Dimethicone". The Merck Index (14th ed.). Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck. 2006. p. 545.
- ↑ "Recommended INN List 42". WHO Drug Information 13 (3): 202. 1999. https://www.who.int/medicines/publications/druginformation/innlists/RL42.pdf?ua=1.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 "Simeticone international brands". Drugs.com. https://www.drugs.com/international/simeticone.html.
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