Ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride): functions, dosage, side effects, how to use

Use

What is the function of ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride)?

Ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride) is a drug used as part of the treatment of patients with hypochloremia, a condition in which the body excretes large amounts of chloride through sweating, vomiting, adrenal gland problems and kidney disease.

In addition, this drug can also be used to treat metabolic alkalosis, a condition when the body loses too much acid which causes the body's pH to imbalance and makes the blood alkaline.

In the treatment of both diseases, ammonium chloride should only be used if it has been diluted into a large volume of isotonic sodium chloride, which is then injected into the patient's body.

How do I use ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride)?

Use this medication according to the instructions and advice of your doctor. Read and understand all the information provided about ammonium chloride to avoid medication errors.

Ammonium chloride injection, USP, is given intravenously and must be diluted before use. The solution for intravenous infusion should not exceed a concentration of 1% to 2% of ammonium chloride.

After being diluted, this drug cannot be used immediately, but rather given a long distance for safer and more effective use.

How does ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride) work?

Ammonium chloride is an electrolyte drug that is usually used to increase acid levels in the body by increasing the amount of hydrogen ions.

So actually the kidneys will use ammonium as a substitute for sodium in the body. Ammonium works by binding to anions so that the body's pH is normal, not too alkaline or acidic.

When a person experiences metabolic alkalosis, the body loses hydrogen and chloride ions. This condition eventually makes the body's pH too alkaline, so the patient needs extra ammonium to increase acid levels.

This drug is absorbed quickly by the gastrointestinal tract after being taken by mouth. Then, it is metabolized in the liver to form urea and hydrochloric acid. Then, the drug will be removed from the body through urine.

How do I store ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride)?

Generally, pharmaceuticals are best stored at room temperature, away from exposure to light rays as well as humid air. Preferably, the medicine is not stored in the bathroom or frozen.

If the drug is exposed to low temperatures, the concentration of ammonium chloride can crystallize. If this is the case, the drug must be immediately warmed to room temperature.

Make sure this drug is stored and tightly closed. If there is medicine in an open container, discard the medicine inside.

Different brands of the same drug may have different storage rules. Make sure you always read the storage instructions that are on the packaging of the medicine or ask a pharmacist.

Keep all medicines away from children and pets. Do not flush medicines down the toilet or down the drain unless instructed to do so.

Discard medicines when their validity period has expired or when they are no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal agency about how to safely dispose of medicinal products.

Dose

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment.

What is the dosage for ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride) for adults?

Through intravenous

The dose of ammonium chloride used depends on the patient's condition and tolerance to the drug. The dosage may also be determined based on the levels of the combined carbon dioxide and chloride lost.

Ammonium chloride solution must be diluted before use. It is recommended to dilute 1-2 vials (100-200 mEq) into 500 or 1000 mL o, 9% sodium chloride injection before injecting them into patients.

In adults, the dose used for intravenous infusion should not exceed 5 mL per minute. Thus, approximately the dose of the drug used for three hours is 1000 mL. Monitor the dose by checking the serum bicarbonate level repeatedly.

Intravenous injection of drugs must be done carefully so as not to irritate the skin area around the injection site and avoid the toxic effects that may occur if done hastily or carelessly.

The particles in this drug must be checked before use, for any discoloration before use.

In addition, the timing of drug use must also be considered in order to avoid interactions with other drugs. This is because the interaction between this drug and antalgin is not suitable.

What is the dosage for ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride) for children?

The dose of ammonium chloride for children has not been determined. Consult your doctor for more information.

In what dosage is ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride) available?

Ammonium chloride injection, USP, is available in a single use dose (20 mL) in a closed plastic container.

Side effects

What side effects can be experienced due to ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride)?

The use of ammonium chloride has several side effects. Although you don't know how likely side effects are, here are some of the possible side effects:

• Metabolic acidosis, or the acid-base condition of the body shifts to the acid side
• EEG is abnormal. EEG is an electroenchepalograph, is a device that functions to read the electrical activity in the brain. If the EGG result is abnormal, then the electrical activity graph shows abnormal waves.
• Continuous sleepiness
• Symptoms of ammonia poisoning
• Tetany caused by calcium deficiency. Tetany is a group of symptoms usually characterized by muscle cramps, spasms, or tremors.
• Hypokalemia, which is a condition when the potassium level in the bloodstream is below normal limits.
• Hyperchloremia, which is a condition when the chloride level in the body exceeds the required amount.
• Pain and irritation at the injection site or along the venous route if the infusion rate is too fast
• Rash
• Seizures
• Fever
• Abdominal pain
• Headache
• Mental confusion, where you feel confused by your own thoughts
• Hyperventilation, which is a condition when a person breathes deeply and quickly
• Bradycardia and joyful phases alternate with comas.

Therefore, patients who use this drug should be checked periodically for side effects from using the drugs as mentioned.

However, not everyone who takes ammonium chloride experiences the side effects mentioned above. There may be some side effects that appear but are not mentioned.

If you have concerns about certain side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Precautions & Warnings

What should be known before using ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride)?

Before using ammonium chloride, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you:

• Allergy to this drug or any substances in it
• Allergy to other drugs, food, or other food ingredients
• Allergies and allergy symptoms you experience such as itching, rash, shortness of breath, coughing, chills, swelling of the face, lips and throat, or other signs of allergies.
• Are currently using prescription drugs and non-prescription drugs, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products or will be using.
• Are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
• Have kidney disease
• Have heart disease
• Have high CO2 levels in the body because you have respiratory acidosis

Is ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride) safe for pregnant and lactating women?

There are no adequate studies regarding the risks of using this drug in pregnant or breastfeeding women. Always consult your doctor to weigh the potential benefits and risks before using this medication.

This drug is included in the risk of pregnancy category C according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The following references the pregnancy risk categories according to the FDA:

• A = Not at risk
• B = No risk in several studies
• C = May be risky
• D = There is positive evidence of risk
• X = Contraindicated
• N = Unknown

The use of this drug is not recommended for pregnant women, or women who are planning to become pregnant. Because, it is not known the exact risk to pregnancy or the reproductive capacity of women. However, if it must be consumed, be sure to discuss it with your doctor and make sure that the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks of using it to the mother and the fetus.

Interaction

What other medicines may interact with ammonium chloride?

Drug interactions can change the performance of your medications or increase the risk of serious side effects. Not all possible drug interactions are listed in this article.

Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription / non-prescription drugs and herbal products) and consult your doctor or pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any medication without your doctor's approval.

There are 126 types of drugs that can interact with ammonium chloride, but only some of the drugs that most frequently interact with these drugs are:

• vitamin bar bases (topical emollients)
• Bisolvon Dry (dextromethorphan)
• Calcium 600 D (calcium / vitamin d)
• Chlorpheniramine (Allergy) (chlorpheniramine)
• Easprin (aspirin)
• lithium (Lithium Carbonate ER, Lithobid, Eskalith, Eskalith-CR, Lithonate, Lithotabs)
• Metoprolol Succinate ER (metoprolol)
• Nicotinamide ZCF (multivitamin with minerals)
• Omega-3 (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids)
• Paracetamol (acetaminophen)
• Vitamin B Complex 100 (multivitamin)
• Vitamin B Compound Strong (multivitamin)
• Vitamin B-100 (multivitamin)
• Vitamin B-100 T / R (multivitamin)
• Vitamin B-50 (multivitamin)
• Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
• Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)
• Vitamins (multivitamins)

Can food or alcohol interact with ammonium chloride (ammonium chloride)?

Certain drugs should not be used with meals or when eating certain foods because drug interactions can occur. Consuming alcohol or tobacco with certain drugs can also cause interactions to occur. Discuss your use of drugs with food, alcohol, or tobacco with your health care provider.

What health conditions can interact with ammonium chloride?

The presence of other health problems in your body may affect the use of this drug. There are two health conditions that can interact with ammonium chloride:

1. Damage to liver function

Before becoming urea, ammonium chloride through changes in chemical compounds by enzymes or microbes in the liver. So, like it or not, ammonium chloride has to get into the liver first.

In patients who do not have problems with liver dysfunction, when the body is poisoned by ammonium, conditions such as arrhythmias, bradycardia, and erratic heartbeats may appear.

Meanwhile, more serious problems such as hyperglycemia, glucosaria, asterixis, tonic seizures, and tetany due to calcium deficiency can arise when patients who have impaired liver function become ammonium poisoning. Therefore, the use of ammonium chloride should be used only in patients whose livers are still functioning properly.

2. Damage to kidney function

The use of ammonium chloride in patients with impaired renal function should be used under the supervision of a doctor, because this drug can cause serious side effects in sufferers, such as hyperchloremia and metabolic acidosis, in which the acid-base condition shifts to the acid side due to loss of base from the body.

Ammonium chloride should also not be used as a single drug in patients who have problems with impaired kidney function. In particular, those who have also experienced metabolic alkalosis, or a condition in which the blood becomes alkaline due to increased levels of bicarbonate in the body.

This might happen if you vomit up HCl and your body loses a large amount of sodium. Sodium chloride or a combination of sodium chloride and ammonium chloride can be used to restore the amount of sodium and chloride that is lost from the body.

Overdose

What should I do in an emergency or overdose?

In case of an emergency or overdose, contact the local emergency services provider (118/119) or immediately to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Symptoms of an overdose that may arise when using ammonium chloride are as follows:

• Metabolic acidosis. This condition can be corrected by alkalization (alkalization) such as using sodium bicarbonate or sodium lactate
• Disorientation, which is a condition in which the experienceer does not recognize the time, location of existence, and may not even recognize himself.
• Confusion
• Coma

What should I do if I miss a dose?

If you forget a dose of this medicine, use the missed dose as soon as possible. However, when it is nearing the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and return to the usual dosing schedule.

Do not force yourself to take the missed dose at the same time as the next. Doubling the dose without your doctor's approval may lead to more serious health problems.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment