Кетотифен Софарма

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Кетотифен Софарма

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Medically reviewed

Marina Burgos

Last updated on 22/12/2025

This page provides general, reference-level information compiled from official medical sources. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For decisions about your health, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Overview of Кетотифен Софарма

What is Кетотифен Софарма?

Кетотифен Софарма is a pharmaceutical preparation containing the active substance ketotifen, which belongs to a class of medications known as systemic antihistamines. It is specifically classified as a second-generation H1-receptor antagonist and a mast cell stabilizer.

Mechanism of Action

The medication works through a dual mechanism to manage allergic responses:

  • H1-Receptor Antagonism: It blocks the action of histamine, a naturally occurring chemical in the body that triggers symptoms such as itching, swelling, and redness during an allergic reaction.
  • Mast Cell Stabilization: It inhibits the release of inflammatory mediators, such as histamine and leukotrienes, from mast cells. By preventing these cells from degranulating, the medication helps limit the cascade of the allergic response.

Therapeutic Purpose

Кетотифен Софарма is primarily used for the symptomatic treatment and prevention of various allergic conditions. Unlike rapid-acting antihistamines, ketotifen is characterized by its long-term stabilizing effect on the immune system's response to allergens.

It is commonly utilized in the management of:

  • Allergic Rhinitis: Inflammation of the nasal passages caused by allergens like pollen or dust.
  • Allergic Conjunctivitis: Redness and irritation of the eyes associated with allergic triggers.
  • Allergic Skin Conditions: Including chronic urticaria (hives) and atopic dermatitis.

While it has properties that affect bronchial hyperreactivity, it is important to note that this medication is intended for long-term stabilization rather than the immediate relief of acute symptoms.

What side effects are possible with Кетотифен Софарма?

Possible Side Effects and Safety Information

Like all medicines, Ketotifen Sopharma can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. It is important to know that most side effects, particularly drowsiness and sedation, often lessen over the course of treatment.


Common Side Effects (May affect up to 1 in 10 people)

  • Central Nervous System: Sedation, drowsiness, dizziness.
  • Gastrointestinal/Metabolic: Dry mouth, increased appetite, and associated weight gain.

Less Common and Rare Side Effects

  • Less Common: Excitation, irritability, nervousness, difficulty sleeping (especially in children), headache.
  • Rare: Severe skin reactions (such as rash, blistering, or peeling), hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) with yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), convulsions, or signs of liver dysfunction (e.g., dark urine, abdominal pain). Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any signs of a severe allergic reaction (e.g., swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or difficulty breathing).

Important Safety Information

  • Driving and Operating Machinery: Due to the risk of drowsiness, patients should exercise caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing tasks that require mental alertness, particularly during the initial weeks of treatment.
  • Alcohol and CNS Depressants: The sedative effects of ketotifen may be enhanced by alcohol or other medications that depress the central nervous system (e.g., anti-anxiety drugs, sleep aids, some pain relievers). Concurrent use should be avoided or discussed with a doctor.
  • Diabetes: The syrup formulation of ketotifen contains carbohydrates, which may affect blood sugar levels. Patients with diabetes mellitus should monitor their glucose levels closely.
  • Stopping Treatment: Ketotifen should not be stopped abruptly, especially when it is being used concurrently with corticosteroids for asthma. Any reduction in other asthma medications must be performed gradually under a doctor's supervision.

Overdose and Emergency Response

Overdose and when to seek help — Official Regulatory Information for Кетотифен Софарма

Overdosage of systemic Ketotifen Fumarate is officially documented to primarily involve severe Central Nervous System (CNS) and Cardiovascular effects. Immediate medical attention must be sought and emergency services contacted if overdosage is suspected.

Category Documented Manifestations and Actions
Clinical Manifestations Symptoms include drowsiness, disorientation, and severe sedation. More serious outcomes recorded are convulsions, reversible coma, tachycardia, and hypotension.
Population Specificity Regulatory information notes that children are particularly susceptible to manifesting with hyperexcitability and convulsions in overdose situations.
Management Procedures No specific antidote is known. Treatment is symptomatic and supportive, potentially involving gastric lavage or activated charcoal for recent ingestion. Patients require mandatory patient surveillance for several hours.

Connection to the overall overdose profile:

Regulatory documents define the overdose profile by emphasizing the risk of severe neurological and cardiovascular events. Due to this potential severity and the absence of a known antidote, official labeling requires that immediate medical help be sought as an urgent and non-negotiable step. Subsequent management, as described by regulators, focuses on immediate procedural interventions and mandatory extended patient observation.

Therapeutic Uses of Кетотифен Софарма

The core therapeutic applications of Кетотифен Софарма are centered on managing allergic conditions and providing preventative support for asthma, easing symptoms that interfere with daily functioning.


This medication is used to help address symptom clusters associated with recurrent or episodic manifestations, including the symptoms related to allergic conjunctivitis (such as itching, redness, and excessive watering of the eyes) and allergic rhinitis (including sneezing and a runny nose). It is also commonly applied as a long-term preventative therapy to help reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Additionally, it serves to relieve the itching associated with allergic ocular conditions.

It is often used during phases when symptoms become more noticeable, helping to manage symptoms that interfere with daily comfort. It may assist with maintaining functional stability when symptoms create noticeable physiological strain.

  • Quick Fact: Relief for Allergic Discomfort This medicine helps improve day-to-day comfort during symptomatic periods by providing support that helps ease the overall symptom burden of allergic reactions.

Regulatory References

  1. NIH MedlinePlus Drug Information

Eligibility and Restrictions for Use

Use of systemic Ketotifen Fumarate is strictly defined by regulatory eligibility guidelines. This medicine is generally permitted for use in adults and adolescents, and in children aged 3 years and above under the standard regimen. Use is conditional for children aged 2 to 3 years, requiring a specific body-weight-adjusted dose. Safety and efficacy have not been established for children below 2 years of age. Older adults typically do not require dosage adjustments based on current regulatory data.

The drug is contraindicated in several specific populations, meaning use is prohibited:

  • Patients with known hypersensitivity to the active substance or excipients.
  • Patients with pre-existing epilepsy or those concurrently receiving oral antidiabetic agents.
  • Mothers who are breastfeeding.

Furthermore, no dosing recommendations are available for patients with renal or hepatic impairment because regulatory studies have not been performed in these specific groups. Use during pregnancy is restricted as safety in human pregnancy has not been established and should only occur if clinically necessary.

What should I know about interactions with other medicines?

The official regulatory profile for systemic Ketotifen Fumarate (Кетотифен Софарма) documents interactions primarily involving pharmacodynamic enhancement and specific risk factors, defining strict restrictions for co-administration.


Pharmacodynamic and Substance Interactions

Co-administration with Alcohol and other CNS Depressants, including sedatives, hypnotics, and other systemic antihistamines, may lead to a potent pharmacodynamic enhancement of effects. This documented interaction increases the risk of adverse outcomes such as intensified drowsiness and dizziness, due to cumulative CNS activity.


Specific Drug and Administration Restrictions

A specific interaction caution exists with Oral Antidiabetic Agents. Co-administration with these agents has been associated in rare instances with an increased risk of reversible thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), which necessitates formal monitoring of platelet levels.

Regulatory documents list co-administration as not recommended with several specific drugs, including Amifampridine, Bupropion, Donepezil, and Pitolisant. Additionally, the medicine may decrease the effectiveness of the diagnostic agent Benzylpenicilloyl Polylysine.


Product and Population Notes

A population-specific caution applies to the syrup formulation, as its carbohydrate content may officially affect blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes mellitus. For the ophthalmic solution, a mandatory timing rule requires the removal of soft contact lenses before use, with re-insertion permitted only after a minimum of 10 minutes.

Mechanism of Action

Dual Action: Receptor Blockade and Immune Cell Stabilization

The drug acts through two primary, interconnected mechanisms. The first mechanism involves the blocking of H1 receptors, functioning as an inverse agonist to prevent the binding of the fast-acting chemical messenger histamine. This action limits the histamine-initiated receptor-mediated signaling cascade. The second is the stabilization of mast cells, a type of immune cell, achieved by inhibiting the calcium ion influx required for cellular degranulation. This reduces the release of pre-formed inflammatory mediators, such as histamine and leukotrienes.


Modulating the Inflammatory Cascade

The drug also engages mechanisms that influence the dynamics of subacute and prolonged pathway activity. It modulates the influx and activity of specific inflammatory white blood cells, such as eosinophils, at the site of mediator release. These combined actions result in a reduction of inflammatory signaling and cellular influx at target sites, influencing the magnitude of the physiological response.

Dosage and Administration Information

Official Administration Guidelines

Ketotifen is administered either systemically via the oral route (tablet or syrup, 1 mg strength) or topically via ophthalmic solution. The medication is intended for continuous, long-term administration as a prophylactic agent and is not suitable for acute symptom management.


Dosing Regimens and Frequency

The standard oral regimen for adults and children aged three years and older is 1 mg twice daily, taken consistently in the morning and evening. Oral dosing is required to be administered with food to align with established guidelines for use. The maximum dose for maintenance may be increased to 2 mg twice daily if warranted.

In patients susceptible to initial drowsiness, treatment may begin with a lower dose of half a tablet (0.5 mg) twice daily for the first week, followed by escalation to the standard 1 mg twice daily dose.


Age-Specific Rules

For infants and children between six months and three years, administration is based on body weight, requiring a calculated dose of 0.05 mg per kilogram of body weight twice daily, typically via the oral solution.


Procedural Notes

When initiating therapy, existing anti-asthmatic treatments must not be discontinued abruptly. If a dose is missed, it should be skipped if the next dose is due soon, and the patient resumes the regular twice-daily schedule without doubling the amount. For the ophthalmic solution, the administration schedule is typically one drop in the affected eye(s) twice daily, every 8 to 12 hours.

Recent Clinical Evidence

Research evidence / Overview of studies for Кетотифен Софарма

This overview summarizes the type of research that has been conducted on the active ingredient, Ketotifen Fumarate, focusing on the populations and outcomes observed in clinical trials and studies. This information describes group patterns in research and should not be used as medical advice or as a prediction of personal outcomes.


Evidence Base for Allergic Conjunctivitis (Ocular Use)

Research was conducted during periods of increased symptom activity in patients with conditions characterized by fluctuating or episodic manifestations, such as allergic conjunctivitis. The studies used short-term Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) exploring how symptoms change over time. Primary outcomes examined were related to physical discomfort, including scores for ocular itching and redness, as well as overall total ocular symptom assessments. Findings describe patterns observed in the studies when compared to an inactive liquid or to other compounds under evaluation. Research highlights what has been observed so far. Evidence quality varies across studies, and long-term effects are not fully established.


Evidence Base for Asthma Prophylaxis

Clinical research has explored the systemic form's use in the long-term management of conditions associated with acute or disruptive episodes, such as mild atopic asthma. Primary outcomes monitored physiological strain or stress, including the frequency and severity of exacerbations (asthma attacks) and the consumption of rescue medications like oral steroids or bronchodilators. Research describes that these long-term studies monitored how symptoms evolved in the observed populations, sometimes over many months to a year. Findings indicate patterns observed in the need for other acute-treatment medications, outcomes related to systemic or functional imbalance. A key limitation is that the follow-up durations were limited relative to the chronic nature of asthma, and the data for long-term outcomes are not fully established.


Research Gaps and Remaining Uncertainty

Research describes several areas where certainty remains low. Findings were mixed in some older studies, and the evidence quality varies across the trials. Long-term effects are not fully established for many indications, and data for certain age groups outside of pediatric asthma studies remain insufficient. Key research limitation frames include: the short follow-up durations in many rhinitis studies, the modest sample sizes in some earlier trials, and the presence of limited information for certain newer comparative scenarios. This highlights what is known and what is still uncertain in the broader evidence landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common questions about Кетотифен Софарма (FAQ)


Q: How quickly can someone expect to feel the effects of Кетотифен Софарма?

Кетотифен Софарма is intended for long-term, continuous administration and is not suitable for the immediate relief of acute symptoms. Official product information indicates that the full therapeutic effect of the oral formulation is typically achieved only after a period of at least 6 to 12 weeks of consistent use.


Q: Are there any food or drinks that should be avoided while using Кетотифен Софарма?

Official administration guidelines state the oral medicine must be administered with food. Additionally, regulatory documents caution that taking the medicine with alcohol may enhance its sedative effects, increasing the risk of drowsiness and dizziness.


Q: What is the difference between Кетотифен Софарма and other common allergy medicines?

Кетотифен Софарма is categorized with a dual mechanism of action: it acts as a non-competitive H1-antagonist (antihistamine) and a mast cell stabilizer. This dual function defines its role as a long-term, preventative treatment intended to stabilize the allergic response over time, which differs from many medicines designed primarily for immediate or acute symptom relief.


Q: Is it true that Кетотифен Софарма can help with asthma symptoms?

Official documentation describes the medicine's use for the prophylaxis (prevention) of asthma. It is used in long-term management to potentially reduce the frequency, severity, and duration of asthma attacks, or reduce the daily requirements of other antiasthma medications. It is described as not effective for the relief or treatment of an acute asthma attack that has already started.


Q: Is it necessary to take Кетотифен Софарма every day?

The medicine is intended for continuous, long-term use as a prophylactic agent. The standard regimen is prescribed for consistent, twice-daily administration, meaning the regimen requires consistent daily administration to establish and maintain its preventative therapeutic effect.


Q: What are the main risks associated with stopping the drug suddenly?

Official instructions specify that the therapy should not be discontinued abruptly. When the medicine is being used concurrently with corticosteroids for asthma, regulatory documents require the medicine be gradually reduced over several weeks under medical supervision to align with official regulatory requirements for safe discontinuation.


Q: Can Кетотифен Софарма be used for long periods?

The medication is intended for continuous, long-term administration to manage chronic allergic conditions. When prescribed and monitored by a healthcare provider, the official documentation supports long-term use for therapeutic effect.


Q: Can Кетотифен Софарма affect sleep patterns?

Side effect profiles indicate that the medicine can affect alertness and sleep. The common side effects include sedation and drowsiness. Less common effects, particularly in children, may include difficulty sleeping (insomnia).


Q: Does Кетотифен Софарма have any known interactions with birth control pills?

Official regulatory documents and product labels do not specifically list an interaction between ketotifen and hormonal birth control pills.


Q: Is it possible to develop a tolerance to Кетотифен Софарма over time?

The therapeutic effects of the medicine are known to be long-lasting. Clinical reviews indicate that its key anti-allergic properties (antihistamine and mast cell stabilization) are known to persist even after use for 12 months or longer.


Q: What is the difference between Ketotifen and Кетотифен Софарма?

Ketotifen is the common name for the active therapeutic substance (ingredient) that provides the medicine's effect. Кетотифен Софарма is the brand name of the specific medicinal product as manufactured by Sopharma, which contains the active ingredient Ketotifen Fumarate.


Q: Does Кетотифен Софарма interact with psychiatric medications?

Regulatory warnings indicate that this medicine can interact with CNS depressants (Central Nervous System depressants). Many types of psychiatric medications are in this category, and co-administration may enhance effects such as intensified drowsiness and dizziness.


Q: Can this medication affect the results of an allergy test?

Due to its function as a potent H1-receptor antagonist (antihistamine), the medication is expected to interfere with the results of allergy skin tests. Regulatory information suggests consulting with the prescribing physician regarding any required temporary pause before testing.


Q: Why is this medicine sometimes referred to as a preventative allergy treatment?

It is referred to as preventative because its dual mechanism involves mast cell stabilization, which helps prevent the release of inflammatory substances like histamine before allergic symptoms begin. Official use is defined as prophylaxis (prevention) for conditions like asthma and chronic allergic conditions, rather than for acute symptom relief.

How should Кетотифен Софарма be stored and disposed of?

How to Store and Dispose of Кетотифен Софарма

The storage and disposal of Кетотифен Софарма must strictly adhere to regulatory labeling requirements to ensure product integrity and safety.

Official Storage Conditions

Item Requirement (Official Regulatory Standard)
Temperature Range Store at a temperature not exceeding 25 C
Environmental Protection Must be stored in a dry place and protected from light
Container Rule Keep the product in its original packaging (original container)
Child Safety Must be stored out of the sight and reach of children

Disposal Requirements

The product must not be used after the labeled expiration date, which indicates a shelf-life of three years when stored correctly. Unused or expired Кетотифен Софарма must not be disposed of in household waste, wastewater, or drains. Disposal must follow local, regional, and national regulations for pharmaceutical waste, which typically requires returning the medicine to a pharmacy or designated collection point.

Attention! Always consult to a doctor or pharmacist before using pills or medicines.

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