What is mebendazole? Benefits and side effects of Mebendazole

Parasites are known as one of the most important causes of disease in the world and have extensive effects on human and animal health. Parasites can cause numerous infections in humans, animals, and plants that may be extremely dangerous. One of the key drugs in the management of these types of infections is mebendazole. Mebendazole drug is known as an antiparasitic drug from the family of bendazoles. By affecting the activity of the combined enzyme system in parasites, this drug effectively plays a role in inhibiting their growth, reproduction and survival. The ability of this drug to treat different types of parasites has made it a powerful tool in dealing with these types of infections.

Mebendazole dosage forms

1. Tablets, chewable 100 mg (Emverm) and 500 mg (Vermox)

Uses of mebendazole tablets

Mebendazole is used to treat intestinal worm infections such as pinworms, roundworms, and hookworms. Some of the uses of this drug include needleworm (Enterobius vermicularis), roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), whipworm (Trichuris trichiura), hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus), Giardia Duodenalis (giardiasis; off label), visceral larvae Migratory (toxocariasis) and…

Pharmacological effects and mechanism of action of Mebendazole

mebendazole drug by blocking glucose absorption; It prevents the formation of worm microtubules in susceptible adult intestinal worms. The distribution of this drug in serum, cyst fluid, liver, needle fat and pelvic, lung and liver cysts and the highest concentration found in the liver; A relatively high concentration is found in Trichinella spiralis larvae with muscles. It is excreted through feces (primarily) and urine (~2%).

Dosage of Mebendazole

Take mebendazole by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor. Chew the chewable tablet of this medicine completely and then swallow. If you feel stomach upset, you can take the medicine with food. To treat pinworm infection, the drug is usually given as a single dose, and if necessary, a second treatment may be given in several weeks. For other common types of worm infections (eg, roundworm, hookworm), take mebendazole by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually twice a day (morning and evening) for 3 days.

Time to take mebendazole tablets

For other types of infections, follow your doctor’s instructions. Your doctor may order you to take this medicine more than twice a day for more than 3 days. It is very important to continue taking Mebendazole exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Take the doctor’s prescription until the last dose, stopping the medicine early will cause the disease to return. Tell your doctor if your condition persists or worsens.

How to use Mebendazole in Bergsalan

1. Mebendazole for pinworm 100 mg is taken orally as a single dose. If there is no improvement after 3 weeks of treatment, start the second course of treatment.
2. The dosage for roundworm is 100 mg orally every 12 hours for 3 days. If improvement is not achieved after 3 weeks of treatment, a second course of treatment is recommended.
3. Whipworm (Emverm), 100 mg orally every 12 hours for 3 consecutive days. If there is no improvement after 3 weeks of treatment, start the second course of treatment.
4. The dosage for hookworm (Emverm) is 100 mg orally every 12 hours for 3 consecutive days, and if improvement is not achieved 3 weeks after treatment, start a second course of treatment.
5. For Giardia Duodenalis, 200 mg orally every 8 hours for 5 days.
6. For migratory visceral larvae (toxocariasis; off-label), 100-200 mg orally every 12 hours for 5 days.

How to take mebendazole tablets in children

1. Mebendazole for the treatment of pinworms in children over 2 years of age (Emverm dosage form), 100 mg orally is taken as a single dose, and if there is no improvement after 3 weeks of treatment, a second course of treatment is recommended.
2. Roundworm in children over 2 years old (Emverm dosage form), 100 mg orally every 12 hours for 3 days. If there is no improvement after 3 weeks of treatment, start the second course of treatment. Also, the treatment for vermox forms in children over 1 year old is 500 mg orally as a single dose.
3. For whipworm in children over 2 years of age (Emverm dosage form), 100 mg orally every 12 hours for 3 consecutive days. If there is no improvement after 3 weeks of treatment, a second course of treatment is recommended. Also, 500 mg as a single dose is used for Vermox dosage forms in children over 1 year old.
4. For the treatment of hookworm in children over 2 years of age (Emverm dosage form), 100 mg orally every 12 hours is recommended.

Precautions

Before taking mebendazole, if you are allergic to it or other ingredients in the medicine, avoid using it. This medicine contains inactive ingredients that can cause allergic reactions or sensitivities. See a doctor if you have special medical history, including low blood count (anemia), liver disease, intestinal problems (such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis), kidney disorder, stomach ulcers or bleeding, etc. During pregnancy, this drug should be used only when clearly needed.

1. If the patient has a liver disorder, this medicine should be used with caution and doctor’s advice.
2. To treat worms, before starting treatment and one week after, the area around the anus should be checked for worm eggs, especially in patients whose symptoms of infection are stable.
3. To check for contamination or the presence of worms, you must perform the necessary tests, such as a stool test. Treat this disease under the supervision of your doctor and avoid excessive use of medicine.
4. If you forget to take a dose of medicine, take it as soon as you remember. If it is close to your next dose, do not take the missed dose.
5. Patients with hookworm and whipworm infection should receive iron supplements.
6. If mebendazole is used to treat ringworm, it is better to treat and examine all family members at the same time. Also, it is necessary to wash bedclothes and bedding after drug treatment so that the infection does not recur.
7. In the treatment of infections inside the tissues (such as cysts), this drug should be taken in large quantities with food, especially fatty foods, so that a larger amount of the drug is absorbed.

Contraindications to mebendazole

1. Hypersensitivity

Mebendazole side effects

Stomach and abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness or drowsiness are some of the side effects of Mebendazole. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist right away. Remember that this medication has been prescribed because your doctor has determined that the benefits for you are greater than the risk of side effects. Most people who use this drug do not experience serious side effects. Some of the serious side effects of this drug include severe abdominal pain, easy bleeding and bruising, symptoms of serious infection (such as severe sore throat and fever), unusual and severe fatigue, seizures, weakness, dark or pink urine, yellow eyes and skin, etc.

1. angioedema
2. Fever
3. Dizziness and headache
4. Leukopenia
5. convulsions
6. Drowsiness
7. hives and itching
8. Agranulocytosis
9. Alopecia (with high doses)
10. Abdominal pain and diarrhea
11. nausea
12. Toxic epidermal necrolysis

Mebendazole drug interactions

Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk of serious side effects. Before going to the doctor, prepare a list of chemical and herbal medicines you use and show him. Take the medicine according to the doctor’s prescription so that there is no danger or interference. Never increase, decrease or stop your dosage without consulting your doctor. In some cases, the following drugs have caused drug interactions with mebendazole:

1. Interfering drugs X: metronidazole (systemic)
2. Reducing the effects of mebendazole by drugs: carbamazepine, fosphenytoin, phenytoin, ritonavir
3. Increased effects of mebendazole by drugs: cimetidine

Use of Mebendazole tablets during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Mebendazole is not recommended during pregnancy. This drug crosses the placenta and can affect the development of the fetus. In animal studies, mebendazole increased the risk of miscarriage, congenital malformations, and fetal death. However, in some cases, a doctor may prescribe this drug to treat a parasitic infection during pregnancy. In these cases, the doctor compares the benefits of taking the drug with its risks and will prescribe the drug if needed. If mebendazole is used during pregnancy, this process should be done under the supervision of a doctor.

Mebendazole storage conditions

Mebendazole should be stored at room temperature away from light and moisture. Also, it should be kept away from children and animals as much as possible, and if it breaks down or expires, dispose of it properly.

The last word of Mebendazole

As we said in this article from the online pharmacy magazine Positive Green, the benefits of this drug include its effect on different types of parasites, proof of effectiveness in the treatment of human and animal parasitic infections, and the ability to deal with different resistances of parasites. Considering the ability of mebendazole to deal with the complex challenges of parasitic infections, this drug is considered as an important and effective tool in the management of this type of disease, and it seems that with more research, more improvements have been achieved in this field.

Site source: Medscape