Albendazole

Risk Factor: CM
Class: Anti-infectives / Anthelmintics

Contents of this page:

Breast Feeding Summary

No reports describing the use of albendazole during human lactation have been located. The anthelmintic is excreted in animal milk (1,7). Although the relatively low molecular weight (about 265) is low enough for excretion into human breast milk, the negligible bioavailability of the parent drug suggests that excretion of clinically significant amounts of this compound do not occur. However, excretion of the active metabolite (albendazole sulfoxide) into breast milk may occur. Moreover, administration of albendazole with a fatty meal will markedly increase the plasma concentration of the metabolite (1) and, thus, may increase the amounts in milk. The effects of this exposure on a nursing infant are unknown.

References

1. Product information. Albenza. SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, 2001.
2. Mantovani A, Macri C, Stazi AV, Ricciardi C. Effects of albendazole on the early phases of rat organogenesis in vivo: preliminary results (abstract). Teratology 1992;46:25A.
3. Mantovani A, Ricciardi C, Stazi AV, Macri C. Effects observed on gestational day 13 in rat embryos exposed to albendazole. Reprod Toxicol 1995;9:26573.
4. Horton J. The use of antiprotozoan and anthelmintic drugs during pregnancy and contraindications. J Infect 1993;26:1045.
5. Torlesse H, Hodges M. Anthelminthic treatment and haemoglobin concentrations during pregnancy. Lancet 2000;356:1083.
6. de Silva N, Guyatt H, Bundy D. Anthelmintics. A comparative review of their clinical pharmacology. Drugs 1997;53:76988.
7. Fletouris DJ, Botsoglou NA, Psomas IE, Mantis AI. Trace analysis of albendazole and its sulphoxide and sulphone metabolites in milk by liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr B Biomed Appl 1996;687:42735.

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Questions and Answers

which one is the best drug to treat the tape worm Taenia (albendazole resistant) infection in India?, I have suffered with tape worm (Taenia) infection for the past 3 years, I took heavy dose of albendazole treatment so many times but it no use.
so which one is the best drug to treat the tape worm infection? in India cant get nicolasamide tablets.

I am SO sorry to hear about your tapeworm. I don't have an answer for you but I sympathize with you. I had a tapeworm for 12 years and it's HORRIBLE! I took everything they gave me. I was a baby when my mother noticed it and 12 years old when it finally passed 40 feet. Nobody knows why but I never saw it again. I'm 66 yrs now. I still remember the screaming everytime I saw it coming out. I hope you find good answers here. I'll ask around and see if I can find out anything. Abby

I took Albendazole tablet for two days for deworming. But still i have the itchy feeling at night.?, Eventhough a little less than before.. I want to know for how many days i have to take the tablet for complete cure. will there be any side effect if i take more than one tablet.

Itchy feeling,perhaps you are referring to Pin worm (enterobius vermicularis) also known as seat worm.The dose is a single tablet only once.Wait for one week.Adult worm live in the cecum and vermiform appendix.Itching,which induces scratching,thereby contaminating the fingers with the infective larvae which are then ingested.So cut your nails short,wash the under garments,night clothes and bed linen well in hot boiling water to avoid re infestation.A better choice is a course of mebendazole which is effective against all the worms.Both the drugs are very safe with almost no side effects.

How often is de-worming done for kids & adults? Is Albendazole tablet safe ? Is it taken after dinner ?, Can the tablet be taken on an empty stomach? Can it be given to a 5 yr old in suspension form ? My friends get it from the medical shops without Dr's prescription, is that fine ? Will the tablet disintegrate the worms? Are there any homeopathic remedies for deworming ? Will it be effective ? Is anal itching caused due to worms?

I purchase at herbal store an herb called Virastop. It is an enzyme and cleans the body from parasites. I give the children one when they complain of anal itching. The schools now a days do not clean the playgrounds therefore transferring ringworm's, tapeworms and pin worms in school aged children. You can tell when the child is itchy and they complain, especially at night.

I give them one when they complain and they rid of them quickly. It is very safe for a 5 year old and anyone in the household or that uses the toilet must be treated also.

* If your child cannot swallow the tablet. Place it in an 8 oz cup of orange juiceand have the drink it all.

best if taken at night 1 hour before meals as it helps to have an empty stomach and does not cause irritation.

I have pinworms and took Albendazole (400 mg) two days ago; however, I still have severe itching. Why?, How long does it take for the medication to work? Exactly how will the pinworms be eliminated from my body? And if I am still experiencing itching during the night, could it be that the medication did not work?

Well, I don't know what kind of dosage you were prescribed, so I can't tell you what to expect, but it usually takes about two weeks for everything to be killed off (but this may take longer depending on the severity of infection). The dead pinworms will be eliminated through your bowel movements (yeah, unpleasant, I know).

I do know that Albendazole is sometimes given for 4 weeks with a 2 week break. This cycle is repeated three times. Is this the case with you? If so, it will take a while before the itching completely stops.

A side effect that you should know about is that it lowers your ability to fight off bacterial and viral infections leaving you more susceptible to colds.

Oh, sorry. I just went back here and I saw that you took your dosage two days ago. Will you be taking another dose in two weeks? Even so, it will take a few days. However, if you notice that there is no improvement you should speak to your doctor. Good luck.

Is albendazole dangerous to take?, hi i am about to take albendazole in the morning i am wandering whether its dangerous to take i have been told that i have worms by a ama doc right here on yahoo answers and my stool conditions have not changed. I would like to know if the medicine is safe to take even if i dont have worms?Is it safe to take?

first rule of medicine: DO NO HARM
this yahoo doctor may not a an MD after all (I am an astronaut physicist -NOT)
a real MD would never reccomend a medicine that has potential side effects for an illness that has not been diagnosed or at least other illness have been entertained and ruled out (discarded)
even if albendazole is not dangerous I would not take it unless I really had worms as the potential side effects may outweight the potential benefits (no diagnosis means is there a real need and hence a real benefit from taking the medicine - in this case I see no benefit since there is no diagnosis)
hope this helps

Is it dangerous to take zentel (albendazole) every week?, to treat pinworms

No chemical is without side effects. Taking Albendazole in excess may be seriously injurious to your heath, so, please, consult a physician.

As far as I know, you may take a doge every six months or so, to keep yourself dis-infested. One tablet this week and after two weeks take the second to ensure proper cleansing.

how good is albendazole as chewable tablet when compared to other dosage ?form?,

Chewables are usually for children who have a small esophagus and can't swallow pills. If it comes in a pill then the pill is better because it releases the medicine when it is in your stomach where is can be absorbed the most.

What is an effective cure against intestinal tapeworms?, I have a cousin in Europe who has been struggling with a parazite in her intestine (Taenia solium, a flatworm from pigs) for several years. Her condition is deteriorating rapidly with no hope for cure. She has been treated with Albendazole, Niclosamide, Parazitin
(Vaxa) and several homeopathic products (male fern extract, pumpkin seed extract, black walnut extract) without any success. If anybody knows any cure, I will greatly appreciate their sharing of the information.

This disease is highly curable with good medical treatment and fatal without. Quit the homeopathic stuff as this is wasting time when the disease is progressing and causing brain damage. The article linked below describes treatment. If you need to sign in to access it, don't worry as access if free. Print out the article and have your cousin take it with her to a hospital for treatment. The various curative drug options are listed towards the bottom of the web page as are additional treatments for the damage being done by the flatworm. good luck as this ailment sounds horrible.
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic494.ht...

The pharmacology of Albendazole?,

It's a part of pharmacology.Albendazole is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract due to its low aqueous solubility. Albendazole concentrations are negligible or undetectable in plasma as it is rapidly converted to the sulfoxide metabolite prior to reaching the systemic circulation. The systemic anthelmintic activity has been attributed to the primary metabolite, albendazole sulfoxide. Oral bioavailability appears to be enhanced when albendazole is coadministered with a fatty meal (estimated fat content 40 g) as evidenced by higher (up to 5-fold on average) plasma concentrations of albendazole sulfoxide as compared to the fasted state.