No

Anthelmintic

Treatment of pinworms ( Enterobius vermicularis), whipworms ( Trichuris trichiura), roundworms ( Ascaris lumbricoides), and hookworms ( Ancylostoma duodenale)

C

Hypersensitivity to mebendazole or any component

Pregnancy and children <2 years of age are relative contraindications since safety has not been established; not effective for hydatid disease

1% to 10%: Gastrointestinal: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting

<1%: Fever, dizziness, headache, rash, angioedema, seizures, itching, alopecia (with high doses), neutropenia (sore throat, unusual fatigue), unusual weakness

Symptoms of overdose include abdominal pain, altered mental status

GI decontamination and supportive care

Decreased effect: Anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine and phenytoin may increase metabolism of mebendazole

Selectively and irreversibly blocks glucose uptake and other nutrients in susceptible adult intestine-dwelling helminths

Absorption: Only 2% to 10%

Distribution: Distributed to serum, cyst fluid, liver, omental fat, and pelvic, pulmonary, and hepatic cysts; highest concentrations found in liver; relatively high concentrations also found in muscle-encysted Trichinella spiralis larvae; crosses placenta

Protein binding: High, 95%

Metabolism: Extensive in the liver

Half-life: 1-11.5 hours

Time to peak serum concentration: Within 2-4 hours

Elimination: Primarily excreted in feces with 5% to 10% eliminated in urine

Children and Adults: Oral:

Whipworms, roundworms, hookworms: One tablet twice daily, morning and evening on 3 consecutive days; if patient is not cured within 3-4 weeks, a second course of treatment may be administered

Capillariasis: 200 mg twice daily for 20 days

Dosing adjustment in hepatic impairment: Dosage reduction may be necessary in patients with liver dysfunction

Hemodialysis: Not dialyzable (0% to 5%)

Tablet can be crushed and mixed with food, swallowed whole, or chewed; food increases mebendazole absorption

Check for helminth ova in feces within 3-4 weeks following the initial therapy

May cause dizziness

Carbamazepine may decrease the effects of mebendazole; may rarely cause neutropenia; use caution with clozapine and carbamazepine

No information available to require special precautions

No effects or complications reported

Take exactly as directed for full course of medication. Tablets may be chewed, swallowed whole, or crushed and mixed with food. Increase dietary intake of fruit juices. All family members and close friends should also be treated. To reduce possibility of reinfection, wash hands and scrub nails carefully with soap and hot water before handling food, before eating, and before and after toileting. Keep hands out of mouth. Disinfect toilet daily and launder bed lines, undergarments, and nightclothes daily with hot water and soap. Do not go barefoot and do not sit directly on grass or ground. May cause abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting (frequent small meals, frequent mouth care, sucking lozenges, or chewing gum may help); hair loss (reversible). Report skin rash or itching, unusual fatigue or sore throat, unresolved diarrhea or vomiting, or CNS changes. Pregnancy/breast-feeding precautions: Inform prescriber if you are or intend to be pregnant. Consult prescriber if breast-feeding.

Monitor for helminth ova in feces within 3-4 weeks following the initial therapy

Tablet, chewable: 100 mg

de Silva N, Guyatt H, and Bundy D, "Anthelmintics. A Comparative Review of Their Clinical Pharmacology," Drugs, 1997, 53(5):769-88.

"Drugs for Parasitic Infections," Med Lett Drugs Ther, 1998, 40(1017):1-12.

Hotez PJ, "Hookworm Disease in Children," Pediatr Infect Dis J, 1989, 8(8):516-20.