Overview

This medication is an anthelmintic, prescribed for tapeworm infections, hydatid cyst disease, cysticercosis or neurocysticercosis, capillariasis, cutaneous larva migrans, giardiasis, microsporidiosis including Septata intestinalis infection, intestinal parasites in immigrants, strongyloidiasis, trichinosis, trichostrongyliasis.It works by killing sensitive.

Indications

Albendazole is effective in the treatment of infections caused by:

• Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm/threadworm)
• Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm)
• Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus (hookworms)
• Trichuris trichiura (whipworm)
• Strongyloides stercoralis
• Animal hookworm larvae causing cutaneous larva migrans
• Liver flukes Opisthorchis viverrini
• Clonorchis sinensis
• Hymenolepis nana and Taenia spp. (tapeworm) infections

Warnings

Do not change the dose, without your Doctor's advice.

It may cause dizziness. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.

In young children, the tablets should be crushed or chewed and swallowed with glass of water.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: liver disease, biliary tract problems (e.g., blockage), blood/bone marrow disorders.

This medication may cause liver problems. Because drinking alcohol increases the risk of liver problems, limit alcoholic beverages while using this medication.

Contraindications

Contraindicated in pregnant and breastfeeding women and neonates.

Contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the drug and also patients suffering from and liver impairment.

Side Effects

Headache

Confusion

Dizziness/vertigo

Abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting.

Pharmacology

Mechanism of Action

The systemic anthelmintic activity has been attributed to the primary metabolite, albendazole sulfoxide which Inhibits cytoplasmic microtubule formation in the helminthes.

Pharmacokinetics

Absorption: 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.
Distribution: Albendazole sulfoxide is 70% bound to plasma protein and is widely distributed throughout the body.it has been detected in Urine,bile,liver,cyst wall,cyst fluid and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF).
Metabolism: Albendazole is rapidly converted in the liver to the primary metabolite, albendazole sulfoxide, which is further metabolized to albendazole sulfone and other primary oxidative metabolites that have been identified in human urine.
Elimination: Biliary elimination presumably accounts for a portion of the elimination as evidenced by biliary concentrations of albendazole sulfoxide similar to those achieved in plasma.

Interactions

Precaution must be exercised while administering the following drugs with albendazole: Dexamethasone, Praziquantel, cimetidine and theophylline.