Albendazole

Albendazole is a prescription drug used to treat certain tapeworm infections (such as neurocysticercosis and hydatid disease).

• Albendazole is available under the following different brand names: Albenza.

Adult and Pediatric Dosages:

Tablet

• 200 mg

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows:

Neurocysticercosis (Taenia solium Tapeworm)

Adult and Pediatric

• Over 60 kg: 400 mg orally twice daily for 8-30 days
• Under 60 kg: 15 mg/kg/day divided twice daily orally for 8-30 days; not to exceed 800 mg/day

Hydatid (Echinococcus Tapeworm)

Adult and Pediatric:

• Over 60 kg: 400 mg orally twice daily for 28 days, then 14 drug-free days for 3 cycles
• Under 60 kg: 15 mg/kg/day divided twice daily orally, no more than 800 mg/day for 28 days than 14 drug-free days for 3 cycles

Ancylostoma, Ascariasis, Hookworm, Trichostrongylus

Adult and Pediatric:

• 400 mg orally once

Capillariasis

Adult and Pediatric:

• 400 mg orally once daily for 10 days

Larva migrans, Cutaneous and Trichuriasis

Adult and Pediatric:

• 400 mg orally once daily for 3 days

Larva migrans, Visceral

Adult and Pediatric:

• 400 mg orally once daily for 5 days

Enterobius (Pinworm)

Adult and Pediatric:

• 400 mg orally once, repeat in 2 weeks

Fluke (Clonorchis sinesis)

Adult only:

• 10 mg/kg orally once daily for 7 days

Gnathostomiasis, Microsporidiosis

Adult only:

• 400 mg twice daily for 21 days

Administration

• Take with food
• If unable to swallow, may crush the tablet and drink with water
• Monitor: complete blood count (CBC), liver function tests

Common side effects of albendazole include:

• abdominal pain
• abnormal liver function test
• acute liver failure
• acute kidney failure
• severe low white blood cell count
• dizziness
• easy bruising or bleeding
• fever with chills, body aches, or flu-like symptoms
• fever, sore throat, headache with severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash
• low white blood cell count
• hair loss
• headache
• hepatitis
• increased intracranial pressure
• meningeal signs
• nausea
• reduction of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets
• rash
• spinning sensation (vertigo)
• low blood platelet count
• unusual weakness
• hives
• vomiting

This document does not contain all possible side effects and others may occur. Check with your physician for additional information about side effects.

If your doctor has directed you to use this medication, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist first.

Albendazole has no known severe interactions with other drugs.

Albendazole has no known serious interactions with other drugs.

Moderate interactions of albendazole include:

• fosphenytoin
• acalabrutinib
• grapefruit
• phenytoin

Minor interactions of albendazole include:

• dexamethasone
• praziquantel

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share this information with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your health care professional or doctor for additional medical advice, or if you have health questions, concerns, or for more information about this medicine.

Warnings

• This medication contains albendazole. Do not take Albenza if you are allergic to albendazole or any ingredients contained in this drug.
• Keep out of reach of children. In case of overdose, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center immediately.

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to albendazole or benzimidazoles.

Effects of Drug Abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See "What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Albendazole?"

Long-Term Effects

• See "What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Albendazole?"

Cautions

• Monitor theophylline levels if used concomitantly.
• Potential for bone marrow suppression, aplastic anemia, and agranulocytosis; monitor blood counts in all patients at the beginning of each 28-day cycle of therapy, and every 2 weeks while on therapy; discontinue therapy if clinically significant changes in blood counts occur.
• Pre-existing neurocysticercosis may be uncovered in patients treated with albendazole for other conditions, apparent by neurological symptoms (such as seizures, increased intracranial pressure, focal signs); promptly treated with corticosteroid and anticonvulsant therapy.
• Obtain pregnancy tests in women of reproductive potential prior to therapy and avoid usage in pregnant women except in clinical circumstances where no alternative management is appropriate; discontinue therapy if pregnancy occurs and apprise the patient of the potential hazard to the fetus.
• Risk of retinal damage in retinal cysticercosis; cases of retinal involvement reported; examine the patient for the presence of retinal lesions before initiating therapy for neurocysticercosis.
• Reversible elevations of liver enzymes may occur; monitor liver enzymes before the start of each treatment cycle and at least every 2 weeks while on therapy and discontinue if clinically significant elevations occur; patients with abnormal liver function tests and hepatic echinococcosis are at increased risk of hepatotoxicity; discontinue therapy if liver function test elevations are greater than 2 times the upper limit of normal; may consider restarting treatment when liver function test values return to pretreatment levels.

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Use albendazole during pregnancy with caution if the benefits outweigh the risks. Animal studies show risk and human studies are not available or neither animal nor human studies were done.
• Breastfeeding patients should use caution while using albendazole; consult your physician.