Dapsone

Dapsone is an antibacterial medication used in the treatment of dermatitis herpetiformis (a skin condition) and leprosy (Hansen's disease).

Adult and Pediatric Dosage Forms and Strengths

Tablet

• 25 mg
• 100 mg

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows:

Dermatitis Herpetiformis

• 50 mg orally once/day, titrate to 300 mg once/day or higher to achieve desired effect
• Reduce dose to minimum effective dose within the range of 50-300 mg once/day as soon as possible

Leprosy

• Adult: 100 mg orally once/day, in combination with other antileprosy drugs
• Pediatric: 1-2 mg/kg orally once/day; not to exceed 100 mg/day in combination with other antileprosy agents
• Pediatric dosing considerations
  • Administer for 3 years (minimum) in combination with multidrug regimen (i.e., rifampin)

Tuberculoid or Lepromatous Disease

• 100 mg orally once/day with rifampin 600 mg orally once/day

Pneumocystis (Carinii) Jiroveci (Off-label)

Adult: Prophylaxis

• 100 mg orally once/day or divided twice daily as monotherapy, OR
• 50 mg once/day in combination with weekly pyrimethamine and leucovorin

Adult: Treatment

• 100 mg orally once/day in combination with trimethoprim for 21 days

Pediatric: Prophylaxis

• Children over 1 month old: 2 mg/kg orally once/day; not to exceed 100 mg/day, OR
• 4 mg/kg/dose orally once/week; not to exceed 200 mg/week
• Adolescents: 100 mg orally once/day or divided BID as monotherapy, OR 50 mg once/day in combination with weekly pyrimethamine and leucovorin

Pediatric: Treatment

• Children over 1 month old: 2 mg/kg orally once/day in combination with trimethoprim for 21 days
• Adolescents: 100 mg orally once/day in combination with trimethoprim for 21 days

Common Side effects of Dapsone include:

• Ruptured red blood cells (hemolysis)
• Blood disorder (methemoglobinemia)

Less common side effects of dapsone include:

• Reactional states (i.e., abrupt changes in clinical activity occurring during any leprosy treatment; classified as reversal of erythema nodosum leprosum reactions)
• Insomnia
• Headache
• Redness and peeling of the skin
• Sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitivity)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Anemia
• Low white blood cell count (leukopenia)
• Agranulocytosis
• Hepatitis
• Cholestatic jaundice
• Numbness and tingling of extremities (usually in nonleprosy patients)
• Blurred vision
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Loss of appetite
• Dizziness

Rare but serious side effects of dapsone include:

• Unusually fast heartbeat
• Unusually fast breathing
• Bluish lips or skin
• Chest pain
• Mental/mood changes
• Muscle weakness
• Difficulty urinating

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.

• Dapsone has no known severe interactions with other drugs.
• Serious interactions of Dapsone include:
  • aluminum hydroxide
  • BCG vaccine live
  • calcium carbonate
  • famotidine
  • idelalisib
  • ivacaftor
  • lansoprazole
  • mefloquine
  • nefazodone
  • sodium bicarbonate
  • sodium citrate/citric acid
  • typhoid vaccine live
• Dapsone has moderate interactions with at least 36 different drugs.
• Dapsone has mild interactions with at least 87 different drugs.

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 dapsone. Do not take dapsone if you are allergic to dapsone 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 drug or component

Effects of Drug Abuse

• No information available

Short-Term Effects

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

Long-Term Effects

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

Cautions

• May cause blood dyscrasias (e.g., agranulocytosis); monitor closely
• Numbness and tingling of extremities (peripheral neuropathy) may occur
• Toxic epidermal necrolysis and other dermatologic reactions may occur
• Use caution when treating patients with hypersensitivity to sulfonamides
• Bacterial and fungal superinfections may occur from prolonged treatments

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Use dapsone with caution during pregnancy if benefits outweigh risks
• Animal studies show risk and human studies are not available or neither animal nor human studies were done
• Dapsone enters breast milk
• It is not recommended for use while breastfeeding
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee states dapsone is "compatible with nursing"