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|Mintezol

THIABENDAZOLE (Systemic)†

Some commonly used brand names are:

In the U.S.—

• Mintezol

† Not commercially available in Canada.

Category

• Anthelmintic, systemic

Description

Thiabendazole (thye-a-BEN-da-zole) belongs to the family of medicines called anthelmintics (ant-hel-MIN-tiks) . Anthelmintics are medicines used in the treatment of worm infections.

Thiabendazole is used to treat:

• creeping eruption (cutaneous larva migrans);
• pork worms (trichinosis);
• threadworms (strongyloidiasis); and
• visceral larva migrans (toxocariasis).

This medicine may also be used for other worm infections as determined by your doctor.

Thiabendazole is available only with your doctor"s prescription, in the following dosage forms:

• Oral
• Chewable tablets (U.S.)
• Oral suspension (U.S.)

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For thiabendazole, the following should be considered:

Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to thiabendazole. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy—Studies have not been done in humans. In addition, thiabendazole has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in studies in rabbits, rats, and mice given 21/2 to 15 times the usual human dose. However, another study in mice given 10 times the usual human dose has shown that thiabendazole causes cleft palate (a split in the roof of the mouth) and bone defects.

Breast-feeding—It is not known whether thiabendazole passes into human breast milk. However, this medicine has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children—This medicine has been tested in children over 13.6 kg of body weight (30 pounds). In effective doses, it has not been reported to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.

Older adults—Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of thiabendazole in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking thiabendazole, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Theophylline—Patients taking thiabendazole and theophylline together may have an increased chance of theophylline side effects

Other medical problems—The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of thiabendazole. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease—Patients with kidney and/or liver disease may have an increased chance of side effects

Proper Use of This Medicine

No special preparations (for example, special diets, fasting, other medicines, laxatives, or enemas) are necessary before, during, or immediately after treatment with thiabendazole.

Thiabendazole is best taken after meals (breakfast and evening meal). This helps to prevent some common side effects such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or loss of appetite.

Doctors may also prescribe a corticosteroid (a cortisone-like medicine) for certain patients with pork worms (trichinosis) , especially for those with severe symptoms. This is to help reduce the inflammation caused by the pork worm larvae. If your doctor prescribes these 2 medicines together, it is important to take the corticosteroid along with thiabendazole. Take them exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not miss any doses.

For patients taking the oral liquid form of thiabendazole:

• Use a specially marked measuring spoon or other device to measure each dose accurately. The average household teaspoon may not hold the right amount of liquid.

For patients taking the chewable tablet form of thiabendazole:

• Tablets should be chewed or crushed before they are swallowed.

To help clear up your infection completely, take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor for the full time of treatment . In some patients a second course of this medicine may be required to clear up the infection completely. Do not miss any doses .

Dosing—The dose of thiabendazole will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor"s orders or the directions on the label . The following information includes only the average doses of thiabendazole. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The number of tablets or teaspoonfuls of suspension that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are taking thiabendazole .

• For oral dosage forms (oral suspension or tablets):
  • Adults and children over 13.6 kilograms (30 pounds) of body weight:
    • For cutaneous larva migrans and strongyloidiasis : Dose is based on body weight and will be determined by your doctor. The dose is taken two times a day for two days.
    • For trichinosis : Dose is based on body weight and will be determined by your doctor. The dose is taken two times a day for two to four days.
    • For visceral larva migrans : Dose is based on body weight and will be determined by your doctor. The dose is taken two times a day for seven days.
  • Children up to 13.6 kilograms (30 pounds) of body weight: Dose must be determined by the doctor.

Missed dose—If you do miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage—To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store the chewable tablet form of this medicine in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Keep the oral liquid form of this medicine from freezing.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

Precautions While Using This Medicine

It is important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits. This is to make sure that the infection is cleared up completely.

Thiabendazole may cause blurred vision or yellow vision. It may also cause some people to become dizzy, drowsy, or less alert than they are normally. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or are not alert or able to see well . If these reactions are especially bothersome, check with your doctor.

Good health habits are required to help prevent reinfection. These include the following:

• For creeping eruption (cutaneous larva migrans) or visceral larva migrans (toxocariasis):
  • Keep dogs and cats off beaches and bathing areas.
  • Treat household pets for worms (deworm) regularly.
  • Cover children"s sandboxes when not being used.
    These measures help to prevent contamination of the sand or soil by worm larvae from the animals" wastes. This helps to keep children from picking up the larvae when they put their hands in their mouths after touching contaminated sand or soil.
• For pork worms (trichinosis):
  • Cook all pork, pork-containing products, and game at not less than 140 °F (60 °C) until well done (not pink in the center) before eating. This will kill any trichinosis larvae that may be in the meat.

Side Effects of This Medicine

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. However, check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

This medicine may cause the urine to have an asparagus-like or other unusual odor while you are taking it and for about 24 hours after you stop taking it. This side effect does not need medical attention.

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.

Additional Information

Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling, thiabendazole is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:

• Capillariasis
• Dracunculiasis
• Trichostrongyliasis

Other than the above information, there is no additional information relating to proper use, precautions, or side effects for these uses.

Revised: 07/26/2001

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