Albendazole Tablet (Aldol 400Mg)

Albendazole is a benzimidazole anthelmintic a medicine that kills parasitic worms.

At 400 mg it is widely used as a single dose for common intestinal worm infections, including roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and threadworm.

It is approved in the US for parenchymal neurocysticercosis due to active lesions caused by larval forms of the pork tapeworm,

It is also approved for cystic hydatid disease of the liver, lung and peritoneum, caused by the larval form of the dog tapeworm.

Aldol 400mg is used in mass deworming programmes worldwide, and alongside ivermectin in lymphatic filariasis.

It must be taken with food.

Some people, particularly children, may experience difficulty swallowing the tablets.

It is a prescription medicine in many markets.

Worms need a supply of energy to survive, chiefly glucose.

Their cells contain structures called microtubules, built from a protein called tubulin.

Albendazole binds to that tubulin and prevents the microtubules forming.

The worm can no longer take up glucose from its surroundings.

Its energy stores are depleted.

The worm becomes immobilised and dies.

For intestinal worms, the dead worms are then passed out in the stool.

albendazole binds far more strongly to parasite tubulin than to the equivalent human protein, which is the basis of its selectivity.

albendazole itself is poorly soluble and poorly absorbed. It is converted in the liver to albendazole sulfoxide, the active form in tissues. A fatty meal increases absorption several-fold, which is essential when treating cysts in the liver, lung or brain and largely irrelevant when killing worms living in the gut.

reinfection is common because eggs survive on bedding, clothing and under fingernails. Treating the whole household at the same time, washing bedding, and strict handwashing are as important as the tablet.

Take it exactly as directed by your doctor.

Take the tablet with food – ideally a meal containing some fat.

Swallow with water.

If swallowing is difficult, ask your pharmacist – some people, particularly children, struggle with these tablets.

For a single-dose treatment, that is the whole course.

For a long course, take it twice daily with meals, exactly as scheduled.

Attend all blood test appointments if you are on a long course.

Complete the full course for tissue infections.

Do not take it if you might be pregnant – have a pregnancy test first.

Tell your prescriber immediately if you become pregnant.

Treat the whole household at the same time for threadworm.

Wash bedding, nightwear and towels on a hot wash.

Keep fingernails short and wash hands thoroughly.

Do not share this medicine with anyone else.

Are hypersensitive to albendazole or any benzimidazole.

Are pregnant, or think you might be, unless a doctor has weighed the risks.

Are breastfeeding, unless advised by a doctor.

Could be pregnant, or are planning pregnancy a pregnancy test is required.

Are breastfeeding.

Have liver disease – increased risk of bone marrow suppression.

Have hepatic echinococcosis – the same increased risk.

Have any blood disorder, or low blood counts.

Have kidney problems.

Have had a reaction to a worm treatment before.

Have retinal lesions, if being treated for neurocysticercosis.

Are being treated for a brain or eye parasite.

Take any other medicine, including over-the-counter products.

Are giving it to a young child.

I know whether this is a single dose or a long course.

I will take it with food.

I am not pregnant, and have had a test if required.

I am not breastfeeding, or have checked with my doctor.

My doctor knows about any liver disease or blood disorder.

Zentel 400 mg this is a long course, my blood monitoring is arranged.

If this is for neurocysticercosis, steroid and anticonvulsant cover is in place.

If this is for threadworm, the whole household is being treated.

I know a second dose after 2 weeks may be needed for threadworm.

I know the warning signs listed below.

these are the commonest complaints, and they typically settle on their own.

Fever, chills or sore throat.

Unusual bruising or bleeding.

Bleeding that will not stop.

Extreme tiredness, breathlessness or pallor.

Mouth ulcers.

Yellowing of the skin or eyes.

Dark urine or pale stools.

Persistent nausea with upper right abdominal pain.

Seizures.

Severe headache.

Visual disturbance.

Confusion.

Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.

Difficulty breathing.

Widespread rash or blistering.

as parasites in the brain die, the inflammatory response can cause seizures and raised pressure inside the skull. This is why steroid and anticonvulsant cover is required, and why the treatment is managed by a specialist.

If you become pregnant while taking albendazole, or discover you were pregnant when you took it, tell your prescriber. Published data on single-dose exposure is reassuring, but your doctor should know.

A single dose clears most common intestinal worm infections.

Inexpensive, and one of the most widely used medicines in the world.

Used in mass deworming programmes globally.

Effective against a broad range of worms.

Generally very well tolerated at single doses – the likelihood of significant risks in a healthy person receiving a single dose is low.

Also effective against tissue parasites that few other medicines reach.

It must be taken with food, or absorption is poor.

A pregnancy test is required before prescribing to women of reproductive potential.

Long courses require blood count and liver monitoring.

Bone marrow suppression, aplastic anaemia and agranulocytosis have been reported.

Hepatitis and jaundice have been reported at high doses.

Neurocysticercosis treatment requires steroid and anticonvulsant cover and specialist management.

Tablets can be difficult for children to swallow.

routine deworming is standard public health practice in many countries. But persistent abdominal symptoms, weight loss or blood in the stool are not reasons to self-treat with a worm tablet – they need a diagnosis.

at a single 400 mg dose this is one of the safest and most useful medicines available. The warnings on this page largely belong to the other use weeks of high-dose treatment for cysts in the liver, lungs or brain which is a specialist undertaking.

Store below 30°C in a cool, dry place.

Keep tablets in the original pack.

Protect from moisture and direct sunlight.

Do not store in the bathroom.

Do not transfer tablets into unlabelled containers.

Keep out of the sight and reach of children.

Check the expiry date before use.

Do not use after the expiry date.

Never share this medicine with anyone else.

Return unused tablets to a pharmacy for disposal.