spiralis larvae are resistant to mebendazole treatment.
Mebendazole does not kill the worms' eggs, and these can cause you to get worms again and pass it on to other people. A doctor or pharmacist may advise you to take mebendazole again after 2 weeks, to stop the worms from coming back.
In fact for decades the drugs used to treat these parasites have been based on only three types of chemicals, which all act in similar ways. “Resistance to one type inevitably leads to resistance to another, with more and more worms developing resistance to all three which is commonly known as multi-drug resistance.”
Young pinworms tend to be resistant to treatment and hence two doses of medication, two weeks apart are recommended. At the same time, all members of the infected child must be treated. If a large number of children are infected in a class, everyone should be treated twice at 2-week intervals.
Deworming programmes only rely on one drug
Deworming programmes are currently relying on just two drugs namely, albendazole or mebendazole. Both these drugs work in the same way. Therefore if the worms develop a resistance to one it's likely they'll also be resistant to the other.
Adults and children 2 years of age and older—100 milligrams (mg) two times a day, morning and evening, for 3 consecutive days. Treatment may need to be repeated in 3 weeks. Children younger than 2 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
The initial treatment of threadworms is essential, but leaving it there may be leaving the job unfinished! Threadworm eggs, laid around the anus, are untouched by treatments such as COMBANTRIN® or COMBANTRIN®-1 – and these eggs can hatch after the initial treatment, causing the infection to flare up all over again.
Young pinworms tend to be resistant to treatment and hence two doses of medication, two weeks apart are recommended. At the same time, all members of the infected child must be treated. If a large number of children are infected in a class, everyone should be treated twice at 2-week intervals.
Medicine kills the threadworms, but it does not kill the eggs. Eggs can live for up to 2 weeks outside the body. There are things you can do to stop becoming infected again.
Albendazole was clearly more active than mebendazole against hookworm infections, both in terms of egg reduction rate (92.8% vs.
If you take too much
Taking an extra dose of mebendazole is unlikely to harm you. However, you may get side effects such as: stomach cramps. feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
Mebendazole works by preventing the threadworms absorbing sugar, which means they should die within a few days. This medication is 90-100% effective at killing the threadworms, but it doesn't kill the eggs. This is why the hygiene measures outlined below should also be followed for 6 weeks.
If pinworm infection occurs again, the infected person should be retreated with the same two-dose treatment. The infected person's household contacts and caretakers also should be treated. If pinworm infection continues to occur, the source of the infection should be sought and treated.
The key is to break the 6-week cycle of pinworm reinfection by killing any live pinworms and preventing the ingestion of eggs. A diagnosis should be confirmed before treating with medications. Medications kill only the adult worms and have no effect on developing eggs and larvae.
You'll likely need to give your doctor a stool sample for a few months to make sure all the worms are gone.
Treatment is effective and clinical signs disappear. However, the few resistant worms survive deworming and are able to reproduce.
COMBANTRIN® is only effective against adult worms, which means any eggs or immature worms inside the body might still linger after the initial treatment. In order to minimise the risk of reinfestation, a follow-up treatment two to four weeks later is strongly recommended if symptoms are still present.
Do not take more than a total of 1 gram in a single dose. If you are self-treating for pinworms, take the medication once only. Do not repeat the dose without talking with your doctor first.
The most common adverse effects accompanying mebendazole use are loss of appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, headache, tinnitus, and elevated liver enzymes.
Take as directed. Give a repeat dose of the pinworm medicine in 2 weeks. Reason: To prevent the pinworms from coming back. The repeat dose is needed because eggs can live for 1 to 2 weeks.
If you or your child have threadworms that won't go away or keep coming back, speak to a doctor. You should also see a doctor if you see slime or blood in poo, even if you don't have other symptoms of a threadworm infection.
Pinworm eggs continue to be present (excreted) in the feces of an infected person for up to a week after the treatment, so precautions should be taken to prevent reinfection by washing hands thoroughly, especially under the nails. Bathe daily. Change and wash clothing and bedding frequently.
You can get infected by: touching objects or surfaces with worm eggs on them – if someone with worms does not wash their hands. touching soil or swallowing water or food with worm eggs in it – mainly a risk in parts of the world without modern toilets or sewage systems.