Green Pages Where There Is No Doctor 2011 375
Pyrantel (Antiminth, Cobrantril, Helmex, Pin-X)
Name:_________________________________________
Comes as pamoate or embonate
Often comes in:
250 mg. tablets
Price:_________________ for_ ___________________
Mixture, 50 mg. in 1 ml.
Price:_________________ for_ ___________________
This medicine works for pinworm, hookworm,
and roundworm (Ascaris), but it may be expensive.
Pyrantel occasionally causes vomiting, dizziness, or
headache.
Dosage for pyrantel (10 mg./kg.)—using 250 mg.
tablets
For hookworm and roundworm, give one time.
For pinworm, repeat dose after 2 weeks.
In each dose give:
adults: 750 mg. (3 tablets)
children 10 to 14 years: 500 mg. (2 tablets)
children 6 to 9 years: 250 mg. (1 tablet)
children 2 to 5 years: 125 mg. (½ tablet)
children under 2 years: 62 mg. (¼ tablet)
Ivermectin (Mectizan, Stromectal)—for
strongyloides, see p. 377.
FOR TAPEWORM
There are several types of tapeworms.
Niclosamide and pranziquantel are both effective for
treating most types. Niclosamide is less expensive.
Niclosamide (Yomesan)—for tapeworm infection
Name:__________________ price:________ for_ ______
Often comes in: chewable tablets of 500 mg.
Niclosamide is probably the best medicine for
tapeworm. It works against most kinds of tapeworm
in the gut, but not against cysts outside the gut.
Dosage of niclosamide for tapeworm—500 mg.
tablets
Chew well and swallow 1 dose only. Do not eat
before or until 2 hours after taking the medicine.
Giving a purge 2 hours after taking niclosamide
may help get rid of the tapeworm.
adults and children over 8 years: 2 g.
(4 tablets)
children 2 to 8 years: 1 g. (2 tablets)
children under 2 years: 500 mg. (1 tablet)
To treat dwarf tapeworm, repeat the above
dosage for 7 days.
Praziquantel (Biltricide, Droncit)
Name:__________________ price:________ for_ ______
Often comes in: tablets of 150 mg. and 600 mg.
Praziquantel is effective in treating most
types of tapeworms, but is more expensive than
niclosamide.
WARNING: Pregnant women and children under
4 years old should avoid taking praziquantel if
possible. Women who are breastfeeding should
stop giving their babies breast milk while taking
praziquantel and for 72 hours after taking it (squeeze
out the milk and throw it away).
Side effects: Praziquantel may cause tiredness,
dizziness, headache, and loss of appetite, but
these side effects are rare at the low dosages used
to treat tapeworm.
Dosage of praziquantel for most kinds of
tapeworm, including beef and pork tapeworm (10 to
20 mg./kg.)—using 600 mg. tablets
Take once only.
adults: 600 mg. (1 tablet)
children 8 to 12 years: 300 mg. (½ tablet)
children 4 to 7 years: 150 mg. (¼ tablet)
Treatment of dwarf tapeworm (H. nana) requires
a larger dosage:
Take once only.
adults: 1500 mg. (2 ½ tablets)
children 8 to 12 years: 600 to 1200 mg. (1 to
2 tablets)
children 4 to 7 years: 300 to 600 mg. (½ to 1
tablet)
Quinacrine (mepacrine, Atabrine)—for
tapeworm, see p. 369.