Medication Uses | How To Use | Side Effects | Precautions | Drug Interactions
| Overdose | Notes | Missed Dose | Storage
Mebendazole belongs to the family of medicines called
anthelmintics. Anthelmintics are medicines used in the treatment of
worm infections.
Mebendazole is used to treat:
* Common roundworms (ascariasis);
* Hookworm infections (uncinariasis);
* Pinworms (enterobiasis; oxyuriasis);
* Whipworms (trichuriasis); and
* More than one worm infection at a time.
This medicine may also be used for other worm infections as determined
by your doctor.
Mebendazole works by keeping the worm from absorbing sugar (glucose).
This gradually causes loss of energy and death of the worm.
Mebendazole is available only with your doctor's prescription.
This product is available in the following dosage forms:
* Tablet, Chewable
* Suspension
Before Using MEBEX (Mebendazole, Vermox)
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 this medicine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction
to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care
professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods,
dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read
the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
This medicine has been tested in a limited number of children 2 years
of age or older and, in effective doses, has not been shown to cause
different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.
Geriatric
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 mebendazole in the elderly with use in other age groups.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Category Explanation
All Trimesters C Animal studies have shown an adverse effect and there are
no adequate studies in pregnant women OR no animal studies have been conducted
and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women.
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk
when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential
benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication
while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
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. Tell your healthcare
professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription
(over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating
food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur.
Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions
to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your
medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this
medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical
problems, especially:
* Crohn's disease or
* Liver disease or
* Ulcerative colitis—Patients with these diseases may have an increased
chance of side effects from mebendazole
Proper Use MEBEX (Mebendazole, Vermox)
Mebendazole usually comes with patient directions. Read them carefully
before using this medicine.
No special preparations or other steps (for example, special diets,
fasting, other medicines, laxatives, or enemas) are necessary before,
during, or immediately after taking mebendazole.
Mebendazole tablets may be chewed, swallowed whole, or crushed and
mixed with food.For patients taking mebendazole for hookworms, roundworms,
or whipworms:
* 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.
For patients taking mebendazole for pinworms:
* To help clear up your infection completely, take this medicine
exactly as directed by your doctor. A second course of this medicine
is usually required to clear up the infection completely.
* Pinworms may be easily passed from one person to another, especially in a
household. Therefore, all household members may have to be treated at
