Generic name: Mebendazole

Why is this medication prescribed?
Mebendazole, an antiworm medication, kills parasites. It is used to treat roundworm, hookworm, pinworm, whipworm, and other worm infections.

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

How should this medicine be used?
Mebendazole comes as a chewable tablet. It usually is taken twice a day, in the morning and evening, for 3 days or as a single (one-time) dose. You may chew the tablets, swallow them whole, or crush and mix them with food. Treatment may have to be repeated in 2-3 weeks. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take mebendazole exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

What special precautions should I follow?
Before taking mebendazole,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to mebendazole or any other drugs.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), and vitamins.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had stomach or liver disease.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking mebendazole, call your doctor.

What should I do if I forget a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

What side effects can this medication cause?
Although side effects from mebendazole are not common, they can occur. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• diarrhea
• stomach pain

What storage conditions are needed for this medicine?
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

In case of emergency/overdose
In case of overdose, call your local poison controlcenter at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsedor is not breathing, call local emergency services at911.

What other information should I know?
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to mebendazole.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Your prescription is probably not refillable. If you still have symptoms of infection after you finish the mebendazole, call your doctor.