Side Effects of mebendazole: A Synthesis of Findings from 27 Studies

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Original Abstract of the Article

Major research findings

Mebendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug used for the treatment of parasitic infections. 4 It is commonly used for intestinal nematode infections such as roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, strongyloidiasis, and pinworm. 4 Mebendazole is also effective in treating giardiasis. 21 A 3-day course of mebendazole is as effective and safe as a single dose of secnidazole for the treatment of giardiasis in adults. 21 Mebendazole and albendazole have been repositioned as promising anti-cancer drugs. 4 These drugs are active against a variety of cancers including liver, lung, ovary, prostate, colorectal, breast, head and neck cancers, and melanoma. 4

Reason for side effects

Mebendazole is known to block microtubule systems in parasites and mammalian cells leading to inhibition of glucose uptake and transport and finally cell death. 4 This mechanism of action may lead to side effects.

Common side effects

Gastrointestinal side effects

The most common side effects of mebendazole are gastrointestinal. 2 Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea may occur when taking mebendazole. 2 Mebendazole can also affect the liver, and liver dysfunction may occur as a side effect. 4 Liver toxicity can occur with long-term use. 4

Other side effects

Other side effects of mebendazole include headache, dizziness, rash, and decreased blood cell count. 4 Mebendazole can cause myelosuppression, leading to side effects such as leukopenia. 4 It can also cause allergic reactions. 4

Countermeasures for side effects

Gastrointestinal side effects

Dietary and drug therapies are used to reduce gastrointestinal side effects caused by mebendazole. 2 Dietary therapy includes eating easily digestible foods and eating in small portions several times a day. 2 In drug therapy, antiemetics, antacids, and prokinetics may be prescribed. 2

Other side effects

Countermeasures for other side effects of mebendazole include appropriate treatment depending on the symptoms of the side effects. 4 For example, analgesics may be prescribed for headache or dizziness. 4 Steroid ointments may be prescribed for rashes. 4 Blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants may be performed for leukopenia. 4 Antihistamines may be prescribed for allergic reactions. 4

Comparison between studies

Common points of research

Many studies have been conducted on the effects and side effects of mebendazole. 4 These studies have shown that mebendazole is effective in treating intestinal parasitic infections. 4 Mebendazole has also been suggested to be effective in treating cancer. 4 Side effects of mebendazole include gastrointestinal side effects, headache, dizziness, rash, and decreased blood cell count. 4

Differences in research

Results may vary from study to study regarding the effects and side effects of mebendazole. 4 This is thought to be because the patients and research methods differ. 4 For example, factors such as the dosage and duration of mebendazole administration, the age and gender of the patient, and concomitant medications may affect the effects and side effects of mebendazole. 4

Precautions for application to real life

It is important to take mebendazole as directed by your doctor. 4 Mebendazole can cause side effects, so avoid taking it on your own or for extended periods. 4 If you experience any symptoms that you think may be side effects while taking mebendazole, consult your doctor immediately. 4

Limitations of current research

There are still many things that are not fully understood about mebendazole. 4 For example, further research is needed on the effects and side effects of mebendazole on cancer. 4 Also, more detailed research is needed on the pharmacological action and pharmacokinetics of mebendazole. 4

Future research directions

Mebendazole has the potential to be effective in treating a variety of diseases. 4 Therefore, further research on the effects and side effects of mebendazole is needed. 4 In particular, detailed research on the effects and side effects of mebendazole on cancer, as well as the pharmacological action and pharmacokinetics of mebendazole, is needed. 4

Conclusion

Mebendazole is an effective anthelmintic drug for treating intestinal parasitic infections such as roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, and pinworm. 4 It also shows promise as an anti-cancer drug. 4 While mebendazole is generally considered safe, there is a risk of side effects. 4 If you are considering taking mebendazole, be sure to consult your doctor. 4

Literature analysis of 27 papers
Positive Content
23
Neutral Content
2
Negative Content
2
Article Type
1
1
1
7
27
1.

Mebendazole for worming mice: effectiveness and side effects.

Author: BaskervilleM, WoodM, NewtonC M

Parasite control
Kinky tails
Reduced litter size

Mebendazole-treated diet effectively controlled parasitic infections in a mouse breeding colony. However, it caused a high incidence of kinky tails in offspring.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.

Language : English

2.

Mebendazole, an anti-helminth drug, suppresses inflammation, oxidative stress and injury in a mouse model of ulcerative colitis.

Author: EskandariMoein, AsgharzadehFereshteh, Askarnia-FaalMohammad Mostafa, NaimiHamideh, AvanAmir, AhadiMitra, VossoughiniaHassan, GharibMasoumeh, SoleimaniAtena, NaghibzadehNiloufar, FernsGordon, RyzhikovMikhail, KhazaeiMajid, HassanianSeyed Mahdi

Anti-inflammatory effect
Ulcerative colitis treatment
Potential toxicity

This study explored the protective effects of mebendazole (MBZ) against DSS-induced colitis in a murine model. MBZ was found to improve colitis disease activity and reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis in the colon. The findings suggest that MBZ may have potential as a novel therapy for ulcerative colitis.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.

Language : English

4.

Albendazole and Mebendazole as Anti-Parasitic and Anti-Cancer Agents: an Update.

Author: ChaiJong-Yil, JungBong-Kwang, HongSung-Jong

Treat cancer
Treat parasitic infections
Drug resistance
Liver toxicity

Albendazole and mebendazole are medications used to treat parasitic infections and are also being investigated as potential anti-cancer drugs. They work by blocking microtubules in both parasites and mammalian cells, leading to cell death. While generally safe, they can cause liver toxicity with prolonged use.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
ReviewAn article that critically examines existing research on a particular topic and summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field.

Language : English

7.

The Antitumor Potentials of Benzimidazole Anthelmintics as Repurposing Drugs.

Author: SonDeok-Soo, LeeEun-Sook, AdunyahSamuel E

Anticancer activity

Benzimidazole anthelmintics, including albendazole, parbendazole, fenbendazole, mebendazole, oxibendazole, oxfendazole, ricobendazole, and flubendazole, exert anticancer activities through various mechanisms, such as disruption of microtubule polymerization, induction of apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest. They show promise as adjuvants to conventional cancer therapies, offering a broad and safe spectrum of treatment.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
ReviewAn article that critically examines existing research on a particular topic and summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field.

Language : English

8.

Lipid profile of Trichinella papuae muscle-stage larvae.

Author: MangmeeSuthee, AdisakwattanaPoom, TiptharaPhornpimon, SimanonNattapon, SonthayanonPiengchan, ReamtongOnrapak

Trichinellosis treatment
Ineffective for L1
Side effects

Trichinella papuae is a parasitic worm that causes trichinellosis. The lipid composition and metabolic pathways of this parasite were studied to identify potential targets for new treatments. The study found several lipid components and metabolic processes unique to the parasite, which could be exploited to develop drugs specifically targeting the parasite.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.

Language : English

10.

Effectiveness and Tolerability of 3-Day Mebendazole Treatment of <i>Giardia duodenalis</i> Infection in Adults and Children: Two Prospective, Open-Label Phase IV Trials.

Author: CañeteRoberto, BritoKatia, BritoInara, SemperAbel, GonzalezMaria Elena

Giardia treatment

Mebendazole is effective against Giardia duodenalis infection in both children and adults.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.

Language : English

12.

Randomized control trial comparing effectiveness of weekly versus daily antenatal oral iron supplementation in preventing anemia during pregnancy.

Author: GoonewardeneIndra Malik R, SenadheeraDiluk I

Fewer side effects
Prevents anemia
Prevents iron deficiency
None mentioned

Weekly antenatal oral iron and folate supplementation is an effective alternative to daily supplementation for preventing anemia and iron deficiency in non-anemic pregnant women during the third trimester.

Comparative StudyResearch that compares multiple groups/interventions to determine differences/similarities in outcomes/characteristics.
Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Randomized Controlled TrialA clinical trial that randomly assigns participants to treatment and control groups to evaluate the effects of an intervention.

Language : English

13.

Screening of the Open Source Malaria Box Reveals an Early Lead Compound for the Treatment of Alveolar Echinococcosis.

Author: StadelmannBritta, RufenerReto, AeschbacherDenise, SpiliotisMarkus, GottsteinBruno, HemphillAndrew

Less toxic to mammals
Parasiticidal activity
Hepatotoxicity
Ineffective in some patients

A new screening cascade identified MMV665807, a salicylanilide compound, with parasiticidal activity against Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes. Although in vitro studies showed promising results, MMV665807 failed to reduce parasite load in infected mice, indicating the need for further optimization for potential clinical use.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.

Language : English

14.

Revisiting Non-Cancer Drugs for Cancer Therapy.

Author: YangEun Ju, WuChangjie, LiuYifan, LvJunfang, Sup ShimJoong

Cancer treatment

Drug repositioning is an attractive approach for developing new anticancer therapies, as it leverages existing drugs with favorable safety profiles.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
ReviewAn article that critically examines existing research on a particular topic and summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field.

Language : English

15.

Brain Penetration and Efficacy of Different Mebendazole Polymorphs in a Mouse Brain Tumor Model.

Author: BaiRen-Yuan, StaedtkeVerena, WanjikuTeresia, RudekMichelle A, JoshiAvadhut, GalliaGary L, RigginsGregory J

Glioblastoma treatment
Medulloblastoma treatment

Mebendazole, an antiparasitic drug, has shown potential as a treatment for glioblastoma and medulloblastoma. However, the three different polymorphs of mebendazole (A, B, and C) have varying brain penetration, pharmacokinetic profiles, and antitumor properties. Further research is needed to determine the optimal mebendazole polymorph for brain cancer therapy.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralResearch funding provided by the NIH to external research institutions and researchers.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.

Language : English

16.

Potential anti-cancer drugs commonly used for other indications.

Author: HanusovaVeronika, SkalovaLenka, KralovaVera, MatouskovaPetra

Cancer treatment
Cytostatic effect
Drug repurposing

This review discusses the potential repurposing of drugs originally approved for other indications as anti-cancer agents. The review focuses on benzimidazole anthelmintics, anti-hypertensive drugs, psychopharmaceuticals, and antidiabetic drugs.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.
ReviewAn article that critically examines existing research on a particular topic and summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field.

Language : English

17.

Efficacy of albendazole in combination with thymol against Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces and metacestodes.

Author: MaríaAlbani Clara, CelinaElissondo María

AE treatment

This study investigated the efficacy of albendazole and thymol, individually and in combination, against Echinococcus multilocularis, a parasite that causes alveolar echinococcosis. The combination of both drugs demonstrated the most potent antiparasitic effect in vitro, suggesting a potential for more effective treatment strategies.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.

Language : English

18.

Scolicidal effects of biogenic selenium nanoparticles against protoscolices of hydatid cysts.

Author: MahmoudvandHossein, Fasihi HarandiMajid, ShakibaieMojtaba, AflatoonianMohammad Reza, ZiaAliNaser, MakkiMahsa Sadat, JahanbakhshSareh

Cystic echinococcosis treatment
Scolicidal effects
In vivo efficacy unknown

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic infection caused by the larval stage of the dog tapeworm. This study investigated the effectiveness of selenium nanoparticles, a potential new treatment, against the parasites. The results showed that selenium nanoparticles were effective at killing the parasites in laboratory settings.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.

Language : English

19.

In vivo evaluation of the efficacy of albendazole sulfoxide and albendazole sulfoxide loaded solid lipid nanoparticles against hydatid cyst.

Author: AhmadniaSara, MoazeniMohammad, Mohammadi-SamaniSoliman, OryanAhmad

Reduced cyst size
Reduced cyst weight

Albendazole sulfoxide loaded solid lipid nanoparticles showed potential for treating cystic echinococcosis, but further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.

Language : English

20.

Drugs for treating giardiasis.

Author: GranadosCarlos E, ReveizLudovic, UribeLuis G, CriolloClaudia P

Parasitological cure
Symptom improvement
Gastrointestinal side effects
Neurological side effects

This systematic review compared the effectiveness of alternative antibiotic regimens for treating symptomatic giardiasis in adults and children. Albendazole was found to be probably equivalent to metronidazole in achieving parasitological cure and improving symptoms, and probably has fewer side effects.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Meta-AnalysisA statistical technique that integrates the results of multiple studies to draw more general conclusions about a particular issue.
ReviewAn article that critically examines existing research on a particular topic and summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field.
Systematic ReviewA review that systematically collects, evaluates, and integrates relevant research to answer a specific research question.

Language : English

21.

Mebendazole compared with secnidazole in the treatment of adult giardiasis: a randomised, no-inferiority, open clinical trial.

Author: AlmirallPedro, EscobedoAngel A, AyalaIdalia, AlfonsoMaydel, SalazarYohana, CañeteRoberto, CimermanSergio, GallosoMartha, OliveroIlmaems, RobainaMaytee, TornésKaren

Giardiasis treatment
Mild side effects

A 3-day course of mebendazole was found to be as efficacious and safe for the treatment of giardiasis in adults as a single dose of secnidazole in a randomized, open-label trial of 126 patients.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.

Language : English

22.

The effects of dihydroartemisinin on Giardia lamblia morphology and cell cycle in vitro.

Author: TianXi Feng, ShenHai E, LiJi, ChenYang, YangZhi Hong, LuSi Qi

Giardiasis treatment

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) is a drug that is effective against malaria. This study investigated the effects of DHA on Giardia lamblia in vitro. DHA caused morphological changes in the trophozoites, including cell rounding, vesiculation, and depletion of cytoplasmic matrix. These changes were accompanied by cell cycle arrest.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.

Language : English

24.

Alveolar and cystic echinococcosis: towards novel chemotherapeutical treatment options.

Author: HemphillA, MüllerJ

This review discusses the need for new drugs to treat cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE), parasitic diseases caused by the cestode parasites Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis, respectively. Current strategies for finding new treatments include in vitro and in vivo testing of drugs and employing in silico approaches.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.
ReviewAn article that critically examines existing research on a particular topic and summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field.

Language : English

25.

In vitro and in vivo effects of 2-methoxyestradiol, either alone or combined with albendazole, against Echinococcus metacestodes.

Author: SpicherMartin, NaguleswaranArunasalam, Ortega-MoraLuis M, MüllerJoachim, GottsteinBruno, HemphillAndrew

AE treatment
Liver toxicity

Albendazole is a common drug for treating alveolar echinococcosis, a parasitic disease. 2-ME2, a metabolite of estradiol, has shown promise in treating this disease and may be more effective when combined with albendazole.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.Research funding provided by US government agencies other than the Public Health Service.

Language : English

26.

Innovative chemotherapeutical treatment options for alveolar and cystic echinococcosis.

Author: HemphillA, SpicherM, StadelmannB, MuellerJ, NaguleswaranA, GottsteinB, WalkerM

Improved treatment
New drug development
Drug side effects

New drugs are needed to cure alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE), which are considered to be neglected diseases. Strategies currently being implemented to identify novel chemotherapeutical treatment options include in vitro testing of broad-spectrum anti-infective drugs, studies of drugs which interfere with the proliferation of cancer cells and of Echinococcus metacestodes, exploitation of the similarities between the parasite and mammalian signalling machineries, and in silico approaches.

Journal ArticleAn article published in an academic or professional journal that reports original research or scholarly analysis.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch funding provided by government agencies outside the United States.
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.Research funding provided by US government agencies other than the Public Health Service.
ReviewAn article that critically examines existing research on a particular topic and summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field.

Language : English

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