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ANTIPARASITIC PRODUCTS, INSECTICIDES AND REPELLENTS › ANTIPROTOZOALS › AGENTS AGAINST AMOEBIASIS AND OTHER PROTOZOAL DISEASES › Other agents against amoebiasis and other protozoal diseases
nitazoxanide
P01AX11
Forms & Strengths
- Oral tablet: 500 mg
- Oral suspension: 100 mg/5 mL
Adult Dosing
- Diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum or Giardia lamblia: 500 mg orally twice daily for 3 days
- Infectious diarrhea (off-label/alternative): 500 mg orally twice daily for 3 days
Pediatric Dosing
- Children 1-3 years (Giardia/Cryptosporidium): 5 mL (100 mg) oral suspension twice daily for 3 days
- Children 4-11 years (Giardia/Cryptosporidium): 10 mL (200 mg) oral suspension twice daily for 3 days
- Children 12 years and older: 500 mg tablet or 25 mL suspension twice daily for 3 days
Indications
- Treatment of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in immunocompetent patients
- Treatment of diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia in patients aged 1 year and older
Mechanism of Action
- Interferes with the pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) enzyme-electron transfer reaction which is essential to anaerobic energy metabolism in protozoa and anaerobic bacteria
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to nitazoxanide or any component of the formulation
Adverse Reactions
- Abdominal pain
- Headache
- Nausea
- Chromaturia (yellow urine)
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
Drug Interactions
- Highly bound to plasma proteins (>99%); concurrent administration with other highly plasma protein-bound drugs with narrow therapeutic indices should be approached with caution
Curated Content: Needs Vetting Before Put to Clinical Use