What is nitazoxanide and what is it for?

What is nitazoxanide?

Nitazoxanide is the name of anactive substancepresent in the drugsdaxon, paramix and zotanixin, whose mechanism of action isantiparasitic and antibacterial, serving as a treatment for parasitosis (diseases caused by a parasite agent).

This medication comes in a box ofcapsules or tablets, including suspensions for oral administration (500 mg and 7 ml), recommended indoses of 100 mg or 200 mg twice dailyfor three days, right at the time of eating.

Note: One study mentions that: “Nitazoxanide has been evaluated against a wide range of parasites, includingprotozoa, nematodes, cestodes, and trematodes, to support clinical evaluation in humans.” (1)

What is nitazoxanide for?

This compound and its drug presentations havespecific functions towards intestinal parasites, preventing their reproduction and eliminating them from the body, so nitazoxanide is recommended for:

1. Intestinal amebiasis

Amebiasis is a fairly common and well-recognized disease or parasitosis, caused by a parasitic amoebacalledEntamoeba histolytica, which produces inflammation in the intestine, diarrhea, constipation, among other serious symptoms.

In this sense, nitazoxanide is recommended for these cases since it acts as an inhibitor of parasite synthesis, which is then metabolized by the liver to be eliminated by the body.

2. Giardiasis

This is a parasitic infection caused by Giardia lamblia or duodenalis , being very common in the infant stage of a child, recognizable by symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain or Colic , although in more severe cases it affects the absorption of lipids and carbohydrates.

Side effects of nitazoxanide

This medicine, despite its enormous benefits, can present opposite effects as is very common in a certain number of drugs, although they are rare, the most notable are:

• Diarrhoea, dizziness and headache (headache).
• Allergic reactions (rash, hives, skin blisters and redness).
• Decreased appetite.
• Discoloration of urine and increased fever .

Important: In case of presenting any of the adverse effects mentioned above, it is necessary to suspend the use of nitazoxanide and go to a specialist doctor.

Contraindications of nitazoxanide

Nitazoxanide has strong warnings , and is contraindicated for a certain number of patients, among the most notable are the following:

• People hypersensitive to the active principle.
• Women in the stage of pregnancy or lactation.
• Children under 1 year.
• Patients under treatment with anticoagulant drugs.

Key Conclusions

• Nitazoxanide is a medication used to Treat parasitosis .
• It is recommended for amoebiasis and giardiasis .
• It can present effects such as diarrhea or discolored urine.
• It is mainly contraindicated for patients with hypersensitivity to the active substance .
• The use of nitazoxanide must be indicated and supervised by a specialist doctor , to avoid unwanted effects.