Proper Use
Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®
Use this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not use more of it, do not use it more often, and do not use it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.
This medicine usually comes with patient directions. Read the instructions carefully and ask your doctor if you have any questions.
No special preparations or other steps (eg, fasting, special diets, laxatives, enemas) or other steps are necessary before, during, or immediately after treatment with mebendazole.
You may chew or swallow Emverm™ chewable tablet whole, or crush it and mix with food.
If you are using Vermox™ Chewable tablet:
- You may take this medicine with or without food.
- Chew it completely before swallowing. Do not swallow the tablet whole.
- If you have trouble chewing the tablet, place it in a spoon and add 2 to 3 mL of drinking water by using a dosing syringe.
- The tablet will absorb the water within 2 minutes and turns into a soft mass with semi-solid consistency, which you can swallow it.
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, additional treatments with this medicine may be needed at 3-week intervals to clear up the infection completely. Do not miss any doses.
For patients taking mebendazole for infections in which high doses are needed:
- Mebendazole is best taken with meals, especially fatty ones (eg, meals that include whole milk or ice cream). This helps to clear up the infection by helping your body absorb the medicine better. However, if you are on a low-fat diet, check with your doctor.
Dosing
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
- For oral dosage form (Emverm™ chewable tablets):
- For common roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms:
- Adults and children 2 years of age and older—100 milligrams (mg) two times a day, morning and evening, for 3 consecutive days. Treatment may need to be repeated in 3 weeks.
- Children younger than 2 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For pinworms:
- Adults and children 2 years of age and older—100 milligrams (mg) once a day for 1 day. Treatment may need to be repeated in 3 weeks.
- Children younger than 2 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For oral dosage form (Vermox™ chewable tablets):
- For roundworms and whipworms:
- Adults and children 1 year of age and older—500 milligrams (mg) once a day for 1 day.
- Children younger than 1 year of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Storage
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep the bottle tightly closed. Throw away any unused Vermox™ Chewable tablets 1 month after the bottle is first opened.
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Portions of this document last updated: Feb. 01, 2024
Copyright: © Merative US L.P. 1973, 2024. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.
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FAQs
Adults and children 2 years of age and older—100 milligrams (mg) two times a day, morning and evening, for 3 consecutive days. Treatment may need to be repeated in 3 weeks. Children younger than 2 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
Is one tablet of mebendazole enough? ›
You'll usually take mebendazole as a single dose to treat threadworms, but you might need to take it for around 3 days for some other types of worm infection.
What is the recommendation for mebendazole? ›
Dosing of mebendazole for common FDA indications are listed below: Roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides): 100 mg twice daily (morning and night) for three consecutive days.
How to know if mebendazole is working? ›
The medicine should start to work straight away but it may take several days to kill all the worms. It's important to take the medicine as a pharmacist or doctor tells you. Do not stop early if you have been told to take it for several days.
What are the nursing implications for mebendazole? ›
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Mebendazole can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.
How many tablets of mebendazole should I take? ›
Adults and children 2 years of age and older—100 milligrams (mg) two times a day, morning and evening, for 3 consecutive days. Treatment may need to be repeated in 3 weeks. Children younger than 2 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
How do you take mebendazole for deworming in adults? ›
For Mebendazole 500mg used for deworming, deworming periodically, just chew and swallow 1 tablet/time. The duration of treatment for worm infections with Mebendazole depends on the type of worm and each person's digestive system. It may take 3 days for the worms to be eliminated outside the intestines and stomach.
Why is mebendazole no longer available? ›
Why is Mebendazole discontinued? Mebendazole was discontinued in 2011 due to the poor tissue penetration of Mebendazole and the current availability of albendazole and not for safety or efficacy reasons, stated by the Federal Register determination.
Is there anything stronger than mebendazole? ›
lumbricoides, albendazole is superior to mebendazole for treating hookworm, and mebendazole slightly outperforms albendazole with regard to treating T. trichiura. To achieve high CRs against hookworm and T. trichiura infections, triple dose regimens should be considered.
Can you take too much mebendazole? ›
If you take too much
Taking an extra dose of mebendazole is unlikely to harm you. However, you may get side effects such as: stomach cramps. feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
Ingestion with fatty food increases absorption. The drug is highly protein bound (≈95%). The absorbed portion of mebendazole is predominantly metabolized by the liver.
Are worms still alive after mebendazole? ›
Mebendazole is between 90-100% effective at killing the threadworms, but they cannot kill the eggs. Strict hygiene measures should still be followed for two weeks after treatment (see above). You should see your GP if the infection persists after using medication.
Can worms become resistant to mebendazole? ›
spiralis larvae are resistant to mebendazole treatment.
How quickly does mebendazole work? ›
It can be bought over the counter from your local pharmacy or prescribed by your GP. It's available as a chewable tablet or a liquid. Mebendazole works by preventing the threadworms absorbing sugar, which means they should die within a few days.
Who should not take mebendazole? ›
Mebendazole is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, tell a pharmacist or doctor if you: have ever had an allergic reaction to mebendazole or any other medicine. are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Does mebendazole affect gut bacteria? ›
Gut microbiota diversity increased after Enterobius infection, and it peaked after administration of mebendazole. At the phylum level, pinworm infection and mebendazole deworming were associated with a decreased relative abundance of Fusobacteria and an increased proportion of Actinobacteria.
Can I take mebendazole once? ›
Mebendazole may be given either as a single dose or twice each day for 3 days, depending on the type of worm your child is infected with. Your doctor will tell you how often to give it. Once: this can be at any time of day. Twice a day: this should be once in the morning and once in the evening.
How long is mebendazole in your system? ›
2. How long does Mebendazole stay in your system? The majority of the mebendazole dosage administered orally stays in the gastrointestinal system, where it has an anthelmintic action locally. It remains in an active mode with a half-life range of 3-6 hours.
Is one albendazole tablet enough? ›
Official answer. Treatment with Albendazole is a single tablet, which kills the worms. There are different strengths for adults and children younger than two years of age. Because eggs can survive for a few weeks, the patient will have to take a second dose two weeks later to lessen the chance of reinfection.
How often can you repeat mebendazole? ›
100 mg for 1 dose, if reinfection occurs, second dose may be needed after 2 weeks. 100 mg for 1 dose, if reinfection occurs, second dose may be needed after 2 weeks.
