User:Mr. Ibrahem/Mebendazole

Mebendazole (MBZ) is a medication used to treat a number of parasitic worm infestations. This includes ascariasis, pinworm disease (threadworm), hookworm infections, guinea worm infections, hydatid disease, and giardia, among others. It is taken by mouth.

It is usually well tolerated. Common side effects include headache, vomiting, and ringing in the ears. If used at large doses it may cause bone marrow suppression. It is unclear if it is safe in pregnancy, and generally not used in pregnancy or in children under the age of two. Carbamazepine and phenytoin lower levels of mebendazole.

Mebendazole is a broad-spectrum antihelminthic agent of the benzimidazole type. After taking it by mouth, around 10% is absorbed, which is increased if taken with a fatty meal. It is broken down quickly and excreted in bile and urine within 2 days.

Mebendazole came into use in 1971, after it was developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica in Belgium. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Mebendazole is available as a generic medication. The wholesale cost in the developing world is between USD 0.004 and 0.04 per dose. In the United States a single dose is about USD 440 as of 2016, while in Australia and the UK it costs about USD 5.