Why is this medication prescribed?
Adults and children older than 1 year old who have diarrhoea brought on by the parasites Giardia or Cryptosporidium are treated with nitazoxanide. When diarrhoea lasts more than seven days, protozoa are thought to be the culprit. The drug nitazoxanide belongs to the group of drugs known as antiprotozoal agents. It functions by halting the development of certain protozoa that cause diarrhoea.
How should this medicine be used?
Nitazoxanide is available as a tablet and a liquid suspension for oral use. It is often taken for three days while eating every twelve hours. Nitazoxanide should be taken every day at roughly the same time. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the nitazoxanide directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.
Before each use, thoroughly shake the suspension to combine the medication.
Even if you begin to feel better, keep taking nitazoxanide until the prescription is finished. Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking nitazoxanide. You run the risk of not completely treating your infection if you stop taking nitazoxanide too soon or skip doses.
Other uses for this medicine
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.
What special precautions should I follow?
Before taking nitazoxanide,
- If you have an allergy to nitazoxanide, any other drugs, or any of the substances in nitazoxanide tablets or oral suspension, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. For a list of the ingredients, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
- Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products that you are now taking or intend to use. Incorporate any of the following: anticoagulants (sometimes known as “blood thinners”) like warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
- Inform your doctor if you have or have previously had liver or renal illness, immune system issues, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
- Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking nitazoxanide.
What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Make sure you or your child drinks enough water to avoid dehydration brought on by diarrhoea. Drink broth, fruit juice, sports drinks, or tiny, frequent sips of water.
What should I do if I forget a dose?
If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.
What side effects can this medication cause?
There may be negative effects from nitazoxanide. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:
- Abdominal pain
- Headache
- Nausea
- Tainted urine
Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if any of these symptoms occur to you:
- Skin rash
- Itching
Other negative effects of nitazoxanide could exist. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.
You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).
What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?
Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom). After seven days, dispose of any unused nitazoxanide suspension.
Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.
As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org
In case of emergency/overdose
Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.
What other information should I know?
Keep all of your doctor’s appointments.
No one else should take your medication. It’s likely that your prescription cannot be renewed. Call your doctor if you continue to experience diarrhoea after taking the last of the nitazoxanide.
You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.
Brand names
- Alinia®
