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Albendazole is used to treat infections caused by worms. Albendazole works by keeping the worm from absorbing sugar (glucose), so that the worm loses energy and dies.
Albendazole is used to treat:
- Hydatid disease (echinococcosis);
- Infection of the nervous system caused by pork tapeworms (neurocysticercosis).
- Albendazole is available only with your doctor's prescription.
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling in the U.S., albendazole is used in certain patients with the following infections:
- Capillariasis;
- Cutaneous larva migrans;
- Common roundworms (ascariasis);
- Hookworms (ancylostomiasis and necatoriasis);
- Pinworms (enterobiasis or oxyuriasis);
- Strongyloidiasis;
- Tapeworms (taeniasis);
- Trichostrongyliasis;
- Whipworms (trichuriasis).
For patients taking albendazole for hookworms:
- In hookworm infections, anemia may occur. Therefore, your doctor may want you to take iron supplements. If so, it is important to take iron every day while you are being treated for hookworm infection. Do not miss any doses. Your doctor may also want you to keep taking iron supplements for at least 3 to 6 months after you stop taking albendazole. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor.
For patients taking albendazole for pinworms:
- In some patients, pinworms may return after treatment with albendazole. Wear pajamas and underwear to sleep, take a bath every day, and wash (not shake) all bedding and nightclothes (pajamas) after treatment to help prevent reinfection. Treatment may be repeated after 3 weeks.
- Pinworms may be easily passed from one person to another, especially among persons in the same household. Therefore, all household members may have to be treated at the same time to prevent their infection or reinfection.
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