Dizziness albendazole

When used for 1-3 days, albendazole is nearly free of significant adverse effects. Mild and transient epigastric distress, diarrhea, headache, nausea, dizziness, lassitude, and insomnia can occur. In long-term use for hydatid disease, albendazole is well tolerated, but it can cause abdominal distress, headaches, fever, fatigue, alopecia, increases in liver enzymes, and pancytopenia. 

Albendazole also produces few side effects when used for short-term therapy of GI helminthiasis, even in patients with heavy worm burdens. Transient mild GI symptoms (epigastric pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting) occur in I% of treated individuals. Dizziness and headache occur on occasion. In school-age mass treatments, the incidence of side effects with albendazole is very low. Allergic phenomena rarely occur and usually resolve after 48 hours. 

Albendazole has been a first-line agent for treatment of parasitic infections since 1972 and is still a valuable and commonly used medication. Documented side effects after short-term use include mild abdominal discomfort, nausea, diarrhoea, headaches, dizziness, lassitude and insomnia. Longer term treatment for hydatid disease can lead to the same adverse reactions as seen in shorter courses in addition to alopecia, transaminitis and pancytopenia. 

Albendazole, thiabendazole and mebendazole are also used in human medicine for the treatment of helminthiasis. Thiabendazole is frequently associated with anorexia, nausea, vomiting and dizziness at therapeutic doses. It may also cause diarrhoea, drowsiness and headache. It has resulted in erythema multiforme, hallucinations, sensory disturbances and Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Mebendazole is without significant toxicity although it may cause abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Like mebendazole, albendazole is well tolerated and only occasionally results in abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, dizziness and headache. Very rarely, it may cause signs of hepatotoxicity including increases in liver enzymes, jaundice and cholestasis and it is usually recommended that its use be avoided in patients with cirrhosis. Albendazole has been reported to cause pseudomembranous colitis and dystonia in children. 

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