Bendax Uses

• Bendax indications
• Uses of Bendax in details
• Bendax description
• Bendax dosage
• Bendax interactions
• Bendax side effects
• Bendax contraindications

What is Bendax?

Bendax is used to treat neurocysticercosis, an infection of the nervous system caused by pork tapeworms. Bendax is also used to treat cystic hydatid disease of the liver, lung, and peritoneum, an infection caused by dog tapeworms.

Bendax is used to treat infections caused by worms. It works by keeping the worm from absorbing sugar (glucose), so that the worm loses energy and dies.

Bendax 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., Bendax 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 Bendax 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 Bendax. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor.

For patients taking Bendax for pinworms:

• In some patients, pinworms may return after treatment with Bendax. 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.

Bendax indications

Neurocysticercosis

Bendax tablets are indicated for the treatment of parenchymal neurocysticercosis due to active lesions caused by larval forms of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium.

Hydatid Disease

Bendax tablets are indicated for the treatment of cystic hydatid disease of the liver, lung, and peritoneum, caused by the larval form of the dog tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus.

How should I use Bendax?

Use Bendax as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

• Take Bendax by mouth with food.
• If you have trouble swallowing the tablet whole, it may be crushed or chewed with a little water.
• If you miss a dose of Bendax, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once. If more than one dose is missed, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Bendax.

Uses of Bendax in details

Use: Labeled Indications

Hydatid disease (Echinococcus granulosus, dog tapeworm): Treatment of cystic hydatid disease of the liver, lung, and peritoneum caused by the larval form of the dog tapeworm, E. granulosus.

Neurocysticercosis (Taenia solium, pork tapeworm), parenchymal disease: Treatment of parenchymal neurocysticercosis due to active lesions caused by larval forms of the pork tapeworm, T. solium.

Off Label Uses

Ancylostoma caninum (eosinophilic enterocolitis)

Clinical experience suggests the utility of Bendax in the treatment of Ancylostoma caninum .

Bendax description

Bendax is a molecule containing the sulfonamide functional group attached to an aniline.

Bendax dosage

Dosage

Dosing of Bendax tablets will vary depending upon the indication. Bendax tablets may be crushed or chewed and swallowed with a drink of water. Bendax tablets should be taken with food.

Concomitant Medication to Avoid Adverse Reactions

Patients being treated for neurocysticercosis should receive appropriate steroid and anticonvulsant therapy as required.

Oral or intravenous corticosteroids should be considered to prevent cerebral hypertensive episodes during the first week of treatment.

Monitoring for Safety Before and During Treatment

• Monitor blood counts at the beginning of each 28-day cycle of therapy, and every 2 weeks while on therapy with Bendax tablets in all patients.
• Monitor liver enzymes (transaminases) at the beginning of each 28-day cycle of therapy, and at least every 2 weeks during treatment with Bendax tablets in all patients.
• Obtain a pregnancy test in women of reproductive potential prior to therapy.

Bendax interactions

See also:
What other drugs will affect Bendax?

Dexamethasone: Steady-state trough concentrations of Bendax sulfoxide were about 56% higher when 8 mg dexamethasone was coadministered with each dose of Bendax (15 mg/kg/day) in eight neurocysticercosis patients.

Praziquantel: In the fed state, praziquantel (40 mg/kg) increased mean maximum plasma concentration and area under the curve of Bendax sulfoxide by about 50% in healthy subjects (n=10) compared with a separate group of subjects (n=6) given Bendax alone. Mean T _max and mean plasma elimination half-life of Bendax sulfoxide were unchanged. The pharmacokinetics of praziquantel were unchanged following coadministration with Bendax (400 mg).

Cimetidine: Bendax sulfoxide concentrations in bile and cystic fluid were increased (about 2-fold) in hydatid cyst patients treated with cimetidine (10 mg/kg/day) (n=7) compared with Bendax (20 mg/kg/day) alone (n=12). Bendax sulfoxide plasma concentrations were unchanged 4 hours after dosing.

Theophylline: The pharmacokinetics of theophylline (aminophylline 5.8 mg/kg infused over 20 minutes) were unchanged following a single oral dose of Bendax (400 mg) in 6 healthy subjects.

Bendax side effects

See also:
What are the possible side effects of Bendax?

Applies to Bendax: oral tablet, oral tablet chewable

In addition to its needed effects, some unwanted effects may be caused by Bendax. In the event that any of these side effects do occur, they may require medical attention.

Major Side Effects

You should check with your doctor immediately if any of these side effects occur when taking Bendax:

Less common:

• Fever

• Black, tarry stools
• bleeding gums
• blood in the urine or stools
• chest pain
• chills
• cough
• painful or difficult urination
• pinpoint red spots on the skin
• shortness of breath
• sore throat
• sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
• swollen glands
• ulcers, sores, or white spots in the mouth
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• unusual tiredness or weakness

• Blistering, peeling, loosening of the skin
• blurred vision
• dark-colored urine
• diarrhea
• general feeling of tiredness or weakness
• headache
• itching
• joint or muscle pain
• light-colored stools
• red, irritated eyes
• seizures
• stomach pain, continuing
• tightness in the chest
• vomiting
• yellow eyes or skin

Minor Side Effects

Some of the side effects that can occur with Bendax may not need medical attention. As your body adjusts to the medicine during treatment these side effects may go away. Your health care professional may also be able to tell you about ways to reduce or prevent some of these side effects. If any of the following side effects continue, are bothersome or if you have any questions about them, check with your health care professional:

More common:

• Abdominal or stomach pain

• Nausea

• Dizziness
• thinning or loss of the hair

• Lack or loss of strength

Bendax contraindications

See also:
What is the most important information I should know about Bendax?

Bendax tablets are contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the benzimidazole class of compounds or any components of Bendax tablets.

Active ingredient matches for Bendax:

Albendazole in Egypt.

References

1. DailyMed. "ALBENDAZOLE: DailyMed provides trustworthy information about marketed drugs in the United States. DailyMed is the official provider of FDA label information (package inserts).". https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailyme... (accessed September 17, 2018).
2. PubChem. "albendazole". https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/com... (accessed September 17, 2018).
3. DrugBank. "albendazole". http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00518 (accessed September 17, 2018).

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Information checked by Dr. Sachin Kumar, MD Pharmacology