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Ivermectin

 
Drug Info: Ivermectin
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Brand names: Stromectol®

Chemical formula:



Ivermectin tablets

What are ivermectin tablets?

IVERMECTIN (Stromectol®) treats parasite infections. This medicine treats worm infections like river blindness and a type of diarrhea called strongyloidiasis. It can also be used to treat other types of resistant parasitic infections, including scabies or head lice. Generic ivermectin tablets are not yet available.

What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
• asthma
• liver disease
• an unusual reaction to Ivermectin, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
• pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• breast-feeding

How should this medicine be used?

Take ivermectin tablets by mouth with a full glass of water. Do not take ivermectin with food. Follow the directions on the prescription label. As a general rule take ivermectin tablets 1 hour before breakfast. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Finish the full course of medicine prescribed by your prescriber or health care professional even if you feel better.

Contact your pediatrician or health care professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.

What if I miss a dose?

Since ivermectin is usually given as a one time dose, it is unlikely that you will miss a dose. However, you may need a return visit to your doctor to see if you need repeat doses to cure the infection.

What drug(s) may interact with Ivermectin?

Ivermectin is usually given as a one time dose and thus drug interactions are thought to be uncommon. Check with your prescriber or health care professional if you will be receiving multiple doses of ivermectin and if you are taking other medications.

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

What should I watch for while taking Ivermectin?

Visit your prescriber or health care professional to check that your infection has gone. Your prescriber may request that you have stool samples or other tests checked for the infection. If you have a severe infection, you may need a repeat course of treatment.

You may get dizzy. Until you know how ivermectin affects you, do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness.

Practice good hygeine to prevent infection of others. Wash your hands, scrub your fingernails and shower often. Every day change and launder linens and undergarments. Scrub toilets often and keep floors clean.

Other people in your house may need treatment. Check with your prescriber or health care professional.

What side effects may I notice from receiving Ivermectin?

Ivermectin is usually well tolerated and serious side effects are rare.

Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
• difficulty breathing
• eye or eyelid pain, irritation, redness or swelling
• loss or change of vision
• redness, blistering, peeling or loosening of the skin, including inside the mouth
• skin rash, hives or increased itching
• yellowing of eyes or skin
• unusual weakness or tiredness

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• joint or muscle pain
• tender glands in the neck, armpits, or groin
• headache
• diarrhea
• loss of appetite
• nausea, vomiting
• tremors
• swelling of the face, hands, arms, feet, or legs

Where can I keep my medicine?

Keep out of the reach of children in a container that small children cannot open.

Store at room temperature below 30 degrees C (86 degrees F). Keep container tightly closed. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.

Last updated: 12/23/2003 9:06:00 AM

Important Disclaimer: The drug information provided here is for educational purposes only. It is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a medical professional. This drug information does not cover all possible uses, precautions, side effects and interactions. It should not be construed to indicate that this or any drug is safe for you. Consult your medical professional for guidance before using any prescription or over the counter drugs.

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Veterinary Dictionary: ivermectin
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Home > Library > Animal Life > Veterinary Dictionary

An avermectin with broad activity against many helminths and arthropods. A broad-spectrum anthelmintic, acaricide and insecticide, used orally, subcutaneously and as a pour-on.

Wikipedia: Ivermectin
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
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 This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (March 2009)
Ivermectin
Systematic (IUPAC) name
Ivermectin (22,23-dihydroavermectin B1a + 22,23-dihydroavermectin B1b)
Identifiers
CAS number 70288-86-7 71827-03-7
ATC code P02CF01 QP54AA01 QS02QA03
PubChem 6474909
DrugBank APRD01058
Chemical data
Formula C48H74O14 (22,23-dihydroavermectin B1a)
C47H72O14 (22,23-dihydroavermectin B1b) 
Mol. mass 875.10 g/mol
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability  ?
Protein binding 93%
Metabolism liver; CYP450
Half life 18 hours
Excretion feces; <1% urine
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.

B3(AU) C(US)
Legal status
Routes Oral


Ivermectin (22,23-dihydroavermectin B1a + 22,23-dihydroavermectin B1b) is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic medication.

It is sold under brand names Stromectol in the United States, Mectizan in Canada by Merck and Ivexterm in Mexico by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International.

Contents

Uses

It is traditionally used against worms, but more recently found to be effective against mites[1][2][3] and some lice too.[4][5]

Ivermectin, under the brand name Mectizan, is currently being used to help eliminate river blindness (onchocerciasis) in the Americas and stop transmission of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis around the world.[6] [7] [8] Currently, large amounts of Ivermectin are donated by Merck to fight river blindness in countries that are unable to afford the drug [9]. The disease is endemic in 30 African countries, 6 Latin American countries and Yemen, according to studies conducted by the World Health Organization. [10] The drug rapidly kills microfilariae but not the adult worms. A single oral dose of ivermectin, taken annually for the 10-15 year life span of the adult worms, is all that is needed to protect the individual from onchocerciasis. [11]

Veterinary use

Ivermectin is also used in veterinary medicine, particularly for horses and dogs. It is sometimes mixed with other medications to reach a wide spectrum of animal parasites. Some collie breeds (especially the Rough Collie and the Smooth Collie) are affected by a genetic defect, a mutation within the MDR1 gene. Affected dogs are very sensitive to some drugs, such as Ivermectin, as well as to some antibiotics, opioids and steroids – over 100 drugs in total.

Pharmacodynamics

Ivermectin and other avermectins (insecticides most frequently used in home-use ant baits) are macrocyclic lactones derived from the bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis. Ivermectin kills by interfering with nervous system and muscle function, in particular by enhancing inhibitory neurotransmission.

The drug binds and activates glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCls)[12]. GluCls are invertebrate-specific members of the Cys-loop family of ligand-gated ion channels present in neurons and myocytes.

Pharmacokinetics

Ivermectin can be given either per os or parenterally. It does not readily cross the blood-brain barrier of mammals,[citation needed] although crossing may still become significant if ivermectin is given at high doses (in which case, brain levels peak 2-5 hours after administration).

Toxicity

The main concern is neurotoxicity, which in most mammalian species may manifest as CNS depression, and consequent ataxia, as might be expected from potentiation of inhibitory GABA-ergic synapses

Ecotoxicity

Field studies have demonstrated that the dung of animals treated with ivermectin supports a significantly reduced diversity of invertebrates, and that the dung persists for longer.[13]

Indications for use

Humans

Ivermectin is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic agent. It is mainly used in humans in the treatment of onchocerciasis, but is also effective against other worm infestations (such as strongyloidiasis, ascariasis, trichuriasis, filariasis and enterobiasis). More recent evidence supports its off-label use in the treatment of mites such as scabies,[3] usually limited to cases that prove resistant to topical treatments and/or who present in advanced state (such as Norwegian scabies).

References

  1. ^ Brooks PA, Grace RF (August 2002). "Ivermectin is better than benzyl benzoate for childhood scabies in developing countries". J Paediatr Child Health 38 (4): 401–4. doi:10.1046/j.1440-1754.2002.00015.x. PMID 12174005. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/resolve/openurl?genre=article&sid=nlm:pubmed&issn=1034-4810&date=2002&volume=38&issue=4&spage=401. 
  2. ^ Victoria J, Trujillo R (2001). "Topical ivermectin: a new successful treatment for scabies". Pediatr Dermatol 18 (1): 63–5. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1470.2001.018001063.x. PMID 11207977. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/resolve/openurl?genre=article&sid=nlm:pubmed&issn=0736-8046&date=2001&volume=18&issue=1&spage=63. 
  3. ^ a b Strong M, Johnstone PW (2007). "Interventions for treating scabies". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Online) (3): CD000320. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000320.pub2. PMID 17636630. 
  4. ^ Dourmishev AL, Dourmishev LA, Schwartz RA (December 2005). "Ivermectin: pharmacology and application in dermatology". International Journal of Dermatology 44 (12): 981–8. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2004.02253.x. PMID 16409259. 
  5. ^ Strycharz JP, Yoon KS, Clark JM (January 2008). "A new ivermectin formulation topically kills permethrin-resistant human head lice (Anoplura: Pediculidae)". Journal of Medical Entomology 45 (1): 75–81. doi:10.1603/0022-2585(2008)45[75:ANIFTK]2.0.CO;2. PMID 18283945. 
  6. ^ The Carter Center, "River Blindness (Onchocerciasis) Program", http://www.cartercenter.org/health/river_blindness/index.html, retrieved 2008-07-17 
  7. ^ The Carter Center, "Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Program", http://www.cartercenter.org/health/lf/index.html, retrieved 2008-07-17 
  8. ^ WHO, "African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control" 
  9. ^ http://www.mectizan.org/about.asp
  10. ^ United Front Against Riverblindness, "Riverblindness", http://www.riverblindness.org/index.php?menu=tn2&page=aboutRiverblindness 
  11. ^ United Front Against Riverblindness, "Riverblindness", http://www.riverblindness.org/index.php?menu=tn3&page=Treatment 
  12. ^ Yates DM, Wolstenholme AJ (August 2004). "An ivermectin-sensitive glutamate-gated chloride channel subunit from Dirofilaria immitis". Int. J. Parasitol. 34 (9): 1075–81. doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2004.04.010. PMID 15313134. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0020751904000979. 
  13. ^ Iglesias LE, Saumell CA, Fernández AS, et al. (December 2006). "Environmental impact of ivermectin excreted by cattle treated in autumn on dung fauna and degradation of faeces on pasture". Parasitology Research 100 (1): 93–102. doi:10.1007/s00436-006-0240-x. PMID 16821034. 

See also

External links

v • d • e
Antiparasitics – Anthelmintics (P02)
Antiplatyhelmintic agents
Binds tubulin
Other/unknown
Binds tubulin
Other/unknown
Antinematodal agents
(macrofilaricides)
Binds tubulin
macrolide (Ivermectin#)
Other/unknown
#WHO-EM. ‡Withdrawn from market. CLINICAL TRIALS: †Phase III. §Never to phase III
see also diseases
v • d • e
Ectoparasiticides / arthropod (P03)
Insecticide/pediculicide
Chlorine-containing products
Ivermectin
Arachnicide/miticide/scabicide
Ivermectin
Sulfur-containing products
Chlorine-containing products
Other/ungrouped
#WHO-EM. ‡Withdrawn from market. CLINICAL TRIALS: †Phase III. §Never to phase III
See also arthropod infestations

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Drug Info. Gold Standard. Copyright © 2008 by Gold Standard. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ivermectin".  Read more