Diloxanide+metronidazole
About Diloxanide+metronidazole
Diloxanide+metronidazole is a prescription medication used to treat intestinal infections caused by amoeba, including amoebic dysentery. This medicine combines two active agents that target the infection at different stages in your digestive system, helping to completely clear the parasites from your body.
To achieve the best results, you must take Diloxanide+metronidazole regularly and exactly as prescribed, even if your symptoms improve before finishing the course. It is best to take this medicine with food to prevent an upset stomach and improve how well your body absorbs it. Eating cooked, hygienic meals and drinking plenty of clean, filtered water can help support your gut during treatment.
While taking Diloxanide+metronidazole, you may experience mild side effects like a metallic taste in your mouth, nausea, or a headache. These symptoms are usually temporary, but you should contact your doctor immediately if you experience severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, or signs of an allergic reaction such as skin rashes.
Talk to your doctor before starting Diloxanide+metronidazole if you have a history of liver disease, kidney problems, or nervous system disorders. Do not take this medicine if you have a known allergy to any of its components or have consumed alcohol.
This medicine interacts strongly with alcohol, which can cause severe nausea, rapid heart rate, and vomiting; you must avoid alcohol during treatment and for at least 48 hours after your last dose. Pregnant, breastfeeding, or elderly individuals should consult their doctor before taking Diloxanide+metronidazole to ensure it is safe for their specific situation.
Uses of Diloxanide+metronidazole
Medicinal Benefits
Diloxanide+metronidazole helps treat parasitic infections of the digestive tract, relieving symptoms and supporting complete recovery. The key benefits are as follows:
- Relief from painful stomach cramps and diarrhoea: By targeting the root cause of the infection, Diloxanide+metronidazole rapidly reduces abdominal pain, bloating, and frequent bowel movements, helping you return to your normal routine.
- Complete eradication of the parasite: This medicine works at both the active and dormant stages of the parasite, preventing the infection from returning or spreading to other organs like the liver.
- Prevents transmission to others: By completely clearing the infectious cysts from your digestive tract, Diloxanide+metronidazole ensures that you do not accidentally pass the infection to family members or your community.
Directions for Use
- Tablet: Swallow it as a whole with water; do not crush, break, or chew it.
- Syrup/suspension: Shake the bottle well before use. Take the prescribed dose by mouth using the measuring cup/dosing syringe/dropper provided by the pack.
Storage
Side Effects of Diloxanide+metronidazole
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Nausea or vomiting
- An unpleasant metallic taste in the mouth
- Loss of appetite
- Headache or dizziness
- Dark or reddish-brown urine (this is harmless and will stop after treatment)
Serious Side Effects (Consult your doctor right away):
- Severe allergic reactions (such as skin rash, itching, swelling of the face, tongue, or throat, or severe dizziness)
- Numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation in your hands or feet
- Seizures or sudden confusion
- Severe, persistent stomach pain or watery diarrhoea with blood
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin (signs of liver damage)
Drug Warnings
- Inspect the packaging: Always check the blister pack or bottle before use to ensure the tablets are intact and have not been exposed to moisture.
- Complete the full course: Never stop taking this medicine early, even if you feel completely better, to ensure the parasite is fully eradicated.
- Avoid alcohol without exception: Be aware that even small amounts of alcohol can cause a severe reaction with symptoms like hot flashes, throbbing headache, and vomiting.
- Monitor for nerve issues: Inform your doctor immediately if you feel any unusual tingling, burning, or weakness in your hands or feet.
- Use caution when driving: This medicine can sometimes cause dizziness or drowsiness; do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you.
Drug Interactions
- Blood thinners (like warfarin): Diloxanide+metronidazole may increase the effect of blood thinners, raising the risk of bleeding. Your doctor may need to adjust your dose.
- Lithium: Taking this medicine with lithium can increase lithium levels in your blood, potentially leading to side effects.
- Seizure medications (like phenobarbital or phenytoin): These medicines can speed up how your body processes Diloxanide+metronidazole, making it less effective, or Diloxanide+metronidazole may affect their levels in your body.
- Disulfiram: Taking this medicine within two weeks of disulfiram can cause confusion or mental changes.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeYou are recommended not to consume alcohol along with Diloxanide+metronidazole to avoid unpleasant side-effects.
Pregnancy
unsafeDiloxanide+metronidazole should not be used during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester.
Breast Feeding
cautionTake Diloxanide+metronidazole only when prescribed, it is known to pass on in a limited quantity via breast milk to the child.
Driving
cautionDiloxanide+metronidazole may affect driving as it causes dizziness, so it is advised to avoid driving.
Liver
cautionDiloxanide+metronidazole to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of liver diseases/conditions. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor.
Kidney
cautionDiloxanide+metronidazole to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. Dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor.
Children
cautionDose to be adjusted and recommended by a child specialist only.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Drink plenty of fluids: Stay hydrated with clean, filtered water, oral rehydration solutions, or clear broths to replace fluids lost from diarrhoea.
- Eat bland, easily digestible foods: Stick to a simple diet including bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast until your digestion settles.
- Avoid dairy and fatty foods: Steer clear of milk, cheese, fried foods, and highly spiced meals while your gut is recovering, as these can worsen diarrhoea.
- Practice strict hygiene: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom and before preparing or eating food to prevent reinfection.
- Avoid alcohol completely: Do not drink alcohol or use products containing alcohol (like certain cough syrups) during treatment and for at least 48 hours after finishing to prevent severe reactions.
Special Advise
- Please consult your doctor immediately if you have allergic reactions, such as an itchy skin rash, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, fever, or difficulty breathing.
- Please don't stop taking the tablets. Your infection may return, so talk to your doctor before you stop and follow their advice.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Bacterial infection: A bacterial infection is a condition in which harmful bacteria enter, multiply, and infect our body. It can target any body part and multiple very quickly. When you get infected with bacteria, you can experience generalized symptoms, like fevers, chills and fatigue. Bacteria are of various forms comprising commonly of spherical, rod and spiral-shaped. Bacterial infections vary from minor illnesses like sore throat and ear infections to severe brain infections like meningitis and encephalitis. Few harmful bacteria that cause infections include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and E. coli. Anyone can become infected with a bacterial infection. But, people with weak immune systems or taking immunosuppressive medicine can make you more prone to bacterial infection.
Amoebic dysentery: It is an intestinal (bowel) illness caused by a parasite (amoeba) known as Entamoeba histolytica spread through human feces (poop). Usually, there are no symptoms, but sometimes it causes diarrhoea (loose stool/poop), nausea (a feeling of sickness in the stomach) and weight loss.
FAQs
Diloxanide+metronidazole is used to treat infections caused by bacteria and parasites (amoeba). It is prescribed for the treatment of diarrhoea caused by Clostridium difficile, Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia. Additionally, it also treats vaginal infections.
Diloxanide+metronidazole is an antibiotic medication so it is advised to complete the full course even if you start to feel better to prevent the return of the infection.
Yes, it could be due to jaundice as in rare cases Diloxanide+metronidazole can lead to it. Please consult your doctor immediately if the yellowing of the skin persists and does not subside.
Diloxanide+metronidazole is an antibacterial medicine that acts only against bacterial infections and not viral infections like common cold and flu. You should not take Diloxanide+metronidazole without prior consulting your doctor. Self-medication is dangerous and can lower the efficacy of Diloxanide+metronidazole, leading to antibiotic resistance.
If you miss a dose of Diloxanide+metronidazole, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it's almost time for the next dose, do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
The side effects of Diloxanide+metronidazole include stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dry mouth and metallic taste. Consult the doctor if any of these side effects persist or worsen.
No, you must not drink alcohol while taking Diloxanide+metronidazole. Combining this medicine with alcohol can cause a severe reaction, including throbbing headaches, rapid heart rate, severe nausea, vomiting, and flushing. You should also avoid alcohol for at least 48 hours after your last dose. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about this.
You should avoid taking Diloxanide+metronidazole during the first trimester of pregnancy unless your doctor decides it is absolutely necessary. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor to weigh the benefits and risks.
A metallic taste is a very common and harmless side effect of one of the active ingredients in Diloxanide+metronidazole. This taste is temporary and will go away once you finish your course of medicine. Drinking water or chewing sugar-free gum can help manage this. If it becomes severe, talk to your doctor.
If you vomit shortly after taking Diloxanide+metronidazole, do not immediately take another dose without guidance. Contact your pharmacist or doctor to find out if you need to take a replacement dose or adjust your schedule.
Yes, Diloxanide+metronidazole can cause your urine to turn a dark or reddish-brown color. This is a harmless side effect of the medicine being processed by your body and will disappear after you stop taking it. If you experience pain when urinating, talk to your doctor.
It is highly recommended to take Diloxanide+metronidazole with or immediately after food. Taking this medicine on an empty stomach can cause significant stomach upset, nausea, and cramping. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you struggle to take this medicine with meals.
