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Administration
- Type: Antiparasitic
- Dosage Forms:
- Routes of Administration: PO
- Common Trade Names:
Adult Dosing
- Chronic chagas in patients up to age 50 without cardiomyopathy: 5-7 mg/kg/day PO divided in 2 doses separated by ~12 hr x 60 days
Pediatric Dosing
- <2 years: Safety/efficacy not established
- 2-12 years: 5-7.5 mg/kg/day PO divided in 2 doses separated by ~12 hr x 60 days
- >12y: 5-7 mg/kg/day PO divided in 2 doses separated by ~12 hr x 60 days
Special Populations
- Fetal harm demonstrated in animal studies[1]
Lactation risk
- Breastfeeding while being treated with benznidazole not recommended[2]
Renal Dosing
Hepatic Dosing
Contraindications
- Allergy to class/drug
- Disulfiram administered within last 2 weeks; psychotic reactions may occur
- Concomitant consumption of ETOH or propylene glycol containing products; disulfiram-like reaction may occur
Adverse Reactions
Serious
- Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis
- TEN, erythema multiforme, DRESS
- Paresthesias/peripheral neuropathy that can last for several months
- Bone marrow depression (e.g. cytopenias)
Common
- Headache, dizziness
- Paresthesias, peripheral neuropathy, tremor
- Skin reactions; rash
- Abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, abnormal LFTs
Pharmacology
- Half-life: 13h
- Metabolism: unknown
- Excretion: urine and feces
Mechanism of Action
- Inhibits DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis within the T cruzi parasite
See Also
References
