— Product
WERMNIL-400 TAB (GOLDEN)
ALBENDAZOLE 400MG
WERMNIL-400 TAB (GOLDEN) is a chewable tablet of albendazole 400 mg, a broad-spectrum anthelmintic. It is used for intestinal worm infestations — roundworm, hookworm, threadworm, whipworm and tapeworm — and, in longer courses, for neurocysticercosis and hydatid disease.
01
Benefits
- Broad activity against the common intestinal helminths, so a single agent covers mixed infestations.
- A single 400 mg dose treats most intestinal worm infestations, which is why it is used in mass deworming programmes.
- Well tolerated at single-dose treatment, with minimal side effects.
- Extended courses are effective in neurocysticercosis and hydatid disease, avoiding surgery in some cases.
- Inexpensive and widely available, supporting community-level deworming.
02
Side effects
Not everyone gets these. Most are mild and settle as the course finishes.
Common
- Abdominal pain or discomfort
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
Less common
- Vomiting or diarrhoea
- Temporary hair loss with prolonged courses
- Raised liver enzymes on testing
- Fever
Stop and get medical help if any of these occur
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or persistent nausea and loss of appetite
- Sore throat, fever or unusual bruising — signs of bone marrow suppression on prolonged courses
- Severe headache, visual disturbance or seizures, particularly when treating neurocysticercosis
- Widespread rash with blistering or peeling skin
- Swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or difficulty breathing
03
Precautions
- Contraindicated in pregnancy, particularly the first trimester — albendazole is teratogenic in animal studies. Exclude pregnancy before treating a woman of childbearing potential.
- Prolonged high-dose courses for neurocysticercosis or hydatid disease require monitoring of liver function and full blood count, as bone marrow suppression and hepatotoxicity can occur.
- Treating neurocysticercosis can provoke an inflammatory reaction around dying cysts, causing seizures and raised intracranial pressure — corticosteroid and anticonvulsant cover is usually required, under specialist supervision.
- Chew the tablet or take with a fatty meal, which substantially increases absorption for systemic indications. For intestinal worms, absorption matters less.
- Treat all household members simultaneously for threadworm, and repeat after two weeks, or reinfestation is certain.
- Hygiene measures — handwashing, nail cutting, laundering bedding — matter as much as the drug.
- Use in children below the age stated on the label only on paediatric advice.
- Use in breastfeeding only on medical advice.