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Piperazine

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Mebendazole and albendazole re not recommended in children aged under 2 years. In this age group piperazine provides a useful alternative in the treatment of threadworm and roundworm infections (1).

Piperazine is available as an elixir and as a combination powder with senna which can be stirred into milk or water. Piperazine is thought to result in flaccid paralysis of susceptible worms, which are then rapidly evacuated from the gastrointestinal tract when using preparations containing senna.

Indications:

  • threadworm and roundworm infections

Cautions:

  • psychiatric states
  • neurological disease
  • impaired renal function

Contra-indications include:

  • renal failure
  • liver disease
  • epilepsy
  • not recommended during pregnancy

Side-effects include:

  • nausea and vomiting
  • diarrhoea
  • urticaria
  • rarely:
    • dizziness
    • paraesthesia
    • muscular incoordination

Routes of administration:

  • oral: tablets/elixir/powder

Reference:

  1. Prescriber (2002), 13 (10), 73-84.

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