Diloxanide_furoate
Diloxanide
Medication for amoebic gut infections
Diloxanide is a medication used to treat amoeba infections.[1] In places where infections are not common, it is a second line treatment after paromomycin when a person has no symptoms.[2] For people who are symptomatic, it is used after treatment with metronidazole or tinidazole.[2] It is taken by mouth.[1]
Diloxanide generally has mild side effects.[3] Side effects may include flatulence, vomiting, and itchiness.[1] During pregnancy it is recommended that it be taken after the first trimester.[1] It is a luminal amebicide meaning that it only works on infections within the intestines.[2]
Diloxanide came into medical use in 1956.[3] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[4] It is not commercially available in much of the developed world as of 2012.[5]