Diloxanide

Diloxanide furoate works only in the digestive tract and is a lumenal amebicide. It is considered second line treatment for infection with amoebas when no symptoms are present but the person is passing cysts, in places where infections are not common. Paromomycin is considered the first line treatment for these cases. For people who are symptomatic, it is used after treatment with ambecides that can penetrate tissue, like metronidazole or tinidazole. Diloxanide is considered second-line, while paromomycin is considered first line for this use as well. ==Adverse effects==

Side effects include flatulence, itchiness, and hives. In general, the use of diloxanide is well tolerated with minimal toxicity. Although there is no clear risk of harm when used during pregnancy, diloxanide should be avoided in the first trimester if possible. Diloxanide furoate is not recommended in women who are breast feeding, and in children <2 years of age. == Pharmacology ==

Diloxanide furoate destroys trophozoites of E. histolytica and prevents amoebic cyst formation. The exact mechanism of diloxanide is unknown. 90% of each dose is excreted in the urine and the other 10% is excreted in the feces. ==Society and culture==

It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. The drug was discovered by Boots UK in 1956, and introduced as Furamide; it was not available in much of the developed world as of 2012. == References ==