Ivermectin or Stromectol Generic – An Antiparasitic Drug
Ivermectin is a versatile medication that can combat parasitic diseases in humans and animals. It works by targeting the neurological system of parasites, allowing for fast and effective elimination. This makes it an effective treatment for a variety of conditions, including onchocerciasis, strongyloidiasis, and other soil-borne helminthiases. The drug is a member of the avermectin family and works to reduce inflammation by preventing the release of cytokines that cause inflammation when lipopolysaccharides are present in the body.
Mechanism of Action
According to the WHO, a fourth of the world’s population is infested with parasites. The most widely distributed parasitic diseases are found in the least developed countries. Intestinal parasitosis is especially widespread. Many disorders of the gastrointestinal tract observed in clinical practice may be disguised forms of parasitic diseases. For the most part, this pathology is manifested by erased forms of ongoing parasitosis.
Clinical manifestations of intestinal helminthiases are as follows: abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, anal itching, urticaria, and helminthophobia. Helminthiases are dangerous with complications: abscess of the liver and pancreas, intestinal obstruction, perforation of the intestines, blockage of the bile ducts and pancreatic ducts, iron deficiency anemia, myocarditis, CNS lesions. Many authors associate helminthiases with carcinogenesis (colon cancer with intestinal schistomatosis).
A quarter of the world’s population, according to the WHO, is parasitized. The least developed nations suffer from the parasite diseases that are most widely spread. Particularly prevalent is intestinal parasitosis. Many gastrointestinal problems that are seen in clinical settings could be cloaked parasite diseases. Most often, this condition shows itself as erased kinds of persistent parasitosis.
Ivermectin is also effective in the treatment of inflammatory skin lesions. It has both the anti-inflammatory effects and the ability to cause the death of Demodex mites, which are main pathogens in causing skin inflammation. The main reason is that the drug has a toxic effect on the nervous system of the parasite.
Due to the peculiarities of pharmacokinetics, Ivermectin is active against all forms of parasites: eggs, larvae, adults, and cysts. It should be noted that Ivermectin is harmless to humans, since, in mammals, it is not able to cross the blood-brain barrier and has a weak affinity for the corresponding receptors.
How to Save on Ivermectin?
Have you heard of generics? These are copies of branded products that are produced by other manufacturers and are offered at much lower prices. On the side of a patient, there is no difference in efficiency or safety, but there is an impressive difference in price.
Let us consider a specific example — in the USA, brand-name Stromectol 3mg costs from $99.96 for a 20-pill pack while the price of generic Ivermectin is about 70% lower — from $29.84. Apparently, the generic alternative is the best choice.
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Pharmacokinetics
| Pharmacokinetics Features | Advantages |
| Weakly soluble in water — slightly absorbed from the digestive tract. An optimal concentration of the drug in the intestine is created | High therapeutic activity |
| Rapidly metabolized in the liver | Low toxicity |
| Excreted mainly with bile with repeated resorption in the digestive tract | Targeted impact on helminths parasitizing in the liver and bile ducts |
| Cumulation of the drug in the organs and tissues of helminths | High activity against eggs, larvae, cysts and adults of parasites |
| The mechanism of action is based on the inhibition of two biological processes in the body of the helminth | Broad spectrum and high efficiency |
Is it safe to use?
Veterinary pharmacology is similar to medical pharmacology. Medicines for animals and humans contain the same ingredients. Most medicinal substances have a similar effect on humans and animals. It’s well known that veterinary and medical preparations are tested on the same laboratory animals and have the same methods. But what is the difference between animals’ and humans’ drugs? It’s important to mention that medicine for people and veterinary medicine suggest two basic principles for the classification of drugs:
- According to systemic effects (pharmacology).
- By chemical structure (pharmaceutical chemistry).
This means that the differences between drugs for humans and animals are due to the consequences of their effects and the ratio of components. As the result, Ivermectin is completely safe for people. Most often it is used in the form of pills in the case of parasitism and in the form of ointment in the case of skin inflammation.
When Ivermectin Should be Used?
Initially, the drug was conceived as the main drug for combating parasitic infections in animals, which lead to huge losses. But after its development, Ivermectin was used for treating people. The medicine is effective against major human parasitic infections:
- onchocerciasis,
- strongyloidiasis,
- elephantiasis,
- ascariasis,
- lice,
- scabies.
The drug is also used in veterinary medicine for the treatment of cattle, sheep, goats, deer, camels, pigs.
Doses
Ivermectin is a potent drug that is easy to poison. A safe dose of Ivermectin, at which it destroys parasites, but does not harm health, is 150–200 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. That is, a person weighing 70 kg can take only 14 mg of ivermectin without harm to health — about the same amount is contained in one tablet. Ivermectin is also used in human treatment, primarily in the treatment of tropical parasitic infestations. The usual course is a single dose of medication (depending on weight), the course can be repeated after a certain time (for example, after six months).
Can I use Ivermectin with other drugs?
It’s not recommended to use Ivermectin with other antiparasitic drugs. You should consult your doctor and warn him about all prescribed and non-prescribed medications you use, before starting the Ivermectin treatment course.
Side Effects
Ivermectin is an effective and relatively safe drug for the treatment of parasitic infestations, but every drug naturally has side effects. Ivermectin is generally well tolerated by patients treated for scabies; most reports of severe side effects have been reported in patients with helminthic infestations.
The most common side effects are:
- Central and peripheral nervous system: dizziness, weakness, tremor.
- Digestive system: dyspepsia, nausea.
- Dermatological reactions: itching, rash.
- Sense organs: eyelid edema, keratitis, anterior uveitis, conjunctivitis, chorioretinitis.
- Allergic reactions.
To more significant adverse effects are: meningism, impaired thinking, increased intracranial pressure, hyperthermia, myalgia.
Special Instructions
First of all, it should be noted that Ivermectin is not recommended to use for people with severe allergic reactions, or for those who have sensitivity to the components of the drug. Ivermectin is not recommended as first-line therapy in pregnant or lactating women and children weighing less than 15 kg. Liver and kidney failure is also a contradiction for Ivermectin use. But, if necessary, it can be used in a hospital setting, under close medical supervision.
Overdose
Actually, there are no reports about Ivermectin overdose. But in the case of overdose, the all-resuscitation measures must be taken. The treatment is symptomatic. The main symptoms of overdose are: nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, abdominal pain, decreased blood pressure, and tachycardia.
The information we provide on this page is not intended to substitute a physical examination and a consultation in your doctor’s office followed with the prescription of the best-suited medicating. Furthermore, this information may appear incomplete, partial, non-specific and otherwise unfitted to be used as the recommendation basis for any type of treatment. We try to create scientifically accurate copies that go through multiple checkpoints and are curated by professionals, but we reserve the right for occasional errors. Seek doctor’s advice before commencing, renewing or discontinuing any drug. The same concerns recommendations and best practices for drug application, effects, caution and adverse reactions.
