Description
Mebentel (Mebendazole) 500 mg
Mebentel 500 mg is a mebendazole medicine. Mebendazole is an anthelmintic used for certain intestinal worm infections. The product name and strength should be treated as identification details; the verified active ingredient is mebendazole.
Active Ingredient and Medicine Class
The active ingredient is mebendazole, a benzimidazole anthelmintic. This class is used against parasitic helminths, especially intestinal nematodes.
Established Medical Uses
Official prescribing information for mebendazole products supports use against common intestinal worm infections such as pinworm, roundworm, whipworm, and hookworm, depending on the authorised product and local label. Regulatory sources and reviews also describe mebendazole as an established treatment for soil-transmitted helminth infections.
How It Works
Mebendazole works by disrupting the worm’s ability to use glucose, which depletes its energy supply and leads to death of the parasite. It acts mainly in the intestine because absorption into the body is limited.
Important Safety Information
Mebendazole should not be used in people with hypersensitivity to mebendazole or similar benzimidazole medicines. Product information also warns about the risk of serious skin reactions when mebendazole is used with metronidazole. Caution is advised in pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, and in patients with significant liver disease, as safety concerns and altered exposure have been described in official and review sources. Important interactions may also involve medicines that affect mebendazole metabolism.
Possible Side Effects
Reported side effects include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, flatulence, nausea and vomiting. Less common but more serious reactions can include rash, hypersensitivity reactions, low blood counts, liver-related abnormalities and severe skin reactions.
Scientific Evidence
Human studies and reviews show mebendazole is effective against several intestinal helminth infections, with evidence supporting its role in soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Reviews also note that response may vary by parasite species, with generally lower efficacy against some infections such as whipworm than against roundworm.
Medical Information Notice
This educational summary is based on sources available at the time of review and does not replace the official patient leaflet or assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Medical Sources
- DailyMed: EMVERM (mebendazole) chewable tablet, prescribing information — View source
- Mrus J et al. “Efficacy of single-dose 500 mg mebendazole in soil-transmitted helminth infections: a review.” Journal of Helminthology, 2018 — PubMed article
