Patient leaflet - Albendazole 400 mg chewable tablets
1. What Albendazole is and what it is used for
Albendazole contains the active substance albendazole.Albendazole is a medicine (anthelmintic) against worm infestation.
Albendazole 400 mg chewable tablets are used in adults and adolescents with a body weight of ≥ 60 kg to treat the following worm infestations (helminthoses):
Dog tapeworm (Echinococcus granulosus infection, cystic echocococcosis) as well as a
preparatory therapy for pending surgery or for therapy in follow-up forms, in cases which cannot be operated on or cannot be fully cured by the operation.
Fox tapeworm infestation (Echinococcus multilocularis infection, alveolar echocococcosis)
as well as a preparatory therapy for pending surgery or for therapy in follow-up forms, in cases which cannot be operated on or cannot be fully cured by the operation.
Strongyl thread worm infestation (Strongyloides stercoralis). Here treatment can be tried
out with Albendazole.
2. What you need to know before you use Albendazole
Do not use Albendazole
If you are allergic to albendazole, or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in
by children under 6 years of age, as there is insufficient experience for this group of people
so far.
Albendazole should not be used during pregnancy (see Pregnancy and breast-feeding). Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Albendazole Tablets
When taking albendazole, a slight to moderate elevation of the liver enzymes can occur
temporarily (see section 4 ”Possible side effects”).
That is why it is important that you observe the dates for monitoring your liver function
values with your doctor. The examinations should be performed before each treatment cycle, after 5 and 10 days, and then after 14 days of treatment. If the liver enzymes increase beyond twice the upper limit of the normal range or the blood count changes significantly, Albendazole therapy should be discontinued.
In some cases, therapy with albendazole can be started again if the liver function values
have gone back to the values before the start of therapy. In this case, the liver function values should be monitored carefully and at a shorter interval (weekly).
In patients with hepatic impairment: Patients who show abnormal levels of liver enzymes
before starting treatment with albendazole should be carefully monitored and the therapy discontinued if the enzyme values are significantly increased.
- Cases with inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) have been reported.
Since the use of albendazole can temporarily lead to a reduction in the blood corpuscles
(see section 4 Possible side effects”). You should therefore ensure that the blood values (number of blood corpuscles) are also determined on the dates at which the liver values are to be monitored.
- In elderly patients and patients with renal impairment.
In patients treated with albendazole, an already existing brain infection (neurocysticercosis)
can be detected, especially in areas with pronounced taeniasis infection. Neurological symptoms may occur in these patients, such as seizures, increased cerebral pressure or specific neurological symptoms resulting from an inflammatory reaction caused by the death of the parasites in the brain. The symptoms may occur shortly after the treatment. Immediate treatment with corticosteroids and anti-convulsants (medicines used to treat seizures) should be initiated.
Children and adolescents
Albendazole 400 mg tablets should not be used in children and adolescents weighing less than 60 kg, as the safety and efficacy have not been established in this patient groups. Other medicines and Albendazole
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
Concomitant use of Albendazole with Cimetidine (gastric acid blocker), Praziquantel (anthelmintic agent) or Dexamethasone (anti-inflammatory agent) can lead to the active substance of Albendazole accumulating in the blood. Inform your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any of these medicines.
Ritonavir (used to treat HIV infections), Phenytoin, Carbamazepine, and Phenobarbital (used to treat seizures [epileptic attacks] and epilepsy) may reduce the plasma concentrations of the active metabolite of Albendazole, Albendazole sulfoxide. The importance for the course of the disease is not known, but it could lead to a decreased efficacy, especially in the treatment of systemic worm infestation diseases (helminthoses).
Albendazole with food and drink
The uptake of albendazole into the body can be increased by fatty foods, so you should pay attention to the appropriate composition of your meals. If possible, take the fat in a solid (non-liquid) form and ensure that the fat content per meal is over 40 g (see section 3 “Method of administration”).
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
Pregnancy
There is no suitable data for the use of albendazole in pregnant women. Data from animal studies have shown that reproductive capacity is impaired and the embryo in the mother's womb can be damaged. The possible risk to humans is not known.
Albendazole should not be taken during pregnancy unless clearly necessary. In order to rule out pregnancy, a test should be carried out in women of childbearing age before beginning and regularly during treatment with albendazole. If you are of childbearing age, you should definitely carry out effective contraception during therapy. Begin with the contraceptive measures just before the therapy and continue it until 1 month after the end of the therapy. In addition to hormonal contraception ("pill"), please use other means (e.g. diaphragm, condom) as the effect of the "pill" can be impaired by taking albendazole.
You should take a pregnancy test before starting the treatment and before starting the following treatment cycles.
Breast feeding
Albendazole should not be used during lactation, as there is insufficient data for breastfeeding women or from animal experiments.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. Fertility
There is no data on the effect of albendazole on human fertility.
Driving and using machines
There is as yet no evidence of a restriction of the ability to actively participate in road traffic or to operate machinery.
Albendazole contains lactose.
If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
Albendazole contains sodium.
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet that is to say essentially 'sodium-free'.
3. How to take Albendazole
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The recommended dose is:
Dog or fox tapeworm infestation
If you are taking albendazole for the treatment of a dog or fox tapeworm infestation, you should take 1 tablet albendazole (400 mg) twice a day for 28 days. Afterwards, you stop the treatment for 14 days before you once again start taking 1 tablet for 28 days daily 2 times a day. After a further rest, a third treatment cycle of 28 days can also be continued if necessary. To prepare for surgery (preoperative):
If you are to be operated on because of the disease, two 28-day treatments should be carried out according to the above-mentioned scheme before surgery. If the operation is to be carried out before the end of the two treatment cycles, albendazole should be given as long as possible. However, you should not take albendazole for more than 28 consecutive days. Postoperative follow-up treatment:
If you are operated less than 14 days after the start of the treatment, albendazole should be taken 2 times for 28 days with a 14-day rest (as described above). Even if cysts (sack-like tumors) are still present before the operation or break up during the operation, this scheme of treatment should be carried out.
The medicinal product should not be used in patients weighting < 60 kg. Strongyl infestation
For confirmed diagnosis or suspicion of strongyl infestation, take 1 tablet once daily (400 mg) for 3 consecutive days.
Elderly people
Experience with older patients (65 years and older) is limited. Reports show that no dosage adjustment is required.
Dosage for renal impairment
Since the excretion of albendazole and its primary metabolite albendazole sulfoxide is negligible via the kidney, no adjustment of dosage is necessary.
Size: 120(L) x 580(W) mm Front Side
| Colours Not for Printing | ||||||||
| Revision: 00 | ||||||||
| Date: 10-07-26 | ||||||||
| Reviewed by | ||||||||
| Head Production/ Packing (Site) | Head QA (Site) | |||||||
120 mm
Dosage for hepatic impairment
In patients with hepatic impairment, the warnings should be followed (see Special caution when using albendazole).
Method of Administration
Albendazole 400 mg chewable tablets are for oral use.
Albendazole should be taken at meal times (mornings or mornings and evenings, depending on dosage), preferably with some liquid and chewed. The uptake of albendazole into the body can be increased by fatty foods, so you should pay attention to the appropriate composition of your meals. If possible, take the fat in a solid (non-liquid) form and ensure that the fat content per meal is over 40 g.
The score line is only to facilitate breaking for ease of swallowing and not to divide into equal doses.
Duration of treatment
The duration of treatment varies, depending on the type of worm infection you are treated for with albendazole (see Dosage).
If you take more Albendazole than you should
Immediately visit your doctor. Albendazole tablets does not have an acute adverse effect even in high doses. However, the likelihood of side effects is greater if you take too high a dose of albendazole. Therefore, in this case your liver and blood values should be checked. Further treatment should be carried out according to the clinical manifestation or according to recommendations from information centers for cases of poisoning.
If you forget to take Albendazole
Please take the next dose as soon as possible. You should take the next tablet at the scheduled time.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking Albendazole
The success of the treatment may be questioned. Therefore, you should follow the doctor's instructions exactly.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following frequencies are used for the assessment of side effects:
Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people
Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people
Rare: may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people
Very rare: may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people
Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data
So far, the following side effects have been observed:
| Very common | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Very rare | Not known |
| Blood and lymphatic system disorders | |||||
| Reduction of white blood cells (leukopenia) | Decreased haemoglobin and haematocrit | Reduction of a certain subgroup of white blood cells (agranulocytosis), reduction of all blood cells (pancytopenia), reduction especially the red blood cells (Aplastic anemia) | |||
| Patients with liver disease, liver echinococcosis included, appear more susceptible to a reduction in the bone marrow cells (see section 2. “Warnings and Precautions” and section 3. under Dosage). | |||||
| Immune system disorder | |||||
Allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reactions) including skin rash, itching and hives (urticaria). | |||||
| Nervous system disorder | |||||
| Headache | Dizziness | In the treatment of a worm infestation of the nervous system (neurocysticercosis), existing symptoms worsened or new disturbances of the nervous system occurred (convulsions, brain inflammation, half-sided paralysis or conspicuous fatigue). | |||
| Gastrointestinal disorders | |||||
Gastrointestinal discomfort (stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting). Gastrointestinal complaints were associated with the Albendazole treatment of patients with Echinococcosis. | |||||
| Hepatobiliary disorders | |||||
Low to moderate elevated liver enzymes | Inflammation of the liver | ||||
| Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | |||||
| Reversible hair loss (thinning of hair, moderate hair loss) | Life-threatening general reactions with large-area blistering (Erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson- Syndrome). | ||||
| General disorders and administration site condition | |||||
| Fever | Nasal bleeding | ||||
In case of poisoning / overdosing, further treatment should be performed according to the clinical appearance or according to recommendations from information centers for poisoning cases.
As a result of poisoning, undesirable effects must be expected. Therefore, controls of the blood count and the liver values are recommended.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via Yellow Card Scheme Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side affects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Albendazole
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton, blister or bottle after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
This medicine does not require any special storage condition.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste.
Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Albendazole contains
The active substance is albendazole
Each tablet contains 400 mg albendazole.
The other ingredients are:
Microcrystalline cellulose, Lactose monohydrate, Maize starch, Sodium starch glycolate (Type A), Sodium dodecyl sulfate, Povidone K-30, Saccharin sodium, Croscarmellose sodium, Orange DC pH capsoroma, Peppermint DC 117 pH flavour, Colloidal anhydrous silica, Magnesium stearate
Orange DC pH capsoroma contains Acacia gum, Flavouring preparations, Butylated hydroxy anisole.
Peppermint DC 117 pH flavour contains Acacia gum, Flavouring preparations, Nature-identical flavouring substances.
What Albendazole look like and contents of the pack
The tablets are white to off white coloured, oblong shaped, biconvex chewable tablets debossed with “AL” and “400” on either side of the break line on one side and other side plain with an approximate length of 19.00 mm and width of 9.20 mm.
Albendazole 400 mg chewable tablets is available in Alu-Alu blister (i.e OPA/Au/PVC- Alu) in cartons containing 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 or 18 chewable tablets and in HDPE bottles with PP screw cap containing 60 and 100 chewable tablets.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
Brown & Burk UK Limited
Micro House
Bury Street
Ruislip
HA4 7TL
United Kingdom
This leaflet was last revised in 07/2026.
Size: 120(L) x 580(W) mm
Back Side