Tinidazole is an anti-parasitic drug

Medication

A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...

 used against protozoan infections. It is widely known throughout Europe and the developing world as treatment for a variety of amoebic and parasitic infections. It was developed in 1972.

Tinidazole is marketed by Mission Pharmacal under the brand name Tindamax, by Pfizer

Pfizer

Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...

 under the names Fasigyn and Simplotan, and in some Asian countries as Sporinex.

Pharmacology

It is chemically similar to metronidazole

Metronidazole

Metronidazole is a nitroimidazole antibiotic medication used particularly for anaerobic bacteria and protozoa. Metronidazole is an antibiotic, amebicide, and antiprotozoal....

—a drug with some unpleasant side effects that is used in the United States as first-line therapy for amoebae. Tinidazole has similar side effects but has a shorter treatment course.

Uses

A large body of clinical data exists to support use of tinidazole for infections from amoebae, giardia and trichomonas, just like metronidazole. Tinidazole may be a therapeutic alternative in the setting of metronidazole tolerance.

Tinidazole may also be used to treat a variety of other bacterial infections, including Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori , previously named Campylobacter pyloridis, is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium found in the stomach. It was identified in 1982 by Barry Marshall and Robin Warren, who found that it was present in patients with chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers, conditions that were...

 as part of 10 day sequential therapy (20 mg rabeprazole

Rabeprazole

Rabeprazole is an antiulcer drug in the class of proton pump inhibitors. It was developed by Eisai Co. and is marketed by Janssen-Cilag as rabeprazole sodium under the brand names AcipHex in the US and Pariet in Britain, Italy, Greece, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, and Russia. It is sold as...

 b.i.d. for 10 days, plus 1 gram amoxicillin

Amoxicillin

Amoxicillin , formerly amoxycillin , and abbreviated amox, is a moderate-spectrum, bacteriolytic, β-lactam antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections caused by susceptible microorganisms. It is usually the drug of choice within the class because it is better absorbed, following oral...

 b.i.d. for the first 5 days, followed by 500 mg clarithromycin

Clarithromycin

Clarithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic used to treat pharyngitis, tonsillitis, acute maxillary sinusitis, acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, pneumonia , skin and skin structure infections...

b.i.d. and 500 mg tinidazole b.i.d. for the remaining 5 days).

Side effects

The most common side effects reported with tinidazole are upset stomach, bitter taste, diarrhea and itchiness. Other side effects which occur are headache, physical fatigue, and dizziness. Anecdotally, people who have taken both metronidazole and tinidazole report toxicity is much the same except the side effects don't last as long with the latter.

Drinking alcohol while taking tinidazole causes an unpleasant disulfiram-like reaction, which includes nausea, vomiting, headache, increased blood pressure, flushing and shortness of breath.

External links

• MedlinePlus Drug Information: Tinidazole
• Tindamax
• Tindamax Labeling (PDF)
• Tinidazole (patient information)
• Drug Bank Facts on Tinidazole