What is Dapsone?
Dapsone is an anti-infective medicine which fights with bacteria. The medication is useful for treating dermatitis herpetiformis and leprosy. Dapsone is a prescription medicine which is used for treating various symptoms of dermatitis herpetiformis, leprosy, tuberculoid and lepromatous disease.
The medication belongs to the class of drugs called antileprosy agents. It is unknown if dapsone tablets are safe for children younger than 1 month of age.
Dapsone uses
Dapsone is used with other medications to treat Hansen's disease. Dapsone belongs to a class of medications known as sulfones. Unnecessary or misuse of any antibiotic may reduce its effectiveness. This section contains uses of this medication that are not listed on the approved professional label for the medication, but that may be prescribed by your healthcare professional. Use this medicine to treat a condition listed in this section only if your healthcare professional has told you to. This medicine may also be used to treat or prevent a certain lung infection due to HIV (pneumocystis pneumonia), to prevent certain brain infections due to HIV (toxoplasmosis) and to treat skin conditions in certain immune system disorders (for example, systemic lupus erythematosus-SLE).
Dapsone Side Effects
Most common side effects of Dapsone are
- Stomach pain
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Insomnia
Some of the serious side effects of Dapsone are:
- Jaundice
- Numbness
- Unusual thoughts
- Swelling
- Sore throat
- Nausea
- Vomiting
If you have any of these serious symptoms immediately contact your doctor for further assistance. In any case, due to Dapsone if you get any kind of reactions in your body try avoiding it.
A doctor advised you to take the medicines by seeing your problems and the benefits of medicine is greater than the side effects. Majority of the people who use this medicine don’t show any side effects. Get medical help immediately if you get any serious Dapsone side effects.
Precautions
Before taking Dapsone talk to the doctor if you are allergic to it or any other medications. The product may contain inactive ingredients that can cause some serious allergic reactions or some other serious problems.
Before using the medication talk to the doctor if you are having any medical history such as:
- Blood disorders
- Heart disease
- Liver disease
- Lung disease
- Serious infection
- High blood sugar
If you’re using dapsone for treating Hansen’s disease, the immune system helps in fighting the infection and some side effects can be noticed like skin sores worsening, numbness and muscle weakness.
How to take Dapsone?
Follow all the directions written on the prescription label or follow the instructions given by the doctor for the consumption of Dapsone. The doctor may change the medication dosage for making sure to get the best results. Avoid taking the medication in larger or smaller amounts for avoiding some of the complications.
Dosage
Forms: 25 mg, 100 mg
Dermatitis Herpetiformis: 50 mg to 300 mg Dapsone dosage
Leprosy: 100 mg per day in combination with other antibiotics
Tuberculoid diseases: 100 mg per day
Pneumocystis: 100 mg per day
Missed Dose
Missing one or two-dose of Dapsone won’t show any effect on your body. The skipped dose causes no problem. But with some medication, it won’t work if you don’t take the dosage on time. If you miss a dose some sudden chemical change may affect your body. In some cases, your doctor would advise you to take the prescribed medicine as soon as possible if you have missed the dose.
Overdose
Overdose of a drug can be accidental. If you have taken more than the prescribed Dapsone tablets there is a chance of getting a harmful effect on your body’s functions. Overdose of a medicine can lead to some medical emergency.
Warnings
Heartburn/stomach acid reducers medications (eg, large amounts of antacids, ranitidine, famotidine) or didanosine may prevent complete absorption of dapsone into the bloodstream, possibly reducing its effectiveness. Dosage in children will also depend on age and weight.
Storage
Direct contact with heat, air and light may damage your medicines. The exposure of medicine may cause some harmful effects. The medicine must be kept in a safe place and out of children’s reach.
Mainly the drug should be kept at room temperature between 68ºF and 77ºF (20ºC and 25ºC).
Before taking Dapsone consult your Doctor. In case if you face any problems or get any side effects after taking Dapsone rush immediately to your nearby hospital or consult your doctor for better treatment. Carry your medications always in your bag while travelling to avoid any immediate emergencies. Follow your prescription and follow your Doctor advice whenever you take Dapsone.
Dapsone vs Clindamycin
Dapsone |
Clindamycin |
|---|---|
| Dapsone is an anti-infective medicine which fights with bacteria. The medication is useful for treating dermatitis herpetiformis and leprosy. Dapsone is a prescription medicine which is used for treating various symptoms of dermatitis herpetiformis, leprosy, tuberculoid and lepromatous disease. | Clindamycin is an antibiotic. It prevents bacteria from growing. Clindamycin is prescribed by physicians to treat bacterial infections and is available in different forms.It is also used for treating acne and bacterial infections of the vagina. |
| Dapsone is used with other medications to treat Hansen's disease. Dapsone belongs to a class of medications known as sulfones. Unnecessary or misuse of any antibiotic may reduce its effectiveness. | Clindamycin is also sometimes used to treat acne and is used with other medicines to treat anthrax and malaria. Sometimes clindamycin is also used to treat ear infections, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and toxoplasmosis when these conditions cannot be treated with other medicines. |
Some of the serious side effects of Dapsone are:
|
Some of the serious side effects of Clindamycin are:
|
