Albendazole can be used as an alternative treatment for abdominal migraine.
Pure albendazole capsules is used in veterinary medicine. As an anthelminthic drug, it is effective against a range of nematodes and cestodes. Albendazole capsules has been assessed for the treatment of experimental neurocysticercosis in mice, but was found to be ineffective. It may be useful in the removal of pinworms ("Enterobius vermicularis") and other roundworms from the intestines of horses.
Adverse effects are rare. The more common ones include dizziness, headache and gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea or vomiting; however, these are uncommon if albendazole is taken with food and a full glass of water. Severe adverse effects are very rarely reported during therapy and are considered to be extremely rare.
Albendazole is a potent inhibitor of the enzyme gamma-glutamyltransferase and to a lesser extent, cytochrome P450. It can reduce the metabolism of certain drugs, such as warfarin, cyclosporine, diazepam (Valium), phenytoin (Dilantin), and prednisolone (Cortenema). When these drugs are used with albendazole, their plasma levels should be monitored more closely and may need to be decreased or increased.
