Tinidazole is a drug used against

protozoan Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris. Histo ...

infections. It is widely known throughout Europe and the developing world as a treatment for a variety of

anaerobic Anaerobic means "living, active, occurring, or existing in the absence of free oxygen", as opposed to aerobic which means "living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen." Anaerobic may also refer to: * Anaerobic adhesive, a bonding a ...

amoebic An amoeba (; less commonly spelled ameba or amœba; plural ''am(o)ebas'' or ''am(o)ebae'' ), often called an amoeboid, is a type of Cell (biology), cell or unicellular organism with the ability to alter its shape, primarily by extending and ret ...

and bacterial infections. It was developed in 1972 and is a prominent member of the

nitroimidazole 5-Nitroimidazole is an organic compound with the formula O2NC3H2N2H. The nitro group at position 5 on the imidazole ring is the most common positional isomer. The term nitroimidazole also refers to a class of antibiotics that share similar chemi ...

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

class. It is on the

World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (aka Essential Medicines List or EML), published by the World Health Organization (WHO), contains the medications considered to be most effective and safe to meet the most important needs in a health ...

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

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...

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

Uses

Tinidazole may be a therapeutic alternative in the setting of metronidazole intolerance. Tinidazole is used to treat ''Helicobacter pylori'',

Amoebic dysentery Amoebiasis, or amoebic dysentery, is an infection of the intestines caused by a parasitic amoeba ''Entamoeba histolytica''. Amoebiasis can be present with no, mild, or severe symptoms. Symptoms may include lethargy, loss of weight, colonic ulc ...

, ''

Giardia ''Giardia'' ( or ) is a genus of anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasites of the phylum Metamonada that colonise and reproduce in the small intestines of several vertebrates, causing the disease giardiasis. Their life cycle alternates between ...

'' and ''

Trichomonas vaginalis ''Trichomonas vaginalis'' is an anaerobic, flagellated protozoan parasite and the causative agent of a sexually transmitted disease called trichomoniasis. It is the most common pathogenic protozoan that infects humans in industrialized countries ...

''.

Side effects

Drinking alcohol while taking tinidazole causes an unpleasant

disulfiram Disulfiram is a medication used to support the treatment of chronic alcoholism by producing an acute sensitivity to ethanol (drinking alcohol). Disulfiram works by inhibiting the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, causing many of the effects of ...

-like reaction, which includes nausea, vomiting, headache, increased blood pressure, flushing, and shortness of breath.

Half-life

Elimination half-life is 13.2 ± 1.4 hours. Plasma half-life is 12 to 14 hours.

References

External links

MedlinePlus Drug Information: Tinidazole

Drug Bank Facts on Tinidazole
{{Agents against amoebozoa Antiprotozoal agents Disulfiram-like drugs Nitroimidazole antibiotics Sulfones World Health Organization essential medicines