Which deworming medication is better: albendazole or levamisole?

Levamisole refers to levamisole hydrochloride. Generally speaking, both albendazole and levamisole hydrochloride are effective anthelmintic drugs. A detailed analysis is as follows:

Albendazole is an intestinal deworming agent available in various formulations such as tablets, granules, and capsules. It is primarily used to treat nematode infections including hookworm, roundworm, whipworm, pinworm, and trichinella. Additionally, it can also be used to treat cysticercosis and echinococcosis. Albendazole works by impairing the parasite's absorption of nutrients, eventually leading to its death. Levamisole hydrochloride is an intestinal deworming agent and biological response modifier, mainly used for treating roundworm, hookworm, pinworm, and strongyloidiasis. Levamisole hydrochloride paralyzes roundworms, preventing them from attaching to the intestinal wall, thus allowing them to be expelled through feces. Since both albendazole and levamisole hydrochloride effectively eliminate gastrointestinal parasites, both are considered effective.

Patients should use albendazole and levamisole hydrochloride only under the guidance of a physician and should not self-administer these medications to avoid potential adverse effects.