Learn About Dapsone
Dapsone's a common prescription. This antibiotic started in the 1940s for leprosy. When you have this condition, you will need the tablets. They work for other conditions too, but your dose changes. Expect one of 50 milligrams for dermatitis herpetiformis. You will have to take this medication for about 6 months for some conditions, but for others, you will need it for the rest of your life! Talk about it with your doctor. Remember to expect regular lab tests and follow-ups too.
Ladies, topical dapsone's a prescription acne treatment. You will use it as a topical gel for acne a lot. However, there are other antibiotics for acne too. This one also acts as a leprosy treatment. Of course, you will need other medicines to stop antibiotic resistance! Ladies, you have to understand this medication and how it works too, before you take it. You get the best results that way!
How It Works
Dapsone's an antibiotic! Ladies, it's one of the sulfones. Since it's an antibiotic, it means it will stop bacteria from growing. This effect is thanks to dapsone blocking dihydrofolic acid from synthesizing in your body. This acid's a form of vitamin B9. This medication blocks this by producing competition with PABA!
Ladies, this antibiotic also reduces inflammation. This happens when it blocks the MPO enzyme, which means hypochlorous acid can't build anymore! You will see less tissue damage from inflammation this way. This anti-inflammatory effect does more than this too. Ladies, experts state it works on conditions like strokes as well!
Uses
Ladies, this medication has many uses! The tablets help with dermatitis herpetiformis, even for children. When you take this medication orally, it will treat 2 different forms of leprosy. This antibiotic even works on malaria, pneumocystis pneumonia, and Hansen's disease! Of course, you will need other meds along with this one for some of these conditions. Here's one example: when you have leprosy, you will take it with rifampin. This medication stops you from becoming resistant to dapsone! Ladies, this antibiotic prevents toxoplasmosis too. And guess what? The topical form gets rid of severe acne! Smile and say hello to clear skin in no time.
Side Effects
Expect to see some side effects on this antibiotic. Ladies, the common ones include nausea, vomiting, and feeling a little dizzy. You will deal with blurry vision, losing your appetite, and headaches too! There's also ringing in your ears, spinning sensations, and sleeping issues as side effects. Ladies, call your doctor when these effects stick around or get worse!
Of course, there are less common ones too. They will include things like problems peeing, chest pain, fast heart rate, fast breathing, and weak muscles. Ladies, blue lips and skin aren't too common, but they happen too! Your mood or mental state changing are other less common side effects. A rare one is a low blood count, and liver disease is another. Ladies, the warning signs of these are very serious! They will include pale skin, dark pee, jaundice, and pain in your abdomen. Get care quickly for them! You need fast care when you're dealing with infection too. These symptoms are chills, fever, and a sore throat.
Precautions
Go over your medical history! Ladies, your doctor needs to know about everything so they make sure this medication's safe. Important points to cover are lung, heart, and liver disease. Do you have a blood condition like anemia? This is vital! Dapsone isn't safe for you if any of these apply! You need to treat anemia before this antibiotic's safe for you. Ladies, when you're pregnant or breastfeeding, you have to talk about this medication first too. Chances are, your doctor's not going to recommend it until later! You need to watch for more side effects with some conditions too. This means Hansen's disease! Extra side effects of dapsone are weak muscles, pain, skin sores, and numbness. Get treatment for all of them.
Remember to completely avoid alcohol and marijuana on this medication. You have to avoid the sun too! When you're in the sun, wear protective clothes and sunscreen. This is very important ladies, since this medication makes you more sensitive to the sun! Grab your hats too, and stay away from tanning beds. You have to stop eating gluten when you're taking this medication for some conditions too. One example is dermatitis herpetiformis! And remember, drink a full glass of water with each pill. Do it before or after a meal!
Medication Interactions
List all of your medications and supplements. Don't leave anything you take out, even vitamins. Ladies, this list is going to help you! It will let your doctor check for interactions with dapsone. Your pharmacist will double-check this before you get your prescription. Expect this one to interact with nitrofurantoin. Primaquine causes another one! You will have to avoid folic acid antagonists too, thanks to interactions. Of course, this med lowers the effectiveness of others. It happens with the oral typhoid vaccine. Dapsone's going to be less effective with saquinavir too. Discuss all of this with your doctor to make the right plans!