TABLE 5.

Treatment options and regimens for Blastocystis infections

Drug	Dosagea	Side effects	Reference(s)
Metronidazole	750 mg tid for 10 days	Metallic taste, transient nausea	90, 115, 161
Adult	500 mg tid for 10 days		140, 267
	1.5-g single dose/day for 10 days		39, 165
Pediatric	15 mg/kg/day for 7 days		307
	20-30 mg/kg/day for 10 days		175
TMP-SMX
Adult	320 mg TMP and 1,600 mg SMX daily in 2 equal doses for 7 days	Hives, lack or loss of appetite, nausea, skin rash, vomiting	177
Pediatric	6 mg/kg TMP and 30 mg/kg SMX daily in 2 equal doses for 7 days		177
Nitazoxanide			205
Adult	500 mg bid for 3 days	Yellowish urine, abdominal pain, headache, nausea
Pediatric
1-3 yr	100 mg bid for 3 days
4-11 yr	200 mg bid for 3 days
Paromomycin	25 mg/kg tid for 10 days	Nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea	278
Paromomycin-metronidazole combination	1,000 mg paromomycin bid for 10 days and 750 mg metronidazole tid for 10 days		184

^atid, three times a day; bid, twice a day.