Quoted from Pharmacist's Letter, May 2001.  www.pharmacistsletter.com

YOU MIGHT SEE physicians try TMP/SMX (Bactrim, Septra) for head lice.
A new article in Pediatrics shows that combining TMP/SMX with Nix (permethrin) works better than either agent alone

The lice ingest TMP/SMX from blood in the scalp. TMP/SMX then kills the nutrient-producing bacteria that live in the lice.

The preliminary evidence looks good…but there are concerns

TMP/SMX can cause nausea, vomiting, and hypersensitivity reactions. Overuse may also contribute to antibiotic resistance.

The misuse and overuse of Nix and other OTC pediculicides are major reasons why resistant head lice are a problem

[END ARTICLE]

ABOUT TMP/SMX

What is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole?

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (also called TMP-SMX, Bactrim, Septra) is a combination of two antibiotics that are used to treat and prevent Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), the most common opportunistic infection in AIDS, and to treat certain bacterial and parasitic infections that may occur in people with HIV disease. TMP-SMX is a well established medication that had been used for many years prior to the AIDS epidemic.

What are its side effects?

TMP-SMX is a sulfa drug, and reactions to it are common. Toxicity to TMP-SMX is even more frequent in people with HIV infection, with up to 50 percent developing one or more side effects. The most common reactions include fever; skin rash; nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; low red blood cell count (anemia); low white blood cell count (leukopenia); and liver and kidney function abnormalities. 

What about use for pregnant or nursing women?

TMP-SMX can pass through the placenta to the fetus and interfere with the metabolism of folic acid, a vital nutrient.
Therefore, it should only be used during pregnancy if there are no other effective drugs for the condition being treated.

[ Main Site Map ] * [ Pesticides Site Map ]