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What Is an Anthelmintic?

An anthelmintic is a medicine used to kill or remove parasitic worms called helminths. Helminths include roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes that can infect the intestine, blood, liver, lungs, nervous system, or other tissues. Common anthelmintic medicines include albendazole, mebendazole, praziquantel, ivermectin, and pyrantel. The correct medicine depends on the worm species, infection location, patient characteristics, and local treatment guidance.

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What Is an Anthelmintic?

An anthelmintic is a medicine used to kill or remove parasitic worms called helminths. Helminths include roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes that can infect the intestine, blood, liver, lungs, nervous system, or other tissues. Common anthelmintic medicines include albendazole, mebendazole, praziquantel, ivermectin, and pyrantel. The correct medicine depends on the worm species, infection location, patient characteristics, and local treatment guidance.

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What Are Anthelmintics Used For?

Anthelmintics treat infections such as pinworm, roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, strongyloidiasis, schistosomiasis, and some tapeworm infections. A single medicine does not treat every type of worm. Diagnosis can involve symptoms, exposure history, stool testing, blood tests, imaging, or examination of tissue samples. Public health programs also use selected anthelmintics for preventive deworming in communities with a high burden of certain worm infections.

How Do Anthelmintics Work?

Anthelmintics use different mechanisms to disable or kill worms. Albendazole and mebendazole interfere with the parasite's ability to use glucose, while praziquantel disrupts the worm's surface and causes paralysis. Ivermectin affects nerve and muscle signaling in susceptible parasites. The dead or immobilized worms are then broken down or removed from the body.

How Are Anthelmintics Taken?

Many anthelmintics are taken by mouth as tablets, chewable tablets, or liquid medicine. Some infections require one dose, while others need repeated doses or treatment lasting several days or weeks. Instructions about taking the medicine with food vary by drug and infection. Follow-up testing can be needed to confirm clearance, especially for tissue infections, severe disease, or parasites that are difficult to eradicate.

What Are the Side Effects and Precautions?

Common effects include abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, headache, and dizziness. Reactions can also occur when dying parasites trigger inflammation, particularly in heavy or tissue-based infections. Certain anthelmintics can affect the liver, blood cells, eyes, or nervous system and can require laboratory monitoring. Pregnancy, liver disease, age, other medicines, and the possibility of specific tissue infections should be reviewed before treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Anthelmintics

Are anthelmintics antibiotics?

No. Anthelmintics treat parasitic worms, while antibiotics treat susceptible bacteria. Antifungal and antiprotozoal medicines target other types of organisms.

Does one dose of an anthelmintic always cure an infection?

No. Some worm infections respond to one dose, but others require repeated or prolonged treatment. Reinfection can also occur when the source of exposure is still present.

Should everyone in a household take an anthelmintic?

Household treatment can be recommended for highly contagious infections such as pinworm, but it is not needed for every worm infection. A clinician or public health authority can advise who should be tested or treated.

Can anthelmintics be used during pregnancy?

Use during pregnancy depends on the medicine, trimester, infection, and expected benefit. Pregnant patients should obtain medical guidance before taking any deworming medicine.

References

Anthelmintic Agents. LiverTox (NCBI Bookshelf). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548602/. Date Accessed August 5, 2026.

Antiparasitic Drugs. StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544251/. Date Accessed August 5, 2026.

Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/soil-transmitted-helminth-infections. Date Accessed August 5, 2026.

Clinical Overview of Pinworm Infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/pinworm/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html. Date Accessed August 5, 2026.

Intestinal Parasites: Domestic Guidance. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/immigrant-refugee-health/hcp/domestic-guidance/intestinal-parasites.html. Date Accessed August 5, 2026.