Piperazine (Oral)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Mar 25, 2022.

Chemical Class: Piperazine (class)

Uses for piperazine

Piperazine belongs to the family of medicines called anthelmintics. Anthelmintics are used in the treatment of worm infections.

Piperazine is used to treat:

• common roundworms (ascariasis) and
• pinworms (enterobiasis; oxyuriasis).

Piperazine works by paralyzing the worms. They are then passed in the stool.

Piperazine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before using piperazine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For piperazine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to piperazine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Children may be especially sensitive to the effects of piperazine. This may increase the chance of side effects during treatment.

Geriatric

Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of piperazine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Interactions with food/tobacco/alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other medical problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of piperazine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease—Patients with kidney or liver disease may have an increased chance of side effects

• Seizure disorder, especially a history of epilepsy—Piperazine may make the condition worse

Proper use of piperazine

No special preparations or other steps (for example, special diet, fasting, other medicines, laxatives, or enemas) are necessary before, during, or immediately after you take piperazine.

Piperazine may be taken with or without food or on a full or empty stomach. However, if your doctor tells you to take the medicine a certain way, take it exactly as directed.

For patients taking the granules for oral solution form of piperazine:

• Dissolve the contents of 1 packet of granules in 57 mL (a...