Final answer:
Albendazole can cause less common side effects including gastrointestinal issues, anemia, and allergic reactions. It is used when diethylcarbamazine is inappropriate, but careful monitoring is necessary due to the potential for severe adverse reactions affecting blood counts and causing hemorrhage.
Step-by-step explanation:
Albendazole is an antiparasitic medication used to treat infections such as ascariasis and loiasis. Among its adverse reactions, less common side effects occurring in 1-10% of patients include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. In severe cases, this can escalate to vomiting, nausea, intestinal obstruction, and anemia. Allergic reactions are also a possibility, though not as frequent.
While ascariasis can resolve without treatment, it is a lengthy process, and the use of albendazole significantly shortens the duration of the infection. Albendazole is a preferred choice when diethylcarbamazine is not suitable due to severe side effects or when it does not produce the desired results. Notably, untreated loiasis can lead to severe organ damage over many years, but this is considered rare.
Albendazole's impact on white blood cell counts varies from slight to moderate but can be severe enough to cause temporary sterility in some cases. However, it is crucial to monitor for symptoms such as severe blood damage or hemorrhage associated with the LD50/32 toxicity rating. If adverse reactions are observed, medical consultation is necessary to weigh the benefits of continuing treatment against potential risks.