Treatment of symptomatic intestinal amoebiasis with tinidazole

Tinidazole was given in a single dose of 2g a day for 2 days to 17 adults, and in a single dose of 50mg/kg bodyweight daily for 3 days to 4 children, with symptomatic, but not severe, intestinal amoebiasis. All 21 patients showed clinical improvement but only 20 (95%) were parasitologically cured as evinced by failure to demonstrate Entamoeba histolytica in 3 stool samples collected on the 4th, 15th and 22nd day after treatment. Two subjects had mild nausea within a few hours of taking the first dose, while 8 had constipation of 3 to 5 days duration after treatment. 1 patient had nausea and constipation and another had palpitations.