What Is Dapsone?

Dapsone appears to be a prescription medication. It may have first appeared in the 1940s to treat leprosy. These patients, along with individuals who have dermatitis herpetiformis, seem to take oral tablets. However, this medication may help acne patients when it is used topically. The dosage appears to vary based on the patient's condition. Some leprosy patients may take one hundred milligrams daily for six months. Patients with dermatitis may need fifty to three hundred milligrams daily for the rest of their lives. Most individuals seem to need regular tests and monitoring when they take this medication.

Patients may use this medication topically as a prescription acne treatment. Most individuals seem to apply a topical gel for acne. However, they may choose to try other antibiotics for acne. Dapsone tablets may act as a leprosy treatment. Most individuals seem to need other medications along with this one to try preventing antibiotic resistance. Of course, individuals may want to understand how dapsone works before they think about taking it in any form.

How It Should Work

Dapsone seems to be a sulfone antibiotic. Some patients may receive it under the brand Aczone as a topical gel. This medication may stop the growth of bacteria. It appears that this may happen by blocking dihydrofolic acid synthesis. This acid seems to be a derivative of vitamin B9. Dapsone may block this acid's synthesis by causing competition with PABA.

This medication may be an anti-inflammatory as well. It may help block an enzyme from working in the body. The specific enzyme it may block seems to be myeloperoxidase. If this blockage happens, hypochlorous acid may not build in the patient's body. This may reduce the tissue damage caused by inflammation. Some evidence seems to indicate that this medication may also help reduce inflammation from conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Continue reading to uncover information on the potential uses for this medication next.

Potential Uses

Oral dapsone may help treat dermatitis herpetiformis in adults and children. It may also help with two forms of leprosy. Specifically, it seems as if it helps with tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy. Patients may take this antibiotic with other medications as a Hansen's disease treatment. Other individuals may use it to help pneumocystis pneumonia and malaria. Some doctors believe that this medication may help prevent some cases of toxoplasmosis. The topical form of it seems to treat acne.

It appears that individuals may need to take dapsone with other medications for many conditions. Taking it with rifampin for tuberculoid leprosy may help prevent patients from becoming resistant to dapsone. Pneumocystis pneumonia patients may take this antibiotic with trimethoprim for their condition.

Discover the possible side effects next.

Possible Side Effects

This medication seems to have several possible side effects. Some of the side effects may be serious ones. The most common possible side effects may include appetite loss, blurry vision, vomiting, nausea, and dizziness. Patients may deal with sleeping problems, ringing in the ears, headaches, and spinning sensations sometimes too. If these symptoms persist or get worse, patients may wish to let their doctor know right away. This medication's less common side effects appear to include rapid breathing, a fast heart rate, chest pain, and problems urinating. Patients may experience blue lips or skin as well. Muscle weakness, mood changes, and mental state changes also seem to be possible side effects.

Rare side effects may include liver disease and low blood counts. Patients should consider watching for pale skin, dark urine, jaundice, and pain in their abdomen as possible signs of these. If these signs develop, patients may need urgent medical attention. This care may also be vital for signs of an infection. Infection signs seem to include chills, fever, and a sore throat.

Learn about the precautions to consider taking with this medication next.

Potential Precautions

Patients may want to review their medical history before they take this medication. Some conditions may make it unsafe for them. It appears that a history of lung, heart, or liver disease are included in this. A history of blood conditions may be even more important to review. Individuals with anemia may need treatment for their condition before they can consider taking dapsone. Some women may also want to discuss this medication with their doctor first. It seems that it is not recommended if they are pregnant or breastfeeding. Additional symptoms may appear when patients take this medication for Hansen's disease. They may include skin sores and muscle weakness. Individuals may need other treatments for these signs. Thus, they should consider calling their doctor if they appear.

Other potential precautions may include avoiding the sun, alcohol, and marijuana. Patients may be more sensitive to the sun. They may have to avoid going outside due to this. Patients may want to wear sunscreen daily as well. They may also wish to avoid tanning beds. Protective clothing may help as well. Some dermatitis herpetiformis patients may need to avoid gluten when they are taking this medication. Finally, patients may need to drink a full glass of water with this medication. However, it seems that they can choose to take it before or after eating.

Reveal the possible medication interactions next.

Possible Medication Interactions

Patients may encounter medication interactions with dapsone. Thus, they may want to make a list of their current prescriptions. It appears that including over-the-counter medicines and supplements on this list is important too. The patient's doctor should help them avoid possible medication interactions with this list. Some patients may want their pharmacist to review this list as well.

Dapsone may interact with folic acid antagonists. It appears to interact with primaquine and nitrofurantoin too. Taking this medication with saquinavir may change how the body removes it. Thus, patients may find that dapsone is less effective. The oral tablets of this medication seem to make the oral vaccine for typhoid less effective too. Individuals may want to inform their doctor before going to get any vaccine due to this.