Dapsone is a sulfone antibiotic used to treat various medical conditions, including leprosy and dermatitis herpetiformis. The most common dapsone side effects include blurred vision, dizziness and headache. In addition, nausea, sleeplessness and vomiting are also common dapsone side effects. Less common dapsone side effects, on the other hand, include fever, itchiness and mood changes, as well as sore throat, unusual bleeding or bruising, and yellowing of the eyes or skin. While it is typical for most patients under treatment to only experience minor dapsone side effects, persistent or serious side effects are possible, and if they do occur, they require immediate medical attention.
Frequency or seriousness of side effects can be affected by a patient’s overall health. That is, there are various medical conditions and other drugs can interact with dapsone and potentially change the effectiveness of the medication. In addition, dapsone can also have an effect on other medical conditions or on how other drugs work as well. Medical conditions that might interact with dapsone include anemia, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and problems with the heart, kidneys or liver. Drugs that might interact with dapsone include rifampin, probenecid and trimethoprim.
As an antibiotic, dapsone decreases inflammation and stops bacteria from growing. The goal of treatment is to clear the infection and, depending on the condition, dapsone might be used alone or in combination with other medications to achieve this goal. Dapsone itself, which does not treat viral infections, comes in tablet form. Dosage will vary, depending on a patient’s specific condition, but the usual prescription is to take the dose once a day, or three times a week. The medication can cause stomach irritation and if that occurs, the patient can take it with food or milk.
It is important that a patient follow his or her prescription carefully. This includes taking the proper dosage by not taking more or less of the medication than necessary. Doing so is potentially harmful as it can lead to additional health problems. Taking more of the medication or using the medication long-term can cause a secondary infection, while taking less than prescribed or not finishing the treatment plan can leave room for surviving bacteria to grow. In addition, another thing to remember is that a patient should only use dapsone for its prescribed purpose because using the medication for other conditions can decrease the effectiveness of the drug on the body for its intended purposes.