• You may need nitazoxanide if you travel internationally.Visual moments from a great international Air Show image by fotoliamemberN from Fotolia.com
  
  Dr. Jean-Francois Rossignol of the Pasteur Institute in Paris first discovered the chemical nitazoxanide as an effective treatment for a specific type of diarrhea. Nitazoxanide has been manufactured since then as a prescription drug under a variety of names: Alinia, Daxon, Dexidex, Pacovanton and Paramix are only a few in a long list. The FDA has approved it as a safe drug, but you should learn its potential side effects before taking it.
  
  

Indications

• Doctors prescribe nitazoxanide for travelers' diarrhea, an intestinal infection you develop if you ingest the protozoa Giardia lamblia or Cryptosporidium parvum, present in food and water contaminated with fecal matter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 10 million international travelers become infected every year.
  
  

Side Effects

• The Mayo Clinic's website puts nitazoxanide's possible side effects under three categories. First, the more common adverse reaction is stomachache. There are three less common symptoms in the second category: diarrhea, headache and vomiting.
  
  Some patients have experienced rare side effects in the third category, including: appetite loss and gain, bloating, discolored urine and eyes, dizziness, swollen glands, fever, feeling of discomfort, infection, itching skin, nausea, flatulence, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, sweating, fatigue and weight loss.
  
  Stop taking your medication and talk to your doctor if you experience any side effects.
  
  

Good to Know

• Take nitazoxanide with food. Let your doctor know if you have kidney and liver problems as well as HIV, She'll tell you whether you should not take the drug at all or take a dosage that's different from what's recommended.