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Melarsoprol
 
 
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Melarsoprol (INN
International Nonproprietary Name

An International Nonproprietary Name is the official non-proprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as designated by the World Health Organization ....
) is a medicinal drug used in the treatment of Human African trypanosomiasis
Sleeping sickness

Sleeping sickness or human African trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease of people and animals, caused by protozoa of species Trypanosoma brucei and transmitted by the tsetse fly....
. It is also sold under the trade names “Mel B” and “Melarsen Oxide-BAL.”

Melarsoprol is also used in the treatment of Chagas disease
Chagas disease

'Chagas disease' is a tropical disease parasitic disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. T. cruzi is commonly transmitted to humans and other mammals by an insect Vector , the hematophagy assassin bugs of the subfamily Triatominae most commonly species belonging to the Triatoma, Rhodnius, and Panstrongy...
.

g a toxic organic compound of arsenic
Arsenic

Arsenic is a well-known chemical element that has the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250....
, melarsoprol is a highly dangerous treatment which is only administered by injection under the supervision of a physician.

It is known to cause a range of side effects including convulsions
Febrile seizure

A febrile seizure, also known as a fever fit or febrile convulsion is a convulsion triggered by a rise in body temperature. They most commonly occur in children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years and are twice as common in boys than girls....
, fever
Fever

Fever is a frequent medical sign that describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels above normal. Fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body's thermoregulatory set-point, usually by about 1?2 ?C ....
, loss of consciousness
Unconsciousness

Unconsciousness, more appropriately referred to as loss of consciousness or lack of consciousness, is a dramatic alteration of mental state that involves complete or near-complete lack of responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli....
, rash
Rash

A rash is a change of the skin which affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin....
es, bloody stools
Blood in stool

In medicine, when referring to human feces, Blood in stool can refer to multiple conditions:* Melena, with more blackish appearance, originating in upper parts of the GI tract...
, nausea
Nausea

Nausea is the sensation of unease and discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit....
, and vomiting
Vomiting

Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Undesired vomiting may result from many causes, ranging from gastritis or poisoning to brain tumors, or elevated intracranial pressure....
.






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Encyclopedia


Melarsoprol (INN
International Nonproprietary Name

An International Nonproprietary Name is the official non-proprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as designated by the World Health Organization ....
) is a medicinal drug used in the treatment of Human African trypanosomiasis
Sleeping sickness

Sleeping sickness or human African trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease of people and animals, caused by protozoa of species Trypanosoma brucei and transmitted by the tsetse fly....
. It is also sold under the trade names “Mel B” and “Melarsen Oxide-BAL.”

Melarsoprol is also used in the treatment of Chagas disease
Chagas disease

'Chagas disease' is a tropical disease parasitic disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. T. cruzi is commonly transmitted to humans and other mammals by an insect Vector , the hematophagy assassin bugs of the subfamily Triatominae most commonly species belonging to the Triatoma, Rhodnius, and Panstrongy...
.

Side effects

Being a toxic organic compound of arsenic
Arsenic

Arsenic is a well-known chemical element that has the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250....
, melarsoprol is a highly dangerous treatment which is only administered by injection under the supervision of a physician.

It is known to cause a range of side effects including convulsions
Febrile seizure

A febrile seizure, also known as a fever fit or febrile convulsion is a convulsion triggered by a rise in body temperature. They most commonly occur in children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years and are twice as common in boys than girls....
, fever
Fever

Fever is a frequent medical sign that describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels above normal. Fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body's thermoregulatory set-point, usually by about 1?2 ?C ....
, loss of consciousness
Unconsciousness

Unconsciousness, more appropriately referred to as loss of consciousness or lack of consciousness, is a dramatic alteration of mental state that involves complete or near-complete lack of responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli....
, rash
Rash

A rash is a change of the skin which affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin....
es, bloody stools
Blood in stool

In medicine, when referring to human feces, Blood in stool can refer to multiple conditions:* Melena, with more blackish appearance, originating in upper parts of the GI tract...
, nausea
Nausea

Nausea is the sensation of unease and discomfort in the stomach with an urge to vomit....
, and vomiting
Vomiting

Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Undesired vomiting may result from many causes, ranging from gastritis or poisoning to brain tumors, or elevated intracranial pressure....
. It is fatal in and of itself in around 5% of cases.

Alternatives

Eflornithine
Eflornithine

Eflornithine is a medication manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis which has various uses. It was initially developed for cancer treatment, but while having little use in treating malignancies, it was found to be highly effective in African trypanosomiasis , especially the West African form ....
 is a more modern and far less dangerous treatment for sleeping sickness, but is expensive, not widely available on the market, and most of its supply comes from donations from its manufacturer.