Furazolidone (FZD)

Furazolidone is a nitrofuran antibacterial. Furazolidone has been introduced as an effective drug against Helicobacter pylori infection in Iran, but intolerable side effects may limit its use. The aim of this study was to compare quadruple and triple furazolidone-based regimens to achieve an economically affordable regimen with acceptable success rate and fewer side effects. In humans it has used to treat diarrhoea and enteritis caused by bacteria or protozoan infections. It has been used to treat traveler's diarrhoea, cholera and bacteremic salmonellosis. Use in treating Helicobacter pylori infections has also been proposed. Furazolidone is also used for giardiasis, though it is not a first line treatment. Though an effective antibiotic when all others fail, against extremely drug resistant infections, it has many side effects, and as with other nitrofurans generally, minimum inhibitory concentrations also produce systemic toxicity.