Dapsone Information
Pronunciation
DAP sone
What is this drug used for?
• It is used to treat a skin problem called dermatitis herpetiformis.
• It is used to treat leprosy.
• It may be given to you for other reasons. Talk with the doctor.
Frequently reported side effects of this drug
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Trouble sleeping
• Dizziness
Other side effects of this drug: Talk with your doctor right away if you have any of these signs of:
• Infection
• Liver problems dark urine, fatigue, lack of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, light-colored stools, vomiting, or yellow skin
• Kidney problems like not able to pass urine, blood in your urine, change in amount of urine passed, or weight gain
• Lupus like rash on the cheeks or other body parts, sunburn easy, muscle or joint pain, chest pain or shortness of breath, or swelling in the arms or legs
• Pancreatitis like severe abdominal pain, severe back pain, severe nausea, or vomiting
• Severe loss of strength and energy
• Burning or numbness feeling
• Muscle weakness
• Difficulty moving
• Blurred vision
• Noise or ringing in the ears
• Mood changes
• Bruising
• Bleeding
• Pale skin
• Fast heartbeat
• Purple spots or redness of skin
• Toxic epidermal necrolysis like red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin (with or without fever); red or irritated eyes; or sores in mouth, throat, nose, or eyes.
• Signs of a significant reaction like wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Medication Safety Issues
Sound-alike/look-alike issues:
Dapsone may be confused with Diprosone
Storage and Stability
Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 76°F). Protect from light.
Adverse Reactions
Cardiovascular: Tachycardia
Central nervous system: Fever, headache, insomnia, psychosis (oral/topical), vertigo
Dermatologic: Bullous and exfoliative dermatitis, erythema nodosum, exfoliative dermatitis, morbilliform and scarlatiniform reactions, phototoxicity, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, urticaria
Endocrine & metabolic: Hypoalbuminemia (without proteinuria), male infertility
Gastrointestinal: Abdominal pain, nausea, pancreatitis, vomiting
Hematologic: Agranulocytosis, anemia, leukopenia, pure red cell aplasia (case report); hemolysis (dose related; seen in patients with and without G6PD deficiency), hemoglobin decrease (1-2 g/dL), reticulocyte increase, methemoglobinemia, red cell life span shortened
Hepatic: Cholestatic jaundice, hepatitis
Neuromuscular & skeletal: Lower motor neuron toxicity (prolonged therapy), lupus-like syndrome, peripheral neuropathy (rare, nonleprosy patients)
Ophthalmic: Blurred vision
Otic: Tinnitus
Renal: Albuminuria, nephrotic syndrome, renal papillary necrosis
Respiratory: Interstitial pneumonitis, pulmonary eosinophilia
Miscellaneous: Infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome (rash, fever, lymphadenopathy, hepatic dysfunction) –
