Levamisole in Nephrotic Syndrome

Steroids drugs are the most widely prescribed drugs to treat both adult and children nephrotic syndrome. Though steroids are effective and patients often can have quick relief, it can not solve the root problem and long term intake of steroids can cause a series of side effects and harms to the patients. Symptoms often reoccur once the drug is stopped or the dosage is reduced. What is more, some patients will become resistant to the steroid drugs, therefore more effective medications and drugs are needed.

Levamisole is often the preferred alternative medicine for nephrotic syndrome patients. Compared with traditional steroid therapy, levamisole has many advantages. Long term use of high-dose prednisolone can make the patient’s immune system even weaker and make patients more susceptible to various infections and viruses. Different from steroids, levamisole is an immunostimulant and it can help regulate the patient’s immune disorders and dysfunctions so as to enhance the patient’s immune system conditions.

Levamisole is usually used if the patients have recurrent relapse or need frequent treatment with steroids or the patients have developed resistance to steroids. Levamisole has been proved to be effective at maintaining a steroid-free remission for nephrotic syndrome patients. It has been studied that the dosage of prednisolone can be significantly reduced after taking levamisole and it can be even totally stopped without worrying about the relapse of proteinuria, swelling, high blood pressure or the worsening of illness conditions.

Another advantage of using levamisole to treat nephrotic syndrome is that it has few side effects if they are taken under the doctor’s guidance with the proper dosage and methods. Doctors have recommended that levamisole should be taken every other day and it is better to have the drug at about the same time at each day.

Some mild side effects have been reported after taking levamisole including gastrointestinal disorders, headache, dizziness, etc. But often they are not very serious. If you are experiencing unbearable side effects, go to see your doctor and check if you are taking too much of the levamisole or is it necessary to change for other drugs.