Paromomycin is an antimicrobial used to treat a number of parasitic infections including amebiasis, giardiasis, leishmaniasis, and tapeworm infection. It is a first line treatment for amebiasis or giardiasis during pregnancy. Otherwise it is generally a second line treatment option. It is used by mouth, applied to the skin, or by injection into a muscle.Common side effects when taken by mouth include loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. When applied to the skin side effects include itchiness, redness, and blisters. When given by injection there may be fever, liver problems, or hearing loss. Use during breastfeeding appears to be safe. Paromomycin is in the aminoglycoside family of medications and causes microbe death by stopping the creation of bacterial proteins.Paromomycin was discovered in the 1950s from a type of streptomyces and came into medical use in 1960. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. Paromomycin is available as a generic medication. In India the injectable form is about 4.19 to 8.38 pounds for a course of treatment as of 2007. In the United States a typical course of treatment is more than US$200 as of 2015.
belongs to the class of organic compounds known as 4,5-disubstituted 2-deoxystreptamines. These are 2-deoxystreptamine aminoglycosides that are glycosidically linked to a pyranose of furanose unit at the C4- and C5-positions.
