1 May 2026Oral drugsSource update: October 2023
Dapsone oral
Dapsone guidance for pneumocystosis and toxoplasmosis prophylaxis, pneumocystosis treatment, and leprosy combination therapy.
Prescription under medical supervision
This guide page is for structured reference only and does not replace a clinician, pharmacist, or emergency review. Dose choice, route choice, interactions, and safety decisions still need professional judgment.
Therapeutic action
Sulfone antibacterial, antileprotic.
Indications
Due to the numerous and potentially severe adverse effects of dapsone, patients should be kept under close surveillance.
- Prophylaxis of toxoplasmosis and pneumocystosis, in combination with pyrimethamine and folinic acid.
- Treatment of pneumocystosis, in combination with trimethoprim.
- Paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy, in combination with rifampicin and clofazimine.
Forms and strengths
- 50 mg and 100 mg tablets.
Dose
Prophylaxis of pneumocystosis only
- Child: 2 mg/kg once daily, maximum 100 mg daily.
- Adult: 100 mg once daily.
Prophylaxis of toxoplasmosis and pneumocystosis
- Child: 2 mg/kg once daily, maximum 25 mg daily.
- Adult: 200 mg once weekly or 50 mg once daily.
Treatment of pneumocystosis
- Child: 2 mg/kg once daily, maximum 100 mg daily.
- Adult: 100 mg once daily.
Paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy
- Child under 10 years: 2 mg/kg once daily.
- Child from 10 to 14 years: 50 mg once daily.
- Child 15 years and over and adult: 100 mg once daily.
Duration
- Prophylaxis of toxoplasmosis and pneumocystosis: as long as necessary.
- Treatment of pneumocystosis: 21 days.
- Paucibacillary leprosy: 6 months.
- Multibacillary leprosy: 12 months.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not administer to patients with allergy to sulfones or severe anaemia before anaemia is treated.
- Administer with caution to patients with renal or hepatic impairment.
- May cause haemolytic anaemia in patients with G6PD deficiency, dose-related haemolytic anaemia, neutropenia, methaemoglobinaemia, pruritus, rash, gastrointestinal disturbances, peripheral neuropathies, and agranulocytosis.
- Hypersensitivity reactions during the first month of treatment require permanent discontinuation.
- Monitor blood count and transaminases if possible.
- Monitor combination with zidovudine because haematological toxicity increases.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication.
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page reproduces the structured reference information for this batch while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections.
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