Dapsone Side Effects Center

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Medical Editor: John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

What Is Dapsone?

Dapsone is an antibacterial medication used in the treatment of dermatitis herpetiformis (a skin condition) and leprosy (Hansen's disease).

What Are Side Effects of Dapsone?

Common side effects of dapsone include:

nausea,
vomiting,
loss of appetite,
dizziness,
blurred vision,
ringing in the ears,
headache,
insomnia, or
increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight.

Tell your doctor if you have unlikely but serious side effects of dapsone including:

unusually fast heartbeat,
unusually fast breathing,
bluish lips or skin,
chest pain,
mental/mood changes,
muscle weakness, or
difficulty urinating.

Dosage for Dapsone?

The dosage of Dapsone is individually adjusted starting in adults with 50 mg daily and correspondingly smaller doses in children. If full control is not achieved within the range of 50-300 mg daily, higher doses may be tried. Dosage should be reduced to a minimum maintenance level as soon as possible.

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Dapsone?

Other drugs can interact with Dapsone, especially those that may also affect the blood. Tell your doctor all prescription or over-the-counter medicines and supplements you use.

Dapsone During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

During pregnancy, Dapsone should be used only when prescribed. This medication passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Additional Information

Our Dapsone Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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Dapsone Consumer Information

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

worsening or no improvement in your symptoms;
jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
numbness or tingling in your hands or feet;
unusual thoughts or behavior;
new or worsening cough, fever, trouble breathing;
swelling, rapid weight gain, little or no urinating;
signs of abnormal blood cell counts--sudden weakness or ill feeling, fever, chills, sore throat, mouth sores, red or swollen gums, trouble swallowing, pale skin, easy bruising, purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;
pancreas problems--severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate;
an autoimmune disorder--joint pain or swelling with fever, headaches, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, and butterfly-shaped skin rash on your cheeks and nose that worsens in sunlight; or
severe skin reaction--fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.

Common side effects may include:

stomach pain, nausea, vomiting;
headache;
dizziness or spinning sensation;
blurred vision, ringing in your ears; or
sleep problems (insomnia).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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Dapsone Professional Information

SIDE EFFECTS

In addition to the warnings listed above, the following syndromes and serious reactions have been reported in patients on dapsone.

Hematologic Effects

Dose-related hemolysis is the most common adverse effect and is seen in patients with or without G6PD deficiency. Almost all patients demonstrate the inter-related changes of a loss of 1 to 2 g of hemoglobin, an increase in the reticulocytes (2 to 12%), a shortened red cell life span and a rise in methemoglobin. G6PD deficient patients have greater responses.

Nervous System Effects

Peripheral neuropathy is a definite but unusual complication of dapsone therapy in non-leprosy patients. Motor loss is predominant. If muscle weakness appears, dapsone should be withdrawn. Recovery on withdrawal is usually substantially complete. The mechanism of recovery is reported by axonal regeneration. Some recovered patients have tolerated retreatment at reduced dosage. In leprosy this complication may be difficult to distinguish from a leprosy reactional state.

Body As A Whole

In addition to the warnings and adverse effects reported above, additional adverse reactions include: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains, pancreatitis, vertigo, blurred vision, tinnitus, insomnia, fever, headache, psychosis, phototoxicity, pulmonary eosinophilia, tachycardia, albuminuria, the nephrotic syndrome, hypoalbuminemia without proteinuria, renal papillary necrosis, male infertility, drug-induced Lupus erythematosus and an infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome. In general, with the exception of the complications of severe anoxia from overdosage (retinal and optic nerve damage, etc.) these adverse reactions have regressed off drug.

Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Dapsone (Dapsone)