Metro for how long?

[waterchanger]

I am still not sure how long I should treat with metronidazole as I keep getting conflicting information. I also suspect that relapses my fish experienced were due to insufficient treatment (time, concentrtion or both).

Metro is an antibiotic and most antibiotics should be given for 10 days (I have metro tablets 500 mg and the description states that it should be given at a dose of 250 mg/40 L for 20 days). Nevertheless, I read recommendations ranging from 3 days straight to 5 days every other day.

Anyone aware of the most recent recommendation backed up by research?

Thanks

[ILLUSN]

Metro dosage is 250mg/10L given as a 48hr bath for 3 consecutive cycles with a water change (30-50%) inbetween each.

no reserch to back it up, just a few sick fish over the years.

better results occure when used food. 1g/100g fed 2x daily for 5 days.

samir had a good papper on metro and its effect on Spironucleus vortens in fresh water fish. PM me with your email address and I'll send it to you.

[fishgeek]

i'll second the 25mgs/l dosage , out of a veterinary medicine text on fish
and 48 hrs repeat dose 3 times

[waterchanger]

Thanks,

that's what I have done in the past and for even longer time periods. Unfortunately, my fish experienced relapses. I was getting curious as metro is used inpatients but for 7 - 10 days. I also got recommendations that suggest the same scheme as you did to be repeated a week later ... to catch the 'left over' bugs.

In humans it is supposed to be administered for at least 7 days, not to be interrupted by any means or discontinued. I guess I will go for this time frame.

[fishgeek]

humans arent dose every other day, humans are endothermic... trying to extrapolate dose's from species to species is fallacy

relapse maybe related to misdiagnosis , what methodolgy did you use for determining that metronidazol was the appropriate treatment?

fish medicine is frustrating becasue we often dont have diagnosis and therefore cant give an accurate treatment protocol nor prognosis

80% of mammalian patients self cure as long as they have the correct enviroment.. i would guess that it is vewry similar in fish


andrew

[waterchanger]

Well, what you try to do is getting rid off the parasite and not the patient (I still try to do it this way ...). Translates to that all matters is how quick the patient metabolizes the drug which determines the dosage and the time frame. Metro is not stable in aquaeous solution and if exposed to light.
got the bug with new fish despite quarantine, see former posts. The drug was chosen as the appropriate treatment based on symptoms (literature, expereinced hobbyist) and the fish did respond positive within short time (24 hours). The relapses came weeks later probably due to parasites not completely eradicated.

Okay, just read the spironucleus link suggested by Merrylin: 3 days is only sufficient in mild cases, when relapse occurs treat for 10 days.