| Luminal amebicides | | |
| Paromomycin (Humatin) | Seven-day treatment course; may be useful during pregnancy | Frequent GI disturbances; rare ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity; expensive |
| Iodoquinol (Yodoxin) | Inexpensive and effective | 20-day treatment course; contains iodine; rare optic neuritis and atrophy with prolonged use |
| Diloxanide furoate (Furamide) | Alternative to paromomycin if unable to tolerate | Available in United States only from the CDC; frequent GI disturbances; rare diplopia; contraindicated in pregnant women |
| For invasive intestinal disease only | | |
| Tetracycline, erythromycin | Alternative to metronidazole (Flagyl) if unable to tolerate | Not active for liver abscesses; frequent GI disturbances; tetracycline should not be administered to children or pregnant women; must be used with luminal agent |
| For invasive intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis | |
| Metronidazole | Drug of choice for amebic colitis and liver abscess | Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and metallic taste in nearly one third of patients at dosages used; disulfiram-like reaction with alcohol; rare seizures |
| Chloroquine (Aralen) | Useful only for amebic liver abscess | Occasional headache, pruritus, nausea, alopecia, and myalgias; rare heart block and irreversible retinal injury |