Treatment

Trichinosis usually isn't serious and often gets better on its own, usually within a few months. However, fatigue, mild pain, weakness and diarrhea may linger for months or years. Your doctor may prescribe medications depending on your symptoms and the severity of infection.

• Anti-parasitic medication. Anti-parasitic medication is the first line of treatment for trichinosis. If the trichinella parasite is discovered early, albendazole (Albenza) or mebendazole (Emverm) can be effective in eliminating the worms and larvae in the intestine. You may have mild gastrointestinal side effects during the course of treatment.

  If the disease is discovered after the larvae bury themselves in muscle tissues, the benefit of anti-parasitic medications is less certain. Your doctor might prescribe one if you have central nervous system, cardiac or respiratory problems as a result of the invasion.

• Pain relievers. After muscle invasion, your doctor may prescribe pain relievers to help relieve muscle aches. Eventually, the larvae cysts in your muscles tend to calcify, resulting in destruction of the larvae and the end of muscle aches and fatigue.
• Corticosteroids. Some cases of trichinosis cause allergic reactions when the parasite enters muscle tissue or when dead or dying larvae release chemicals in your muscle tissue. Your doctor might prescribe a corticosteroid to control inflammation.