Pharmaceuticals/Chemicals
Ivermectin (oral tablets)
Also called Ivermectin · Stromectol
Ivermectin appears in some lifter discussions around skin or scalp problems and suspected parasites. Those are different questions from building muscle or losing fat. The useful starting point is the diagnosis and product: oral tablets, rosacea cream and an online “parasite cleanse” are not interchangeable.
Dosage & duration
US Stromectol oral-tablet label · indication-specific examples
Intestinal strongyloidiasis
Product label- Dose
- Approximately 200 mcg/kg
- How often
- Single oral dose
- How long
- Follow-up stool testing; retreatment if needed
Label dosing uses body-weight bands and 3 mg tablets. This is not a fixed amount for every adult.
Sources: 1
Onchocerciasis
Product label- Dose
- Approximately 150 mcg/kg
- How often
- Single oral dose per treatment
- How long
- Repeat treatment may be needed
It does not kill adult Onchocerca worms. The treating program or clinician determines follow-up.
Sources: 1
The label specifies an empty stomach with water. The 12 mg plot example is a study amount, not a recommendation for your weight or infection.
The practical difference
Oral tablets and rosacea cream differ
| Question | Oral tablets | Rosacea cream |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment scope | Certain diagnosed parasitic infections | Inflammatory lesions of rosacea |
| Product instructions | Specific to the infection and oral product | Topical use; not for swallowing |
Why might a lifter encounter ivermectin?
Some lifters encounter ivermectin while asking about skin or scalp complaints, suspected mites or a history of parasitic infection. These concerns can explain its appearance on an ancillary list; they do not establish a common muscle-building or cutting role.
Does the skin discussion mean oral ivermectin treats steroid acne or hair loss?
Those reported uses do not establish that. A topical ivermectin cream has a label for inflammatory rosacea lesions, which is a specific skin condition. Its evidence and instructions cannot simply be transferred to oral tablets, an acne outbreak or androgen-related hair loss. A skin/scalp diagnosis is more useful than assuming every bump or itch is a parasite.
What about a parasite cleanse?
Oral ivermectin treats certain identified infections. It does not cover every parasite, and the relevant amount and follow-up depend on which infection is present. Travel history and testing can be important; a change in training energy or digestion alone is not a diagnosis.
Why does the dose card use body weight?
It records the US tablet-label infection contexts. The correct amount is not a fixed daily addition to a bodybuilding stack. Some conditions need follow-up or retreatment, while others use a different medicine or product.
What should be mentioned before treatment?
The exact product, other medicines such as warfarin, and relevant travel or residence in areas with Loa loa. The oral label includes important neurological and infection-specific precautions.
Model details: Ivermectin (oral tablets) · relative timing
Compare timing and buildup for this compound. The values are not blood concentrations or a measure of strength.
Shows timing and dose scaling in relative units, not blood concentrations.
Timing assumptions and sources
US oral-tablet label: approximate 18 h plasma half-life and peak around 4 h after a fasting single 12 mg dose. These are simplified label timing values, not parasite-killing duration.
One 1 mg input peaks at 1 relative unit after a single dose. Other amounts scale proportionally; overlapping doses add when accumulation is on. Different compounds use separate relative scales.
- Timing half-life used
- 18 hours
- Absorption half-life assumed
- 0.8712821 hours
- Reference amount for the relative scale
- 1 mg
- Absorption is inferred to reproduce the stated peak time with the stated terminal rate; this is not a fitted source absorption parameter.
- A single 1 mg input has a peak of 1 relative unit by definition. Repeated-dose addition and linear scaling are mathematical assumptions; the example dose does not calibrate the curve.
- Different studies and fed states give substantially different timing/exposure. The model does not represent topical ivermectin or animal products.
- Matching label peaks and 18 h tail in one compartment overstates the matched FDA AUC 0–72; no absolute amplitude is assigned.
- DailyMed — Stromectol oral tablet label
US label revised September 2024; oral strongyloidiasis/onchocerciasis indications, weight-based doses, empty-stomach instructions, neurotoxicity/Loa loa warnings, warfarin interaction; healthy fasting 12 mg H2B1a plasma peaks 46.6 or 30.6 ng/mL around 4 h and approximate 18 h half-life.
- Duthaler et al. — oral ivermectin population pharmacokinetics
2019 original open-label study: 12 healthy adults, 12 mg Stromectol after high-fat breakfast; published two-compartment model includes six transit absorption compartments. Table 4 observed Cmax 70.7 ng/mL, Tmax 4.4 h, AUC∞ 1743.5 ng·h/mL, half-life 38.9 h. This fed study does not calibrate the fasting relative curve.
- FDA — ivermectin clinical pharmacology review
FDA review cross-references oral Stromectol NDA 050742: fasting 12 mg studies Cmax 46.6/30.6 ng/mL with AUC 0–72 726/513 ng·h/mL. Used to reject a misleading one-compartment absolute reconstruction.
ivermectin-oral-relative-2026-10 · version 1
Safety and interaction notes Read the limitations and discuss clinical questions with a professional
The label reports rare INR increases with warfarin and important neurotoxicity/Loa loa precautions. Review all medicines and relevant travel history.
Common questions
Is ivermectin a bodybuilding drug?
Some lifters ask about specific skin/scalp or parasite concerns. They do not establish a common anabolic, fat-loss or routine on-cycle role.
Can it stop steroid-related acne or hair loss?
That was not established by the evidence reviewed for this guide. The topical rosacea product has a different indication, and unverified demodex theories are not a diagnosis or hair-preservation result.
Are tablets and rosacea cream interchangeable?
No. Soolantra is a topical rosacea cream and is not for oral use. This entry covers oral-tablet timing and infection-specific dose context.
Is oral ivermectin also used for scabies?
Yes, clinicians use it for scabies off-label in the US. That is a separate diagnosis and treatment plan from the intestinal-worm examples on the label.
Should it be a daily parasite cleanse?
The reviewed oral label does not define a daily wellness cleanse. Its treatment amounts and follow-up depend on a named infection and body weight.
Sources Labels, studies and notes behind this guide
Catalog evidence: Human clinical trials. This describes the type of evidence, not a clinical review of every claim.
Summary and fact source checks: 2026-10-09. This records source checking, not medical review of the whole page.
Notes on the quick facts
- Why it appears on lists
- These questions explain some lifters’ interest; a performance-use pattern is not established.
- Key distinction
- Topical ivermectin has a rosacea indication; this page’s model and dose guide concern oral tablets.
- For oral treatment
- The infection determines the amount, course and follow-up.
- 1. DailyMed — Stromectol oral tablet label
US label revised September 2024; oral strongyloidiasis/onchocerciasis indications, weight-based doses, empty-stomach instructions, neurotoxicity/Loa loa warnings, warfarin interaction; healthy fasting 12 mg H2B1a plasma peaks 46.6 or 30.6 ng/mL around 4 h and approximate 18 h half-life.
- 2. DailyMed — Soolantra topical ivermectin cream label
Full label checked October 9, 2026; inflammatory lesions of rosacea, topical 1% cream, not for oral use. This is a different product/indication from the oral-tablet entry; no acne or hair-preservation indication is claimed.
- 3. CDC — clinical care of scabies
Oral ivermectin is used for scabies but is not FDA approved for that indication. CDC clinical guidance treats it separately from the two US tablet-label indications.
- 4. Duthaler et al. — oral ivermectin population pharmacokinetics
2019 original open-label study: 12 healthy adults, 12 mg Stromectol after high-fat breakfast; published two-compartment model includes six transit absorption compartments. Table 4 observed Cmax 70.7 ng/mL, Tmax 4.4 h, AUC∞ 1743.5 ng·h/mL, half-life 38.9 h. This fed study does not calibrate the fasting relative curve.
- 5. FDA — ivermectin clinical pharmacology review
FDA review cross-references oral Stromectol NDA 050742: fasting 12 mg studies Cmax 46.6/30.6 ng/mL with AUC 0–72 726/513 ng·h/mL. Used to reject a misleading one-compartment absolute reconstruction.
- 6. MedlinePlus — ivermectin
Patient-facing source for intestinal strongyloidiasis/river blindness, single-dose oral use and follow-up; helps establish practical search questions.
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