Pinworm Treatment: OTC Pyrantel vs Mebendazole vs Albendazole, Doses, the 2 Week Repeat and Household Rules

Pinworm treatment in the US comes down to three medicines and two rules. The medicines are pyrantel pamoate (sold over the counter), mebendazole (prescription) and albendazole (prescription, and used off-label for pinworm in the US). The rules, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are to take a second dose two weeks after the first and to treat everyone in the household at the same time. Skipping either one is the usual reason pinworm comes back.

This guide covers pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) only: how to confirm it, the dose of each medicine, what the US labels say next to CDC's advice, how well the drugs work, the hygiene steps for the two weeks after treatment, children under 2, pregnancy, cost and what to do when it keeps returning. If you are not sure which worm you have, start with our intestinal worms treatment guide, which goes worm by worm. SafeRxPills sells some of the medicines named here, so we have a commercial interest. Every dose and number below comes from CDC, US labels on DailyMed, the Indian Zentel prescribing information, FDA's Drugs@FDA database, the US Code of Federal Regulations, Medicaid NADAC data or PubMed, listed under Sources. Your doctor or pharmacist decides your treatment.

Pinworm treatment in short

Question	Answer, with source
Which medicines?	Mebendazole, pyrantel pamoate or albendazole (CDC)
Which is over the counter?	Pyrantel pamoate only. CDC: mebendazole and albendazole "are available for prescription to treat pinworm"
How many doses?	Two, with the second dose two weeks after the first (CDC)
Who takes it?	The infected person, their caretakers and household members, at the same time (CDC)
What else?	Handwashing, morning baths, short nails and hot washing of bedding and night clothes for two weeks after the last dose (CDC)
How is it confirmed?	A tape test on three mornings in a row, or seeing the worms (CDC)

Why pinworm needs its own plan

CDC calls pinworm the most common worm infection in the United States. It mostly affects school-aged and preschool-aged children, people in institutional settings, and the household members and caretakers of people with pinworm. Symptoms are usually mild and some people have none. The typical symptom is itching around the anus, because female worms leave the intestine at night and lay their eggs on the surrounding skin. Some people sleep badly or feel restless, and CDC notes that scratching can lead to a bacterial skin infection.

Pinworm differs from other worms in one way that shapes the whole treatment: it spreads from person to person through eggs, not through soil like roundworm or hookworm. CDC says the eggs become able to infect someone two to three hours after they are laid. They reach the mouth on fingers that have scratched, from fingernails, or from diapers, clothes, bedding, food and other objects. A tablet clears the worms in the gut, but it cannot remove eggs already on the skin, under nails or in the bed. That is why treatment pairs medicine with a clean-up, and why it is given twice.

Confirm it is pinworm first

CDC lists three ways a provider can diagnose pinworm, with your help:

• Look for the worms on the skin near the anus 2 to 3 hours after the person falls asleep. The worms may also be seen on clothes or bedding around this time. The OTC pyrantel package insert describes them as looking "like tiny white threads", with the female about half an inch long.
• The tape test. Press the sticky side of clear tape against the skin near the anus first thing in the morning, before the person washes, uses the toilet or gets dressed, on three mornings in a row. The tape goes into a sealed container and eggs are looked for under a microscope. A provider may suggest a commercial "paddle" kit instead.
• Check under the fingernails for eggs, since people with pinworm usually scratch.

CDC's clinical page adds that stool samples, urine samples and swabs usually do not contain enough worms or eggs to detect, and that there are no blood tests for pinworm. This matters for OTC buyers: the federal rule for OTC pinworm products requires the package insert to say that pinworms must be visually identified before taking the medicine, and the Drug Facts insert we checked says to treat "only after you have seen and identified the pinworms."

The three pinworm medicines CDC lists

CDC's clinical overview for health care providers (page dated 20 February 2024) gives one dosing table for adults and children:

Drug	CDC dose, adults and children	CDC notes	US status
Pyrantel pamoate	11 mg/kg by mouth (maximum 1 g); repeat in two weeks	Oral suspension, capsules or chewable tablets	Over the counter
Mebendazole	100 mg by mouth; repeat in two weeks	None	Prescription (Emverm 100 mg chewable)
Albendazole	400 mg by mouth once; repeat in two weeks	Take on an empty stomach	Prescription; pinworm is not on the US label

CDC treats the three as options rather than ranking them. The sections below go through each one as its US label describes it, because the labels and CDC do not always say the same thing.

Pinworm treatment over the counter: pyrantel pamoate

Pyrantel pamoate is the one pinworm medicine you can buy without a prescription in the US. It is sold under the federal OTC monograph for anthelmintic drug products, 21 CFR part 357 subpart B, which names pyrantel pamoate as the only active ingredient and sets the wording on the box. The required indication is "For the treatment of pinworms." The rule also allows professional labeling (for doctors, not the public) to add roundworm, but the consumer box covers pinworm only.

Products come as chewable tablets of 720.5 mg pyrantel pamoate (equal to 250 mg pyrantel base) and as liquid suspension of 144 mg pyrantel pamoate per mL (50 mg pyrantel base per mL). Doses are always counted in pyrantel base. The Drug Facts labels we read say the medicine can be taken at any time of day, with or without meals, alone or with milk or fruit juice, and that a laxative is not needed before, during or after.

OTC pyrantel dose by body weight

The monograph dose is a single dose of 5 mg of pyrantel base per pound (11 mg per kg), not more than 1 gram, for adults and children aged 2 and over. The rule converts that into weight bands, and each product label turns the bands into tablets or teaspoons:

Body weight	Pyrantel base (21 CFR 357.150)	250 mg chewable tablets	50 mg/mL suspension
Under 25 lb or under 2 years	Do not use unless directed by a doctor
25 to 37 lb	125 mg	Half a tablet	Half a teaspoonful
38 to 62 lb	250 mg	1 tablet	1 teaspoonful
63 to 87 lb	375 mg	1.5 tablets	1.5 teaspoonfuls
88 to 112 lb	500 mg	2 tablets	2 teaspoonfuls
113 to 137 lb	625 mg	2.5 tablets	2.5 teaspoonfuls
138 to 162 lb	750 mg	3 tablets	3 teaspoonfuls
163 to 187 lb	875 mg	3.5 tablets	3.5 teaspoonfuls
188 lb and over	1,000 mg	4 tablets	4 teaspoonfuls

Check the strength on your own product before dosing: the tablet and teaspoon columns above apply only to 250 mg chewables and 50 mg/mL suspension. For a wider look at what else is and is not sold over the counter, see our guide to dewormers for humans.

The two-week repeat: where CDC and the OTC box differ

CDC's advice is two doses, two weeks apart, for every pinworm drug. In CDC's words: "The medications kill worms but cannot kill eggs. The second dose is important to prevent infection by newly hatched adult worms that were not killed by the first treatment because they were still eggs."

The OTC pyrantel label says something different. The monograph wording, printed on the Drug Facts labels we read, is to take it "one time as a single dose; do not repeat treatment unless directed by a doctor." The Emverm label gives mebendazole for pinworm as "1 tablet once" and says that if the patient is not cured three weeks after treatment, a second course is advised. The Indian prescribing information for Zentel (albendazole) has the same three-week wording.

In practice, the two-week repeat is CDC's guidance for clinicians, and the OTC box asks you to repeat only on a doctor's direction. If you are using OTC pyrantel and plan the CDC schedule, ask a doctor or pharmacist to confirm it. Mark the date of the second dose for everyone in the household on the day you take the first.

Mebendazole for pinworms

The only mebendazole product listed as currently marketed in Drugs@FDA is Emverm, a 100 mg chewable tablet sold by prescription. Vermox 100 mg and Vermox 500 mg chewables are listed as discontinued. The Emverm label (Amneal, revised August 2021) covers patients 2 years and older with pinworm, whipworm, roundworm or hookworm. For pinworm the dose is one 100 mg tablet once, the same for adults and children. The tablet may be chewed, swallowed, or crushed and mixed with food, and no fasting or purging is needed.

Most of the dose stays in the gut, where it acts. The label says plasma levels after 100 mg twice daily for three days do not exceed 0.03 mcg/mL, and the elimination half-life is 3 to 6 hours in most patients. Mebendazole works by blocking tubulin formation in the worm, which disrupts its glucose uptake and leads to immobilization and death of the worm.

Emverm's label has three warnings that apply to a pinworm course:

• Convulsions in infants: convulsions have been reported in infants below 1 year during post-marketing use. Safety and effectiveness below age 2 have not been established.
• Metronidazole: Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis have been reported when mebendazole and metronidazole were used together. The label says to avoid using them together. If you are on metronidazole, see our note on metronidazole and tell your prescriber.
• Blood counts: agranulocytosis and neutropenia have been reported at higher doses and longer courses than used for intestinal worms.

Emverm is contraindicated in people with a known hypersensitivity to mebendazole or its ingredients. For mebendazole beyond pinworm, see mebendazole for worms, and for other worm infections our intestinal parasites page.

Albendazole for pinworms: off-label in the US

Albendazole is on CDC's pinworm list at 400 mg once, repeated in two weeks, taken on an empty stomach. The US label is narrower. The current US albendazole tablet label on DailyMed (Edenbridge, effective July 2026) lists two indications only: neurocysticercosis and cystic hydatid disease. Pinworm is not among them, so albendazole for pinworm is off-label in the US. Brand Albenza is listed as discontinued in Drugs@FDA, and the US products are generic 200 mg tablets.

Outside the US, pinworm is on the label. The Indian prescribing information for GSK's Zentel (revised 8 July 2026) gives 400 mg as a single dose for pinworm in adults and children over 2 years.

The US label's warnings were written for long courses of up to 28 days at a time, not a single pinworm dose, but they still apply to the drug. It is contraindicated in people with known hypersensitivity to the benzimidazole class. It warns of bone marrow suppression, including fatalities from granulocytopenia or pancytopenia, says it may cause fetal harm, recommends a pregnancy test for females of reproductive potential, and advises effective contraception during treatment and for 3 days after the final dose. For a full side-by-side of the two benzimidazoles, see mebendazole vs albendazole for worms, and for albendazole doses in other infections, our albendazole dosage guide.

How well pinworm medicines work

Good head-to-head pinworm trials are scarce. A 2019 review in Deutsches Arzteblatt International (Wendt and colleagues) found no large-scale randomized controlled treatment trials and reported success rates "up to >90%" for the drugs approved in Germany (mebendazole, pyrantel and pyrvinium). The Emverm label reports a mean cure rate of 95% for pinworm, from various studies, without naming them.

The most recent randomized trial we found was published in Indian Pediatrics in 2026 (Renuka Devi and colleagues). It enrolled 126 children aged 2 to 12 with confirmed pinworm and gave albendazole 400 mg, mebendazole 100 mg or pyrantel pamoate 11 mg/kg, each repeated after two weeks, with hygiene advice for every family. It used new symptom-based scores for remission (worms cleared) and recurrence (no return of worms after remission).

Drug (two doses, 2 weeks apart)	Top remission score	Top no-recurrence score
Albendazole 400 mg	70.5%	69%
Mebendazole 100 mg	59.5%	97.6%
Pyrantel pamoate 11 mg/kg	67.5%	82.1%
P value	0.483 (no significant difference)	0.010

The authors concluded the three drugs were similar at clearing worms and that mebendazole was better at preventing recurrence. Hygiene mattered too: of the 113 children whose families practiced proper hygiene, 102 (90.3%) had no recurrence. The trial was open-label, run in Karaikal, Puducherry, and used new scores, so it is one data point rather than a settled ranking.

Side effects to expect

Drug	What the label lists
Pyrantel pamoate (OTC)	Abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache or dizziness sometimes occur; consult a doctor if they persist
Mebendazole (Emverm)	Anorexia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, rash in clinical trials; post-marketing reports (with other mebendazole formulations and doses) include hypersensitivity, convulsions, hepatitis and serious skin reactions
Albendazole (US label)	Label adverse reaction data come from long courses for tapeworm cyst diseases; warnings include bone marrow suppression, liver enzyme rises and fetal harm

The OTC pyrantel label also says to ask a doctor before use if you are pregnant or have liver disease, to consult a doctor if worms other than pinworms are present, and to consult a doctor if symptoms or pinworms are still present after treatment.

Treat the whole household at the same time

CDC says pinworm infections often occur in more than one person in a household, and repeat infections are common. Its advice is to "treat everyone in the same household and caregivers of the person diagnosed with pinworms at the same time," with the same two-dose treatment. The OTC pyrantel label says the same thing in its own words: "treat the entire household unless otherwise advised." The 2019 German review goes further and names sexual partners as part of the household that needs treating.

Plan the doses so everyone takes the first dose on the same day and the second dose on the same day two weeks later. Each person needs a dose matched to their own weight (for pyrantel) or age (children under 2 need a doctor's advice for every drug). In childcare centers and other facilities, CDC says mass and simultaneous treatment, repeated in two weeks, can be effective.

Hygiene for the two weeks after the last dose

CDC's prevention page (dated 29 April 2026) says everyone in the household should follow these steps for two weeks after the last treatment dose:

• Wash hands often with soap and warm water, especially after using the toilet, after changing diapers, after touching people who have pinworm or handling items they have used, and before handling food.
• Avoid scratching the area around the anus and avoid biting nails.
• Keep fingernails clean and short. Trim and scrub them after treatment.
• Bathe every morning and change underwear, to remove eggs laid overnight.
• Have children bathe separately, and take a shower instead of a tub bath, because tub water can spread pinworm.
• Do not share or reuse washcloths.
• Change night clothes, underwear, washcloths, towels and bedding often, and avoid shaking them.
• Wash those items in hot water of at least 130°F and dry them in a hot dryer. CDC says the heat helps kill pinworm eggs.

The OTC pyrantel package insert adds a few household steps of its own: wear tight underpants day and night, vacuum or damp-mop the bedroom floor for several days after treatment, and keep toilet seats clean.

How long pinworm eggs survive

CDC says that if objects are not properly washed or cleaned, pinworm eggs can survive 2 to 3 weeks on them. The pyrantel package insert says deposited eggs "can survive for as long as 3 weeks." That window is the reason the clean-up runs for two weeks after the last dose rather than stopping after the first.

Life cycle fact	Figure	Source
Eggs become infective after being laid	2 to 3 hours	CDC, About Pinworm Infection
Swallowed egg to egg-laying adult female	About one month	CDC DPDx, Enterobiasis
Adult worm life span	About two months	CDC DPDx
Adult female length	8 to 13 mm	CDC DPDx
Egg survival on objects	2 to 3 weeks	CDC, About Pinworm Infection

CDC also says eggs can rarely float in the air and be breathed in and swallowed. On the reassuring side, CDC says you are extremely unlikely to catch pinworm in a swimming pool, and you cannot catch it from pets or give it to them. CDC DPDx says humans are considered the only host.

Pinworm treatment for children and toddlers under 2

Pinworm is mostly a childhood infection, and all three drugs are used in children, but each has an age floor on its label:

Drug	Label or CDC wording on young children
Pyrantel (OTC)	Under 25 lb or under 2 years: "Do not use unless directed by a doctor"
Mebendazole (Emverm)	Safety and effectiveness not established under 2 years; convulsions reported under 1 year
Albendazole	CDC: safety under 6 years "is not certain"; studies in children as young as one year suggest it is safe. Zentel India: pinworm dose for adults and children over 2

CDC's overall advice is that health practitioners and parents should weigh the health risks and benefits of these drugs for patients under two years of age. For a baby or toddler, see a doctor rather than dosing from the box. The Emverm label allows the tablet to be crushed and mixed with food, which helps with small children who are old enough to take it.

Pinworm treatment in pregnancy and breastfeeding

CDC says the safety of pinworm drugs has not been studied in pregnant women. Its advice: if the infection is compromising the pregnancy (for example weight loss or sleeplessness), treatment can be considered, but it should be withheld until the third trimester, when any risk to the fetus is likely to be reduced. Until then, the hygiene steps above are the main tool.

• Pyrantel: the Drug Facts labels we read say to ask a doctor before use if you are pregnant. The federal monograph's required warning is worded more strongly: "If you are pregnant or have liver disease, do not take this product unless directed by a doctor."
• Mebendazole: the Emverm label says published studies have not reported a clear association with major birth defects or miscarriage, but studies in pregnant rats showed harm at single doses as low as about half the maximum recommended human daily dose.
• Albendazole: the US label says it may cause fetal harm. The Indian Zentel information lists pregnancy as a contraindication: it "should not be administered during pregnancy, or in women thought to be pregnant."

Breastfeeding advice differs by source. CDC says breastfeeding should not be withheld during mebendazole therapy, because only about 2% to 10% of an oral dose is absorbed and amounts in milk are below the level of detection. The Emverm prescribing information (section 8.2) uses benefit-risk wording: it says a small amount of mebendazole is present in human milk, there are no reports of effects on the breastfed infant, and the benefits of breastfeeding should be weighed against the mother's need for the drug. Only the Emverm patient leaflet says "Do not breastfeed while taking EMVERM." If you are breastfeeding, ask the prescriber which advice applies to you.

When pinworm keeps coming back

Repeat infection is common, and in most cases it is reinfection from eggs in the home rather than a drug that failed. Before treating again, check the basics:

• Did everyone in the household and every caregiver take both doses, on the same days?
• Was the second dose taken two weeks after the first?
• Did the household keep up morning baths, short nails, handwashing and hot laundry for two full weeks after the last dose?
• Could a child be picking it up again at school or childcare? CDC notes repeat infections are common among playmates there.

For infections that keep returning despite this, the 2019 German review says a prolonged "pulse scheme" of up to 16 weeks is recommended, and a 2026 narrative review in Frontiers in Public Health says extended pulse regimens may be considered in selected cases, while noting that the evidence comes mainly from experience and expert consensus rather than randomized trials. That is a decision for a doctor, not a home plan.

What pinworm treatment costs US pharmacies

The National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), published by CMS, is roughly what US pharmacies pay for a drug before markup. It is not what you pay at the counter. Rates are from the NADAC file dated 28 October 2026. OTC pyrantel suspension 50 mg/mL (store brands) has a NADAC rate of $0.20449 per mL, effective 21 October 2026. An adult of 138 to 162 lb takes 15 mL per dose under the monograph table, so a two-dose course is 30 mL, about $6.13.

Product	NADAC per tablet	Two-dose course, one person	Two-dose course, household of 4
Emverm (mebendazole) 100 mg chewable, 2 tablets per person	$711.94789	$1,423.90	$5,695.58
Albendazole 200 mg, 4 tablets per person (off-label for pinworm)	$4.12540	$16.50	$66.01

The gap is large because Emverm is the only mebendazole product listed as marketed in Drugs@FDA, while albendazole 200 mg has several generic makers. A household of four on Emverm needs eight tablets at a pharmacy cost of $5,695.58 before any markup. Insurance coverage, coupons and pharmacy prices vary, so ask your pharmacist for the actual price. For more on US albendazole prices, see is albendazole over the counter in the US.

Pinworm medicines we sell and their prices

SafeRxPills is operated by Actiza Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd. (as stated on our About page) and sells Indian-made mebendazole, albendazole and pyrantel. These are not the US-approved products described above. Prices are from our product listings as of 27 October 2026:

Product (maker)	Medicine	Pack and price	Per tablet
Mebex 100 mg (Cipla)	Mebendazole 100 mg	30 tablets $9.20; 60 tablets $16.40; 90 tablets $22.20	$0.31; $0.27; $0.25
Lupimeb 100 mg (Lupin)	Mebendazole 100 mg	60 tablets $20.50; 90 tablets $27.75; 120 tablets $34.50	$0.34; $0.31; $0.29
Zentel 400 mg (GSK India)	Albendazole 400 mg	6 tablets $15.00; 12 tablets $24.00; 24 tablets $40.00	$2.50; $2.00; $1.67
Aldol 400 mg (HAB)	Albendazole 400 mg	50 tablets $45.00; 100 tablets $80.00; 200 tablets $150.00	$0.90; $0.80; $0.75

A two-dose pinworm course is 2 tablets per person for mebendazole 100 mg or albendazole 400 mg, so each pack covers at least three people's two-dose course (the 6-tablet Zentel pack covers three people; the other packs cover a household of four several times over). We also list Nemocid 250 mg (pyrantel, Ipca). For our longer mebendazole buying guide, see buy mebendazole online in the USA.

Importing prescription pinworm medicine into the US

Mebendazole and albendazole are prescription drugs in the US. On importing medicines for personal use, the FDA's personal importation page says: "In most circumstances, it is illegal for individuals to import drugs or devices into the U.S. for personal use because these products purchased from other countries often have not been approved by the FDA for use and sale in the U.S." The same page describes situations in which FDA personnel "may consider a more permissive decision," and says the FDA recommends obtaining medicines only from legal sources in the US. Read the FDA personal importation page and check the rules that apply to your own situation before ordering. OTC pyrantel is available at US pharmacies without a prescription.

When to see a doctor

• The person is under 2 years old or weighs under 25 lb.
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have liver disease.
• You have not seen the worms or had a positive tape test, and are not sure it is pinworm.
• Worms other than pinworms are present, or symptoms or worms remain after treatment (OTC label).
• Itching or irritation in the vaginal area: CDC says pinworms occasionally move there and cause irritation and inflammation.
• Scratched skin looks red, swollen or infected.
• Pinworm keeps coming back after a full household course with the two-week repeat.
• Anyone in the household takes metronidazole and a mebendazole prescription is being considered.

Related guides

• Intestinal worms treatment, worm by worm
• Dewormer for humans: OTC and prescription options
• Antiparasitic drugs list
• Mebendazole vs albendazole for worms
• Mebendazole for worms
• Albendazole dosage for adults and children
• Zentel (albendazole) guide

Sources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clinical Overview of Pinworm Infection (20 February 2024); About Pinworm Infection (9 September 2024); Preventing Pinworm Infection (29 April 2026); Diagnosing Pinworms (20 February 2024). Accessed 27 October 2026.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DPDx: Enterobiasis. Accessed 27 October 2026.
3. Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR part 357 subpart B, Anthelmintic Drug Products (sections 357.110, 357.150, 357.152, 357.180), eCFR current to 23 October 2026.
4. Pinworm Medicine (pyrantel pamoate) chewable tablets 250 mg base, OTC Drug Facts and package insert, Bionpharma, 2026 (DailyMed setid 5799a28e-4803-b192-e063-6294a90a53d7).
5. Pinworm Treatment (pyrantel pamoate) suspension 50 mg base per mL, OTC Drug Facts, Bionpharma, 2026 (DailyMed setid 3cf96d04-e8bc-31af-e063-6294a90a0db8); Pinworm Medicine suspension, Reese Pharmaceutical (DailyMed setid f23d5092-48ca-46c4-830a-c34d0a3a7f57).
6. EMVERM (mebendazole) chewable tablets 100 mg, US prescribing information and patient information, Amneal, Rev. 08-2021 (DailyMed setid a8c46363-f739-4f6e-bca8-1ce5e8d3f78d).
7. Albendazole tablets 200 mg, US prescribing information, Edenbridge, effective July 2026 (DailyMed setid 6c48fd89-cb40-477c-8a78-15cbe0df6faa).
8. ZENTEL (albendazole) prescribing information, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd, India, version ZEN/PI/IN/2026/01, revised 8 July 2026.
9. US Food and Drug Administration. Drugs@FDA via openFDA, mebendazole and albendazole products, accessed 27 October 2026; Personal Importation page, accessed 27 October 2026.
10. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) 2026 dataset, data.medicaid.gov, file dated 28 October 2026: Emverm 100 mg chewable tablet, albendazole 200 mg tablet, and FT and GNP Pinworm Treatment 50 mg/mL (pyrantel) suspension.
11. Renuka Devi et al. Comparison of efficacy of albendazole, mebendazole and pyrantel pamoate in achieving remission and preventing recurrence of Enterobius vermicularis infestation in children: a randomised controlled trial. Indian Pediatrics 2026. PMID 41811423.
12. Wendt et al. The diagnosis and treatment of pinworm infection. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2019. PMID 31064642.
13. Albasheer et al. Pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) in children and adults: a practice-oriented narrative review and household-school algorithm. Front Public Health 2026. PMID 42267275.

This guide is for information and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your medical history. Confirm pinworm before treating, follow the label of the product you use, and ask a doctor before treating children under 2 or anyone who is pregnant.