Mefloquine
About Mefloquine
Mefloquine is an oral prescription medication primarily used to prevent and treat malaria, a serious and sometimes life-threatening infection transmitted by mosquitoes. By targeting and destroying the malaria parasites that enter the red blood cells, this medicine helps protect travellers and treat those who have contracted the disease. It is a vital tool for safeguarding your health when visiting regions where malaria is highly active.
For preventing infection, Mefloquine is typically taken once a week on the exact same day, starting before your journey and continuing during your stay and after your return. It is crucial to always take this medication with a full glass of water and a main meal to ensure it is absorbed properly by your body. Combining this therapy with lifestyle measures like sleeping under treated mosquito nets and wearing protective clothing offers the best defence against infection.
While taking Mefloquine, some individuals may experience common side effects like nausea, mild dizziness, or vivid dreams. However, if you experience sudden mood changes, severe anxiety, confusion, or a ringing sensation in your ears, you should contact your doctor immediately. These symptoms can occasionally become serious, and early medical advice is essential to manage them safely.
Before starting this medicine, you must discuss your medical history thoroughly with your healthcare provider. Do not take this if you have a history of seizures, active depression, generalised anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, or other major psychiatric conditions. Your doctor will help evaluate if this option is safe for your specific health profile.
This medicine can interact with alcohol, which can significantly worsen dizziness and impair your coordination, so it is best to avoid drinking during your course. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or an older adult, consult your doctor before taking Mefloquine to discuss the benefits and potential risks to your health.
Uses of Mefloquine
Medicinal Benefits
Mefloquine helps prevent and treat malaria by targeting the parasites responsible for the infection. By eliminating malaria parasites or preventing them from multiplying, it helps protect your health during travel and supports recovery from active malaria.
- Convenient dosing schedule for travel: Since it is typically taken only once a week for prevention, it is easy to manage and remember compared to daily medications, making your travel preparation much simpler.
- Effective defence in high-risk areas: It provides strong, reliable protection against specific types of malaria parasites, helping you stay healthy and safe during your travels to tropical regions.
- Promotes recovery from active infection: For those treating malaria, it works to quickly clear the parasites from the blood, helping you feel better faster and reducing the risk of severe illness.
Directions for Use
- Take Mefloquine preferably after a meal or as advised by a doctor.
- Adhere to your doctor's guidance regarding the dosage and timing of this medication for optimal effectiveness.
- Swallow Mefloquine as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, chew, or break it.
Storage
Side Effects of Mefloquine
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Nausea and vomiting
- Mild dizziness or loss of balance
- Difficulty sleeping or unusual, vivid dreams
- Headache or muscle pain
Serious Side Effects (Consult a doctor right away):
- Severe anxiety, depression, restlessness, or confusion
- Hallucinations or seeing and hearing things that are not there
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or difficulty hearing
- Seizures or severe dizziness
- Signs of an allergic reaction, such as a skin rash, itching, or swelling of the face, lips, or throat
Drug Warnings
- Watch your mental health: Stop taking this medicine and call your doctor immediately if you experience sudden changes in mood, severe anxiety, depression, or unusual thoughts.
- Avoid driving or operating machinery: This medicine can cause severe dizziness and loss of balance, which can last for some time. Do not drive or do dangerous tasks until you know how it affects you.
- Complete the full course: If you are travelling, you must start taking this medicine before you enter the malaria-risk area and continue taking it for the entire duration prescribed after you leave. Stopping early can lead to infection.
- Do not take if you have a history of certain conditions: Do not take this medicine if you have a history of seizures, active depression, generalised anxiety disorder, or other major psychiatric conditions.
Drug Interactions
- Certain heart medications (such as beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers): May increase the risk of abnormal heart rhythms or slow heart rate when taken with Mefloquine.
- Anticonvulsants (seizure medications): Taking Mefloquine may lower the effectiveness of these medicines, increasing the risk of seizures.
- Other antimalarial medicines (like halofantrine or ketoconazole): Combining these can cause serious, life-threatening heart rhythm problems.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeA person should limit the consumption of alcohol as it may worsen the side effects. It may lead to liver damage.
Pregnancy
cautionMefloquine is given to pregnant women only if the doctor thinks benefits outweigh risks. Please consult a doctor if you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy.
Breast Feeding
cautionIt is not safe to breastfeed while taking Mefloquine. A patient is advised to take this drug only at a doctor's consultation.
Driving
cautionMefloquine may cause dizziness, so one should avoid driving or doing any activity that needs mental alertness.
Liver
cautionMefloquine should be used with caution in patients with impaired liver function. Consult your doctor before using Mefloquine.
Kidney
cautionMefloquine should be used with caution in patients with impaired kidney function. Consult your doctor before using Mefloquine.
Children
cautionMefloquine should not be used for children below 3 months. Mefloquine should be used only when prescribed by a child specialist.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Avoid mosquito bites: Use an EPA-approved insect repellent containing DEET, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and sleep under a permethrin-treated bed net to maximise your protection against malaria.
- Coordinate with fatty meals: Always take your dose with a major meal. Eating food that contains some fat can help your body absorb the medicine much more effectively.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of safe, bottled, or purified water to avoid dehydration, which can worsen dizziness or stomach upset.
- Protect your skin: Wear sunscreen and protective clothing, as some antimalarial medications can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
Special Advise
Take Mefloquine as prescribed by your doctor, do not stop takin if you feel better.
Your doctor may advice regular eye check up, during the treatment with Mefloquine as it may cause damage to the retina.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Malaria: It is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that enter the body through the bite of a mosquito. This is a common disease in countries like Africa, South America and Southeast Asia. This disease usually occurs when an infected mosquito (infected with the parasite 'Plasmodium', parasites are organisms that live in other living organisms for their survival) bites a healthy individual then this parasite gets transferred into the bloodstream and starts growing and destroying the red blood cells of the body. There are four parasites responsible for causing malaria that include Plasmodium vivax, P. ovale, P. malaria and P. falciparum. Generally, an infected person starts noticing the symptoms within 10 days to 4 weeks after the mosquito bite, which include shaking chills that can range from moderate to high fever, profuse sweating, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia, muscle pain, convulsions, coma and bloody stools.
FAQs
Malaria infection can be very dangerous during pregnancy for both the mother and the baby. However, this medicine should only be used during pregnancy if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the unborn child. Talk to your doctor to weigh your options safely.
If you vomit within 30 to 60 minutes of taking your dose, you may need to take another dose to ensure you remain protected. If you vomit later than that, or if you continue to feel sick, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
For malaria prevention, you must continue taking this medicine weekly for several weeks after leaving the malaria-risk area. This ensures any parasites that entered your system are completely cleared. Talk to your doctor for your specific schedule.
It is highly recommended to avoid alcohol while taking this medicine. Alcohol can worsen side effects like dizziness, sleep problems, and poor coordination. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about alcohol use.
In some cases, neurological or psychiatric side effects, such as dizziness, balance issues, or anxiety, can persist for weeks or months even after stopping the medicine. If you notice any unusual symptoms, talk to your doctor immediately.
Some heart medicines can interact with this medicine, leading to heart rhythm changes. Always provide your healthcare provider with a complete list of all the prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements you take. Talk to your doctor to ensure there are no dangerous interactions.
Taking this medicine with a main meal, especially one containing some fat, helps your body absorb the active ingredients much better. It also helps protect your stomach lining to prevent nausea and vomiting. Talk to your doctor if you find it hard to take with food.
Yes, this medicine can be prescribed to children for malaria prevention, with the dose determined strictly by the child's body weight. However, it is not recommended for infants under a certain weight. Talk to your doctor or paediatrician for safe guidance.
