INDICATIONS
Chloroquine is indicated for that suppressive treatment as well as for acute attacks of malaria as a result of P. vivax, P.malariae, P. ovale, and susceptible strains of P. falciparum. The drug is also indicated for your treating extraintestinal amebiasis.
INSTRUCTIONS
Take chloroquine with meals or milk to lessen stomach upset, unless otherwise directed through your doctor.
t is essential that you just take chloroquine only as directed. Do not take much more of it, don't take on it more often, and don't take on it for a longer period than your doctor ordered. To do so might increase the potential for serious unwanted effects.
If you adopt chloroquine to help keep you getting malaria, keep taking it for the full-time of treatment. If you already have malaria, you ought to still keep taking chloroquine to the full time of treatment although you may begin to feel better soon after days. This will help to pay off up your infection completely. If you stop taking chloroquine prematurily ., your symptoms may return.
Chloroquine is best suited whenever you go on the regular schedule. For example, should you be to take it weekly to avoid malaria, it is best to get it on the same day per week. Or if you're to consider two doses per day, one dose might be taken with breakfast as well as the other with all the evening meal. Make sure that you don't miss any doses. If you've got any queries relating to this, check with your quality of life care professional.
If you miss a dose of chloroquine, get it immediately. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and return to your family dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
DOSAGE
The dosage of chloroquine phosphate can often be expressed when it comes to equivalent chloroquine base. Each 500 mg tablet of ARALEN has the equivalent of 300 mg chloroquine base. In infants and children the dosage is preferably calculated by weight.
Malaria: Suppression - Adult Dose: 500 mg (= 300 mg base) on a similar day of every week.
Pediatric Dose: The weekly suppressive dosage is 5 mg calculated as base, per kg of bodyweight, but ought not exceed the adult dose no matter weight.
If circumstances permit, suppressive therapy should begin a couple weeks prior to exposure. However, failing this in grown-ups, an initial double (loading) dose of 1 g (= 600 mg base), or perhaps in children 10 mg base/kg could be taken in two divided doses, six hours apart. The suppressive therapy ought to be continued for 8 weeks after leaving the endemic area.
For Treatment of Acute Attack.
Adults: An initial dose of just one g (= 600 mg base) followed by yet another 500 mg (= 300 mg base) after six to eight hours and a single dose of 500 mg (= 300 mg base) on all of two consecutive days. This represents an overall total dose of 2.5 g chloroquine phosphate or 1.5 g base in 3 days.
The dosage for adults of low bodyweight as well as infants and children should be determined as follows:
First dose: 10 mg base per kg (however, not exceeding a single dose of 600 mg base).
Second dose: (6 hours after first dose) 5 mg base per kg (however, not exceeding a single dose of 300 mg base).
Third dose: (a day after first dose) 5 mg base per kg.
Fourth dose: (36 hours after first dose) 5 mg base per kg.
For radical cure of vivax and malariae malaria concomitant therapy having an 8-aminoquinoline compound is essential.
Extraintestinal Amebiasis: Adults,1 g (600 mg base) daily for two main days, accompanied by 500 mg (300 mg base) daily not less than 2 to 3 weeks. Treatment is usually combined by having an effective intestinal amebicide.
STORAGE
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine will no longer needed.
Along using its needed effects, medication could cause some unwanted side effects. Although not all of these unwanted side effects may occur, if they occur they might need medical attention. When chloroquine is employed for brief amounts of time, unwanted effects are frequently rare. However, when it is used for a long time and/or even in high doses, negative effects are more inclined to occur and might be serious.
Check with your medical professional immediately if any of these side effects occur:
Less common
Blurred vision
alteration of vision
eye pain
loss in vision
Rare
Black, tarry stools
blood in urine or stools
convulsions (seizures)
cough or hoarseness
feeling faint or lightheaded
fever or chills
increased muscle weakness
lower back or side pain
mood or other mental changes
painful or difficult urination
pinpoint red spots on skin
ringing or buzzing in ears or any loss of hearing
sore throat
unusual bleeding or bruising
unusual tiredness or weakness
Symptoms of overdose
Drowsiness
headache
increased excitability
Note: The side effects inside Less Common category above could also occur or get worse after you stop taking chloroquine.
Some unwanted effects may occur that always usually do not need medical assistance. These unwanted effects might have to go away during treatment as the body adjusts for the medicine. Also, your wellbeing care professional might be able to let you know about ways to avoid or reduce many of these negative effects. Check with your quality of life care professional if any of these negative effects continue or are bothersome or if you might have questions about them:
More common
Diarrhea
difficulty in seeing to read
headache
itching (more widespread in black patients)
loss in appetite
nausea or vomiting
stomach cramps or pain
Less common
Bleaching of hair or increased hair loss
blue-black discoloration of skin, fingernails, or within mouth
skin rash
Other unwanted effects not listed could also happen in some patients. If you notice some other effects, consult your health care professional.
If you will end up taking chloroquine for quite a long time, it is critical that your medical professional check you at regular visits for any blood problems or muscle weakness that could be caused by chloroquine. In addition, check with your physician immediately if blurred vision, difficulty in reading, or every other change in vision occurs during or after treatment. Your doctor may want you to have up your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).
If your symptoms don't improve inside a week or if they become worse, check with your physician.
Make sure you probably know how you answer chloroquine when you drive, use machines, or do just about anything else that might be dangerous in case you are not able to see well.
Chloroquine could cause blurred vision, difficulty in reading, and other alteration of vision. It could also cause a lot of people for being lightheaded.
If these reactions are specifically bothersome, talk with a medical expert.
Certain medicines ought not be used at or around the time of consuming food or eating some types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines could also cause interactions that occurs. Discuss along with your doctor the application of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
There aren't any adequate and well-controlled studies evaluating the security and efficacy of chloroquine in expecting mothers. Usage of chloroquine while pregnant ought to be avoided except within the suppression or treatments for malaria when within the judgment with the physician the main benefit outweighs the possibility risk towards the fetus.
Airmail: 2-3 business weeks
EMS: 3-8 business days