Malarone drug: Uses, indications and precautions when using

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Malarone is used to treat and prevent malaria. When using Malarone, patients need to combine with measures to prevent insect bites, such as wearing long clothes, killing larvae and larva, applying mosquito repellent...

1. What does Malarone do?

Malarone has 2 types, which are atovaquone and proguanil. The drug is indicated in the treatment and prevention of malaria caused by mosquito bites.
Malarone drug works to kill malaria parasites in red blood cells and tissues. To completely cure malaria and prevent its recurrence, your doctor may prescribe another medicine (primaquine) and atovaquone, proguanil.

2. How to take Malarone

Malarone is prepared in tablet form and taken orally, can be taken with meals or with milk. About 1 hour after taking Malarone and vomiting, you should take the vomited dose again. In case of continuous vomiting, it is necessary to notify the doctor for appropriate treatment. Malarone has a bitter taste, so the tablet should be swallowed whole rather than chewed. If swallowing is difficult, the medicine can be crushed into a powder and mixed with condensed milk to drink. Dosage of Malarone depends on the condition of the disease and whether the purpose of the drug is treatment or prevention. For children, the dose is determined according to the weight of the child. For prophylactic purposes, the dose of Malarone is once daily. Should be taken 1-2 days before entering the disease area, 7 days during and after leaving the malaria area. In case of necessity, in 14 days starting from the last week of treatment or immediately after the end, primaquine can be used. For therapeutic purposes, the dose of Malarone is 1 time / day and used for 3 days as directed by the doctor. Do not arbitrarily increase or decrease the dose compared to indicated, do not arbitrarily stop the drug before the treatment is completed. Arbitrarily changing the dose can affect the effectiveness of treatment, increase the number of parasites, drug resistance and the risk of side effects. Malarone prevention by drug Malarone should be combined with measures to prevent mosquito and insect bites, such as wearing long clothes, applying mosquito repellent... In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to the signs of malaria such as fever, headache, chills... for immediate treatment to limit severe symptoms that can be fatal. If your condition does not improve or gets worse while using Malarone, you need to tell your doctor right away.

3. Side effects when taking Malarone

Non-serious side effects include: Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, headache, dizziness, body fatigue, weakness. Rare very serious side effects: Nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, frequent fatigue, yellowing eyes and skin, anemia, bloody or dark urine, rapid breathing, pale skin, fast heartbeat. Very serious and rare side effects such as: Generalized rash; swelling and itching in the face, hands, and feet; shortness of breath; dizzy. When experiencing the above side effects, the patient should notify the doctor or go to a medical facility for timely treatment.

4. Notes when taking Malarone

Before taking Malarone, the patient needs to inform the doctor if he or she encounters conditions such as: Allergies; history of liver, kidney, neurological disease; are experiencing vomiting, diarrhea; habit of smoking and drinking alcohol. If surgery (including minor dental surgery) is required, inform your doctor or pharmacist of any prescription or over-the-counter medicines and herbs. Pregnant women are only allowed to take Malarone when necessary, and avoid traveling to areas with malaria epidemics. Breastfeeding women are advised not to take the drug if the baby's weight is less than 5kg. Do not arbitrarily buy and use drugs, change the dosage, or stop using them without consulting your doctor. Malarone can interact with the blood thinners warfarin, metoclopramide, penicillamine, tetracycline, rifampicin, rifabutin, efavirenz, etc. If you forget to take your medicine, skip the missed dose, do not increase the dose yourself. With the effect of killing malaria parasites in red blood cells, Malarone is used to treat and prevent malaria, especially in countries where the disease is still common.

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Reference source: Webmd.com