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Mefloquine (LARIAM)


You have been given this medication by our clinic staff to prevent malaria. Please read the following carefully.

Take Mefloquine exactly as prescribed to prevent Malaria:


Malaria can be fatal and is spread through mosquito bites. Taken correctly this medication is highly effective but may have some side effects.

Rare serious side- effects of Mefloquine


Most frequent S.E. include nausea, difficulty sleeping, bad dreams. Some people make experience severe anxiety, hallucinations, depressions, unusual behavior, or feeling disoriented. Travelers who develop serious SE while in a malaria zone or within four weeks of returning, should see a health care professional and be switched to an alternate effective anti-malarial as soon as possible.

Directions


Mefloquine is taken once weekly, starting at least 1 week before travel to a malaria zone, weekly while in malaria zone and for 4 weeks after returning from a malaria zone. Our staff will give you specific directions. Take it just after a meal with a cup of water.

Side effects outlined above can be minimized by splitting the weekly dose into two. For example an adult could take a half tablet on a Sunday and the other half on a Wednesday. This regimen is especially useful for adults of small stature.

For children, it can be crushed and mixed with sugar water or sweet syrup. Follow the directions on the prescription as to the dose.

Pediatric dosage

  • Less than 15kg BW: 5mg per kilo per week
  • 15 to 19 kilo: ¼ tablet weekly
  • 20 to 30 kilo: ½ tablet weekly
  • 31 to 45 kilo: ¾ tablet weekly
  • > 45 kilo: 1 full tablet weekly/li>

Who should be cautioned not to take Mefloquine?

  • History of clinical depression.
  • History of serious mental illness such as a psychosis or severe anxiety state
  • Patient with history of seizures (epilepsy-convulsions)
  • History of a reaction to mefloquine in the past
  • History of serious caffeine intolerance
  • Allergic reactions to quinine –quinidine.
  • History of serious cardiac heart conduction defects
  • Breast feeding mothers may wish to use an alternate agent (however mefloquine is given to infants).
  • Serious Liver dysfunction

What should you avoid while on Mefloquine?

  • Halofantrine is a drug used to treat malaria overseas. It can give serious cardiac problems if given with Mefloquine.
  • Quinine, chloroquine, quinidine medicines.
  • Oral typhoid vaccines within three days of taking mefloquine.
  • Care should be taken when carrying out duties that need alertness and fine motor skills such as driving – flying – scuba diving.
  • Patients on long-term usage of mefloquine (years) should have regular liver function blood tests.

IMPORTANT:

  • Read the pamphlet that we gave you on malaria and insect bite protection. Follow this advice.
  • Malaria can simulate many different illnesses including diarrhea. It usually starts with flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, muscle pains, headaches. It can go on to seizures, coma, kidney failure, anemia, and total breakdown and death.
  • If you have any of these symptoms, in or out of a malaria zone, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY. You will need urgent diagnostic testing to rule out malaria. Time is of the essence.

Pregnancy:


Mefloquine is approved for pregnant woman traveling to chloroquine – resistant malaria zones. Catching malaria poses a great risk to the pregnancy and must be prevented at all costs.