QUESTION

My mother is an old patient of arthritis. She has also had a long stint with asthma and tuberculosis. She has presently been diagnosed with urine infection but was treated with malaria medicines artesunate and primaquine phosphate.

What side effects could she possibly develop by wrong administration of malaria medicines?
ANSWER

Luckily there are few major side effects associated with either artesunate or primaquine. Mild side effects of the former include ones similar to malaria: nausea, headache, loss of appetite and vomiting. Side effects of primaquine are very similar to this, but can also include intense itching and anemia in some people (mainly of Mediterranean or African descent). The main thing to be aware of with primaquine is that it can be dangerous for people with G6DP deficiency, so patients should be tested for this before taking primaquine.