QUESTION

Hi , am 31 weeks pregnant and had to take Malareich as my Anti malaria drug. I did not take the drug until I felt I had malaria, because I had body pains and headaches. Please advise if I will be ok after taking the malareich.

ANSWER

Malareich is a combination drug comprising of sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine, which is one of the medications recommended for treatment of malaria in pregnant women. However it sounds like you took the medication because you thought you had malaria – it is really important to be diagnosed by a doctor. For example, they will be able to ensure that you get the correct type of treatment for the kind of malaria you have. Malareich, for example, is probably not as effective against P. vivax malaria as P. falciparum malaria, but P. vivax is still susceptible to chloroquine, which is another drug that is suitable for the treatment of malaria in pregnant women.