Malaria Medicine for Pregnant Women

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QUESTION

What medicine can be given to a pregnant woman who has malaria?

ANSWER

The type of anti-malarial that should be given to a pregnant women depends on the type of malaria they have, its severity and how long she has been pregnant. Chloroquine, quinine and artemisinin-derivatives can be given during all trimesters, but in many places malaria is resistant to chloroquine.

In general, the World Health Organisation recommends ACTs (artemisinin-based combination therapies) as the first line treatment against uncomplicated malaria. Mefloquine and pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine are able to be given the second and third trimesters; again, in some areas, resistance to mefloquine has been detected. Moreover, some people are allergic to sulfas, and so pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine would not be appropriate for these patients. Primaquine, doxycycline and halofantrine are contraindicated during pregnancy.

Lariam Side Effects

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QUESTION

How long does it take for the side effects of Lariam to disappear?

ANSWER

The manufacturers of Lariam report that it can take a “long” time for side effects to disappear, though they don’t specify an exact time frame.

While most people cease to experience side effects within a few days or weeks of stopping taking the drug (the half-life of the medication in the body is about 2-4 weeks), some people report side effects continuing for a period of months, and in a few rare cases, even years.

In order to minimise the occurrence of disturbing or even dangerous side effects, Lariam is not recommended for people with a history of depression or mental illness, or with heart or liver troubles. The physical side effects of Lariam can be just as dangerous and long-lasting as the more famous psychiatric side effects; in particular, long-term balance problems have been reported.