by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
Can I take paracetamol (acetaminophen) with Coartem?
ANSWER
Yes – there are no known drug interactions or contra-indications between these two medications. Paracetamol (known as acetaminophen in the USA) is a very effective way of reducing fever so can be used to this end, together with specific anti-malaria medication such as Coartem, during a malaria attack.
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
If I take paracetamol to help control my temperature will it affect my blood test results— can they fail to detect the plasmodium?
ANSWER
No—taking paracetamol (also called acetaminophen, and sold variously as Tylenol, Panadol and other brand names) is a good way to control your temperature during malaria infection, and it won’t affect your blood test results. If you haven’t done this already, if you think you have malaria you should go to a doctor or clinic to get a blood test for diagnosis. Once you have been positively diagnosed, you can be given appropriate treatment, probably one of a number of available artemisinin-based combination therapies (such as Coartem, Alu, Lonart, etc).
by Malaria Q&A
QUESTION
Is it ok to treat with NSAIDs or aspirin, or is paracetamol preferred?
ANSWER
If the question relates to headaches caused by malaria, then yes, most over the counter analgesics (pain relievers) can be used to treat the headaches and joint pain associated with malaria. Paracetamol may also assist in reducing fever.