INDICATIONS
Chloroquine is indicated for your suppressive treatment as well as for acute attacks of malaria because of P. vivax, P.malariae, P. ovale, and susceptible strains of P. falciparum. The drug is also indicated for that treatments for extraintestinal amebiasis.
INSTRUCTIONS
Take chloroquine with meals or milk to lessen stomach upset, unless otherwise directed from your doctor.
t is essential which you take chloroquine only as directed. Do not take much more of it, do not take on it more often, and don't take on it much more time than your physician ordered. To do so could raise the possibility of serious unwanted side effects.
If you adopt chloroquine to help keep from getting malaria, keep taking it for your fulltime of treatment. If you currently have malaria, you need to still keep taking chloroquine for that full-time of treatment in case you set out to feel good soon after days. This will help to pay off up your infection completely. If you stop taking chloroquine prematurily ., your symptoms may return.
Chloroquine is best suited once you go on a regular schedule. For example, if you are to take it once weekly to avoid malaria, it's always best to get it on the same day each week. Or if you're to look at two doses every day, one dose might be taken with breakfast as well as the other with the evening meal. Make sure that you just do not miss any doses. If you've got questions about this, talk with your quality of life care professional.
If you miss a dose of chloroquine, get it at the earliest opportunity. However, when it is almost time for your upcoming dose, skip the missed dose and get back to your normal dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
DOSAGE
The dosage of chloroquine phosphate can often be expressed in terms of equivalent chloroquine base. Each 500 mg tablet of ARALEN contains the same in principle as 300 mg chloroquine base. In infants and children the dosage is preferably calculated by body weight.
Malaria: Suppression - Adult Dose: 500 mg (= 300 mg base) on a similar day of each week.
Pediatric Dose: The weekly suppressive dosage is 5 mg calculated as base, per kg of bodyweight, but ought not exceed the adult dose no matter weight.
If circumstances permit, suppressive therapy must start fourteen days before exposure. However, failing this in older adults, a preliminary double (loading) dose of 1 g (= 600 mg base), or perhaps in children 10 mg base/kg could be used two divided doses, six hours apart. The suppressive therapy should be continued for 8 weeks after leaving the endemic area.
For Treatment of Acute Attack.
Adults: An initial dose of merely one g (= 600 mg base) followed by one more 500 mg (= 300 mg base) after six to eight hours and a single dose of 500 mg (= 300 mg base) on everyone of two consecutive days. This represents an overall dose of 2.5 g chloroquine phosphate or 1.5 g base in 3 days.
The dosage for adults of low body weight and then for infants and children ought to be determined as follows:
First dose: 10 mg base per kg (but not exceeding an individual dose of 600 mg base).
Second dose: (6 hours after first dose) 5 mg base per kg (however, not exceeding one particular dose of 300 mg base).
Third dose: (one day after first dose) 5 mg base per kg.
Fourth dose: (36 hours after first dose) 5 mg base per kg.
For radical cure of vivax and malariae malaria concomitant therapy with an 8-aminoquinoline compound is necessary.
Extraintestinal Amebiasis: Adults,1 g (600 mg base) daily for just two days, accompanied by 500 mg (300 mg base) daily for around two or three weeks. Treatment is usually combined with an effective intestinal amebicide.
STORAGE
Store the medicine in the closed container at room temperature, from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep from the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine don't needed.
Along with its needed effects, medication could cause some unwanted effects. Although not these negative effects may occur, when they do occur they may need medical help. When chloroquine is employed in short durations, negative effects usually are rare. However, when it is used for a long time and/or perhaps in high doses, unwanted effects may occur and could possibly be serious.
Check with your physician immediately if these things negative effects occur:
Less common
Blurred vision
change in vision
eye pain
loss of vision
Rare
Black, tarry stools
blood in urine or stools
convulsions (seizures)
cough or hoarseness
feeling faint or lightheaded
fever or chills
increased muscle weakness
lower back or side pain
mood or any other mental changes
painful or difficult urination
pinpoint red spots on skin
ringing or buzzing in ears or any decrease of hearing
sore throat
unusual bleeding or bruising
unusual tiredness or weakness
Symptoms of overdose
Drowsiness
headache
increased excitability
Note: The unwanted side effects within the Less Common category above may also occur or deteriorate when you stop taking chloroquine.
Some side effects may occur have a tendency to don't need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts towards the medicine. Also, your overall health care professional could possibly be able to inform you of ways to prevent or reduce some side effects. Check with your wellbeing care professional if any of these unwanted side effects continue or are bothersome or if you've got questions about them:
More common
Diarrhea
difficulty in seeing to read
headache
itching (more widespread in black patients)
decrease of appetite
nausea or vomiting
stomach cramps or pain
Less common
Bleaching of hair or increased hair loss
blue-black discoloration of skin, fingernails, or in mouth
skin rash
Other unwanted side effects unpublished may also occur in some patients. If you notice another effects, check with your medical practioner.
If you'll be taking chloroquine for a very long time, it is vital that a medical expert check you at regular visits for any blood problems or muscle weakness that might be due to chloroquine. In addition, talk with a medical expert immediately if blurred vision, difficulty in reading, or another alternation in vision occurs during or after treatment. Your doctor might want that you have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).
If your symptoms usually do not improve inside a few days or if they become worse, consult your doctor.
Make sure you know how you answer chloroquine when you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous should you be not able to see well.
Chloroquine could cause blurred vision, difficulty in reading, and other alteration of vision. It may also cause some people to become lightheaded.
If these reactions are especially bothersome, consult your physician.
Certain medicines shouldn't be used at or around the time of eating or eating certain kinds of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines can also cause interactions to take place. Discuss along with your health care professional the application of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
There are not any adequate and well-controlled studies evaluating the security and efficacy of chloroquine in women that are pregnant. Usage of chloroquine when pregnant must be avoided except within the suppression or management of malaria when in the judgment of the physician the benefit outweighs the possible risk towards the fetus.
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