Details

Mefloquine is a medicine used to treat malaria, a disease caused by parasites. This medicine works by interfering with the growth of parasites in the red blood cells of the human body. Parasites that cause malaria typically enter the body through the bite of a mosquito. Mefloquine is also used to prevent malaria. You should not take mefloquine to prevent malaria if you have a recent history of depression, an anxiety disorder, seizures, mental illness (such as schizophrenia), or psychosis. To make sure mefloquine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have heart disease liver disease epilepsy or other seizure disorder diabetes bleeding or blood clotting disorder a history of mental disease or if you take a blood thinner.

Typical Uses

Mefloquine belongs to the class of medications called antimalarials. Mefloquine is used to treat and prevent malaria infections caused by certain types of parasites. Mefloquine works by destroying the parasite after it is released from the liver into the blood.

Side Effects

Common side effects of mefloquine include sudden headache, ringing in your ears, dizziness, loss of balance, or problems with coordination severe anxiety, depression paranoia, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not real) confusion, unusual behaviour or thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

Drug Interactions

• Mefloquine+tramadol- Tramadol may rarely cause seizures, and combining it with other medications that can also cause seizures such as mefloquine may increase that risk. The interaction may be more likely if you are elderly, undergoing alcohol or drug withdrawal, have a history of seizures, or have a condition affecting the central nervous system such as a brain tumour or head trauma.
• Mefloquine+bedaquiline- Using bedaquiline together with mefloquine can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious and potentially life-threatening, although it is a relatively rare side effect. You may be more susceptible if you have a heart condition called congenital long QT syndrome, other cardiac diseases, conduction abnormalities, or electrolyte disturbances.
• Mefloquine+droperidol- Using droperidol together with mefloquine can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious and potentially life-threatening, although it is a relatively rare side effect. You may be more susceptible if you have a heart condition called congenital long QT syndrome, other cardiac diseases, conduction abnormalities, or electrolyte disturbances.
• Mefloquine+mifepristone- Using mifepristone together with mefloquine can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious and potentially life-threatening, although it is a relatively rare side effect. You may be more susceptible if you have a heart condition called congenital long QT syndrome, other cardiac diseases, conduction abnormalities, or electrolyte disturbances.

Mechanism of action

Mefloquine is an antimalarial drug that belongs to class of medicines called hemozoin inhibitors. It works by killing the malaria causing parasite by destroying the parasites at a crucial stage of development (asexual intra-erythrocytic stage).

Pregnancy Category : B