Malarone

Malarone is used for:

Preventing or treating malaria.

Malarone is an antiprotozoal and antimalarial. It works by interfering with the development of malaria parasites.

Do NOT use Malarone if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Malarone
• you have severe kidney problems
• you are taking rifampin or rifabutin, or you have had a typhoid vaccine within the last 10 days

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Malarone :

Some medical conditions may interact with Malarone . Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you have stomach or bowel problems, vomiting or diarrhea, kidney problems, liver problems, or abnormal liver function tests
• if you have severe or persistent diarrhea or vomiting

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Malarone . Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Metoclopramide, rifabutin, rifampin, or tetracycline because they may decrease Malarone 's effectiveness
• Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) because the risk of their side effects may be increased by this medicine
• Indinavir or typhoid vaccine because their effectiveness may be decreased by Malarone

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Malarone may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

How to use Malarone :

Use Malarone as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

• Take Malarone by mouth with food or milk.
• If you vomit within 1 hour of taking your dose, take another dose. Inform your doctor that you will need more medicine to finish your treatment.
• To clear up your infection completely, take Malarone for the full course of treatment. Keep taking it even if you feel better in a few days.
• When using for malaria prevention, start taking Malarone 1 to 2 days before going to a malaria-infested area and continue to take daily during the stay and for 7 days after return.
• Take Malarone on a regular schedule to get the most benefit from it.
• Taking Malarone at the same time each day will help you remember to take it.
• Do not stop taking Malarone without talking with your doctor. If you stop taking Malarone for any reason, talk with your doctor about whether you should restart Malarone or take another medicine to prevent malaria.
• If you miss a dose of Malarone , take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Malarone .

Important safety information:

• Malarone helps to prevent malaria; however, it is still possible to contract the disease. Notify your doctor immediately that you may have been exposed to malaria if you develop flu-like symptoms including chills, fever, muscle aches, or headache.
• Malarone may cause dizziness. This effect may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Malarone with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• Malarone may cause vomiting. If it persists or become severe, contact your doctor. Malarone may not be absorbed if you are vomiting and therefore may not be effective. Your doctor may suggest other medicines to treat your condition with a different medicine.
• Wear protective clothing and use insect repellants and bed nets to help decrease the risk of getting malaria.
• Use Malarone with caution in the ELDERLY; they may be more sensitive to its effects.
• Malarone should be used with extreme caution in CHILDREN weighing less than 11 pounds (5 kg); safety and effectiveness in these children have not been confirmed.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Malarone while you are pregnant. Malarone is found in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you use Malarone , check with your doctor. Discuss any possible risks to your baby.

Possible side effects of Malarone :

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Diarrhea; difficulty sleeping; dizziness; headache; loss of appetite; nausea; stomach pain; vomiting; weakness.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest or throat; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); dark urine; fever, chills, or persistent sore throat; mood or mental changes; muscle or back pain; pale stools; red, blistered, swollen, or peeling skin; ringing in the ears; seizures; severe or persistent vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain; shortness of breath; unusual fatigue or weakness; weight loss; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

If OVERDOSE is suspected:

Contact 1-800-222-1222 (the American Association of Poison Control Centers), your local poison control center (http://www.aapcc.org), or emergency room immediately.

Store Malarone at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Brief storage at temperatures between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C) is permitted. Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep Malarone out of the reach of children and away from pets.

General information:

• If you have any questions about Malarone , please talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• Malarone is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.
• If your symptoms do not improve or if they become worse, check with your doctor.

This information is a summary only. It does not contain all information about Malarone . If you have questions about the medicine you are taking or would like more information, check with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.

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