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Quinine for malaria
Examples
| Generic Name |
|---|
| quinine plus an antibiotic such as doxycycline or tetracycline |
| quinine plus clindamycin |
| quinine plus pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine |
| quinine (rarely used alone) |
How It Works
Quinine prevents the development of malaria parasites in the blood.
To treat malaria, you can take quinine alone for 3 to 7 days, but it is more commonly used in one of three different combinations:
- Quinine plus doxycycline or tetracycline is taken for 7 days.
- Quinine plus pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine is taken as a single dose of three tablets.
- Quinine plus clindamycin is taken for 7 days.
You usually take quinine as a tablet (orally).
Why It Is Used
Quinine plus another medicine is the medication of choice for chloroquine-resistant malaria (where chloroquine is no longer effective against the malaria parasite).
How Well It Works
Quinine is effective against all species of Plasmodium.
Side Effects
Side effects of quinine include:
- Nausea.
- Blurred vision.
- Headache.
- Ringing in the ears.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
Quinine given through a needle directly into a vein (intravenously, or IV) is not available in the United States, but intravenous quinidine, as a substitute, works just as well.
Complete the new medication information form (PDF)
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to help you understand this medication.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
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