General Information about Paludrine
Paludrine is an anti-malarial medicine. Malaria is caused by a parasite called plasmodium that is passed onto human blood from mosquitoes. Once this parasite enters the blood stream, it multiplies inside the red blood cells and begins it attack on the human body. The active drug present in Paludrine is proguanil hydrochloride. It directly acts on the parasites by blocking an enzyme called ‘dihydrofolate reductase’, which is involved in the reproduction of the plasmodium parasite. As a result, the drug prevents the growth of the malarial parasite. Paludrine tablets are essentially preventive in nature. In certain parts of the world, the plasmodium parasite has grown resistant to proguanil. For these areas, you cannot buy Paludrine as an effective medicine.
Side effects of Paludrine
The reaction to any particular drug and the risk of side effects vary greatly from person to person. The following side effects of Paludrine are among the most common. Different reactions may occur for certain people due to certain factors, such as their age, health condition etc.
- problems in the stomach like constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain ;
- loss of hair (reversible) ;
- angioedema ;
- ulcers in the mouth ;
- rashes and hives ;
- vasculitis or inflammation of blood vessels ;
Apart from the aforementioned side effects, a few people may experience an allergic reaction to this drug. Beside proguanil hydrochloride, Paludrine contains gelatin, magnesium stearate, calcium carbonate and maize starch. An allergic reaction can be triggered if you are allergic to any of the above ingredients in the drug. Malaria can be very dangerous when it occurs during pregnancy. It is best to avoid malaria prone sites while carrying a baby. The drug passes on to breast milk, so you must discuss the risks involved with your doctor before you begin taking this medication. People suffering from liver or kidney problems are at a greater risk of suffering from side effects due to Paludrine.
Dosage
Paludrine is available in the form of 100mg tablets. The first dose of Paludrine should start at least two days (preferably a week) before you go to a malaria prone area. At least 2 days are needed to ensure that there are traces of proguanil in the blood to fight the parasite. Medication should continue throughout the stay (it is best to ingest the tablet at the same time every day) in the affected region, and until 4 weeks have passed from the time you leave the region. One tablet per day should be consumed with food and never on an empty stomach. Paludrine is most effective when taken with chloroquine, which is a drug that kills the plasmodium parasite. The tablets should not be stored at a temperature exceeding 30 degree Celsius.
Interactions
Patients rarely buy Paludrine as the sole medication for the prevention of malaria. Often, it is taken along with chloroquine. Both these medications interact widely with other drugs.
Paludrine increases the effect of anticoagulants, so both these drugs must not be taken at the same time. Antacids reduce the capacity of the body to absorb proguanil from the stomach and hence should be taken (if required) at least 2 hours before Paludrine is taken. Medicines to treat indigestion should be discontinued for the period. Alcohol and certain types of food are not known to interact with Paludrine.
