What is Chloroquine used for?
Chloroquine phosphate is prescribed for the prevention and treatment of malaria caused by mosquito bites. Malaria parasites enter the body through mosquito bites in countries where malaria is common. The parasites then live in body tissues such as the liver or red blood cells. Chloroquine works to kill the malaria parasites living within the red blood cells. If you have malaria parasites living in other bodily tissues you will be prescribed an additional medication to kill those parasites. Both medications may be needed to completely cure malaria and prevent relapse. Chloroquine is part of a drug class called antimalarials. The United States Centers for Disease Control give frequently updated travel recommendations and guidelines for the malaria prevention and treatment in different parts of the world. Talk with your doctor about this before travelling to parts of the world where malaria occurs. Chloroquine can be used to treat other conditions such as infections caused by ameba, or lupus erythematosus. Talk to your doctor about these uses of Chloroquine to see if it is a good fit for your treatment.Chloroquine FAQs
How to Use Chloroquine?
Always take your medications exactly as your doctor prescribes. Do not change how frequently you take Chloroquine or how much medication you take without first consulting your doctor. This is a description of the typical dosing and use instructions and not in any way medical advice.
Take Chloroquine with meals or a glass of milk to lessen stomach upset, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
If you take Chloroquine to prevent malaria:
- Your doctor will ask you to start treatment with chloroquine 1-2 weeks before travelling to an area where malaria can be contracted through mosquito bites. This will help to see how you react to Chloroquine. It also allows time for your doctor to change your treatment if you react to Chloroquine.
- You should keep taking Chloroquine while you’re in the area and for 4 weeks after leaving. No medication will completely protect you from malaria. However, to be as protected as is possible, it’s important to keep taking Chloroquine for the full time your doctor has prescribed. If fever develops during your travel or within 2 months of leaving the area, check in with your doctor immediately.
If you take this medication to protect you from getting malaria, take it for the full time it’s prescribed. If you have malaria, you should keep taking Chloroquine for the fully prescribed time, even if you start to feel better after a few days. This will help to clear your infection completely. If you stop Chloroquine too early your symptoms may return.
To get the best results take Chloroquine on a regular schedule. Take it at the same time of day at the frequency it’s prescribed. Do not skip any doses.
If you also take antacids or kaolin take them at least 4 hours before or after you take Chloroquine. If you take ampicillin take it 2 hours before or after using Chloroquine.
Chloroquine Drug Interactions
Though some medications should never be used together, in other cases two medications that interact can still be taken together. Drug interactions can interfere with the effectiveness of Chloroquine. Your doctor will likely take precautions such as changing the doses. The following medications may interact with Chloroquine:
- Cordarone (Amiodarone)
- Amitriptyline (Elavil)
- Ciprofloxacin
- Cyclosporine (Neoral)
- Desipramine
- Dronedarone (Multaq)
- Escitalopram (Cipralex)
- Quinine
- Solifenacin (Vesicare)
- Vardenafil (Levitra)
This is not an exhaustive list of drug interactions. Therefore you must give your doctor a list of all medications you take. This will help them properly watch out for drug interactions. Call your doctor if you have any questions about drug interactions. You can also reach a licensed pharmacist by calling our Customer Service team at 1-844-416-4282.
Other medical problems
The presence of other medical conditions can affect the use of Chloroquine. Ensure all of your doctors know about any and all medical conditions you have especially:
- Allergy to 4-aminoquinoline compounds
- Eye or vision problems caused by 4-aminoquinoline compounds
- Blood or bone marrow problems
- Eye or vision problems (eg, macular degeneration, retinopathy) or
- Hearing problems
- Muscle weakness
- Porphyria
- Psoriasis
- Stomach or bowel problems
- Epilepsy
- Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency
- Kidney disease or Liver disease
This is not an exhaustive list of health conditions that can affect Chloroquine use. Consult with your doctor to understand adverse effects that may be encountered before deciding where to buy Chloroquine.
What are side effects of Chloroquine?
Along with a medication’s intended effects, it may cause some unwanted adverse effects. Though not all of these side effects may occur, they may need medical attention if you encounter them. When this medication is used for short periods of time, side effects are generally rare. However, if used for a long time, or in high doses, side effects have a higher chance of occurring and are more likely to be serious.
If you experience any of the following side effects, check with your doctor as soon as possible:
Rare
- Black, tarry stools
- bleeding gums
- blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
- blood in the urine or stools
- blurred vision
- chest pain
- chills
- cough
- diarrhea
- dizziness
- fast heartbeat
- fever
- lower back or side pain
- painful or difficult urination
- pale skin
- red, irritated eyes
- sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
- unusual bleeding or bruising
Incidence not known
- Blurred vision or any other change in vision
- change in near or distance vision
- continuing ringing or buzzing or other unexplained noise in the ears
- dark urine
- difficulty in focusing the eyes
- disturbed color perception
- inability to move the eyes
- light-colored stools
- loss of balance control
- muscle trembling, jerking, or stiffness
- sticking out of the tongue
- stiffness of the limbs
- trouble breathing
- twitching, twisting, or uncontrolled repetitive movements of the tongue, lips, face, arms, or legs
- uncontrolled movements, especially of the face, neck, and back upper right
- yellow eyes and skin
The following symptoms are indicative of an overdose, if these occur get emergency medical attention:
Symptoms of overdose
- Chest discomfort
- cold clammy skin
- decreased urine
- drowsiness
- dry mouth
- fainting
- lightheadedness, dizziness or fainting
- loss of appetite
- muscle pain or cramps
- numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or lips sweating
Some side effects may occur that do not usually require medical attention. These may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the new medicine. Your doctor might also be able to help you prevent some of these side effects. If any of these effects occur and are bothersome or persist, contact your doctor:
Rare
- Change in hair color
- hair loss
- increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight
- redness or other discoloration of the skin
- severe sunburn
Incidence not known
- Abdominal or stomach cramps
- weight loss
This list of side effects is not exhaustive. If you notice other effects not listed, check with a health care professional immediately.