Question: What can a pregnant women affected with malaria trophozoite of p. Falciparum (++) do? Can she take chloroquine inside drip? Answer: It depends on whether the P. falciparum in that area is chloroquine-sensitive. If yes, then chloroquine is an appropriate treatment (although it is usually given orally). However, if the P. falciparum is known to be resistant to chloroquine (as it is in … [Read more...]
Traditional Treatments for Malaria
QUESTION What are some traditional treatments for malaria? ANSWER Many different cultures have had their own traditional ways of treating malaria. Perhaps the two best known come from the native tribes in the Western Amazon basin and the ancient Chinese. Tribes in the Amazon used the bark of a shrub called Cinchona to treat fevers and shivering; Spanish priests in this region observed … [Read more...]
Side Effects of Chloroquine
QUESTION After taking chloroquine injection ( which works for me) I am having occassional bitter taste and severe nasal congestion, please what would you advise I take? ANSWER I am not sure why you are taking chloroquine injections. Chloroquine, taken orally, can be used as a preventive drug (except in Asia where there is choroquine resistance to plasmodium falciparum) and also for … [Read more...]
Anti Malaria Tablets – When to Start
QUESTION I am due to travel to South Goa on 27th October 2012. It is 9th Oct now. It says I should start taking my tablets 1 week before traveling, however I was wondering if it was okay to start taking them now so my body can get used to the side affects before I travel. I do not want to be ill all the time whilst I am away. ANSWER Yes, you do need to take preventive medicine against … [Read more...]
URGENT HELP ON MALARIA
QUESTION I 25 yr old male from Lagos, Nigeria. I have been having frequent malaria since 2006 till present. My symptoms are always weakness of the body, feeling cold sometimes not always and also my mouth got better most cases. I have been to the hospital several times and the doctor told me my frequent malaria is because my blood genotype is AA and also am having a malaria parasites. I was … [Read more...]
Recurrence of Malaria
QUESTION If a person treated for malaria after being infected from a malaria endemic country of West Africa and cured then he travel back to his country which does not known for malaria endemic region of the world. Question is: Is there any chance of re-occurrence even he is not being exposed to malaria spreading mosquito for some time may be year? Is it true Malaria parasites stays in liver … [Read more...]
Malareich and Pregnancy
QUESTION Hi , am 31 weeks pregnant and had to take Malareich as my Anti malaria drug. I did not take the drug until I felt I had malaria, because I had body pains and headaches. Please advise if I will be ok after taking the malareich. ANSWER Malareich is a combination drug comprising of sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine, which is one of the medications recommended for treatment of malaria in … [Read more...]
Preventative Medication for Malaria in Dominican Republic
QUESTION I just read the CDC recommended medicines for preventing malaria and I am confused. It gives the pros and cons for taking one drug over another. My husband and I are in excellent health, we need our td boosters. Our 15 year old is current in his vaccinations. We will be in D.R. for 2.5 weeks near Jarabacoa then Rio San Juan. We will be on a missionary trip. What medicine should be take … [Read more...]
Antimalarial Drugs During pPregnancy
QUESTION What is the safest antimalarial drug to be used by a pregnant woman in her second trimester? ANSWER With regards to treating malaria, intravenous artesunate (or quinine, if artesunate is not available) should be used for the treatment of severe/complicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Signs of severe and/or complicated malaria include impaired consciousness, organ failure, … [Read more...]
Malaria Prophylaxis for Indonesia
QUESTION I have been working a 4-week rotation between the USA and East Kalimantan (Borneo) for about 2 years. While on Borneo, I am in the jungle much of the time. I have never contracted malaria. I am embarrassed to say I thought I had been inoculated for malaria when I first started working here. I just spent 10 days in a hospital last month fighting a blood degenerating viral infection not … [Read more...]