What are chloroquine tablets?

Side effects

• Liver disorders
  
  
• Changes in the electrical signals in the heart (seen on an ECG )
  
  
• Weakening of the heart muscle (long-term use at high doses)
  
  
• Weakening of muscles
  
  
• Anxiety, confusion, hallucinations or strange or abnormal thoughts
  
  
• Hearing distubances, eg ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or hearing loss
  
  
• Discolouration of skin, nails, or mucous membranes, eg inside of mouth
  
  
• Damage to the retina of the eye (long-term use)
  
  
• Disturbance in the normal numbers of blood cells in the blood
  
  
• Fits (convulsions)
  
  
• Hair loss (alopecia)
  
  
• Loss of hair colour
  
  
• Visual disturbances
  
  
• Low blood pressure (hypotension), this might make you feel dizzy
  
  
• Itching (pruritus)
  
  
• Skin rashes
  
  
• Headache
  
  
• Disturbances of the gut such as nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting or abdominal pain
  
  

What does my medication look like?

Chloroquine (Aralen) is available with a prescription generically and under the brand name Aralen in 250 mg and 500 mg tablets. Aralen is also available as an injection. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.

• Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, allergic reactions, drug interactions, warnings, precautions, directions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
• Remember, never share your medicines with others, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

What should I watch for while taking Chloroquine (Aralen)?

Warning!

• People taking this medicine for long periods of time should also have regular blood tests to monitor the amounts of the different types of blood cells in their blood. This is because Chloroquine may rarely cause a decrease in the normal amounts of blood cells in the blood. Consult your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms while taking this medicine: unexplained bruising or bleeding, high temperature (fever), mouth ulcers, sore throat, purple spots, feeling tired or general illness. Your doctor may want to take a blood test to check your blood cells.
  
  
• This medicine can sometimes cause eye problems when used for long-term treatment (eg for rheumatoid arthritis) . For this reason, you should have an eye examination before you start long-term treatment and then regularly every three to six months while you are taking the medicine. Stop taking this medicine and seek medical advice immediately if you notice any deterioration in your vision that lasts for longer than 48 hours. (These precautions also apply to people who have been taking Chloroquine (Aralen) on a continuous basis every week for more than three years to prevent malaria.)
  
  
• This medicine may cause visual disturbances when you first start taking it. If affected you should use caution when driving or operating machinary.
  
  
• To prevent malaria it is important that you take this medicine regularly and try not to forget a dose. You may find it helpful to make a note of the day you take your dose in your diary or calender. You must still take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitos, such as using mosquito repellants and sleeping under mosquito nets. This is particularly important if you have vomiting or diarrhoea, as this could affect the absorption of this medicine from the gut. If you fall ill within one year of your return, and especially if within three months of your return, you should consult your doctor immediately and let him know that you have visited a country where malaria is endemic.
  
  
• To prevent malaria this medicine should be taken once a week, on the same day each week, starting one week before travelling to the malarious area. It should be taken regularly thoughout the stay and continued for four weeks after leaving the malarious area.