Chloroquine (Systemic)

Brand Names : Aralen, Aralen HCl

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For chloroquine, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Unless you are taking chloroquine to treat malaria or liver disease caused by protozoa, use of this medicine is not recommended during pregnancy. In animal studies, chloroquine has been shown to cause damage to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) of the fetus, including damage to hearing, sense of balance, bleeding inside the eyes, and other eye problems. However, when given in low doses (once a week) to prevent malaria, this medicine has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in humans.

Breast-feeding - Chloroquine passes into breast milk. Chloroquine has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies. However, babies and children are especially sensitive to the effects of chloroquine. The amount in breast milk is not enough to prevent the infant from getting malaria.

Children - Children are especially sensitive to the effects of chloroquine. This may increase the chance of side effects during treatment. Overdose is especially dangerous in children. Taking as little as 1 tablet (300-mg strength) has resulted in the death of a small child. Children should avoid traveling to areas where there is a chance of getting malaria, unless they can take antimalarial medicines that are more effective than chloroquine.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of chloroquine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking chloroquine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking the following:

• Mefloquine (e.g., Lariam) - Use of chloroquine with mefloquine may increase the chance of convulsions (seizures)

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of chloroquine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Blood disease (severe) - Chloroquine may cause blood disorders

• Eye or vision problems - Chloroquine, especially in high doses, may cause serious side effects affecting the eyes

• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency - Chloroquine may cause serious side effects affecting the blood in patients with this deficiency

• Liver disease - May decrease the removal of chloroquine from the blood, increasing the chance of side effects

• Nerve or brain disease (severe), including convulsions (seizures) - Chloroquine may cause muscle weakness and, at high doses, seizures

• Porphyria - Chloroquine may cause episodes of porphyria to occur more frequently

• Psoriasis - Chloroquine may bring on severe attacks of psoriasis

• Stomach or intestinal disease (severe) - Chloroquine may cause stomach or intestinal irritation