What is quinine?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale of all non-approved brands of
quinine because of the risk of serious side effects or death. As of December 2006, Qualaquin is the
only brand of quinine that is approved by the FDA.
Quinine is used to treat malaria, a disease caused by parasites. Parasites that cause malaria
typically enter the body through the bite of a mosquito. Malaria is common in areas such as Africa,
South America, and Southern Asia.
Quinine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking quinine?
Quinine can cause serious or life-threatening side effects,
and is
approved for use only in treating malaria. Some people have used quinine to treat leg cramps, but this
is not an FDA-approved use.
Quinine will not treat severe forms of malaria, and it should not be taken to
prevent
malaria. Quinine also should not be taken to treat or prevent night-time leg cramps.
Do not use this medication if you have ever had an allergic reaction to quinine or similar
medicines such as mefloquine (Lariam) or quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinidex, Quinaglute), or if you have:
-
a history of "Long QT syndrome";
-
glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency;
-
myasthenia gravis; or
-
optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve).
If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special
tests to safely take this medication. Before taking quinine, tell your doctor if you have:
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether quinine is harmful
to an unborn baby. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to
become pregnant during treatment.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) may be more likely to occur in pregnant women who are
taking quinine. Signs of low blood sugar include hunger, headache, confusion, irritability, drowsiness,
weakness, dizziness, tremors, sweating, and fast heartbeat. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk
for low blood sugar if you take quinine while you are pregnant.
Quinine may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this
medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not give this medication to a child younger than 16 years old.
How should I take quinine?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger
amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your
prescription label.
Take quinine with food to lessen stomach upset.
Call your doctor if your malaria symptoms do not improve after 2 days of taking quinine, or if
your symptoms return after you have finished the medication.
Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your
symptoms may get better before your condition is completely treated.
If you stop using the
medication early for any reason,
talk to your doctor about other forms of malaria
prevention.
If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are using
quinine. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.
This medication can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any
doctor who treats you that you are using quinine.
No medication is 100% effective in treating malaria. For best results, keep using the medication
as directed. Talk with your doctor if you have fever, vomiting, or diarrhea during your treatment.
Store quinine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I miss a dose of quinine?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If you are more than 4 hours late for your
dose, skip it and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time.
Do not
take
extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Where can I get more information about quinine?
Your pharmacist has information about quinine written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of quinine?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using quinine and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
-
uneven heart rhythm;
-
weak pulse, fainting or collapse;
-
fever, confusion, weakness;
-
pale or yellowed skin, dark colored urine;
-
unusual muscle weakness;
-
purple spots under the skin, urinating less than usual or not
at all;
-
severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash with a sore
throat, fever, and headache;
-
severe nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea; or
-
problems with hearing or vision.
Less serious side effects may include:
-
hunger, headache, confusion, irritability, sweating;
-
drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, tremors; or
-
warmth, redness, or tingly feeling under the skin.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your
doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at
1-800-FDA-1088. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about quinine?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale of all non-approved brands of
quinine because of the risk of serious side effects or death. As of December 2006, Qualaquin is the
only brand of quinine that is approved by the FDA.
Quinine can cause serious or life-threatening side effects,
and is
approved for use only in treating malaria. Some people have used quinine to treat leg cramps, but this
is not an FDA-approved use.
Do not use quinine to treat any medical condition if your doctor did not prescribe quinine
for that condition. Do not purchase quinine on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United
States. Using this medication improperly or without the advice of a doctor can result in serious side
effects or death.
Do not use this medication if you have ever had an allergic reaction to quinine or similar
medicines such as mefloquine (Lariam) or quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinidex, Quinaglute).
You should not take quinine if you have a history of "Long QT syndrome", or if you have
glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency, myasthenia gravis, or optic neuritis
(inflammation of the nerves in your eyes).
Call your doctor at once if you have a weak pulse, if you faint or collapse, if you have fever,
confusion, pale or yellowed skin, dark colored urine, hearing or vision loss, purple spots under your
skin, a blistering or peeling skin rash, or if you urinate less than usual or not at all.
No medication is 100% effective in treating malaria. For best results, keep using the medication
as directed. Talk with your doctor if you have fever, vomiting, or diarrhea during your treatment.
What should I avoid while taking quinine?
Do not use quinine to treat any medical condition if your doctor did not prescribe quinine
for that condition. Do not purchase quinine on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United
States. Using this medication improperly or without the advice of a doctor can result in serious side
effects or death.
Quinine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you
drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Avoid using antacids without your doctor's advice. Use only the specific type of antacid your
doctor recommends. Antacids contain different medicines and some types can make it harder for your
body to absorb quinine.
What other drugs will affect quinine?
Before taking quinine, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
-
arsenic trioxide (Trisenox);
-
astemizole (Hismanal);
-
cisapride (Propulsid);
-
cimetidine (Tagamet);
-
dextromethorphan (cough medicine);
-
digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin);
-
droperidol (Inapsine);
-
metoprolol (Toprol);
-
paroxetine (Paxil);
-
rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, Rifater);
-
a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
-
aminophylline (Truphylline), or theophylline (Elixophyllin,
Respbid, Theobid, Theo-Dur, Uniphyl);
-
antibiotics such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin
(E-Mycin, E.E.S.), pentamidine (NebuPent, Pentam), sparfloxacin (Zagam), tetracycline
(Brodspec, Tetracap), or troleandomycin (Tao);
-
heart rhythm medicine such as amiodarone (Cordarone,
Pacerone), dofetilide (Tikosyn), ibutilide (Corvert), disopyramide (Norpace), procainamide
(Procan, Pronestyl), quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinaglute), or sotalol (Betapace);
-
medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, such as
chlorpromazine (Thorazine), haloperidol (Haldol), mesoridazine (Serentil), pimozide (Orap), or
thioridazine (Mellaril);
-
narcotic medication such as levomethadyl (Orlaam) or
methadone (Dolophine, Methadose);
-
seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol,
Tegretol), phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton), or phenytoin (Dilantin); or
-
other anti-malarial drugs such as chloroquine (Arelan),
halofantrine (Halfan), or mefloquine (Lariam).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs not listed that can
affect quinine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use.
This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start
using a new medication without telling your doctor.
What happens if I have an overdose of quinine?
