Mefloquin zur Malariaprävention

About mefloquine

Mefloquine tablets help to protect you from malaria when you travel to areas where this can be a problem. Malaria is a serious infection. It is common in tropical countries such as parts of Africa, Asia, South and Central America, and the Middle East. Malaria is a disease which is passed on to humans by infected mosquitoes. A parasite called plasmodium lives inside the stomachs of infected female mosquitoes and is passed on to humans by a bite. Mefloquine works by killing the parasites passed into your body from the bites of the infected mosquitoes.

Da das Malariamuster je nach Reiseziel, Jahreszeit und Art der geplanten Aktivitäten variiert, sollten Sie stets die neuesten Ratschläge zur Malariaprävention bei Ihrem Arzt, Apotheker oder Reiseveranstalter einholen. Eine Rucksackreise erfordert möglicherweise andere vorbeugende Maßnahmen gegen Malaria als eine Geschäftsreise in eine Stadt.

Mefloquine tablets are not available on the NHS, although you will require a prescription from a doctor to obtain them. You will be given a private (non-NHS) prescription to take to your local pharmacy, and you will be asked to pay for the tablets when they are supplied.

Mefloquine can sometimes be given to treat malaria in people who have become infected. This leaflet does not contain information about this, but your doctor can give you more information if you have been prescribed it for this reason.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking mefloquine it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:

• Wenn Sie schwanger sind, versuchen, schwanger zu werden oder stillen.

• If you have epilepsy or have ever had fits (convulsions).

• Wenn Sie eine Herzkrankheit haben.

• If you have ever had depression, severe anxiety, or any other mental health problem.

• Wenn Sie Probleme mit der Funktionsweise Ihrer Leber oder Ihrer Nieren haben.

• If you have had Blackwater fever (a complication of malaria infection).

• Wenn Sie andere Medikamente einnehmen. Dazu gehören alle Medikamente, die Sie einnehmen und die ohne Rezept erhältlich sind, sowie pflanzliche und ergänzende Medikamente.

• If you have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine. It is particularly important that you tell your doctor if you have ever had a bad reaction to a medicine called quinine.
  

• Before you take mefloquine, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about mefloquine. It will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it and what to do if you experience them.

• Take the tablets exactly as your doctor tells you to. The dose to prevent malaria in an adult is one 250 mg tablet once a week. Your dose will be printed on the label of the pack to remind you. (If you have malaria and you are taking mefloquine to treat it, your dose will be different to this.) If you are giving mefloquine to a child, the dose prescribed will depend on the weight of your child. Check the label carefully to make sure you are giving the correct dose.

• Start taking the course of tablets 2-3 weeks before you travel and continue to take them for four weeks after you return. Take the tablet on the same day of the week. If you develop any side-effects in the 2-3 weeks before you travel, speak with your doctor for further advice.

• Swallow the tablet with a drink of water during a mealtime (or just after a snack). If you prefer, the tablet can be crushed and mixed with a little food, such as jam or honey, to make it easier to swallow.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember and then continue with your next dose on the usual day. Do not take two doses at the same time. You must complete the full course of tablets unless you are told otherwise by a doctor.

• These tablets will help prevent you from getting malaria, but it is also important that you take the following precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes:
  

  • Decken Sie kahle Stellen an Armen und Beinen mit langärmliger, lockerer Kleidung, langen Hosen und Socken ab. Dies ist besonders wichtig, wenn Sie nach Sonnenuntergang im Freien sind, da dann die Mücken aktiv sind.

  • Verwenden Sie ein wirksames Insektenschutzspray auf Ihrer Kleidung und allen unbedeckten Hautstellen. Wenn Sie auch Sonnencreme verwenden, tragen Sie die Sonnencreme zuerst auf und das Insektenschutzmittel anschließend.

  • Besprühen Sie den Raum jeden Abend einige Stunden vor dem Schlafengehen mit einem Insektizid. Überprüfen Sie Ihre Schlafbereiche auf Mücken – achten Sie besonders auf Möbel und Bereiche unter Ihrem Bett, in denen sich Insekten verstecken können.

  • Wenn Sie in einem ungesicherten Raum schlafen, verwenden Sie ein mit einem Insektizid imprägniertes Moskitonetz.

• It is possible that mefloquine may make you feel dizzy and affect your balance. These effects may continue for a while, even after you have stopped mefloquine. Make sure you know how you react before you drive and before you use machines or tools.

• Your doctor will discuss with you the possibility of other unwanted side-effects. If you develop any changes in your moods, thoughts or behaviour, you should see your doctor before your next dose is due so that you can be given an alternative antimalarial medicine.

• If you have been advised to have an oral vaccine to protect you against typhoid, you should arrange to have this at least three days before you start taking mefloquine. This is because mefloquine can stop the vaccine from working properly.

• If you buy any other medicines to take, check with a pharmacist that they are safe to take alongside mefloquine.

• Wenn Sie sich krank fühlen oder während Ihrer Reise oder innerhalb eines Jahres (insbesondere innerhalb von drei Monaten) nach Ihrer Rückkehr Fieber oder grippeähnliche Symptome entwickeln, sollten Sie sofort Ihren Arzt aufsuchen. Das ist wichtig, auch wenn Sie Ihre Malariatabletten richtig eingenommen haben.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with mefloquine. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Wenn Sie andere Symptome bemerken, die Ihrer Meinung nach auf die Tabletten zurückzuführen sind, sprechen Sie mit Ihrem Arzt oder Apotheker, der Sie weiter beraten kann.

• Bewahren Sie alle Medikamente außerhalb der Reichweite und Sicht von Kindern auf.

• An einem kühlen, trockenen Ort aufbewahren, fern von direkter Hitze und Licht.