Qualaquin (Quinine Sulfate)

What is Qualaquin?

Quinine (quinine sulfate) is an anti-malarial drug. Malaria is a disease caused by mosquito bite which allows parasites to enter the body and live in body tissues.

Qualaquin is the only brand of quinine that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The U.S. FDA has banned the sale of all other brands of quinine.

What is Qualaquin used for?

Quinine is used to treat malaria. The US Food and Drug Administration has warned that this drug should not be used to treat leg cramps.

How does Qualaquin work?

Quinine works by killing the malaria parasites living inside RBCs or red blood cells.

How to use Qualaquin

Quinine should be taken in the manner prescribed by the doctor. Taking it for longer periods or in larger amounts than recommended can cause health problems.

The drug is usually taken every eight hours for 3 to 7 days (as directed by the doctor). Take Quinine at evenly spaced intervals. If the medicine upsets your stomach, take it with food. Remember to take the medicine at the same times each day. It is advisable to keep a gap of 2 to 3 hours between taking this medicine and taking antacids that contain magnesium or aluminum.

Qualaquin warnings and precautions

Do not use this drug if you are allergic to quinine, mefloquine (Lariam) or quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinidex, Quinaglute).  Also, this medication should not be taken to prevent or treat night-time leg cramps.

Prior to taking Quinine, tell your doctor if you have glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency, a history of Long QT syndrome, myasthenia gravis, optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve), a kidney or liver disease, low potassium levels in blood (hypokalemia), heart rhythm disorder or any other heart disease.

Do not use antacids unless prescribed by your doctor. Also, do not perform activities that require alertness, for example, driving. Never purchase this drug on the internet.

Pregnant and lactating women should not take this medicine without consulting their doctors.

What do I do if I have missed a Qualaquin dose?

If you have missed your Quinine dose you can take the missed dose as soon as you remember but do not take it if it is time for your next dose or if your next dose is just 4 hours away.

What do I do if I have taken a Qualaquin overdose?

If you have taken a Quinine overdose you should seek emergency medical attention.

Qualaquin interactions

Before taking Quinine, consult your doctor if you take atorvastatin (Lipitor), a blood thinner, arsenic trioxide (Trisenox), a cough medicine such as dextromethorphan; digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin), ranitidine (Zantac), cimetidine (Tagamet), cisapride (Propulsid), metoprolol (Toprol), droperidol (Inapsine), rifampin (Rimactane, Rifadin, Rifater), theophylline (Theo-24, Theochron, Elixophyllin, Uniphyl) or aminophylline (Phyllocontin, Truphylline); antidepressants such as clomipramine (Anafranil), amitriptylline (Elavil, Vanatrip), desipramine (Norpramin), or paroxetine (Paxil); heart rhythm medication such as propafenone (Rythmol), ibutilide (Corvert), dofetilide (Tikosyn), amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), quinidine (Quin-G), disopyramide (Norpace), procainamide (Pronestyl), or sotalol (Betapace); antibiotics such as erythromycin (EryPed, Ery-Tab, E.E.S., Erythrocin), pentamidine (Pentam, NebuPent), clarithromycin (Biaxin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), levofloxacin (Levaquin), or tetracycline (Brodspec, Tetracap

Qualaquin side effects

Quinine side effects include hives, chest pain, breathing difficulty, fever, chills, sore throat, pale skin, bruising, red or purple spots under skin, fats heartbeats, decreased urination, diarrhea, stomach ache, loss of appetite, dark-colored urine, clay-colored stools, red skin rash, jaundice, severe vomiting, confusion, weakness, problems with hearing or vision, ; swelling of face, tongue, lips or throat and other allergic reactions. If you get any of these side effects after using Quinine, stop taking the medicine and contact your doctor.

Headache, mild nausea, blurred vision, increased sweating, dizziness, muscle weakness and spinning sensation are some less serious side effects of Quinine.