Aralen

Aralen (chloroquine) is a 4-aminoquinoline compound for oral administration. It is an anti-malarial drug.

Pharmachology

Chloroquine is an antiprotozoal agent. It also has an immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effect. It kills asexual erythrocyte forms of all types of plasmodia. It has a gametocidal effect, with the exception of Plasmodium falciparum (exhibits an anti-gametocidal effect).

Indications

The drug is used to treat:

• malaria (prevention and treatment of all types);
• extraintestinal amoebiasis;
• amoebic liver abscess;
• systemic lupus erythematosus (chronic and subacute forms);
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• scleroderma;
• photodermatosis.

Contraindications

Aralen is contraindicated for people suffering from arrhythmia, liver or kidney failure, aplastic anemia, psoriatic arthritis, porphinuria (a disease associated with impaired pigment metabolism), those with severe damage to the heart muscle (impaired heart rhythm), as well as pregnant women.

Dosage and administration

Long-term use of Aralen should be accompanied by the systematic conduct of general laboratory blood tests, in addition, it is desirable that the oculist periodically examine the patient.

These tablets must be taken after meals. When treating malaria, the patient should receive from 2 to 2.75 g of the drug per treatment course: on the first day, the patient takes 0.5 g every 11 or 12 hours; on the second and third days, the patient takes 0.5 or 0.75 g. The highest single adult dose should not exceed 1.5 g.

Children aged 6-10 years receive 0.25 g on the first day, on the second and third days – 0.125 g. Children aged 10-15 years receive 0.5 g the drug on the first day, and 0.25 g on the second and third days.

To prevent a malaria infection, patients take 0.5 g twice every seven days.

In the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, patients take 0.5 g twice a day for 6 or 8 days, and then 0.25 g daily for another 12 months.

Side effects

Possible side effects include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, decreased appetite, headache, dizziness, and sleep disorders. Prolonged use can cause cloudy cornea, damage to the retina, visual impairment, ringing in the ears. Patients can also experience myocardial damage with changes in the ECG, decreased blood pressure, leukopenia (decrease in the number of circulating leukocytes), thrombocytopenia (decrease in platelet count), dermatitis, photosensitivity (increased sensitivity of the skin and mucous membranes to ultraviolet radiation), myalgia, arthralgia, skin and hair discoloration, hair loss.

Overdose

Symptoms: vomiting, impaired consciousness, visual disturbances, convulsions, collapse, respiratory depression, fatal outcome.

Treatment: vomiting, gastric lavage, administration of activated charcoal in a dose 5 times the received dose of chloroquine; peritoneal dialysis, plasmapheresis.

Drug interaction

• Co-administration of chloroquine and phenylbutazone, gold preparations, penicillamine, cytostatics, levamisole increases the likelihood of bone marrow aplasia and skin lesions;
• Antacids disrupt absorption, cimetidine increases the concentration of chloroquine in the blood;
• The combination of chloroquine and other antimalarial drugs may produce an antagonistic effect;
• When combined with corticosteroids, chloroquine increases the risk of myopathy and cardiomyopathy;
• When combined with MAO inhibitors, chloroquine increases the risk of neurotoxicit;
• When combined with ethanol, chloroquine can cause hepatotoxicity;
• The combination of chloroquine and cardiac glycosides can cause glycosidic intoxication.

Special instructions

During the treatment period, you need to undergo systematic eye examinations and have general blood tests.

Storage

Store Aralen in a place inaccessible to children and pets, away from heat and moisture, at room temperature. Do not use the expired drug.