Description

• This is a pharmacy medicine that can be supplied without a prescription
• Chloroquine is the antimalarial drug of choice for travellers to malarious areas where there is no resistance to chloroquine
• You should start taking chloroquine one week before entering the malarious area, continue during your stay and continue for 4 weeks after leaving
• Malaria can be fatal. Different drug regimes are used for different areas of the world. This reflects differing patterns of drug resistance
• If unsure please seek professional medical advice

Active Ingredients

Tablet contains

• Chloroquine Ph.Eur.250mg(equivalent of 155mg of chloroquine base)

Directions

• Adults - 2 tablets weekly (300mg base)on the same day each week for one week before entering malarious zone

• 2 tablets weekly whilst staying or passing through malarious zone

• 2 tablets weekly for four weeks on return (8 tablets)

• Children 1 - 4 years - half tablet on same day each week
  Children 5 - 8 years - one tablet

• Children 9 - 14 years - one and a half tablets

• Only stop taking Avloclor 4 weeks after leaving the malarious area

• Compliance with the prescribed regime is essential

• Most deaths occur to those who do not comply fully

Caution

• No medication can be guaranteed to protect you against malaria in every case. Any traveller becoming ill either when visiting a malarious region or even up to a year after returning home should suspect malaria and seek medical advice as soon as possible
• Remember that no antimalarial drugs are 100% effective so as a first line of defence against the disease it is advisable to protect against biting mosquitos by - wearing light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing and long trousers, when out of doors after sunset
• Using insect repellent creams or sprays on parts of the body not covered by clothing
• Sleeping in a properly screened room or under a mosquito net
• Spraying to kill any mosquitoes that may have entered rooms in spite of screening
• Chloroquine should not be used by people who have epilepsy if they have had a seizure within the last 2 years or are taking anti-epileptic drugs
• Chloroquine may worsen psoriasis. A reduced dose may be needed in people with renal failure
• Avloclor may affect your ability to drive a car or to operate machinery
• You may experience blurring of vision or difficulty in focussing your eyes while taking Avloclor

Before taking this medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist if

• You have ever had problems with your liver or kidneys
• Avloclor may cause severe symptoms if you drink alcohol
• You have ever been told you have prophyria or anyone in your family has
• You have epilepsy, or a history or convulsions, seizures or fits
• You have psoriasis
• You are pregnant or suspect you are pregnant
• You are breast feeding (Your baby will still need to be given anti-malarial)

Side effects

• Chloroquine commonly causes minor symptoms of gastrointestinal upset usually on the day the drug is taken
• These can be minimised by taking the drug after the last meal at night
• Chloroquine sometimes causes headaches and may cause itching (particularly in dark skinned people)
• Occasionally the drug causes hair loss which is reversible and may cause temporary blurring of vision (often on the day after taking the drug).Other side effects include Hair discolouration or hair loss, Convulsions or fits, Mood changes or other effects on behaviour, changes in your blood which may make you bruise easily, get serious infections, feel very tired or breathless or may give your skin and eyes a yellow colour (due to a liver problem),Severe rash with peeling or blistering skin sometimes with ulceration of mucus membranes
• If you take Avloclor for a long time you may experience changes in the normal electrical signals of your heart, cardiomyopathy (weakening or change in the heart muscle leading to tiredness or breathlessness) or retinopathy (changes to the retina of your eye) or sensitivity to light
• Your doctor may advise you to have blood or eye tests if taking Avloclor for a long time Stop taking Avloclor
• Contact your doctor immediately in any of the following situations -  if you develop difficulty in breathing with or without swelling of the face, lips, tongue and/ or throat
• If you develop swelling of the face, lips, tongue and/ or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing
• If you develop urticaria (itchy skin rash, ‘nettle rash’ or ‘hives’)
• Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you think you have any of these or any other problems with the tablets

Since this is a pharmacy medicine we need to ask you a few questions including information on any medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines.If you have any questions please ask our pharmacist.

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