Primaquine

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How does it work?

Primaquine belongs to a group of drugs called the antimalarials. It is used to treat malaria in an infected person. Malaria is caused by an organism which is classed as a protozoa and is a parasite which is carried by mosquitoes. During a bite from a mosquito, the parasite passes into the body. Once inside, it lives and reproduces. This results in the infection known as malaria. In the blood, malaria parasites break down a part of the red blood cells known as haemoglobin. When this happens haemoglobin is divided into two parts; haem and globin. Haem is toxic to the malaria parasite. To prevent it from being damaged, the malaria parasite produces an chemical which converts the toxic haem into a non-toxic product. Primaquine acts by interfering with a part of the parasite (mitochondria) that is responsible for supplying it with energy. Without energy the parasite dies. This stops the infection from continuing and allows the person to recover. Primaquine is not used in the prevention of malaria, only in the treatment. It is commonly used following treatment with chloroquine to treat malaria parasite infection in the liver caused by the vivax and ovale types of malaria.

What is it used for?

- Treatment to eliminate the liver stages of the life cycle of Plasmdium vivax or Plasmodium ovale malaria parasite after treatment with chloroquine.

Warning!

- Before starting primaquine therapy, blood tests for the compound glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase(G6PD) must be performed. This medication may cause the breakdown of red blood cells in patients where this compound is not present.

Use with caution in

- Inflammatory disease of the joints
- Lack of the enzyme G6PD in the blood (G6PD deficiency)
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE)

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.

- This medicine should be avoided during pregnancy. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
- There is no information available regarding the safety of this medicine during breastfeeding. Seek medical advice from your doctor.

Side effects