Generic Aralen

Aralen is a brand name for the medication chloroquine phosphate, and is given as a preventative and a treatment for most forms of malaria, an infection of the red blood cells spread by mosquito bites. It is also given for amebiasis, an infection by certain strains of amoeba characterized by loose, bloody stools. It is sometimes prescribed as a treatment for liver disease caused by protozoa. It is given in tablets at high doses of 500 milligrams for adults, and lower doses for children. It can also be given in an injection.

Aralen can have several side effects. If you take Aralen for a long time, it can cause damage to the retinas which can be irreversible. It can also cause disturbances in vision such as only being able to see half of the things you are looking at, or things being blocked from your vision. Another side effect can be temporary deafness or ringing in the ears. Sometimes people will experience weakness in their muscles, which is actually a condition affecting the nerves. Another set of side effects affects your gastrointestinal system; this includes loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. You could have seizures, headaches, psychosis, delirium, or depression. More rare side effects include low blood pressure or weakening of the heart muscle.

If you are traveling in an area where malaria is a concern, you can begin taking Aralen before your trip, as a preventative. Unfortunately, however, some strains of malaria have developed that are resistant to derivatives of quinine. You should check with your doctor to see whether your proposed area of the world has a strain of malaria that can be treated by Aralen.

While there are no complete studies about the safety of Aralen for pregnant women, in animal studies a course of Aralen treatment caused birth defects in the nervous system and the eyes. Tests on humans demonstrated that the compounds in Aralen tended to accumulate in the tissue of the eyes and remain there for up to five months. Pregnant women should consier carefully whether Aralen is the best preventative for malaria. Nursing mothers, also, should avoid taking Aralen, as it can be harmful to children in even small doses, such as those that come in breast milk, and the amount found in breast milk has no effect on keeping the baby from getting malaria. Elderly patients have no different reactions to Aralen than others; however, since Aralen is processed primarily through the kidneys, anyone with impaired function of the kidneys should consider taking lower doses and having their kidney function monitored.

No medicine can protect fully from getting malaria, but Aralen is a very effective preventative and treatment. Other measures you should take to keep yourself safe from malaria are not going out between dusk and dawn, sleeping in a screened or air-conditioned room, wearing long sleeves and long pants to keep mosquitoes off your skin, and spraying mosquito repellent on your skin and throughout your living quarters.