Pimaquin 15mg Tablet

Pimaquin 15mg Tablet belongs to the class 'anti-malarials' primarily used for the treatment of malaria. A disease caused by a plasmodium parasite, transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. The severity of malaria varies based on the species of plasmodium. Symptoms are chills, fever and sweating, usually occurring a few weeks after being bitten. People travelling to areas where malaria is common typically take protective drugs before, during and after their trip. 

Pimaquin 15mg Tablet contains 'primaquine'. It works by increasing the levels of haeme in the blood, a substance toxic to the malarial parasite. This kills the parasite and stops the infection from spreading. In this way Pimaquin 15mg Tablet used for the prevention of relapse of malaria caused by plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale strains of the parasite.

Pimaquin 15mg Tablet should be taken as prescribed by your doctor, preferably with a meal to avoid stomach upset and at fixed intervals every day for best results. The dose of Pimaquin 15mg Tablet can vary depending upon your condition and the severity of the infection. It is recommended to complete medicine and take this medicine as prescribed by your doctor before visiting a malaria-prone area. The common side effects of Pimaquin 15mg Tablet include rash, vomiting, headache, dizziness, hives, stomach pain, nausea, abdominal pain, itching, heartburn, gastrointestinal discomfort, upper abdominal pain. Everyone need not experience the above side effects. In case of any discomfort, stop the medicine and speak with your doctor.

Before starting Pimaquin 15mg Tablet, please inform your doctor if you are allergic to Pimaquin 15mg Tablet. Do not take Pimaquin 15mg Tablet on your own. Pimaquin 15mg Tablet is used in caution with Pregnant/breast-feeding mother. Pimaquin 15mg Tablet is not recommended in patients with heart disease, liver, kidney problems and rheumatoid-arthritis.

Pimaquin 15mg Tablet belongs to the class 'anti-malarials' primarily used for the treatment of malaria. Pimaquin 15mg Tablet contains 'primaquine'. It works by increasing the levels of haeme in the blood, a substance toxic to the malarial parasite. This kills the parasite and stops the infection from spreading. In this way Pimaquin 15mg Tablet used for the prevention of relapse of malaria caused by plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale strains of the parasite. Pimaquin 15mg Tablet can also be given in combination with clindamycin for the treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP).

• Rash
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Stomach pain
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Hives
• Dark-coloured urine
• Abdominal pain
• Confusion
• Weakness
• Itching
• Heartburn
• Nausea
• Gastrointestinal discomfort
• Upper abdominal pain

Before starting Pimaquin 15mg Tablet, please inform your doctor if you are allergic to Pimaquin 15mg Tablet. Do not take Pimaquin 15mg Tablet on your own. Pimaquin 15mg Tablet is used in caution with Pregnant/breast-feeding mother. Pimaquin 15mg Tablet is not recommended in patients of heart disease, liver, kidney problems and rheumatoid arthritis. Pimaquin 15mg Tablet is not recommended in patients of diabetes. Pimaquin 15mg Tablet is not recommended for use in acutely ill patients suffering from a systemic disease like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus. There is a marked decrease in the number of granulocytes in such conditions. Pimaquin 15mg Tablet is also not recommended for use if you are receiving a medication that can cause anaemia or suppression of the immune system by affecting bone marrow cells as a side effect. Medicine is not recommended for use if you are consuming Quinacrine or any other combination medicine containing quinacrine (anti-malarial drug). Patients should avoid pregnancy during treatment. It is recommended to take this medicine for the entire prescribed duration even when symptoms improve or resolve. Failure to do so might result in drug resistance. Sexually active women can take effective Contraceptive pills and men should use a condom during and 3months after stopping the treatment. Pimaquin 15mg Tablet should be discontinued immediately when leukopenia (reduced white blood cells) occurs.

Drug-Drug Interaction: Pimaquin 15mg Tablet can interact with pain killers (aspirin),  antibiotics (ciprofloxacin),  antimalarials (quinacrine), corticosteroids (dexamethasone), anti-epileptic (Phenytoin), vitamins (cyanocobalamin, cholecalciferol, riboflavin, pyridoxine, thiamine, ascorbic acid).

Drug-Food Interaction: Limit the consumption of grapefruit or grapefruit juice with Pimaquin 15mg Tablet as it can significantly increase the level of this medicine in the blood. 

Drug-Disease Interaction: People affected with eye disorder (oculotoxicity), blood disease (porphyria), heart disease (arrhythmias), bone marrow suppression,  seizures, enzyme deficiency (G-6-PD deficiency), liver disease (hepatotoxicity), hemolytic anaemia should not take Pimaquin 15mg Tablet without doctors consultation.

• CIPROFLOXACIN
• ASPIRIN
• PYRIMETHAMINE
• TRIMETHOPRIM
• PENICILLAMINE
• PHENYTOIN
• DEXAMETHASONE
• CHOLECALCIFEROL
• ASCORBIC ACID
• RIBOFLAVIN (VITB2)
• PYRIDOXINE (VITB6)
• VALPROIC ACID
• ACETAMINOPHEN

• Adequate nutrition is the key to improvement in malaria induced weakness.
• It is important to allow the patient to eat regularly in small amounts to tolerate the food. 
• Increase fluid and protein intake for malaria induced weight loss.
• Proper rest and mosquito-free premises is important for the patient to recover
• Avoid eating fried and processed foods, junk oily and spicy foods can aggravate nausea and can disturb the digestion process in the body.
• High fibre foods like whole-grain cereals must be avoided by malaria patients. Instead, the intake of fruits and pulses should be increased as they provide adequate nutrition

• Always take Pimaquin 15mg Tablet with meals for reduced gastric irritation.
• Eye examination prior to and at 3–6 monthly intervals during use is required if patients are receiving Primaquine at continuous high doses for a longer duration.
• It may cause low blood sugar level. Monitor your blood sugar level regularly, if you are diabetic.
• When Pimaquin 15mg Tablet used long term, your doctor may monitor the amounts of the different types of blood cells in your blood regularly.

Malaria: It is a severe & fatal parasitic infection caused by a protozoan called Plasmodium. 4 types of parasites can infect humans with malaria: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malaria. Female anopheles mosquito bites cause it. If bitten by an infected mosquito (the Anopheles mosquito), malaria parasites are injected into the blood. These parasites then migrate to the liver where they multiply via the bloodstream. A patient doesn't feel sick at this period because the parasites are in the liver. Then the parasites leave the liver and enter the red blood cells where the parasites are developing and then the red blood cells burst, allowing them to transfer to another blood cell. The parasites release harmful chemicals into the bloodstream at this point and the patient begins to feel ill. Malaria leads to periodic fever-chills, anaemia, kidney failure and jaundice because of excessive red blood cell death due to plasmodium growth inside them.