Product Description
Malarone Paediatric is licensed for preventing malaria in children under 40kg traveling to areas of the world where malaria is present. Malarone Paediatric contains the active ingredients Atovaquone/Proguanil hydrochloride.
This is probably the most effective antimalarial tablet for children and is generally suitable for sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.
It is important to know that no antimalarial tablet is 100% effective so insect repellents should be used to avoid bites from mosquitoes and other biting insects.
Directions
It is really important to know that Malarone Paediatric is dosed on the weight of the patient. The number of tablets required per day for Malarone Paediatric is as follows:
| 10kg - 19.9kg | 1 tablet daily. |
| 20kg - 29.9kg | 2 tablets daily taken as a single dose. |
| 30kg - 39.9kg | 3 tablets daily taken as a single dose. |
Dose: The above number of tablets taken daily as a single dose with food or a milky drink, starting one or two days before travel, whilst in the malaria-risk area, and for seven days after leaving the area.
They should be taken at the same time each day with food or a milky drink.
The tablets can be crushed if necessary just before being taken and mixed with food.
Honey, Nutella or Jam are good foods to disguise the taste, the sweeter the betterIf your child is sick within one hour of taking the tablet a repeat dose should be given.
If your child weighs less than 10kg please phone Travelpharm for advice as we can still help!
Worried about how many you might need to order? Don't be. Our online consultation will help you with this, using the inputted weight, dates of birth, and travel dates to calculate the amount you need for each person.
Ingredients
Malarone Paediatric contains the following active ingredients:
Active Ingredients: Atovaquone 62.5mg and Proguanil 25mg
The following inactive ingredients are also usually found in Malarone:
Core: Poloxamer 188, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Low-substituted Hydroxypropyl Cellulose, Povidone K30, Sodium Starch Glycolate Type A, Silica colloidal anhydrous, Magnesium Stearate
Coating: Hypromellose, Titanium Dioxide E171, Iron Oxide Red E172, Macrogol 400, Polyethylene Glycol 8000
This list is not exhaustive. For further information please contact us.
Side Effects
Like all medicines, Malarone Paediatric can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Always read the patient information leaflet before using this product and if you have any questions please speak with a pharmacist or another medical professional.
Most of the side effects reported are mild and have not lasted very long:
Very common side effects These may affect more than 1 in 10 people:
- headache
- feeling sick and being sick (nausea and vomiting)
- stomach pain
- diarrhoea. Common side effects These may affect up to 1 in 10 people:
- dizziness
- sleeping problems (insomnia)
- strange dreams
- depression
- loss of appetite
- fever
- rash which may be itchy
- cough
Common side effects which may show up in blood tests are:
- reduced numbers of red blood cells (anaemia) which can cause tiredness, headaches and shortness of breath
- reduced numbers of white blood cells (neutropenia) which may make you more likely to catch infections
- low levels of sodium in the blood (hyponatraemia)
- an increase in liver enzymes. Uncommon side effects
These common side effects may affect up to 1 in 100 people:
- anxiety
- an unusual awareness of the abnormal beating of the heart (palpitations)
- swelling and redness of the mouth
- hair loss
- itchy, bumpy rash (hives).
Uncommon side effects that might show up in blood tests:
- an increase in amylase (an enzyme produced in the pancreas)
Rare side effects These may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people:
- seeing or hearing things that are not there (hallucinations)
Other side effects Other side effects have occurred in a small number of people but their exact frequency is unknown.
- Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)
- blockage of bile ducts (cholestatis)
- increased heart rate (tachycardia)
- inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis) which may be visible as red or purple raised spots on the skin, but can affect other parts of the body
- fits (seizures)
- panic attacks, crying
- nightmares
- severe mental health problem in which the person loses contact with reality and is unable to think and judge clearly
- indigestion
- mouth ulcers
- blisters
- peeling skin
- increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight.
Other side effects, which may show up in blood tests are:
- A decrease in all types of blood cells (Pancytopenia).
Warnings
What you need to know before you give Malarone Paediatric to your child.
Do not give Malarone Paediatric:
- if your child is allergic to atovaquone, proguanil hydrochloride or any of the ingredients of this medicine
- if your child has severe kidney disease.
Other medicines and Malarone Paediatric
Tell our pharmacist if your child is taking, has recently taken or might take any medicines, including medicines bought without a prescription.
Some medicines can affect the way Malarone Paediatric works, or Malarone Paediatric itself can strengthen or weaken the effectiveness of other medicines taken at the same time. These include:
- metoclopramide, used to treat nausea and vomiting
- the antibiotics, tetracycline, rifampicin and rifabutin
- efavirenz or certain highly active protease-inhibitors used to treat HIV
- warfarin and other medicines that stop blood clotting
- etoposide, used to treat cancer.
Malarone Paediatric with food and drink
Give Malarone Paediatric with food or a milky drink, where possible. This will increase the amount of Malarone your child’s body can absorb, and make the treatment more effective.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you or your child is pregnant, do not take Malarone Paediatric unless recommended by our specialist pharmacist. Whilst breastfeeding is likely safe, some Malarone Paediatric will be present in the breast milk.
Driving and using machines
If you feel dizzy, do not drive. Malarone Paediatric makes some people feel dizzy. If this happens to you, do not drive, use machines or take part in activities where you may put yourself or others at risk.
Malarone Paediatric contains sodium This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
Patient Information Leaflet
To view or download this medicine patient information leaflet (PIL) please Click Here
Frequently Asked Questions
My child weighs less than 10kg, what should I do?
Good question. At Travelpharm we are experts in malaria prevention, and we can help you. Doses for children between 5.5 and 10kg are off-license but there is a lot of safety data to support use in this weight bracket. Please give us a call before you place your order so we can provide you with the right advice!
Can I crush Malarone Paediatric tablets?
Crushing Malarone Paediatric tablets is an option, but brace for the bitter taste. Malarone Paediatric is very bitter so we recommend mixing the crushed tablet with something really sweet like Jam, Honey, or Nutella. Our experience has shown this to be the best method to make both your and your child's day just that little bit easier, turning a potentially challenging moment into a more manageable one.
Can you buy generic Malarone Paediatric?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. At the moment there are no unbranded versions of this medicine available in the UK. If we wind the clock back a few years generic manufacturers produced both adult and paediatric versions of Malarone, but they discontinued manufacturing the children's version several years ago due to poor demand.
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