Amodiaquine Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Amodiaquine Tablet contains Amodiaquine, an antimalarial medicine from the 4-aminoquinoline class. It is used to treat uncomplicated malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum and is often combined with artesunate to improve effectiveness. The medicine is given once daily for 3 days, with doses based on age and body weight. It can cause side effects affecting the stomach, nervous system, heart rhythm, liver, and blood, so it should be used under medical supervision.

What is Amodiaquine Tablet

Amodiaquine is an antimalarial medicine used to treat malaria caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite. It is often combined with artesunate to make treatment more effective.

Amodiaquine Tablet uses

• Treatment of uncomplicated malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum strains that respond to amodiaquine and artesunate
• May be used in mass drug treatment programs to lower the spread of malaria in a community
• Treats uncomplicated falciparum malaria
• Used as part of combination antimalarial therapy
• Helps clear malaria parasites from the blood

Benefits of Amodiaquine Tablet

• Clears the malaria parasite from the blood when combined with artesunate
• Still works against some strains of malaria that have become resistant to chloroquine
• Provides effective antimalarial activity when combined appropriately
• Short 3-day treatment course
• Available in pediatric weight-based formulations
• Can be used across multiple age groups when dosed by body weight

How Amodiaquine Tablet works

Amodiaquine gets into red blood cells infected with the malaria parasite and stops the parasite from processing a waste product, which kills the parasite. When combined with artesunate, which attacks the parasite in a different way, the two medicines work together against the infection.

Amodiaquine Tablet dosage

Swallow the tablets with water; they should not be taken with a high-fat meal. If you cannot swallow the tablets, such as for very young children, the tablets can be crushed and mixed with water or taken with water. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is almost time for the next dose — then skip the missed dose and continue as normal. If vomiting occurs within half an hour of taking a dose, take another dose; if vomiting continues, seek medical care for possible severe malaria. Doses may be taken with meals to help lessen stomach upset.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablets (plain, bilayered, including fixed-dose combination with artesunate)

Side effects of Amodiaquine Tablet

Common

• Loss of appetite
• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Weakness
• Sleepiness
• Trouble sleeping
• Cough
• Prolonged QT interval (a heart rhythm change seen on ECG)
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Itching, rash, or skin swelling
• Joint pain
• Fever
• Swelling of the arms or legs

Serious

• Severe allergic reaction
• Low white blood cell counts, including a severe and sometimes life-threatening drop called agranulocytosis
• Severe hepatitis (liver inflammation), which can sometimes be fatal
• Irreversible damage to the retina of the eye (with frequent or prolonged use)
• Abnormal heart rhythms, including slow heart rate
• Convulsions
• Hallucinations
• Unusual movements such as tongue protrusion, muscle spasms, or neck twisting (extrapyramidal reactions)
• Severe drop in blood sugar
• Vertigo
• Grey-colored skin pigmentation, especially on fingers and inside the mouth

Warnings and precautions

• Do not use this medicine in areas where the malaria parasite has become widely resistant to amodiaquine, because then only the other ingredient would actually be working, raising the risk of resistance developing.
• This medicine should not be used to prevent malaria (as a long-term preventive drug), because long-term use raises the risk of serious blood and liver problems.
• This medicine has not been studied for treating severe or complicated malaria and should not be used for that.
• This medicine has not been studied in people with certain blood conditions, including thalassaemia, sickle cell disease, or G6PD deficiency, so caution is needed.
• This medicine should be used carefully in people with heart problems, slow heart rate, low potassium or magnesium levels, or in people taking other medicines that affect heart rhythm, because of a risk of a heart rhythm change called QT prolongation.
• This medicine should not be taken together with the HIV medicine efavirenz, because the combination can cause serious liver damage.
• This medicine contains lactose and should not be given to people with certain rare inherited conditions affecting sugar processing unless absolutely necessary.
• This medicine may be used in the first trimester of pregnancy if the preferred option is not available or suitable, and can be used during the second and third trimesters. Long experience with amodiaquine has not shown a clear risk of birth defects, but safety has not been formally confirmed.
• Only small amounts of this medicine pass into breast milk, and it can be used to treat malaria in breastfeeding women.
• There is no specific information on dosing in people with kidney problems, so this medicine should be used with caution in these patients.
• This medicine should be used carefully in people with liver disease, since amodiaquine can build up in the liver and cause damage, and it should never be used again in anyone who previously had liver injury from it.
• People who drink alcohol regularly should use this medicine with caution because of the added risk to the liver.
• This medicine can cause sleepiness, dizziness, or weakness. Do not drive or use machines if you experience these effects.

Storage

• Do not store above 30°C.
• Store in an air-tight container, in child-resistant packaging out of the reach of children.

When to see a doctor

• Get medical help right away if you develop a fever with a sore throat or mouth ulcers, as this could be a sign of a dangerous drop in white blood cells.
• Seek medical attention immediately if you notice yellowing of the skin or eyes, or other signs of liver problems, since treatment may need to be stopped right away.
• Seek medical care if you have unusual movements of the tongue, face, or body, even after just one dose, as this may require stopping the medicine and switching to another antimalarial.
• If you suspect an overdose, get to a hospital right away where heart and breathing function can be closely monitored and treated.
• Seek urgent medical help for symptoms such as severe headache, dizziness, vision changes, fainting, irregular heartbeat, or seizures, which can occur with amodiaquine toxicity.

Alternatives

• Artemether + lumefantrine
• Artesunate + mefloquine
• Dihydroartemisinin + piperaquine