Aralen

Generic Name: Chloroquine
Brand Name: Aralen  

Aralen is used for:

Treating and suppressing acute attacks of certain strains of malaria and a certain type of parasitic infection (extraintestinal amebiasis). It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Aralen is an aminoquinoline. It is thought to kill sensitive malaria parasites by stopping normal metabolism inside the parasite.

Do NOT use Aralen if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Aralen
• you have vision problems or retinal changes
• you are taking arsenic, astemizole, terfenadine, cimetidine, cisapride, quinacrine, or dofetilide

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Aralen :

Some medical conditions may interact with Aralen . Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines or other substances
• if you have porphyria or any other blood disease, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency, or a history of seizures
• if you have psoriasis, stomach or intestinal problems, liver disease, or central nervous system problems

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Aralen . Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Cimetidine or quinacrine because the side effects of Aralen may be increased
• Ampicillin, rabies vaccine, or thyroid hormones (eg, levothyroxine) because the effectiveness of these medicines may be decreased
• Arsenic, astemizole, cisapride, dofetilide, or terfenadine because the risk of severe side effects, including irregular heartbeat, may be increased
• Cyclosporine because its side effects may be increased

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Aralen may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.