Mefloquine Oral: Dosing and Precautions

Use restrictions

Do not administer the combination artesunate-mefloquine as separate tablets. Use co-formulated tablets.

Therapeutic action

Antimalarial.

Indications

• Treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria.
• Treatment of uncomplicated malaria due to other Plasmodium species, when chloroquine cannot be used.
• Completion treatment following parenteral therapy for severe malaria.

Forms and strengths

250 mg scored tablet.

Dosage and duration

Child 6 months and over (5 kg and over) and adult: 8 mg/kg once daily for 3 days, in combination with artesunate.

Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions

• Do not administer to patients with neuropsychiatric disorders or history thereof, seizures, hypersensitivity to mefloquine or quinine, or mefloquine treatment in the previous 4 weeks.
• For completion treatment following parenteral therapy for severe malaria: do not administer if the patient developed neurological signs during the acute phase.
• May cause gastrointestinal disturbances, dizziness, headache, sleeping disorders, and more rarely neuropsychiatric reactions, heart rhythm disorders, hypo- or hypertension, and skin allergies.
• If the patient vomits less than 30 minutes after administration, repeat the full dose. If the patient vomits within 30 to 60 minutes, re-administer half the dose.
• Do not combine with anti-epileptics, co-artemether, or chloroquine.
• Do not administer simultaneously with quinine. If mefloquine is used after quinine IV, administer mefloquine 12 hours after the last dose of quinine.
• Administer with caution to patients taking antiarrhythmics, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, or digitalis.
• Pregnancy: no contra-indication.
• Breast-feeding: no contra-indication.