Proguanil para la prevención del paludismo

About proguanil

Proguanil tablets help to protect you from malaria when you travel to areas where this can be a problem. It is usually used in combination with another antimalarial medicine to increase its effectiveness. Malaria is a serious infection. It is common in tropical countries such as parts of Africa, Asia, South and Central America, and the Middle East. Malaria is a disease which is passed on to humans by infected mosquitoes. A parasite called plasmodium lives inside the stomachs of infected female mosquitoes and is passed on to humans by a bite.

Because the pattern of malaria varies with the part of the world you are travelling to, as well as the season and the type of activity you have planned, you should always obtain the latest advice about malaria prevention from your doctor, pharmacist or travel organiser. A backpacking trip may well require different preventative measures against malaria to those needed for a business trip to a city.

Proguanil tablets are not available on the NHS, but you are able to buy the tablets without a prescription at a pharmacy.

Proguanil is also available as a combination tablet with atovaquone for malaria prevention. See the separate medicine leaflet for more information.

Before taking proguanil

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking proguanil it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:

• If you are pregnant or trying for a baby. Travel to areas with malaria is best avoided during pregnancy. If the travel is unavoidable, you will still be advised to take proguanil even if you are pregnant, but you will also be advised to take a supplement of folic acid.

• Si tiene algún problema con el funcionamiento de sus riñones.

• Si está tomando otros medicamentos. Esto incluye todos los medicamentos que se pueden comprar sin receta, así como las hierbas medicinales y los medicamentos complementarios.

• Si alguna vez ha tenido una reacción alérgica a un medicamento.

How to take proguanil

• Before you take proguanil, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about the tablets, and will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you could experience from taking them.

• Proguanil should be taken for a week before entering an area where malaria occurs. This is to ensure there is sufficient medicine in your bloodstream to give you the required protection. You should continue to take proguanil throughout your stay and for a further four weeks after you have left the area.

• Take the tablets exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you to. You will be given tablets containing 100 mg of proguanil. Adults should take 200 mg daily, so this means taking two tablets every day. Take the two tablets at the same time. If the proguanil is for a child, read the directions on the label carefully, as their dose will depend upon their age and weight.

• Take the tablets with a snack or just after a meal, and try to take your doses at about the same time of day, each day. The tablets can be crushed and mixed into milk, jam or honey to make them easier for children to swallow.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the following day, do not take two doses together to make up for the forgotten dose. You should complete the full course of tablets (unless you are told otherwise by a doctor). Make sure you continue to take the tablets for four weeks after returning from your visit.

Aproveche al máximo su tratamiento

• Proguanil tablets will help reduce the risk of you getting malaria, but it is also important that you take the following precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes:

  • Cubra las zonas descubiertas de brazos y piernas con ropa holgada de manga larga, pantalones largos y calcetines. Esto es especialmente importante si está al aire libre después de la puesta de sol, ya que es cuando se alimentan los mosquitos.

  • Utiliza un spray repelente de insectos eficaz en la ropa y en cualquier zona de la piel que tengas descubierta. Si también utiliza un protector solar, aplíquese primero el protector solar y después el repelente de insectos.

  • Rocía la habitación con un insecticida cada noche un par de horas antes de acostarte. Comprueba si hay mosquitos en las zonas donde duermes: presta especial atención a los muebles y a las zonas bajo la cama, donde pueden esconderse los insectos.

  • Si duerme en una habitación sin mosquitera, utilice una mosquitera impregnada con insecticida.

• If you have been advised to have an oral vaccine to protect you against typhoid, you should arrange to have this so your course is finished at least three days before you start taking proguanil. This is because proguanil tablets can stop the vaccine from working properly.

• If you take a medicine for indigestion (such as an antacid), do not take it within 2-3 hours before or after taking proguanil tablets. This is because some magnesium-containing antacids interfere with the way proguanil is absorbed by your body, making it less effective.

• Si se encuentra mal o tiene fiebre o síntomas gripales durante el viaje o en el plazo de un año (sobre todo si son tres meses) después de volver a casa, acuda inmediatamente al médico. Esto es importante, incluso si ha tomado correctamente los comprimidos antipalúdicos.

Can proguanil cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with proguanil. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

If you experience any other symptoms which you think may be due to the tablets, discuss them with your doctor or pharmacist who will be able to advise you further.

How to store proguanil

• Mantenga todos los medicamentos fuera del alcance y de la vista de los niños.

• Almacenar en un lugar fresco y seco, lejos del calor y la luz directos.

Información importante sobre todos los medicamentos