My spouse and I are in Indonesia and are taking atovaquone proganil (Malarone) for malaria. Do you have any suggestions on how to limit the side effects (especially stomach aches and diarrhea)?

Question

We stay on the island of Lokbok. We already take the medicine at meal time but it doesn't help us anymore. According to the dosage we still have to take the medication for another 7 days. Considering also that we will be flying again soon, we would like to have effective suggestions to stop the side effects as much as possible, if not to be able to stop taking the medication completely. Thank you.

Isabelle Pelletier · Accepted Answer

Hello Madam, the side effects you describe are unfortunately frequently reported with latovaquone-proguanil. In most cases, these effects diminish over the course of a few days, the first few doses are always the worst. If these side effects persist, some references suggest trying to divide the daily dose into 2 doses (e.g. 1/2 dose at breakfast and 1/2 dose at supper), this may decrease the nausea/stomach ache. Of course, always take the medication with food, in the middle of the meal, is also suggested. I hope I have helped you a little, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions and I wish you all the best for your trip. Have a great day!