Unlike other malaria medications, Lariam is not taken daily, but weekly. You need to take the Lariam tablet on the same day every week. You should take the first dose ten days and the second three days before you leave to make sure you tolerate the active ingredient mefloquine.

You need to continue taking Lariam until four weeks after your return from a malaria area. It is important that you take the full course - stopping early increases your risk of getting malaria.

If despite having taken your mefloquine tablets, you notice any symptoms of malaria during your stay or after your return, you must seek medical attention immediately.

The main ingredient in Lariam is mefloquine, an antimalarial substance that reduces your risk of malaria. It is not known exactly how mefloquine works, but it is effective in preventing malaria caused by the malaria parasite.

Every Lariam tablet contains 250mg mefloquine.

Mefloquine can not be taken by patients who are suffering from a mental health problem, such as depression or schizophrenia.

If you experience side effects such as depression, paranoia or hallucinations during your treatment, seek medical help immediately.

Very common side effects

• problems with sleeping such as insomnia or bad dreams

Common side effects

• dizziness
• headache
• visual disturbances
• loss of balance
• nausea (feeling sick)
• diarrhoea
• stomach pain
• itching

Due to the risk of dizziness, loss of balance and concentration, you should be cautious if you are going to be driving, operating machinery etc. whilst taking the tablets. You should not go scuba diving whilst taking Lariam.

For a full list of side effects please read the patient leaflet provided with your medication.

Warnings

Lariam has caused some cases of severe neurological or psychological side-effects.

You must stop taking your treatment and seek medical help immediately if you:

• notice any change in your mood or behaviour
• behave in a way that is risky or harmful towards yourself or others
• notice that you are having suicidal thoughts or attempt suicide
• notice you are losing touch with reality (psychosis) or paranoia (unusual feelings of mistrust towards others)
• have nightmares, anxiety, depression, restlessness, difficulty concetrating or confusion, as these may come before more serious neuropsychiatric side-effects

You should also seek urgent medical attention if you:

• experience an allergic reaction (which may involve difficulty breathing, swelling of tongue and face, itching and rash)
• notice changes in your heartbeat (for example pounding, skipped beats or racing)
• suffer seizures
• notice signs of a liver problem (for example jaundice, dark urine, itchy skin, light coloured stools, increase in liver enzymes shown in blood tests)
• numbness, pins and needles
• notice signs of an inflammation of the lung (such as fever, chills, shortness of breath, chest pain and cough)
• experience bleeding in the stomach
• feeling unusually shaky or clumsy
• notice ulcers in your mouth or throat, fever, chills, bruises or nosebleeds
• experience unusual vaginal bleeding