How is Malarone taken?
Malarone has to be taken every day in order to protect you from malaria. Treatment consists of one tablet taken once a day. Malarone tablets should be taken with food or a drink of milk as this helps your body absorb the medicine. You need to begin taking Malarone tablets 1-2 days before you travel to a risk area. You also need to continue treatment for 7 days after you have returned to a malaria-free area. Stopping your treatment early puts you at risk of contracting malaria.
If you forget to take a tablet, just take your next tablet as soon as your remember, then continue with your treatment as before. Do not extra tablets to make up for the doses you missed.
Always take the full course of Malarone that you have been prescribed and ask a doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
What is the normal Malarone dosage?
Each tablet of Malarone contains 250mg of atovaquone and 100mg of proguanil hydrochloride. In combination, the two substances provide effective protection from malaria infection.
What if I am sick?
Vomiting and diarrhoea can reduce the effectiveness of Malarone and can leave you vulnerable to infection. If you vomit within one hour of taking your daily tablet, you need to take another one as soon as possible. If you suffer from diarrhoea you need to speak to a doctor who will check whether you are still protected from malaria. Take extra care and use insect repellent and bednets to stay safe if you believe Malarone may not have worked properly.
Please bear in mind that taking an extra tablet after vomiting can mean that you run out of malarone tablets before leaving a malaria area. You must ensure that you have enough malaria medication to cover the full duration of your stay.