Avloclor 250 mg Tablets
chloroquine phosphate
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine.
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
- If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
- This medicine has been prescribed for you. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their symptoms are the same as yours.
- If any of the side effects get serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
In this leaflet:
- 1. What Avloclor is and what it is used for
- 2. Before you take Avloclor
- 3. How to take Avloclor
- 4. Possible side effects
- 5. How to store Avloclor
- 6. Further information
What Avloclor is and what it is used for
Avloclor contains a medicine called chloroquine phosphate. This belongs to a group of medicines called 'anti-malarials'.
'Anti-malarials' can be taken in certain parts of the world to help prevent malaria. This is a serious disease spread by infected mosquitoes. Avloclor will give some degree of protection (prophylaxis) against malaria in certain countries.
Medicines to help prevent malaria (malaria prophylaxis) are recommended for:
- People travelling to countries where malaria occurs.
- People living in malaria areas who are not immune to malaria.
These people have little or no immunity to malaria, so they are at risk of severe attacks.
You must get medical advice on which anti-malarial medicines to take. You must ask your doctor or pharmacist if Avloclor is suitable for the part of the world that you are visiting. In some countries you may have to take Avloclor with another medicine for maximum protection.
Avoiding mosquito bites
When you are taking this medicine to prevent malaria, you should also reduce the chances of being bitten by mosquitoes.
- Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing and long trousers when you are outside after sunset.
- Use insect repellent creams or sprays on parts of your body not covered by clothing.
- Sleep in a properly screened room or under a mosquito net.
- Spray to kill any mosquitoes that may have entered rooms in spite of screening.
Signs of malaria
No medicine can be guaranteed to protect against malaria in every case. If you have a high temperature (fever) during your visit to a malaria area, or up to a year after returning home, you should suspect malaria. Contact a doctor straight away and let him or her know that you have visited a malaria area.
Before you take Avloclor
Do not take Avloclor if:
- You are allergic (hypersensitive) to chloroquine phosphate or any of the other ingredients of Avloclor (see Section 6: Further information).
- You are taking a medicine called amiodarone (used to control the heart rate). Avloclor may increase the risk of uneven heart beats (cardiac arrhythmias) when it is taken at the same time as amiodarone. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
Take special care with this medicine
Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking your medicine if:
- You have ever had epilepsy, convulsions or fits.
- You have ever had problems with your liver or kidneys.
- You have ever been told that you have a rare disease of the blood pigment called 'porphyria' or anyone in your family has it. This is because Avloclor may cause severe symptoms of porphyria, particularly if you drink alcohol.
- You have a scaly condition of the skin called psoriasis.
- You have a muscle problem called 'myasthenia gravis'. Avloclor can increase the symptoms of this condition. It can also reduce the effect of medicines used to treat this condition (neostigmine and pyridostigmine).
- You have a blood problem called 'glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency'. Avloclor may damage blood cells in people with this blood condition.
If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Avloclor.
If you go into hospital, tell the medical staff that you are taking Avloclor.
If you live in a country where malaria occurs, you may already be slightly immune to the disease. You must ask a doctor or pharmacist for advice before you take anti-malarial medicines.
Taking other medicines
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, or have recently taken, any other medicines. This includes medicines that you buy without a prescription and herbal medicines.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines. This is because Avloclor may affect the amount of these medicines in your blood.
- Praziquantel (used to treat infections of the bowel and bladder caused by parasites).
- Ciclosporin (mainly used by transplant patients but also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis).
- Anti-convulsant medicines (used to prevent convulsions or fits).
- Digoxin (used to treat heart problems).
Also tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines:
- Other medicines used to prevent malaria, such as mefloquine. There is a risk of convulsions or fits when these medicines are taken at the same time as Avloclor.
- Cimetidine (used to treat stomach problems). This medicine affects how Avloclor is broken down by your body and may affect the amount of Avloclor in your blood.
- Medicines like kaolin (used for diarrhoea) which are called 'adsorbents'.
- Antacid medicines (aluminium, calcium and magnesium salts that are used to treat heartburn or indigestion).
Adsorbents and antacid medicines may reduce the amount of Avloclor absorbed from your gut. This may mean that the full dose of Avloclor is not absorbed into your body and it will not work properly. Therefore, you should take these medicines at least four hours before or after taking your Avloclor dose.
If you need a vaccination against rabies, make sure you have it before you start your anti-malarial medicine. If you have your rabies injection at the same time as taking your anti-malarial medicine, your rabies vaccine might not work so well.
Pregnancy
If you are pregnant or may become pregnant, talk to a doctor or pharmacist:
- before you take Avloclor,
- before you take any medicine to prevent malaria,
- and before you go to a country where there is malaria.
Breast-feeding
- If you are breast-feeding, talk to a doctor or pharmacist before taking Avloclor.
- Although Avloclor passes into the breast milk, the amount is not enough to protect your baby from malaria. Therefore, your baby will still need to be given anti-malarial medicines. Ask your doctor or pharmacist who will be able to give you advice.
Driving and using machines
Sometimes Avloclor causes blurred eyesight or makes it difficult to focus your eyes. If this happens to you, do not drive or use any tools or machines.
How to take Avloclor
Always take Avloclor exactly as your doctor has told you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
When to start taking your medicine
- Start taking this medicine one week before you enter the malaria area.
- You must continue to take it during your stay.
- You must keep taking this medicine for 4 weeks after leaving the malaria area.
Adults and children over 14 years
- Take two Avloclor tablets once a week on the same day each week.
Elderly people
- If you are an elderly person your doctor may suggest that you have blood tests. Your doctor may also decide to give you a different dose.
Children
Do not give Avloclor to children under 1 year of age. For children over 1 year of age, the dose depends on the child's age.
Ages 1 to 4 years: Take half an Avloclor tablet once a week (on the same day each week).
Ages 5 to 8 years: Take one Avloclor tablet once a week (on the same day each week).
Ages 9 to 14 years: Take one and a half Avloclor tablets once a week (on the same day each week).
How to take your tablets
- Take the tablet(s) after food.
- Swallow the tablet(s), or part tablets, whole with a drink of water.
If you take more Avloclor tablets than you should
If you take more Avloclor tablets than you should, talk to a doctor or go to a hospital straight away.
If you forget to take your Avloclor tablets
- If you forget to take a dose of Avloclor, take it as soon as you remember.
- Then wait for 7 days before you take the next dose of Avloclor.
- Carry on taking your Avloclor tablets each week, on this new day of the week.
Stopping Avloclor
Only stop taking Avloclor four weeks after leaving the malaria area or if your doctor tells you to.
If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Avloclor Tablets Side Effects
Like all medicines, Avloclor can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Allergic reactions
If you have an allergic reaction, stop taking Avloclor and get medical help or contact your doctor straight away. The signs may include:
- Difficulty in breathing.
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing.
- An itchy rash (similar to nettle rash or hives).
Other possible side effects
When Avloclor is used to prevent or suppress malaria, these are generally not serious. If Avloclor is used for a long time, they can be more serious.
Stomach and gut
- Stomach upsets, feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), diarrhoea or stomach cramps.
Nervous system
- Headache.
- Feeling dizzy or light-headed.
- Convulsions or fits.
- Mood changes or other effects on behaviour. These include feeling anxious or, rarely, seeing, feeling or hearing things that are not there (hallucinations).
Skin
- Skin rash, including a scaly rash (psoriasis) or itch.
- Peeling skin.
- A severe rash with blisters or peeling of the skin and possibly blisters in the mouth and nose.
- Discolouration of the skin or mucous membranes (such as the inside of your mouth).
- Being sensitive to sun light which may require medical treatment.
Hair
- Changes in hair colour.
- Hair loss.
Eyes
- Blurred eyesight.
- Some or complete loss of eyesight.
- Difficulty in focussing your eyes.
- Double vision.
- Changes to the retina of your eye (retinopathy) or to the cornea. This can lead to 'patchy' eyesight.
If you are taking Avloclor for a long time, your doctor may suggest that you have eye tests.
Ears
- Hearing loss.
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
Blood
- A reduced number of blood cells. This can make you bruise more easily, get serious infections, or feel very tired or breathless.
If you are taking Avloclor for a long time, your doctor may suggest that you have blood tests.
Heart
- Changes in the way your heart works (known as 'electrocardiographic changes').
- Weakening or change in the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). This may make you feel tired or short of breath.
Liver
- Liver problems which may cause yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.
If you are taking Avloclor for a long time, your doctor may suggest that you have blood tests to check how well your liver is working.
Other
- Weakening of your muscles (neuromyopathy).
Do not be concerned by this list of possible side effects. You may not get any of them.
If any of the side effects get serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
How to store Avloclor
- Keep your medicine in a safe place where children cannot see or reach it. Your medicine could harm them.
- Do not store your medicine above 30°C.
- Protect the tablets from light and moisture.
- Keep the tablets in the container they came in.
- Do not take Avloclor after the expiry date stated on the carton. The expiry date refers to the last day of the month.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines that are no longer required. This will help to protect the environment.
Further information
What Avloclor Tablets contain
- The active substance in Avloclor Tablets is chloroquine phosphate. Each tablet contains 250 mg of chloroquine phosphate (equivalent to 155 mg of chloroquine base).
- The other ingredients are magnesium stearate and maize starch.
What Avloclor Tablets look like and contents of the pack
Avloclor Tablets are white and round. They have a break line on one side and the letter 'A' either side of the line. Avloclor Tablets come in packs of 20 tablets.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
The Marketing Authorisation for Avloclor Tablets is held by
Avloclor Tablets are manufactured by
To listen to or request a copy of this leaflet in Braille, large print or audio please call, free of charge:
0800 198 5000 (UK only)
Please be ready to give the following information:
Product name Avloclor Tablets
Reference number 17901/0003
This is a service provided by the Royal National Institute of blind people.
Leaflet prepared: December 2008
© AstraZeneca 2008
Avloclor is a trade mark of the AstraZeneca group of companies
INF 08 0012a
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