CHLOROQUINE BASE

Antimalarial and disease modifying antirheumatic medicine

Dosage Forms

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Tablet

150 mg

Uses

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  • Malaria prophylaxis in sickle cell disease
  • Rheumatoid arthritis (specialist use only)

Dose and Duration

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Malaria prophylaxis in sickle cell disease
Adult: 300 mg of chloroquine base once weekly
Child: 5 mg/kg once weekly
Rheumatoid arthritis
Adult:150 mg of chloroquine base once daily
Child:3 mg/kg once daily

Contraindications

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  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Allergy to chloroquine

Side Effects

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  • Stomach upset
  • Skin reactions (rash, itching)
  • Headache
  • Eye damage on long term use
  • Irregular heartbeat and convulsions in overdose

Interactions

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  • Artemether/lumefantrine
  • Digoxin (increased concentration of digoxin)
  • Mefloquine (increased risk of convulsions)
  • Ethosuximide (reduced effect of ethosuximide)
  • Carbamazepine (reduced effect of carbamazepine)
  • Halothane (increased hypotensive effect)
  • Ketamine (increased hypotensive effect)

Patient Instructions

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  • Take after food to minimise nausea and vomiting
  • Report immediately to health worker any visual disturbances while on treatment

Pregnancy

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  • Can be used

Breastfeeding

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  • Can be used

⚠️ Caution

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  • Chloroquine should not be used for malaria treatment as the parasites are resistant to it
  • Chloroquine can make psoriasis worse