Pls help! Friend's daughter is not tolerating mefloquine well!

[svmaine]

They just moved to Tanzania and her 3 year old is experiencing insomnia, mood swings...
Anyone used Artemisia to prevent and/or treat malaria for children?
xposted in Health and Healing

TIA!!
Sarah

[HappyHappyMommy]

Originally Posted by svmaine

They just moved to Tanzania and her 3 year old is experiencing insomnia, mood swings...
Anyone used Artemisia to prevent and/or treat malaria for children?
xposted in Health and Healing

TIA!!
Sarah

I don't know anything about Artemisia.

From my research (I'm not a medical professional), Mefloquine is very good in terms of an anti-malarial, but most people do have some side effects (though how severe the side effects varies a lot from person to person). I took it as an adult and was one of those people who had almost all of the possible side effects. While I was glad for the anti-malarial qualities, the side effects were pretty miserable.

Subsequently, when I travel to areas where malaria is a risk, I've taken Atovaquone/Proguanil (Malarone) and I had no side effects with it. :-) On a quick search, it *looks* like Atovaquone/Proguanil (Malarone) is available for adults and children over 5 kg (but not for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding). Anyhow, that might be a medication for your friend to ask about for her daughter.

I hope your friend's daughter can find a medication that works better for her!

[sharr610]

Switch to Malarone if you can. Mefloquine is a harsh med. I knew this from long ago, but still put DS and I both on it when we went back to Mali this last time. Big mistake.

But, I would first ask, is she in a rural or urban area? We actually were able to forgo any anti-malarials this past time because we were in an urban area. I had a chat with several expats that worked for a vaccine and infectious disease NGO and they confirmed, in our area, at least, that the mosquitos that carry the virus only came out between 10pm and 4am, June -April. And that by sleeping under a treated net during those hours, we would be fine, and its the course they had chosen. And you know what, we were!

Just check. I was skeptical, but after I heard from several of them who are scientists at this big NGO, I figured they knew what they were talking about. Our ped we had while there confirmed this info as well.

[USAmma]

The last two times we went to India with kids, I did not put them on anything and I didn't take anything. They have good drugs to treat Malaria and it's not a huge health risk if it's detected and treated early. My dh has had it several times. When I came down with the flu last time I was there, they had someone come to the house and draw my blood to test for it. It took about 4 hours to get the results!

I used a citronella-based cream that is very popular over there and slathered the kids up with it, and also closed all the windows after 4PM. They make plug-in devices that have an herbal smell that repels them that works really well, and also mosquito mats which are less desireable because of the smoke. If you burn the mat with the windows open at about 3:30 PM and then immediately close the windows at 4PM, it works to drive the buggers out of the house for the night.

[cappuccinosmom]

Aww, poor thing. Mefliquin *stinks*. And I got malaria in spite of being on it.

The missionary doctor I worked with in Ethiopia swears by Artemisia for treatment of malaria. Since meds are expensive and she works with the poor (and is living off very little herself), she uses that to treat malaria sometimes, both her patients and any missionaries or guests who are in the area and herself.