What is this medicine?
PRIMAQUINE (PRIM a kwin) is used to treat or prevent malaria infections.
This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.
What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. This pricing information was updated 09/2009. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit www.drugstore.com. Actual costs to patients will vary depending on the use of specific retail or mail-order locations and health insurance copays.
| Primaquine Phosphate 26.3MG Tablets | SANOFI PHARMACEUTICALS | 14/$28.33 or 42/$61.47 |
What side effects may I notice from receiving this medicine?Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
- allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
- dark urine
- hallucination, loss of contact with reality
- feeling faint or lightheaded
- fever or infection
- numbness, tingling
- pale, discolored skin
- seizures
- unusual bleeding or bruising
- unusually weak or tired
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
- nausea, vomiting
- stomach cramps, pain
This list may not describe all possible side effects. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
How should I use this medicine?
Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. While this drug may be prescribed for selected conditions, precautions do apply.
Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.
NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.
What if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.
What may interact with this medicine?- grapefruit juice
- quinacrine
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
Who should NOT use this medication?
- Acutely ill patients who have systemic disease manifested by a tendency to develop granulocytopenia (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus).
- Patients receiving other potentially hemolytic drugs or agents capable of depressing the myeloid elements of bone marrow.
- CDC states that use is contraindicated in individuals with G-6-PD deficiency, in pregnant women, and during lactation (unless the breast-fed infant has been determined not to have G-6-PD deficiency).
What should I watch for while using this medicine?
Tell your doctor or health care professional if your symptoms do not start to get better in a few days. If you are taking this medicine for a long time, visit your doctor or health care professional for regular checks. If you notice any changes in your vision see your eye doctor for an eye exam.
You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how this medicine affects you. Do not stand or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. This reduces the risk of dizzy or fainting spells.
While in areas where malaria is common, you should take steps to prevent being bit by mosquitos. This includes staying in air-conditioned or well-screened rooms to reduce human-mosquito contact, sleep under mosquito netting, preferably one with pyrethrum-containing insecticide, wear long-sleeved shirts or blouses and long trousers to protect arms and legs, apply mosquito repellents containing DEET to uncovered areas of skin, and use a pyrethrum-containing flying insect spray to kill mosquitos.
If your urine becomes a dark color, tell your prescriber or health care professional as soon as you can.
What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
- anemia or other blood disorders
- glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency
- lupus
- taking quinacrine
- rheumatoid arthritis
- an unusual or allergic reaction to primaquine, chloroquine, iodoquinol, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
- pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- breast-feeding
Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
If you have been diagnosed with a disease for which an antibiotic is needed, you must complete the prescribed course of treatment. Even if you start to feel better, do not skip any doses and remember to take the medication until it is all gone.
I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.
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