Malfan 20mg Tablet

✔️ Uses of Malfan 20mg Tablet

Treatment of Malaria

✔️ How does Malfan 20mg Tablet work?

Malfan 20mg Tablet is a combination of two antiparasitic medicines: Artemether and Lumefantrine, which treat malaria. These medicines work by increasing the levels of haeme in the blood, a substance toxic to the malarial parasite. This kills the parasite and stops the infection from spreading.

✔️ Side Effects of Malfan 20mg Tablet

Headache, Dizziness, Weakness, Joint pain, Muscle pain, Decreased appetite, Fever, Cough, Vomiting, Nausea, Diarrhea, Abdominal pain, Palpitations, Fatigue, General discomfort, Hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), Insomnia (difficulty in sleeping), Inflammation of the nose, Rash, Itching

✔️ Quick Suggestions:

• You have been prescribed Artemether + Lumefantrine for the treatment of acute uncomplicated malaria that is resistant to other antimalarial medications such as chloroquine.
• Wear light-colored and covered clothing when you are outside after sunset.
• Use insect-repellent creams or sprays on parts of your body not covered by clothing.
• Spray to kill any mosquitoes that may have entered rooms despite screening.
• Finish the prescribed course, even if you start to feel better. Stopping it early may make the infection come back and harder to treat.
• It may cause fatigue and dizziness. Use caution while driving or doing anything that requires concentration.
• If you vomit within 1 hour of taking the tablets, take another dose.
• Inform your doctor if you have kidney, liver, or heart disease.

✔️ Indication:

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in countries across Africa, South America, and Southern Asia.

Cause and Transmission:

• Parasite: The disease is caused by several species of Plasmodium parasites, including Plasmodium vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, and P. falciparum. Among these, P. falciparum is the most severe and is responsible for the majority of malaria-related deaths.
• Transmission: Malaria is transmitted when a mosquito infected with the Plasmodium parasite bites a healthy person, injecting the parasite into the bloodstream.

Symptoms:

• Malaria symptoms typically appear 10 days to 4 weeks after the initial infection, although they can sometimes manifest earlier or later.
• Common Symptoms Include:
  • Chills and shivering
  • High fever (often cyclical)
  • Profuse sweating
  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Anemia (due to the destruction of red blood cells)
  • Muscle pain
  • Convulsions
  • Coma in severe cases
  • Bloody stools

✔️ Dosage & Administration

• Take Artemether+Lumefantrine with food, exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
• This medicine is usually taken twice a day with a meal for 3 days, or as directed. On your first day of treatment, take your first dose with food, followed by your second dose 8 hours later.
• Then for the next 2 days, take one dose in the morning and one dose in the evening.
• Patients should be encouraged to resume normal eating as soon as food can be tolerated since this improves the absorption of the medicine.
• It should be taken with food or drinks rich in fat such as milk.

✔️ Interaction

Drug-Drug Interaction: Malfan 20mg Tablet may interact with other anti-malarial drugs (mefloquine, quinine, quinidine), drugs treating abnormal heart rhythms (flecainide, amiodarone, sotalol, procainamide, disopyramide), antipsychotics (pimozide, ziprasidone), macrolide antibiotics (erythromycin), antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, rifabutin, rifampin), fits medicines (carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin), antifungals (ketoconazole, itraconazole), HIV drugs (delavirdine, efavirenz, nelfinavir, ritonavir), antidepressants (clomipramine, amitriptyline, imipramine), blood pressure drugs (metoprolol), depression medicines (St. John's wort) and birth control pills.

Drug-Food Interaction: Avoiding alcohol may improve the side effects of Malfan 20mg Tablet. Grapefruit juice may affect the efficacy of Malfan 20mg Tablet hence please avoid it during treatment with Malfan 20mg Tablet.

Drug-Disease Interaction: Before using Malfan 20mg Tablet, let your doctor know if have any heart diseases, liver or kidney problems, malarial infection of the brain, lungs, or kidneys, severe heart diseases, and electrolyte imbalance.

✔️ Contraindications

The use of Artemether+Lumefantrine is considered to be harmful for patients with a known hypersensitivity to any of the active or inactive ingredients of the medicine. Caution is advised in patients with cases of severe malaria and in the first trimester of pregnancy.

✔️ Pregnancy & Lactation

Artemether+Lumefantrine is considered to be harmful for women in their first trimester of pregnancy. The reason is, that it increases the chances of fetal loss.

✔️ Precautions & Warnings

Let your doctor know if you use any antibiotic drugs or have recently undergone treatment with other anti-malarial drugs. Brief your medical history to the doctor if you have any liver or kidney problems, malarial infection of the brain, lungs, or kidneys, severe heart diseases, and electrolyte imbalance. It is essential to inform your doctor if you have hypokalemia (low potassium levels) or hypomagnesemia (low magnesium levels) before starting Malfan 20. Malfan 20 may affect QT prolongation and can cause serious fast/irregular heartbeat. Hence it is advised to inform your doctor if you have any heart-related problems like heart failure, slow heartbeat, QT prolongation in EKG or ECG (electrocardiogram), and a family history of heart diseases. It is essential to let your doctor know if you are pregnant, planning to conceive, or a breastfeeding mother before starting Malfan 20. Avoiding alcohol is recommended to rule out any possibility of side effects like dizziness or drowsiness.

✔️ Storage:

Store in a cool and dry place. Keep out of the reach of children.