Malarone
"Malarone is a branded anti-malaria treatment that helps protect you when travelling to an area where you could be at risk. You take a tablet daily before, during and after your trip."
What is Malarone?
Malarone tablets are an effective, branded, anti-malaria medicine. You take 1 a day while you’re in a risk-area, 1-2 days before you travel and 7 days after you leave.
How does it work?
Malaria is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, which injects the malaria parasite into your bloodstream when it feeds. This is what causes infection.
The active ingredients in Malarone antimalarial tablets, atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride, inhibit the growth of the parasite, ultimately destroying it inside the body.
How to use Malarone
You need to take 1 tablet at the same time each day and ideally with food or a milky drink.
How long should I take Malarone for?
You’ll need to begin Malarone antimalarial treatment ahead of your trip to a malaria-risk area. So take 1 tablet a day, 1-2 days before you travel. Then keep taking 1 tablet every day while you’re in that area, and for 7 days after you leave it.
Treatment results
Protection from Malarone tablets starts 1-2 days after you’ve started your course of treatment. This is why it’s so important to start treatment before you arrive at your destination.
To maximise your protection from Malarone antimalarial tablets, make sure you follow the instructions on your prescription and the medication packaging.
Important: Malarone provides 95% protection against malaria when you combine it with mosquito bite prevention measures. So, remember to wear clothes that cover as much of your body as possible and apply 50% DEET insect repellent to your skin.
Side effects of Malarone
As with all medications, some people may experience side effects when taking Malarone malaria tablets. These include stomach pain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, diarrhoea, coughing, low mood, skin reactions, or vivid dreams. However, these side effects are uncommon and usually mild.
For full details of side effects and correct use, please see the Malarone online patient information leaflet. And if you’re worried about side effects, you can contact us in your Patient Record.
Product features
95% effective when taken as prescribed
Start 1-2 days before entering area and continue for 7 days after leaving
Side effects are uncommon and usually mild
What is Malarone?
Malarone tablets are an effective, branded, anti-malaria medicine. You take 1 a day while you’re in a risk-area, 1-2 days before you travel and 7 days after you leave.
How does it work?
Malaria is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, which injects the malaria parasite into your bloodstream when it feeds. This is what causes infection.
The active ingredients in Malarone antimalarial tablets, atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride, inhibit the growth of the parasite, ultimately destroying it inside the body.
How to use Malarone
You need to take 1 tablet at the same time each day and ideally with food or a milky drink.
How long should I take Malarone for?
You’ll need to begin Malarone antimalarial treatment ahead of your trip to a malaria-risk area. So take 1 tablet a day, 1-2 days before you travel. Then keep taking 1 tablet every day while you’re in that area, and for 7 days after you leave it.
Treatment results
Protection from Malarone tablets starts 1-2 days after you’ve started your course of treatment. This is why it’s so important to start treatment before you arrive at your destination.
To maximise your protection from Malarone antimalarial tablets, make sure you follow the instructions on your prescription and the medication packaging.
Important: Malarone provides 95% protection against malaria when you combine it with mosquito bite prevention measures. So, remember to wear clothes that cover as much of your body as possible and apply 50% DEET insect repellent to your skin.
Side effects of Malarone
As with all medications, some people may experience side effects when taking Malarone malaria tablets. These include stomach pain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, diarrhoea, coughing, low mood, skin reactions, or vivid dreams. However, these side effects are uncommon and usually mild.
For full details of side effects and correct use, please see the Malarone online patient information leaflet. And if you’re worried about side effects, you can contact us in your Patient Record.
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Malarone FAQs
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When should I take Malarone?
To make sure you get maximum protection from Malarone malaria tablets, you should take one at the same time every day and, ideally, with food or a milky drink.
That way, your body can absorb more of the medicine, making the treatment more effective.
As with any prescribed medication, you should always follow the advice of your clinician and the instructions on or in the packaging.
How often should I take Malarone to prevent malaria?
For adults, the usual dose is 1 Malarone antimalarial tablet a day and you need to start 1 to 2 days before you travel to a malaria-risk area.
You then keep taking it every day during your stay and for another 7 days after you’ve left that area.
How long should I take Malarone for?
It’s important to keep taking Malarone tablets for 7 days after you leave a malaria-free area. That’s because it takes 7 days to ensure all potential parasites from an infected mosquito bite are eliminated from your bloodstream. So you must take the full course to minimise the risk of getting malaria.
If you miss a dose, take it when you remember and continue with your regular schedule. Never take a double dose to try and make up for a missed tablet. Just take your next dose at the usual time.
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Who can’t take Malarone?
You shouldn’t take Malarone tablets if:
- You’re allergic to atovaquone, proguanil hydrochloride, or any other ingredients in the medication.
- You have severe kidney disease.
- You’re pregnant or trying for a baby.
- You’re breastfeeding (as some of the ingredients in the medication may pass into your breast milk and this could be harmful to your baby).
- Your clinician can advise on all of the above during your consultation. They’ll make sure the treatment is safe for you to take or explore alternatives.
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Where can I buy Malarone?
Firstly, check which tablets are recommended for the country or countries you’re travelling to, as not all anti-malaria drugs are suitable for every region. There’s a checker at Travel Health Pro. Then you have three options:
- One of our clinicians can prescribe Malarone tablets after an online consultation where we make sure they’re right for you and your trip. It only takes a few minutes.
- You can get a prescription for Malarone tablets from your doctor.
- You can buy equivalent medication over the counter in pharmacies, where it’s branded as Maloff Protect.
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Can I take Malarone with other medication?
As with all medications, Malarone can interact with other medicines. So, our clinicians can prescribe it safely, you’ll need to let us know which prescription and over-the-counter medicines you’re taking regularly.
Specific medications that shouldn’t be taken alongside Malarone tablets include:
- Metoclopramide, a treatment for nausea and vomiting.
- The antibiotics tetracycline, rifampicin, and rifabutin.
- HIV treatments such as efavirenz and certain highly active protease-inhibitors.
- Warfarin and other medicines used to treat and help prevent future blood clots.
- The cancer treatment drug etoposide.
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Are there alternative Malarone treatments?
Depending on where you’re planning to travel, Malarone may not be the right treatment. However, we may be able to prescribe doxycycline as an effective alternative.
Even when you’re taking anti-malaria tablets, it’s best to try to avoid getting bitten in the first place. So, you should follow all the usual advice on how best to protect yourself, such as:
- Using an insect repellent containing 50% DEET
- Sleeping under a mosquito net that's been treated with insecticide
- Wearing trousers and long sleeves in the evenings
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