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Mefloquine is best taken with a full glass (8 ounces) of water and with food, unless otherwise directed by your doctor.

Mefloquine may be crushed and put in water, milk, or juice to make it easier to take.

For patients taking mefloquine to prevent the symptoms of malaria:

• Your doctor will want you to start taking this medicine one week before you travel to an area where there is a chance of getting malaria.
• Also, you should keep taking this medicine while you are in the area where malaria is present and for 4 weeks after you leave the area. No medicine will protect you completely from malaria. However, to protect you as completely as possible, it is important that you keep taking this medicine for the full time your doctor ordered. Also, if fever or flu-like symptoms develop during your travels or within 2 to 3 months after you leave the area, check with your doctor immediately.
• This medicine works best when you take it on a regular schedule. For example, if you are to take it once a week, it is best to take it on the same day each week. Do not miss any doses. If you have any questions about this, check with your health care professional.

For patients taking mefloquine to treat malaria:

• To help clear up your infection completely, take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor.

Children taking mefloquine to treat malaria may vomit after taking this medicine. Your child may vomit some of the dose of medicine. Contact your child's doctor if vomiting occurs. The doctor may need for you to give your child more medicine.

Dosing

The dose of mefloquine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of mefloquine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on whether you are using mefloquine to prevent or to treat malaria.

• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • For prevention of malaria:
    • Adults and children weighing over 45 kilograms (kg) (99 pounds) 250 milligrams (mg) (1 tablet) one week before traveling to an area where malaria occurs. Then 250 mg once a week on the same day of each week and preferably after your main meal while staying in the area and every week for four weeks after leaving the area.
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor.
      • Children weighing 5 to 9 kg (11 to 20 pounds): 5 mg per kg of body weight one week before traveling to an area where malaria occurs.
      • Children weighing 10 to 19 kg (21 to 43 pounds): 62.5 mg (¼ tablet) one week before traveling to an area where malaria occurs. Then 62.5 mg once a week while staying in the area where malaria occurs and every week for four weeks after leaving the area.
      • Children weighing 20 to 30 kg (44 to 66 pounds): 125 mg ( tablet) one week before traveling to an area where malaria occurs. Then 125 mg once a week while staying in the area and every week for four weeks after leaving the area.
      • Children weighing 31 to 45 kg (67 to 99 pounds): 187.5 mg (¾ tablet) one week before traveling to an area where malaria occurs. Then 187.5 mg once a week while staying in the area and every week for four weeks after leaving the area.
  • For treatment of malaria:
    • Adults 1250 mg as a single dose, or 750 mg as one dose, then a 500 mg dose 8 hours later, or may be determined by your doctor based on body weight
    • Children Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The usual dose is 20 to 25 mg per kg (9 to 11 mg per pound) of body weight as a single dose or two doses (divide the single dose by two) taken 6 to 8 hours apart. Taking two doses may decrease the occurrence of unwanted side effects.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. This will help to keep you taking your medicine on a regular schedule. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For mefloquine, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to mefloquine, quinidine (e.g., Quinidex), quinine, or any related medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy It is best if pregnant women can avoid traveling to areas where there is a chance of getting malaria. However, if travel is necessary, mefloquine may be used for women traveling to areas where the parasite is resistant to chloroquine. Pregnant women are advised to report to their doctor any side effects following the use of mefloquine.

Breast-feeding Mefloquine passes into the breast milk in small amounts. However, the amount in breast milk is not enough to prevent the infant from getting malaria. Mefloquine could cause unwanted effects in the breast-fed baby. It may be necessary for you to take another medicine or to stop breast-feeding while taking mefloquine. Be sure you have discussed the risks and benefits of the medicine with your doctor.

Children Children should avoid traveling to areas where there is a chance of getting malaria, unless they can take effective antimalarial medicines such as mefloquine. Studies on this medicine have not been done in infants below the age of 6 months old.

Older adults Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of mefloquine in the elderly with use in other age groups. However, elderly people may be more sensitive to the adverse effects of mefloquine which may require caution.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking mefloquine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Anticonvulsants (carbamazepine [e.g., Tegretol, Carbatrol], phenobarbital [e.g., Luminal], phenytoin [e.g., Dilantin], valproic acid [e.g., Depakote]) Effects of the anticonvulsant (medicine to stop or reduce effects of seizures) not work as well. Your doctor may need to change your dose of anticonvulsant medicine.

• Chloroquine (e.g., Aralen) Use of chloroquine with mefloquine may increase the chance of convulsions (seizures)

• Halofantrine (e.g., Halfan) use of halofantrine together with mefloquine may cause serious heart problems
• Quinidine (e.g., Quinidex) or
• Quinine Use of these medicines together with mefloquine may result in slow heartbeat and other heart problems; also, an increased chance of convulsions (seizures) may occur when quinine is taken together with mefloquine

• Allergy to mefloquine or similar medicines such as quinine and quinidine or
• Psychiatric conditions such as
  • Active depression or recent history of depression or
  • Generalized anxiety disorder or
  • Psychosis or
  • Schizophrenia or
  • Other major psychiatric disorders
• Convulsions, history of Mefloquine should not be taken if you have any of these conditions.

• Depression previous history of Mefloquine should be used with caution.

• Epilepsy or
• Seizure disorder Mefloquine may make these conditions worse.
• Heart conditions orLiver problems Mefloquine should be used with caution.