Malaria tablets - UK prescription by UK registered Doctors
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Malaria
Malaria is a parasitic disease spread through the bites of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes bite to feed from your
blood and if they have previously been infected with the malaria parasite, a single bite can infect you with
malaria. Symptoms of malaria can be seen as soon as 7 days, but the parasite can also lie dormant in body and
you could be without symptoms for a year or more. All kinds of malaria are serious, but malaria caused by
malaria falciparum is the most serious and symptoms can cause severe illness or death very quickly.
Malaria is present in most tropical regions of the world. If you are travelling to places with malaria it
is essential that you take action to avoid infection (see below). If you have visited places with malaria,
you must be aware of the symptoms of infection and seek immediate medical attention should they occur even
if it is months after you have travelled and even if you have taken malaria tablets to cover your trip, as
it is still possible to become infected, although far less likely.
Please visit the following websites to see if the place(s) you will visit have malaria:
http://www.nathnac.org/travel/factsheets/malaria.htm
http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/malaria.aspx
If you are planning to travel and may need malaria tablets, act now and click to start your secure Malaria consultation
Our Malaria tablet service is not suitable for people under the age of 18 years of age or for pregnant or breast-feeding women.
Symptoms of Malaria
Symptoms of malaria normally start between 10 and 15 days after infection but can be seen as soon as 7 days
and the parasite can also lie dormant in body so you could be without symptoms for a year or more. The main
symptoms are flu like including:
- Fever of 38oC or above
- Sweats and chills
- Feeling generally unwell
- Aching muscles
- Headaches
- Diarrhoea
- Cough
With some malaria the fever goes in cycles with an initial feeling of cold and shivering for an hour or so, then
2-6 hours of fever followed by extreme sweating. This repeats every 2 days or so.
Malaria falciparum symptoms can progress very quickly to breathing problems, fits, liver failure, shock, coma and death.
If you experience any symptoms of malaria whilst travelling or on return seek emergency medical treatment.
Malaria prevention and treatment
Once malaria is caught, it can be very difficult to eradicate from your body unless treatment is initiated very quickly
as the parasite can lie dormant, protected from anti-malarial treatments. If treatment can be started quickly then the
parasite can be killed and most people will make a full recovery. The service offered here is not concerned with treating
malaria if caught, rather preventing infection.
If you are travelling to areas with malaria it is essential to take the ABCD approach to preventing infection:
- Awareness of risk: know your risk of malaria by checking if malaria is in the places you will visit and understand the level of risk.
- Bite prevention: avoid bites as much as possible. Stay somewhere with effective air conditioning and screens on the windows and doors. If this is not the case sleep under mosquito nets treated with insecticide. Use insect repellent and apply frequently. Wear long trousers and sleeves rather than shorts and T shirts, especially in the early evening and at night when the mosquitoes bite the most.
- Chemoprophylaxis: take the right anti-malarial tablets. PrivateMeds will help you choose the right medicines and ensure you know how to take it appropriately. You will need to start taking them before you travel and continue to take them after you return in case some parasites are incubating in your blood. No anti-malarial is 100% effective so it’s still very important to avoid being bitten.
- Diagnosis: get immediate medical help for symptoms.
Pregnant women more attractive to mosquitoes because of hormonal changes in your blood and so the risk of bites is very
high. The risks of getting severe malaria and the risks of damage to you and your baby are very high. For this reason
the World Health Organisation advises pregnant women to avoid travelling to places with malaria.
If you are planning to travel and may need malaria tablets, act now and click to start your secure Malaria consultation
Anti Malarial medicines
There are three main prescription medicines used to prevent infection with malaria. They are Doxycycline, Lariam (mefloquine) and
Malarone (atovaquone plus proguanil). Which one is right for you will depend on who you are and your medical history, and where you
are intending to travel and the types of malaria that prevail there. Your GMC registered Doctor at PrivateMeds will review your
medical history and where you are going and then authorise the preventative treatment(s) that is right for you for the trip you are
planning.
Please see the individual pages for details of each medicine.
If you are planning to travel and may need malaria tablets, act now and click to start your secure Malaria consultation