Quinine sulfate for malaria

Quinine sulfate prevents the development of malaria parasites in the blood.

To treat malaria, you can take quinine sulfate alone for 3 to 7 days, but it is more commonly used in one of three different combinations:

• Quinine sulfate plus doxycycline or tetracycline is taken for 7 days.
• Quinine sulfate plus pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine is taken as a single dose of three tablets.
• Quinine sulfate plus clindamycin is taken for 7 days.

You usually take quinine sulfate as a tablet (orally).

Quinine sulfate plus another medication is the medication of choice for chloroquine-resistant malaria (where chloroquine is no longer effective against the malaria parasite).

Quinine sulfate is effective against all species of Plasmodium.

Side effects of quinine sulfate include:

• Nausea.
• Blurred vision.
• Headache.
• Ringing in the ears.

See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)

Quinine sulfate given through a needle directly into a vein (intravenously, or IV) is not available in the United States, but intravenous quinidine gluconate, as a substitute, works just as well.

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