From the Guidelines
The side effects of Malarone (atovaquone/proguanil) include digestive disorders such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Common Side Effects
- Digestive disorders are the most commonly reported side effects of Malarone, as seen in the study published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection 1.
Important Considerations
It is essential to note that Malarone should be taken with a fatty meal or drink to enhance its absorption, and it is considered a relatively slow-acting regimen compared to other treatment options.
Comparison with Other Treatments
In comparison to other malaria treatments, Malarone has a more favorable side effect profile, with fewer reports of neuropsychiatric effects, QTc interval prolongation, and cinchonisms (tinnitus, vertigo, headache, acute hearing loss) associated with other medications like mefloquine and quinine sulphate 1.
From the Research
Side Effects of Malarone (atovaquone/proguanil)
- The most commonly reported adverse events in clinical trials were abdominal pain, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and coughing, which occurred with similar frequency in patients treated with a comparator drug 2.
- In a study comparing atovaquone-proguanil with mefloquine, 3 (15%) of the 20 atovaquone-proguanil-treated adults had adverse events, all of which were transient elevations of liver enzymes 3.
- Another study found that adverse effects during treatment with atovaquone-proguanil were mild, and were likely to be due to the malaria itself 4.
- Atovaquone-proguanil was found to have fewer side effects compared to mefloquine, with 19 (38%) of the 50 mefloquine-treated adults experiencing adverse events, including dizziness and nausea/vomiting 3.
- The combination of atovaquone and proguanil was found to have a favorable safety profile, with no significant difference in adverse events compared to other antimalarial drugs 5, 6.