Artemether
Description
Artemether is an effective anti-malarial medicine. It is used to treat severe malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax strains when other medicines are not effective.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Artemether
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Stomach discomfort and pain
- Dizziness
- Stomach irritation
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears
- Reduction in blood cell count
- Increased heartbeat
- Elevated liver enzymes
Uses of Artemether
What is it prescribed for?
- Acute uncomplicated malaria
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThe effect of this medicine can be observed within 6-8 hours of administration.
- Duration of effectThe effect of this medicine lasts for an average duration of 2-3 days.
- Safe with alcohol?Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
- Is it habit forming?No habit forming tendencies were reported.
- Usage in pregnancy?Use of this medicine in pregnant women is not recommended unless absolutely necessary. The effect of this medicine on pregnancy is not clearly established and hence should be used only in life-threatening situations.
- Usage while breast-feeding?Use of this medicine while breastfeeding is not recommended unless necessary. Your doctor will determine whether or not to use this medicine.
Allergy
This medicine is not recommended for use if you have a known history of allergy to Artemether or any other Artemisinin derivatives.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
Use of this medicine in pregnant women is not recommended unless absolutely necessary. The effect of this medicine on pregnancy is not clearly established and hence should be used only in life-threatening situations.
Breast-feeding
Use of this medicine while breastfeeding is not recommended unless necessary. Your doctor will determine whether or not to use this medicine.
General warnings
Severe malaria
This medicine should be used to treat malaria only when it is severe and other medicines like quinine are proving to be ineffective.
Liver/kidney impairment
This medicine should be used with caution in patients having an impaired liver/kidney function. If the impairment is very severe, then the use of this medicine should be avoided.
Heart disease
This medicine should be used with caution in patients suffering from a pre-existing condition of the heart. Appropriate dose adjustments and frequent clinical monitoring are recommended in such cases.
Drug resistance
It is strongly recommended to take this medicine for the entire prescribed duration even when symptoms resolve or improve. Failure to do so might result in parasitic resistance to the drug and treatment of further infection with this medicine would become difficult.
Missed Dose
Contact your doctor immediately if you miss a scheduled dose of this medicine.
Overdose
Contact your doctor immediately if an overdose with this medicine is suspected.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Instructions
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine
Erythromycin
Quinidine
Chlorpromazine
Quetiapine
Terfenadine
Disease interactions
Liver Disease
This medicine should be administered with caution in patients having an impaired liver function. Appropriate diagnostic tests must be performed before determining the dose regimen. Suitable dose adjustment and frequent monitoring may be needed to ensure safe and effective use.
Kidney Disease
This medicine should be administered with caution in patients having an impaired kidney function. Appropriate diagnostic tests must be performed before determining the dose regimen. Suitable dose adjustment and frequent monitoring may be needed to ensure safe and effective use.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Take Artemether as prescribed by the doctor. Do not take more or less than the recommended quantity and duration. It is advised to take this medicine under the supervision of a doctor or a healthcare professional.
Miscelleneous
How it works
This medicine works by interfering with certain vital functions in the cell of the malarial parasite present in the blood.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Antimalarial agents
Schedule
Schedule H
Artemether | C16H26O5 - PubChem [Internet]. Pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 8 June 2017]. Available from:
artemether: Indication, Dosage, Side Effect, Precaution | CIMS India [Internet]. Mims.com. 2017 [cited 8 June 2017]. Available from:
WHO Model Prescribing Information: Drugs Used in Parasitic Diseases - Second Edition: Protozoa: Malaria: Artemether [Internet]. Apps.who.int. 2017 [cited 8 June 2017]. Available from:
Information on this page was last updated on 9 Oct 2018
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.