Complete adverse effect profile including incidence rates and management
Important Safety Information
This is not a complete list of all possible side effects. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any unexpected symptoms. For serious or life-threatening side effects, seek emergency medical attention immediately.
ADVERSE REACTIONS The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of chloroquine or other 4-aminoqunoline compounds.
Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.
Ocular disorders: Maculopathy and macular degeneration have been reported and may be irreversible.
Irreversible retinopathy with retinal pigmentation changes (bull’s eye appearance) and visual field defects (paracentral scotomas) in patients receiving long-term or high-dosage 4-aminoquinoline therapy have been reported (see WARNINGS ).
Visual disturbances (blurring of vision and difficulty of focusing or accommodation);
nyctalopia;
scotomatous vision with field defects of paracentral, pericentral ring types, and typically temporal scotomas (e.g., difficulty in reading with words tending to disappear, seeing half an object, misty vision, and fog before the eyes) have been reported.
Reversible corneal opacities have also been reported.
Immune system disorders: Urticaria, anaphylactic reaction including angioedema.
Ear and labyrinth disorders: Nerve type deafness;
WARNINGS Chloroquine-Resistant Malaria Chloroquine phosphate tablets are not effective against chloroquine-or hydroxychloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium species (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY , Microbiology ).
Chloroquine resistance is widespread in P.
falciparum and is reported in P.
Before using chloroquine for prophylaxis, it should be ascertained whether chloroquine is appropriate for use in the region to be visited by the traveler.
Information regarding the geographic areas where resistance to chloroquine occurs, is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov\malaria).
Like all medications, Chloroquine Phosphate can cause side effects. However, not everyone who takes this medication will experience them. Many side effects are dose-dependent and may improve as your body adjusts to the medication. Others may require dose adjustment or medical attention.
Contact your healthcare provider promptly if you experience:
Seek immediate emergency medical care if you experience signs of: