Mefloquine, sold under the brand name Lariam among others, is a medication used to prevent or treat malaria. When used for prevention it is typically started before potential exposure and continued for several weeks after potential exposure. It can be used to treat mild or moderate malaria but is not recommended for severe malaria. It is taken by mouth.Common side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, sleep disorders, and a rash. Serious side effects include potentially long-term mental health problems such as depression, hallucinations, and anxiety and neurological side effects such as poor balance, seizures, and ringing in the ears. It is therefore not recommended in people with a history of mental health problems or epilepsy. It appears to be safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.Mefloquine was developed by the United States Army in the 1970s and came into use in the mid-1980s. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. Medical uses
Mefloquine is used to both prevent and treat certain forms of malaria. Malaria prevention
Mefloquine is useful for the prevention of malaria in all areas except for those where parasites may have resistance to multiple medications, and is one of several anti-malarial medications recommended by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for this purpose. It is also recommended by the Infectious Disease Society of America for malaria prophylaxis as a first or second-line agent, depending on resistance patterns in the malaria found in the geographic region visited.
On X-ray, 15–35 cm long filling defects, sometimes with whirled appearance (bolus of worms). Prevention
Prevention is by improved access to sanitation which includes the use of properly functioning and clean toilets by all community members as one important aspect. Handwashing with soap may be protective; however, there is no evidence it affects the severity of the disease. Eliminating the use of untreated human faeces as fertilizer is also important.In areas where more than 20% of the population is affected treating everyone is recommended. This has a cost of about 2 to 3 cents per person per treatment. This is known as mass drug administration and is often carried out among school-age children. For this purpose, broad-spectrum benzimidazoles such as mebendazole and albendazole are the drugs of choice recommended by WHO. Treatment
Medications
Medications that are used to kill roundworms are called ascaricides. Those recommended by the World Health Organization for ascariasis are: albendazole, mebendazole, levamisole and pyrantel pamoate. Single‐dose of albendazole, mebendazole, and ivermectin are effective against ascariasis. They are effective at removing parasites and eggs from the intestines. Other effective agents include tribendimidine and nitazoxanide. Pyrantel pamoate may induce intestinal obstruction in a heavy worm load. Albendazole is contraindicated during pregnancy and children under two years of age. Thiabendazole may cause migration of the worm into the esophagus, so it is usually combined with piperazine.Piperazine is a flaccid paralyzing agent that blocks the response of Ascaris muscle to acetylcholine, which immobilizes the worm. It prevents migration when treatment is accomplished with weak drugs such as thiabendazole.