Pyrimethamine
About
Pyrimethamine is an antimalarial medicine used in the treatment of malaria. Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by the plasmodium species. The infection occurs when the mosquito bites and enters the human body. Symptoms may include chills, on-and-off fever, and sweating. This medicine is only used to treat the infection. It is not recommended to prevent or treat severe conditions (where the infection is spread to the brain, kidneys, or lungs). Pyrimethamine is also used in the treatment of toxoplasmosis (infection caused by parasites toxoplasma gondii) and also in chemoprophylaxis of malaria.
Pyrimethamine contains Pyrimethamine, which belongs to the class of antimalarial/antiparasitic drugs. It works by increasing the harmful, toxic and highly reactive free radicals in the blood. This kills the parasite and stops the infection from spreading. In this way, Pyrimethamine is used for the prevention of relapse of malaria caused by parasites.
Pyrimethamine may cause certain side effects such as nausea, dizziness, vomiting, headache, diarrhoea, body pain, stomach discomfort, and injection site reactions. These side effects usually disappear without any medical attention. However, if these side effects persist, inform your doctor immediately. Pyrimethamine should be taken as advised by your doctor. Your doctor will decide the dose of the medicine based on the severity of your disease. Always take the medicine on time without skipping any dose.
Pyrimethamine should be avoided if you are allergic to it or any other artemisinin derivatives. It is contraindicated in patients with megaloblastic anemia. Inform your doctor if you have/had any conditions such as anemia, liver/kidney disease, heart problem, or taking any other medicines before taking Pyrimethamine as it may cause serious side effects under these conditions. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, inform your doctor before taking Pyrimethamine. This medicine is used in combination with other medicines for the treatment of malaria.
Uses of Pyrimethamine
Medicinal Benefits
Pyrimethamine contains Pyrimethamine, which belongs to the class of antimalarial/ antiparasitic drugs. It works by increasing the harmful, toxic and highly reactive free radicals in the blood. This kills the parasite and stops the infection from spreading. In this way, Pyrimethamine is used for the prevention of relapse of malaria caused by plasmodium species. Pyrimethamine is in combination with other antimalarial medicines such as chloroquine or quinine for the treatment of malarial infection.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Pyrimethamine
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Stomach pain
- Dizziness
- Lightheadedness
- Abdominal pain
- Weakness
- Nausea
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Avoid using Pyrimethamine if you are allergic to it or any other artemisinin derivatives. Inform your doctor if you have/had any conditions such as liver/kidney disease, heart problem, or taking any other medicines before receiving Pyrimethamine as it may cause serious side effects under these conditions. Pyrimethamine is recommended for use in children only if prescribed by the paediatrician, and if administered, proper care and dosing should be checked. This medicine is used alone or in combination with other medicines for the treatment of malaria.
Drug Interactions
Drug-drug interactions: Pyrimethamine may interact with antacids and many other medicines. Hence, inform your doctor on priority.
Drug-food interactions: No interactions found.
Drug-disease interactions: Pyrimethamine should be used with caution in patients with severe liver and kidney failure, gastrointestinal system (gut), and heart problems.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
consult your doctorThe interaction of Pyrimethamine with alcohol is unknown. Avoiding alcohol consumption is advised.
Pregnancy
cautionIn pregnant women, there are no favourable or well-controlled trials. Pyrimethamine should only be used during pregnancy if the possible benefit outweighs the risk to the fetus. Concurrent use of folinic acid is strongly advised while treating toxoplasmosis during pregnancy.
Breast Feeding
cautionPyrimethamine is excreted in human milk. Because of the risk of serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from pyrimethamine and concurrent use of a sulfonamide with Pyrimethamine for the treatment of some patients with toxoplasmosis, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or the drug, taking into account the benefits of the drug to the mother.
Driving
cautionPyrimethamine may decrease alertness or make you feel sleepy and dizzy. So, do not drive or operate heavy machinery after taking Pyrimethamine until you are alert.
Liver
cautionPyrimethamine should be used with caution if you have a pre-existing or a history of liver disease. Your doctor may adjust the dose based on your condition.
Kidney
cautionPyrimethamine should be used with caution if you have a pre-existing or a history of kidney diseases. Your doctor may adjust the dose based on your condition.
Children
safe if prescribedPlease consult your doctor. Your child's doctor will decide the dose of this medicine based on the age and condition of the child.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- It is important to allow the patient to eat regularly in small amounts to tolerate the food.
- Try to add protein to your diet for malaria-induced weight loss.
- Eating at the right time and taking proper rest is important for the patient to recover.
- Avoid eating fried and processed foods, and junk oily and spicy foods can aggravate nausea and disturb the body's digestion process.
- Eat nutritious food that helps to improve malaria-induced weakness
- Keep your area and surroundings mosquito-free.
- Use mosquito-repellent products to avoid the recurrence of infections and any other further complications.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Malaria: It is a life-threatening parasitic disease caused by mosquito bites. When the mosquito bites, the plasmodium parasite enters the body multiplies in the liver, spreads via the bloodstream, and thus causes the infection by releasing toxic chemicals. Four types of plasmodium parasites can infect humans with malaria such as Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malaria. Symptoms may include chills, on-and-off fever, sweating, vomiting, etc.
Toxoplasmosis: It is an infection caused by parasites toxoplasma gondii found in contaminated food and cat faeces. It can cause serious complications for pregnant women, such as miscarriage, stillbirths, and damage to the baby’s brain and other organs, particularly the eyes, at birth or early childhood, and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include muscle pain, fever, headache, etc.
FAQs
Pyrimethamine contains Pyrimethamine, which belongs to the class of antimalarial/ antiparasitic drugs. It works by increasing the harmful, toxic, and highly reactive free radicals in the blood. This kills the parasite and stops the infection from spreading.
No, do not stop taking Pyrimethamine. It is recommended to take this medicine for the entire prescribed duration, even when symptoms improve or resolve. Failure to do so might result in drug resistance, and treating any subsequent infection with the same medicine would be very difficult.
The common side-effects of Pyrimethamine are nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhoea, headache and injection site reactions. These side effects usually do not require any medical attention.
