She is in her 5 month of pregnancy, the doctor, during routine ante-natal wrote a soft malaria drug for her to take.

Now, I went to a pharmacy, they gave me Amala malaria drug but she was afraid of Amala, she asked a nurse, and she was told... Fansidar now called swidar.. .

Please, which is better for a 5 month old pregnancy and the pharmacy says she shd take all 3 cube at once but her nurse friend says 1cube at a time, morning, afternoon and evening.

Response please, as the Amala and Fansidar is here with us and she will be taking it tomorrow morning

ify84:
She is in her 5 month of pregnancy, the doctor, during routine ante-natal wrote a soft malaria drug for her to take.

Now, I went to a pharmacy, they gave me Amala malaria drug but she was afraid of Amala, she asked a nurse, and she was told... Fansidar now called swidar.. .

Please, which is better for a 5 month old pregnancy and the pharmacy says she shd take all 3 cube at once but her nurse friend says 1cube at a time, morning, afternoon and evening.

Response please, as the Amala and Fansidar is here with us and she will be taking it tomorrow morning

Please read the message below and confirm if any of the drug contains the specific drug for/not for pregnant women before use.


In this review we examine the available
information on the safety of antimalarials in
pregnancy, from both animal and human
studies. The antimalarials that can be used
in pregnancy include (1) chloroquine, (2)
amodiaquine, (3) quinine, (4) azithromycin,
(5) sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, (6)
mefloquine, (7) dapsone-chlorproguanil, (
artemisinin derivatives, (9) atovaquone-
proguanil and (10) lumefantrine.

Antimalarial
drugs that should not be used in pregnancy
including (1) halofantrine, (2) tetracycline/
doxycycline, and (3) primaquine. There are
few studies in humans on the
pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of
antimalarials in pregnancy. This is because
pregnant women are systematically excluded
from clinical trials. The absence of adequate
safety data, especially in the first trimester,
is an important obstacle to developing
treatment strategies. The pharmacokinetics
of most antimalarial drugs are also modified
in pregnancy and dosages will need to be
adapted. Other factors, including HIV status,
drug interactions with antiretrovirals, the
influence of haematinics and host genetic
polymorphisms may influence safety and
efficacy. For these reasons there is an
urgent need to assess the safety and efficacy
of antimalarial treatments in pregnancy,
including artemisinin based combination
therapies.

Fansidar is beta

How many of us are doctors, why don't you two walk into a hospital and ask the right person.

Fansidar and Amalar is the same drug with different trade names. Both of them contain sulfodoxine-pyrimethamine(SP) as active ingredients, it is safe in pregnancy and also a drug of choice used in intermittent preventive therapy(IPT) in pregnancy.

This drug must be avoided if you are allergic to sulphur containing drugs, sulfanamides.The adverse effect is a fixed drug reaction, which forms black patches and blisters on the skin repeatedly on the same spot each time you react to it. Ask your doctor to prescribe another safe antimalaria drug that is used in IPT if you react to sulfonamides.

@op, please stick to the prescription of your doctor. If you are not clear with the prescription terms,then call or go back for clarification before you embark on any medication that can cause harm to you and your baby.

Remember that nairaland health section cannot serve the purpose of a hospital,so always seek for expert and professional management.

Fansidar!

Thanks all, for ur comments

Just to add to what obuksjr wrote, yes fansidar is safe in pregnancy BUT MUST be AVOIDED within the first three months, preferably started after 4 months (16 weeks) and could be taken till the time of delivery provided each dose is 4 weeks apart.

But Op..a doctor gave you a prescription you decided to meet a "nurse" who does not even know that amala, fansidar, maloxine, malareich etc are d same. BE WISE!