Mefloquine Mefloquine Mefloquine, sold under the brand names Lariam among others, is a medication used to prevent or treat malaria. When used for prevention it is taken once a week and should be started one or two weeks before potential exposure and continued for four weeks after potential exposure. It can be used to treat mild or moderate malaria but should not be used to treat severe malaria. It is taken by mouth. 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
Mefloquine with an increased risk of birth defects or miscarriages. The drug may be used during breastfeeding, though it appears in breast milk in low concentrations. The World Health Organization gives approval for the use of mefloquine in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and use in the first trimester does not mandate termination of pregnancy. Mefloquine is metabolized primarily through the liver. Its elimination in persons with impaired liver function may be prolonged, resulting in higher plasma levels and an increased risk of adverse reactions. The mean elimination plasma half-life of mefloquine is between two and four weeks. Total