Medek.co.uk

Active Ingredient
ManufacturerLaridek
How does it work?
Laridek® tablets contain two active ingredients, artemether and lumefantrine. These are
Malaria is caused by a protozoal parasite called Plasmodium, which is carried by mosquitoes. During a bite from an infected mosquito, the parasite passes into the body. Once inside, it lives and reproduces, resulting in the disease known as malaria. The malaria parasites have various stages in their lifecycle within the body. After entering the bloodstream during a bite from an infected mosquito, they are carried to the liver where they reproduce. They are then released back into the bloodstream where they infect red In the red blood cells, the malaria parasites digest haemoglobin, the red protein within red blood cells that is responsible for carrying oxygen. When this happens, the haemoglobin is divided into two parts; haem and globin. Haem is toxic to the malaria parasites. They protect themselves from it by producing a substance that converts the toxic haem into a compound called haemozoin, which is not toxic to the parasites.
Artemether and lumefantrine both work by interfering with the ability of the malaria parasites to convert haem into haemozoin. This causes levels of the toxic haem to rise, which kills the blood stages of the malaria parasites and stops the infection from Laridek® tablets are given to treat malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum parasites (falciparum malaria or malignant malaria). What is it used for?
Treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in adults, children Warning!
Laridek tablets should be taken with or after food. If the patient can't tolerate food the tablets should still be taken, but they may be less effective. The tablets can be If you are sick within one hour of taking a dose of this medicine you should consult your doctor or pharmacist, as you may need to take another dose.
It is very important that you complete the prescribed course of this medicine, unless otherwise directed by your doctor, as the medicine may not be fully Unless your doctor or pharmacist tells you otherwise, you should avoid drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medicine, as it may affect the level of this This medicine may cause fatigue and dizziness. You should take care when performing potentially hazardous activites, such as driving or operating machinery, until you know how this medicine affects you and are sure you can If you have kidney, liver or heart problems you should be regularly monitored while you are taking this medicine, to check the level of potassium in your blood (blood test), and your heart function (ECG).
Laridek® is a Medek Pharmaceuticals brand Use with caution in
Not to be used in
Complicated cases of malaria, eg affecting the brain, or causing pulmonary Family history of an abnormal heart rhythm, present from birth, seen on a heart monitoring trace (ECG) as a 'prolonged QT interval' People with diseases or conditions that can cause an abnormal heart rhythm, seen on a heart monitoring trace (ECG) as a 'prolonged QT interval' (your doctor will know), or people taking medicines that can cause this (see end of factsheet) History of irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) Disturbances in the levels of salts (electrolytes) in the blood, eg low blood potassium level (hypokalaemia) or low blood magnesium level This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other
medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
The safety of this medicine for use during pregnancy has not been established. It should therefore be used with caution during pregnancy, and only if the expected benefits to the mother outweigh any risks to the foetus. Seek medical advice from It is not known if this medicine passes into breast milk. Women who need to take this medicine should not breastfeed during treatment, and for at least a week following their last dose. Seek further medical advice from your doctor.
Label warnings
Take this medication with or after food.
Laridek® is a Medek Pharmaceuticals brand Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The
following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
Disturbances of the gut such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or abdominal pain Awareness of your heartbeat (palpitations) The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
How can this medicine affect other medicines?
It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking,
including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe. The manufacturer states that this medicine must not be taken in combination with the following medicines, because they may increase the amount of this medicine in the blood and therefore increase the risk of its side effects: azole antifungals, eg ketoconazole, itraconazole, miconazole or voriconazole macrolide antibiotics, eg clarithromycin or erythromycin protease inhibitors for HIV infection, eg ritonavir, nelfinavir, lopinavir, indinavir.
The manufacturer states that this medicine must not be taken in combination with the following medicines, because it may increase the amount of these medicines in the blood and increase the chance of their side effects: Laridek® is a Medek Pharmaceuticals brand The manufacturer states that this medicine must not be taken with any of the following medicines, because the combination may increase the risk of abnormal heart rhythms: certain medicines for irregular heart rhythms (antiarrhythmics), eg mexiletine, propafenone, procainamide, disopyramide, amiodarone, quinidine, sotalol antidepressant medicines, eg amitriptyline, maprotiline, fluoxetine antipsychotic medicines, eg chlorpromazine, thioridazine, haloperidol other antimalarials, eg quinine, halofantrine (patients previously treated with halofantrine should not receive this medicine until at least one month after their the antihistamines astemizole or terfenadine certain anti-infectives, eg erythromycin, clarithromycin, ketoconazole, moxifloxacin, pentamidine, voriconazole.
Laridek® is a Medek Pharmaceuticals brand

Source: http://www.medek.co.uk/UserFiles/File/Laridek.pdf