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Quinine is an alkaloid (nitrogenous, organic compound) which is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, found in South America.
Quinine has been used as an anti-malaria medicine for more than three hundred years.
Quinine can't actually cure malaria, but it can help to suppress parasitic activity (from the moquito that caused it in the first place) and so reduces the life-threatening fever associated with the disease.
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- Quinine is found in the root, branches and bark of the cinchonas trees
- Quinine is an alkaloid
- Quinine is in tonic water and gives it that bitter flavour
- As of December 2006 Qualaquin is the only brand of quinine that is approved by the FDA as an anti-malaria prescription medication in the USA
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Quinine is a substance that is used to treat malaria, which is a disease that is caused by parasites. Parasites that cause malaria normally enter the body through a mosquito bite. Malaria is common in places such as South America, Africa, and Southern Asia.
If quinine causes any of the following potentially serious or life-threatening side effects, call your doctor immediately:
- chest pain
- difficulty breathing
- difficulty hearing or ringing in the ears
- easily bruising
- faintness
- fever
- rapid heartbeat
- skin rash
- sore throat
- swelling of the face
- unusual bleeding
- vision problems or changes
In addition to the side effects that quinine can cause, there are also many other drugs that should not be taken at the same time as qunine as they interact adversely and could cause serious and even life threatening effects. Discuss medication use with a medical practitioner.
The FDA has warned that they have received 665 reports of adverse events with serious outcomes associated with quinine use, including 93 deaths since 1969. The FDA has also warned consumers not to purchase quinine from the internet.
references
- McGuire M, Beerman KA, Nutritional Sciences: From Fundamentals to Food, 2007 Thomson Wadsworth USA
- Marieb EM, Hoehn K. Human Anatomy & Physiology. 7th edition, 2006. Benjamin Cummings Publishing
- Osiecki, Henry. The Physician's Handbook of Clinical Nutrition. 6th edition, 2001, BioConcepts Publishing
- Rolfes SR, Pinna K, Whitney E. Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition. 7th Edition, 2005. Brooks Cole Publishing
To learn more, go to the following web sites:
- TGA Australia
- Royal Perth Hospital - Malaria Treatment (Australia)
- National Prescribing Service (Australia)
