People 16 years of age and older who have the disease and are currently being treated for it with chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine can take tafenoquine (Krintafel) to prevent the recurrence of malaria, a deadly illness that is transmitted by mosquitoes in some parts of the world and can be fatal. Travelers who visit regions where malaria is widespread can use tafenoquine (Arakoda) by itself to avoid the disease. A class of drugs known as antimalarials includes tafenoquine. The organisms that cause malaria are eliminated as a result of its use.

Tafenoquine is available as pills to be swallowed with food. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Tafenoquine should be taken as prescribed. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Tafenoquine (Krintafel) is often taken as a single dosage (2 tablets) on the first or second day of therapy with chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine if it is being used to prevent the recurrence of malaria.

When taking tafenoquine (Arakoda) to prevent malaria, one dose (two tablets) is typically taken once daily for three days, beginning three days before departure for a malaria-endemic location. One dose (2 pills) is often taken while you are nearby once every week on the same day of the week. One dose (2 tablets) is typically taken 7 days after the last dose was taken prior to your return from the area. Tafenoquine (Arakoda), which is used to prevent malaria, should not be taken for longer than six months.

Do not chew, break, or crush the tablets; instead, swallow them whole.

Call your doctor if you vomit within an hour of taking tafenoquine (Krintafel). This drug may need to be taken again.

Even if you feel better, continue taking tafenoquine until the prescription is finished. It’s possible that your illness won’t be fully treated or that you won’t be prevented from developing new infections if you stop taking tafenoquine too soon or skip doses.

If you are taking Tafenoquine, ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient (Krintafel). When you start treatment and each time you refill your prescription for tafenoquine (Arakoda), your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer’s patient information leaflet (Medication Guide). If you have any questions, carefully read the material and contact your doctor or pharmacist. The Medication Guide is also available on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website at http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking tafenoquine,

• If you have an allergy to tafenoquine, primaquine, any other drugs, or any of the ingredients in tafenoquine tablets, let your doctor and pharmacist know right once.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Mention either of the following: metformin and dofetilide (Tikosyn) (Fortamet, Glucophage, Riomet, in Actoplus Met, others). Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• If you have a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency, let your doctor know (an inherited blood disease). Most likely, your doctor will advise against taking tafenoquine. Tell your doctor if you currently or in the past have experienced mental health issues. Your physician might advise against taking tafenoquine.
• Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney or liver disease, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) deficiency (a genetic condition), methemoglobinemia (a condition with defective red blood cells that cannot carry oxygen to the body’s tissues), hemolytic anaemia (a condition with an abnormally low number of red blood cells), or methemoglobinemia.
• If you are pregnant or want to become pregnant, let your doctor know. You must take a pregnancy test if you are a woman of reproductive age before beginning treatment. As long as you are receiving tafenoquine treatment and for three months following the last dose, you should take birth control to avoid getting pregnant. Consult your doctor about birth control options that are right for you. Call your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking tafenoquine. The foetus may suffer from tafenoquine.
• If you are currently breastfeeding or intend to do so, let your doctor know.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage of tafenoquine, contact your doctor or pharmacist to find out what to do (Arakoda).

Side effects are possible with tafenoquine. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Having trouble falling or staying asleep
• Anxiety
• Mood swings
• Strange dreams
• Headache
• Visual issues, such as blurry vision or light sensitivity

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if you encounter any of these symptoms, or seek emergency care:

• Rash
• Hives
• Eye, face, lip, tongue, mouth, or throat swelling
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Breathing difficulty
• Throat constriction or hoarseness
• Urine with a dark colour
• Drey-blue hue of the skin or lips
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Hallucinations (seeing things or hearing sounds that do not exist) (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
• Delusions (weird ideas or convictions that are unfounded in reality), such as the conviction that someone is attempting to harm you when they are not
• Lightheadedness
• Skin or eyes turning yellow

Other negative effects of tafenoquine are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To determine how well your body is responding to tafenoquine, your doctor may request specific lab tests.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.