Q300 (Quinine Sulphate)

Q300 contains quinine, a schizontocide that is used to treat malaria by killing the parasitic organism that causes malaria; also to treat muscle cramps.

Q300 general information

What is Q300 used for?

Q300 tablets 300mg are use treat malaria, an infection caused by the protozoan (single cell) parasitic organism Plasmodium that is carried by mosquitoes. Plasmodium is transmitted by a mosquito bite into the blood, where it migrates to the liver grows and multiplies then it is released into the blood and causes destruction of red blood cells. Malaria is a life-threatening disease that causes symptoms including, fever, shivering, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, joint pain. First symptoms usually appear 10 to 15 days after the mosquito bite; however, if left untreated, malaria can quickly become life-threatening causing anaemia and brain damage and disrupting the blood supply to vital organs. Q300 tablets 300mg kill the infective stage of the parasite in the blood and this breaks the life cycle of the plasmodium as well as preventing further destruction of red blood cells. Q300 tablets are used particularly for malaria that is resistant to chloroquine, another similar drug, and in conjunction with other medication. Q300 tablets are also used to treat myotonia, a neuromuscular disorder in which skeletal muscles take a long time to relax after contraction and to relieve and prevent painful night-time leg cramps.

How does Q300 work?

Q300 tablets 300mg contain quinine sulfate, a synthetic form of natural quinine that belongs to the quinoline group of drugs. Quinine sulfate in Q300 tablets is a rapidly acting blood schizontocide that is used to treat malaria by killing the schizont stage of the parasite that causes malaria. The infective stage of the immature plasmodium parasite is transmitted by a mosquito bite into the blood and migrates to the liver where it infects the liver cells and may lie dormant for weeks, or months and then begins to mature to the next stage of the life cycle. Once mature the parasite releases the next infective stage the merozoite, which infects red blood cells where it grows and multiplies. Some merozoites form the schizont that burst the red blood cell, releasing the large numbers of merozoite to infect more red blood cells. Some of the merozoites develop into gametophytes, the sexual form of the parasite, which are taken back into the mosquito and develop into sporozoites in the salivary gland of the mosquito, ready to begin the life cycle over again. During the destruction of red blood cells, the plasmodium parasite digests the oxygen carrying protein haemoglobin forming the toxic compound haem which is converted to the insoluble crystalline form haemozoin that is not toxic to plasmodium. Quinine sulfate in Q300 tablets binds to haem and prevents the conversion of haem to haemozoin. This causes an accumulation of haem in the parasitic cell, which destroys the cell and prevents spread of the malarial infection. In addition to its action as an anti-malarial, Quinine sulfate in Q300 tablets also acts on muscle fibres to relieve muscle spasm by reducing the sensitivity of the muscle to stimuli that cause them to contract and delaying the time it takes for the muscle to contract.

What does Q300 contain?

Q300 tablets 300mg contains the active ingredient quinine sulfate, a schizontocide that is used to treat malaria by killing the schizont stage of the parasite that causes malaria. They also also contain lactose monohydrate, povidone, sodium starch glycollate, magnesium stearate, diethyl phthalate, hypromellose and carnauba wax.

Treating malaria with Q300

Q300 tablets 300mg, contain quinine that is used to treat malaria, an infection caused by the protozoan (single cell) parasitic organism Plasmodium that is carried by mosquitoes and causes malaria. Symptoms of malaria include, fever, shivering, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, joint pain and the infection can become life-threatening resulting in anaemia, disruption of blood supply to vital organs and brain damage. The infective stage of the plasmodium parasite is transmitted by a mosquito bite into the blood and migrates to the liver where it infects the liver cells and matures to the next stage of the life cycle. Once mature the parasite into the blood and infects red blood cells then grows, multiplies, destroys the red blood cell and re-infects more red blood cells. During the destruction of red blood cells, the plasmodium parasite digests the oxygen carrying protein haemoglobin forming the toxic compound haem which is converted to the insoluble crystalline form haemozoin that is not toxic to plasmodium. Quinine sulfate in Q300 tablets binds to haem and prevents the conversion of haem to haemozoin. This causes an accumulation of haem in the parasitic cell, which destroys the parasite and prevents spread of the malarial infection.

What are the side effects of Q300?

The most commonly reported side effects when taking Q300 include cinchonism (named after the cinchona tree which is the only natural source of quinine), with symptoms like tinnitus (ringing in the ears), impaired hearing, disturbed vision, headache, gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain), skin rash, flushing.

When should Q300 not be used?

You should not use Q300 if you:

• are allergic to quinine or any ingredients in Q300
• are pregnant or are breastfeeding
• have tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve that can cause blindness)
• have haemolysis, a condition that affects your red blood cells
• have had Blackwater fever (a complication of malaria)
• have myasthenia gravis, a condition causing muscle weakness
• have irregular heart beat or other heart problems
• have glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD), an inherited condition
• are taking medicines that interact with Q300, including: anticoagulants like warfarin, digoxin for heart problems, the antiarrhythmic flecainide, cimetidine for ulcers, buclizine, cyclizine and meclizine, for motion sickness, phenothiazines and thioxanthenes antipsychotics, the antiemetic trimethobenzamide, medicines for myasthenia gravis like neostigmine, medication that can be neurotoxic (destructive to nerve tissue), ototoxic (destructive to the inner ear organs or nerves) or cause haemolysis (break down red blood cells) other antimalarials like mefloquine, neuromuscular blocking agents

What medications interact with Q300?

Several medications interact with Q300 and should either not be taken while you are taking Q300 or only after discussion and instruction from your doctor:

• Drugs that cause a serious reaction with Q300: anticoagulants like warfarin,
• Drugs that affect Q300: cimetidine for ulcers
• Drugs that are affected by Q300: digoxin for heart problems, the antiarrhythmic flecainide

How should Q300 be taken?

You should take your Q300 tablets 300mg with a glass of water and with food every 8 hours for at least 3 days for malaria and 2-3 times daily for muscle cramps. The dose of Q300 that you take for malaria depends on the type of malaria you have been infected with and your doctor’s recommendations, you may also be taking other medication.

How long should you take Q300?

You should take your Q300 tablets 300mg for as long as your doctor recommends, which for malaria is at least 3 days.

Missed dose of Q300

If you miss a dose of Q300 tablets 300mg take it as soon as you remember, unless it is time to take the next dose, then skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose.

How should Q300 be stored?

You should store your Q300 below 25°C in a cool dry place and protect from light.