Background
- The main indication is for treatment of malaria
- Used off-label as a treatment for nocturnal leg cramps
Safety
Adverse Effects
- Cinchonism: tinnitus, high-tone hearing loss, photophobia and other visual disturbances, dysphoria, headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, dizziness and postural hypotension
- Hypoglycemia, from pancreatic β cell stimulation
- Hypotension, usually from IV infusion
- Hearing and visual disturbances, including irreversible loss
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
- Cutaneous effects
- Mild QT prolongation (rare unless plasma levels are elevated) and arrhythmias
- Hemolysis (in patients with G6PD deficiency or with hypersensitivity)
