Malaria is a serious parasitic disease that Europeans came in contact with when they went to conquer tropical areas such as South America and Southeast Asia. The European use of quinine to treat malaria and its attendant fevers first was recorded in 1633 in Peru, according to Quinine.com. It later was mixed with gin by the British for their soldiers in Southeast Asia to lessen the bitterness of the quinine. This became known as the gin and tonic. It was synthesized in the middle of the 20th century.
Common Serious Side Effects
Quinine, which may be prescribed as a pill or capsule, may produce some common serious side effects. See your physician if you have any of these effects. They include pain or cramps in the abdomen, restless sleep, diarrhea, red skin spots, nausea, difficult or painful urination, vomiting, nightmares, anxiety, abnormal tiredness, behavioral changes that may make you appear drunk, uncommon bodily weakness, blood in feces or urine and unusual bruising. Others may include vision blurring, throat soreness, cold sweats, speech slurring, mental confusion, headaches, concentration difficulties, nervousness, tachycardia (a rapid heartbeat) or a fever. The most serious potential side effects that are less common are a coma or convulsions.
Rare Serious Side Effects
Using quinine to treat malaria or another parasitical infection called babesiosis also may cause some rare yet serious side effects. Again, consult your physician as soon as possible if you experience any of them. They include facial swelling that may include the inside of the nasal passage or the eyes, breathing difficulties, noises in the ears that may sound like buzzing or ringing, color perception that is off, skin redness near the ears, diplopia or double vision, night blindness, hives, muscle aches or increased sweating. Call your physician immediately if you experience changes in vision after you cease taking quinine.
Overdose Side Effects
The standard dose of quinine for teenagers and adults to treat malaria is 600 to 650 milligrams to be taken at eight-hour intervals for a minimum of three days. It may be combined with other medications. If you exceed the prescribed dose, you may get side effects related to an overdose. These are serious and require medical attention. They include drowsiness, blindness, an irregular heartbeat or tachycardia, pain in the chest, lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting and diplopia.
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