QUESTION: My husband is being transferred by his company to a Latin American country.
I am expecting a baby in a few months, but want to go with him now to help him start up his new job.
He is being put on medication to prevent malaria.
Can I use the same medication that he will be taking, even if I am pregnant?
ANSWER: It is always against the rules to take someone else's medication, even when the circumstances seem so easy to understand, and the problem seems to be the same.
So the answer to your question is a resounding "NO!".
The usual recommendations for malaria prevention utilize a weekly dose of chloroquine in a dose of 300 mg.
Although not available in the United States, proguanil may also be used, but must be taken every day, dose 100 mg. However, many sections of South America harbor a chloroquine resistant strain of P.
falciparum, the germ responsible for the disease.
(You can check with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta for the latest conditions at your destination).
In such areas a second medicine, combining 25 mg of pyrimethamine and 500 mg of sulfadoxine (brand name: Fansidar) might also be considered.
However it is plagued by some serious side effects and complications including fatal skin reactions, and is no longer recommended as routine prophylaxis.
While chloroquine appears to be safe for use during pregnancy, this is not as clear for Fansidar.
Frankly, some of my knowledgeable colleagues would have me caution you about even going with your husband at this time, and recommend that you stay put until the baby is born. It is clear that you run substantial risks from the medications, even if the threat to your health and that of the baby is greater from the infection.
It is a hard call to make, so employ the counsel of your own physician as well.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
