RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Adverse reaction to mefloquine associated with ethanol ingestion
JF Canadian Medical Association Journal
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 515
OP 517
VO 152
IS 4
A1 R. C. Wittes
A1 R. Saginur
YR 1995
UL http://www.cmaj.ca/content/152/4/515.abstract
AB A 40-year-old man with no history of neuropsychiatric illness was taking one 250-mg tablet of mefloquine (MFQ) weekly for malaria prophylaxis while in Tanzania. He experienced no adverse reaction in association with his first two doses. Concurrently with both his third and his fourth dose he consumed about half a litre of whisky. On both occasions he experienced hallucinations, paranoid delusions and suicidal ideation. Thereafter he continued taking the MFQ, abstained completely from ethanol ingestion and had no recurrence of psychiatric symptoms. It is hypothesized that the combination of MFQ and ethanol caused the two episodes of severe psychiatric disturbance.