Riddle me this....

[aumed22]

Okay, so I took some Lariam (the once-a-week anti-malaria pill) for the first time yesterday, and last night I had one of the scariest dreams of my life. It wasn't until this afternoon that it occured to me that one of Lariam's possible side effects is to induce nightmares. So, my question, why does an anti-malaria pill cause people to have bad dreams? What sort of mechanism would cause this effect? Why not really good dreams?

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[mercaptovizadeh]

Okay, so I took some Lariam (the once-a-week anti-malaria pill) for the first time yesterday, and last night I had one of the scariest dreams of my life. It wasn't until this afternoon that it occured to me that one of Lariam's possible side effects is to induce nightmares. So, my question, why does an anti-malaria pill cause people to have bad dreams? What sort of mechanism would cause this effect? Why not really good dreams?

Yes, I took Lariam for a couple months sevearl years back. I had several horrific nightmares. One involved people I knew whose heads had become greayish brown skulls, but instead of having normal craniums, the tops of their heads were open and ended in horrible bony spikes.

I needn't tell you how terrified I was. Also, I had heightened sense of hearing. I could hear what the OTHER person was saying in a phone conversation in room I was not even in.

Personally, I would not recommend the stuff for long term use.

 

[byeh2004]

man that is some trippy stuff

get well though man!

 

[wendywellesley]

Okay, so I took some Lariam (the once-a-week anti-malaria pill) for the first time yesterday, and last night I had one of the scariest dreams of my life. It wasn't until this afternoon that it occured to me that one of Lariam's possible side effects is to induce nightmares. So, my question, why does an anti-malaria pill cause people to have bad dreams? What sort of mechanism would cause this effect? Why not really good dreams?

that's horrible!!
where are you going?

 

[BaylorGuy]

interesting....not to sound like an ass, but why you taking Lariam?? traveling?

 

[indo]

melatonin does that too. weird, realistic dreams.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

interesting....not to sound like an ass, but why you taking Lariam?? traveling?

I was in a south Asian rural hospital for two and a half months. Great experience, but had to take Lariam (i.e. mefloquine), since the region I was going to had lots of chloroquine-resistant malaria. And quinine has a lot of side effects.

I don't see why anyone in their right mind would be taking the stuff if it weren't absolutely necessary.

 

[Shredder]

 

[aumed22]

Well I'm going to Ecuador on Saturday, so my doctor put me on the Lariam, however, after last night, I think I may change it to Malarone, however, the Malarone is way more expensive. I just don't understand why the dreams are always bad, why not good dreams? And how is malaria related to the nervous system/dream engine? So many questions, I just feel like I'm in an episode of Friday the 13th and don't want to sleep at night.

 

[CoffeeCat]

Are they necessarily bad dreams? Mine were vivid, some bad. However, they stopped quickly, they only occurred when I started and stopped taking it. No idea as to the mechanism, sorry!

 

[tigress]

What's in Lariam? And Malarone? This is all very interesting.

A not exactly on-topic but related fact: hydroxychloroquine sulfate was originally used as an anti-malarial. It was noted, coincidentally, that it reduced the symptoms of rheumatic diseases, as well. I took this drug, originally marketed as Plaquenil but then generic, for years as part of a regimen to control juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. I guess I would have been protected if I'd decided to travel during that period

 

[Supercluster]

I travelled in Africa and had to take Lariam a few years ago. I had some amazingly vivid and strange dreams (fortunately nothing scary). I also remember that the doctor asked me if I had ever had any mental issues like depression or anything else, because apparently it's also been linked to suicide! Seriously, what is it with that drug?

Also, btw, I'm sure you already know this, but don't forget that the pills are not a substitute for bug spray and proper clothing! It only lessens the effect of malaria if you're bitten by an infected mosquito, it doesn't necessarily prevent it

 

[anystream]

I travelled in Africa and had to take Lariam a few years ago. I had some amazingly vivid and strange dreams (fortunately nothing scary). I also remember that the doctor asked me if I had ever had any mental issues like depression or anything else, because apparently it's also been linked to suicide! Seriously, what is it with that drug?

Also, btw, I'm sure you already know this, but don't forget that the pills are not a substitute for bug spray and proper clothing! It only lessens the effect of malaria if you're bitten by an infected mosquito, it doesn't necessarily prevent it

I took chloroquine while volunteering in Central America. I actually looked forward to my "malaria mondays" because I had vivid, often funny dreams. In one, my volunteer project was changed, so that I was stationed at a hospital on the moon, and I was able to breathe water, and the patients floated around in zero gravity.

My guess is that it somehow alters the structure of hemoglobin? Isn't that what protects heterozygotes for sickle cell from malaria? I could google this, but I am feeling lazy.

 

[crazy_cavalier]

Yes, I took Lariam for a couple months sevearl years back. I had several horrific nightmares. One involved people I knew whose heads had become greayish brown skulls, but instead of having normal craniums, the tops of their heads were open and ended in horrible bony spikes.

I needn't tell you how terrified I was. Also, I had heightened sense of hearing. I could hear what the OTHER person was saying in a phone conversation in room I was not even in.

Personally, I would not recommend the stuff for long term use.

wowsahs

 

[wendywellesley]

I took chloroquine while volunteering in Central America. I actually looked forward to my "malaria mondays" because I had vivid, often funny dreams. In one, my volunteer project was changed, so that I was stationed at a hospital on the moon, and I was able to breathe water, and the patients floated around in zero gravity.

My guess is that it somehow alters the structure of hemoglobin? Isn't that what protects heterozygotes for sickle cell from malaria? I could google this, but I am feeling lazy.

sickle cell anemia is a genetic defect. no drug would alter your genetic code for hemoglobin!! they would never prescribe the drug if it could!
i'm guessing you are joking with that comment.

who organized that moon trip? i've also been looking into extra-terrestial volunteer work.

 

[NiteOwl]

I took chloroquine while volunteering in Central America. I actually looked forward to my "malaria mondays" because I had vivid, often funny dreams. In one, my volunteer project was changed, so that I was stationed at a hospital on the moon, and I was able to breathe water, and the patients floated around in zero gravity.

My guess is that it somehow alters the structure of hemoglobin? Isn't that what protects heterozygotes for sickle cell from malaria? I could google this, but I am feeling lazy.

I just looked it up in my microbiology book. Medications for malaria are folate antagonists and quinolones. Foltate antagonists are pyrimethamine and sulfonamide. They work by interfering with folate metabolism. Quinolones are melarsorol, mefloquine, primaquine and tafenoquine. My book says that the mechanisms are not very clear. But it does say that chloroquine works by concentrating in the red blood cells so that it treats or prevents the illness. It says it may be from the inhibition of an enzyme that protects the parasite from the toxic byproducts released from the hemoglobin during degredation. Premaquine and tafenoquine work by distroying the parasite while they are in the liver stage and are used to prevent relapse.

Don't know if the mentioned meds are similar to these are not.

Also, people with sickle cell don't get malaria. Carriers if sickle cell usually dont get it either, or they gey mild cases of it.

 

[Medikit]

sickle cell anemia is a genetic defect. no drug would alter your genetic code for hemoglobin!! they would never prescribe the drug if it could!
i'm guessing you are joking with that comment.

who organized that moon trip? i've also been looking into extra-terrestial volunteer work.

Lariam is a mutagen specific for Erythroblasts, it randomly inserts an anti-Plasmodium protein sequence with a strong eukaryotic poromter into the DNA. The protein is transcribed and has a half-life of about 80 days in mature erythrocytes.