Did anyone here anything else?? Alot of people on Dialisis use this for leg craps . Its use is really for
Malaria tell your Dr. If your still taking this it can cause a SERIOUS list of problems for you or somone you know.
If you read the possible adverse reactions to most medications, it will scare you to death.
Here’s a FAQ from the FDA about quinine. The first question and answer states:
What action is FDA taking concerning quinine-containing drugs?
FDA has ordered all firms to cease manufacturing unapproved products containing quinine, including quinine sulfate and any other salt of quinine on or after February 13, 2007, and to cease shipping such products interstate on or after June 13, 2007. After these dates only FDA approved quinine products may be manufactured and shipped interstate. This action is described in the Federal Register of December 15, 2006, [71 FR 75557].
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/unapproved_drugs/quinineQA.pdf
Here’s a letter to a doctor from the FDA about quinine water which seems to imply that it is not under the restriction because the amount of quinine is minimal. However, I know people that have drunk quinine water (tonic water) in the evening to avoid nocturnal cramps.
http://aap.org/sections/seniormembers/docs/Quinine.pdf
93 deaths in 37 years? Does that sound like a lot to anyone?
According to a study published a couple of years ago in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, death from aspirin use was between 21 and 24.8 per million patients. 1/3 of those were on low dose therapy. I haven’t done the math (since I don’t have a clue how many millions of patients take aspirin, but just assume 1 million a year. That would be about 23 per year for 37 years) but I will bet it’s a heck of a lot more than 93 in 37 years. If it hadn’t been around as a medicine since the 5th century or so, you wouldn’t be able to buy aspirin.
The FDA is simply making an arbitrary point. Don’t prescribe anything unless we say you can.
Since quinine sulfate is so cheap, nobody will do the studies to prove it is effective and safe for use in leg cramps. It simply isn’t cost effective.
Well I have read it attacks Red Blood Cells and can cause some issues with Anemia. Since one of my pt,s have quit using it he has become ill due to low b/p after tx & had one bad reaction to Iron he has been getting throughout his tx history without any issues. He is very very anemic 8.0 hgb on 25,000 units of Epo and believe me he has been checked and checked for bleeding stool cards hematologists the whole nine yards. I really believe this Quinine crap has something to due with it since the day he stopped problems have arised. Also the pt would get cramps on H.D 30 minutes prior to DC like clockwork that has stopped since he stopped using quinine I thought he would cramp worse. He is like a new pt but I believe the Quinine has been destroying the iron and his RBc,s . LLabs will tell the story if his hgb rises I hope to god it does or its Transfusion time. Anyway Quinine is not that light of a Drug. We as HD TECHS know a lot of pts use this drug just wondering if they have seen any of these effects??
Part of the reason why the FDA said they pulled the drug except for one manufacturer is that the others manufacturers did not provide up-to-date information about the safety of their quinine products. Quinine can interact with a number of common drugs that people take. Although death is a very serious side effect, few deaths have been reported as a result of taking quinine. However, quinine has several known side effects that could contribute to cardiac problems which is the #1 cause of death in people with kidney failure. Also, you can’t rely fully on the number of reported adverse side effects. When people take a drug (probably any drug), some people will have a side effect and never report it but will just stop taking the drug. Others will report the adverse event to their doctor and their doctor may never complete the FDA paperwork to inform the FDA of the adverse event so accurate statistics can be tracked.
One social worker who was an audiologist reported on the social worker listserv when it was announced there that quinine was being pulled that she saw many patients as an audiologist who developed ringing in their ears (tinnitis), had damaged hearing or lost their hearing altogether as a result of taking quinine. You can look at this website for known drug interactions. You can also read about the known side effects, including acute interstitial nephritis, kidney damage, kidney failure, aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia, plus hearing problems, vision problems (including blindness), and much, much more.
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/quinine_ad.htm
There are much safer ways to prevent cramping, trying not to take off too much fluid (know your dry weight) and not gaining too much fluid between treatments. It’s easier to remove the amount of fluid you need to remove without cramping when you dialyze more often and especially when you do nocturnal hemodialysis.
Thank you Beth, I cant get more then 2 kilos now without b/p droping out had to adjust dry weight. I have noticed a little adema lower ext but unable to challenge weight due to b/p. This pt had never had a problem with droping out on his b/p before its just weird, Did you know Quinine can cause Hemolisis?