Quick Q re. Malarone...

[Somers]

I stopped taking the anti-malaria drug malarone on 31st Oct and am keen to start trying for a baby.

I've had conflicting information from nurses & docs at my GP surgery about when it's 'safe' to start trying. Can anyone offer any advice?

Thx

Hope this helps a bit. www.medicines.org.uk/EMC/medicine/756/SPC/Malarone/#PREGNANCY.

If you are not already I would start folic acid as its the anti-folate properties that seem to be the problem.

The half life is 2-3 days so the drug itself will be out your system within 15days but it is not clear from what I have read how long the effects can last. What have you been advised so far? There is a specialist teratology information service your Gp can access within office hours. Don't know if s/he would agree to do that.

I took malarone earlier this year and was told to wait 2 weeks after finishing the course before ttc. If I'd received conflicting advice I'd have probably chosen the longest wait, just to be on the safe side :)

just to reassure you i found out I was expecting 2 weeks before going to Africa - panic followed, changed my drugs from malarone to larium, after discussions with tropical medicine places (gp wouldn't go near the issue!). Went away to discover from a doctor in travel group that malarone is the advised drug of first trimester pregnancy in many other countries except UK!!

Baby boy was born fine 21 months ago (wish i could get pregnant with no 2 so easily :(

upshot is - don't panic too much! good luck