Uses of Artemether Plus

What is Artemether Plus? Artemether Plus contains the active ingredient Artemether 20mg and Lumefantrine 120mg. This is an antibiotic with anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal effects.
Artemether Plus drug is prepared in the form of granules mixed with suspension for direct oral administration. Packing is a box of 12 packs, each pack contains 1.5g.
1.1. Pharmacodynamics Artemether Plus is a combination of two antimalarial drugs, Artemether and Lumefantrine, in a ratio of 1:6. Artemether Plus is used in the treatment of acute malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, including strains resistant to other antimalarial drugs.
Active ingredient Artemether is a semi-synthetic derivative of Artemisinin, which has the effect of killing schizophrenia in the blood. The antimalarial effect of Artemether is due to the presence of Endoperoxide bridges. The basic mechanism of action of Artemether is the inhibition of protein synthesis of the malaria parasite.
Active ingredient Lumefantrine is an aryl amino alcohol similar to the active ingredients Quinine, Mefloquine and Halofantrine. Lumefantrine's antimalarial activity involves retention of the drug in the erythrocyte lysosome, followed by binding to toxic haemin produced during erythrocyte destruction. This binding prevents the polymerization of haemin to become a pigment that is harmless to the malaria parasite.
1.2. Pharmacokinetics of the drug Artemether Plus Active ingredient Artemether: After oral administration, the active ingredient Artemether is rapidly absorbed and metabolized in the liver to the active substance Dihydroartemisinin. Peak plasma concentrations are reached within 2 hours. The mean half-life of Artemether and Dihydroartemisinin is very short, about 2 hours. There are currently no data on urinary excretion in humans. Active ingredient Lumefantrine: After oral administration of Lumefantrine, peak plasma concentrations are reached about 6–8 hours. When using the drug or taking the drug when full, after eating, the absorption concentration is higher than when fasting or before eating. Active ingredient Lumefantrine has a high binding capacity to serum proteins about 99.9%. The half-life of Lumefantrine averages about 2 to 3 days in healthy subjects and is twice as long, or 4 to 6 days, in patients with malaria. The drug is excreted in the bile and excreted in the feces. At present, Lumefantrine has not been detected to be excreted through the urine.

Artemether Plus drug is used in the treatment of diseases as follows:
Artemether Plus is indicated for the treatment of acute malaria caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, including strains resistant to other antimalarial drugs. Artemether Plus is also indicated in the emergency treatment of malaria cases.

Patients need to take Artemether Plus as prescribed by the treating doctor. Take Artemether Plus with meals to minimize stomach irritation. Reference drug dosage is as follows:
Dissolve the package in 10 ml of water, stir well before use. Therapeutic dose for children: therapeutic dose depends on body weight. Therapeutic dose for adults: take 4 sachets, take 4 packs after 8 hours, take 4 packs after 24 hours, take 4 packs after 36 hours, take 4 more packs after 48 hours, take 4 more after 60 hours package and total treatment dose is 24 sachets. It should be noted: The above drug dosage is for reference only, patients need to take the drug according to the prescription and prescription of the doctor.

When using Artemether Plus, patients may experience some unwanted effects, specifically as follows:
Headache, dizziness, fatigue, sleep disturbance, heart rhythm disturbance, heart palpitations, muscle pain, joint pain. Gastrointestinal reactions: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite. Allergic reactions such as skin itching, redness, ... If unwanted side effects occur, the patient should stop using Artemether Plus and notify the treating doctor about the unwanted effects. want to experience while using this drug.

When using Artemether Plus, it may cause interactions with two or more different drugs, namely:
Avoid using in combination with substances with antioxidant effects such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Glutathione, .. This is because these drugs will reduce the antimalarial effect of Artemether Plus. Active ingredient Artemether increases the activity of other antimalarial drugs. Grapefruit juice may slow the metabolism of some antimalarial drugs. Therefore, you should not drink grapefruit juice during treatment with antimalarials, specifically Artemether Plus. To avoid interactions between drugs, patients should inform the treating doctor or pharmacist of the drugs they are taking.

6.1. Contraindications of Artemether Plus drug Artemether Plus is contraindicated in the following cases:
People with hypersensitivity or physical sensitivity to one of the components of Artemether Plus drug. People with severe malaria. People with a history of cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmia or severe heart disease. People with electrolyte disturbances in the case of potassium and magnesium deficiency. People taking drugs that are metabolized by cytochrome CYP2D6 enzymes, eg Flecainide, Metoprolol, Imipramine, Amitriptyline, Clomipramine. People who are taking drugs that prolong the QTc interval such as class IA and class III antiarrhythmics, tranquilizers, antidepressants, some antibiotics (such as macrolides, fluoroquinolones, imidazoles) ), antifungal agents of the triazole group, antihistamines that do not cause drowsiness (such as Terfenadine, Astemizole), cisapride. 6.2. Notes and precautions when using the drug Do not use Artemether Plus for oral malaria prophylaxis, not cerebral malaria. Artemether Plus should be used with caution in pregnant and lactating women. Above is all information about Artemether Plus, patients need to carefully read the instructions for use, consult a doctor / pharmacist before using. Absolutely do not arbitrarily buy Artemether Plus for home treatment, because there may be unwanted side effects.
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