Table 3 Important food – anti-malarial drug interactions
Drug | Dietary recommendations | Mechanism of interaction | Practical consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
Atovaquone | Take with fatty meal | Increased solubility and absorbtion | Increased drug levels |
Artemether/lumefantrine | Take with food | Lumefantrine is lipophilic (fat soluble) | Up to 16-fold increased drug levels |
Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine | Take on an empty stomach (fasting) | Food increases absorption of piperaquine | Reduces risk of QTc prolongation |
Doxycycline | Without milk | Milk chelates tetracyclines and reduces absorption | Low drug concentrations and treatment failure |
Mefloquine | With food | Increased solubility and absorbtion | Increased drug levels |
Primaquine | With food | Increased solubility and absorbtion | Increased drug levels |