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Overview: Coartem is commonly used to treat malaria. Common side effects include a headache, loss of appetite, dizziness, and joint or muscle pain. Serious side effects are less common but can include allergic reactions or heart problems. Before taking Coartem, make sure to tell your health care provider about any health conditions you have or medicines you are taking.

Uses

What is Coartem used for?

Coartem is commonly used to treat malaria (an infection from parasites that can lead to death, often from a mosquito bite).

Coartem may not be the right medicine for the infection listed above, depending on which germs are causing the infection. Germs in some locations may be resistant to artemether or lumefantrine, which will make it not work as well.

Coartem may also be used for other conditions as determined by your health care provider.

How does Coartem work (mechanism of action)?

Coartem kills certain parasites by blocking their ability to create proteins that they need to survive.

How is Coartem supplied (dosage forms)?

Brands and other names

  • Coartem

Dosage forms and strengths

  • 20 mg/120 mg oral tablets

How should I store Coartem?

Coartem should be stored at room temperature, between 68 F and 77 F (20 C and 25 C). It can be exposed to temperatures between 59 F and 86 F (15 C and 30 C) for shorter periods of time, such as when you’re transporting it. Store it in a cool, dry place, in the original container. Keep the container tightly closed.

Side Effects

What are the most common side effects of Coartem?

The most common side effects of Coartem are listed below. Tell your health care provider if you have any of these side effects that bother you.

  • Headache
  • Loss of appetite
  • Dizziness
  • Fever
  • Weakness or tiredness
  • Joint and muscle pain
  • Cough (in children)
  • Vomiting (in children)

There may be other side effects of Coartem that are not listed here. Contact your health care provider if you think you are having a side effect of a medicine. In the U.S., you can report side effects to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or by calling 800-FDA-1088 (800-332-1088). In Canada, you can report side effects to Health Canada at www.health.gc.ca/medeffect or by calling 866-234-2345.

What are the serious side effects of Coartem?

While less common, the most serious side effects of Coartem are described below, along with what to do if they happen.

Severe Allergic Reactions. Coartem may cause allergic reactions, which can be serious. Stop taking Coartem and get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.

  • Breathing problems or wheezing
  • Racing heart
  • Fever or general ill feeling
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat
  • Trouble swallowing or throat tightness
  • Trouble speaking
  • Itching or skin rash
  • Bumps on the skin called hives that can be red, pink, white, or brown, depending on your skin tone
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness, feeling lightheaded, or fainting
  • Stomach cramps
  • Joint pain

Heart Rhythm Changes. Coartem may cause a rare, dangerous heart rhythm problem called QT prolongation and torsade de pointes. Some people have a higher risk of this, including people who are older, have other people in their family who have had these conditions, have low potassium or magnesium levels, or who take medicines that can prolong the QT interval. Tell your health care provider right away if you faint or have changes in your heart rate or rhythm, such as a fast or skipping heartbeat.

Warnings & Precautions

Who should not take Coartem?

Allergies to Ingredients. People who are allergic to any of the following should not take Coartem.

  • Artemether
  • Coartem
  • Lumefantrine
  • Any of the ingredients in the specific product dispensed

Your pharmacist can tell you all of the ingredients in Coartem.

Drug Interactions. Coartem should not be taken while you are using certain other medicines. Before taking Coartem, tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. See the Interactions section for more details.

What should I know about Coartem before using it?

Do not take Coartem unless it has been prescribed to you by a health care provider. Take it as prescribed.

Do not share Coartem with other people, even if they have the same condition as you. It may harm them.

Keep Coartem out of the reach of children.

If needed, you can crush a Coartem tablet and mix it with 1 or 2 teaspoons of water right before taking a dose. Follow the directions in the Patient Information that comes with your medicine. 

Coartem can decrease how well birth control with hormones in it works. This means you could have a higher risk of getting pregnant if you take Coartem with birth control with hormones in it. You may need to use another birth control method while you are taking Coartem. Talk to your health care provider about effective birth control options while you are taking Coartem.

What should I tell my health care provider before using Coartem?

Tell your health care provider about all of your health conditions and any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. This will help them know if Coartem is right for you.

In particular, make sure that you discuss any of the following.

Current and Past Health Conditions. Tell your health care provider if you have any of the following.

  • Electrolyte problems, such as low levels of magnesium or potassium
  • Heart problems or a family history of heart problems, including QT prolongation, a slow heartbeat (bradycardia), or recent heart attack or angina
  • Family history of sudden death
  • Kidney or liver problems
  • Recently taken another medicine for malaria

Pregnancy. It is not known if or how Coartem could affect pregnancy or harm an unborn baby. Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Your health care provider will let you know if you should take Coartem while you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

Breastfeeding. It is not known if Coartem passes into breast milk. Tell your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Your health care provider will let you know if you should take Coartem while breastfeeding.

How can I get more information about Coartem?

For more information about Coartem, you can visit the drugmaker’s website at www.novartis.com/us-en/ or call them at 888-669-6682.

Interactions

Does Coartem interact with foods or drinks?

Coartem should be taken with food. Food helps you absorb the medicine to make sure your levels are high enough for the medicine to work. If you are having trouble eating with this medicine, let your health care provider know. You may need monitoring to make sure the medicine is working.

Do not drink grapefruit juice while you are taking Coartem. Grapefruit juice can make the levels of Coartem in your body too high and possibly lead to side effects. See the Side Effects section for more details.

It is unknown if drinking alcohol will affect Coartem, but heavy drinking can slow your immune response and make it harder for your body to fight infections.

Does Coartem interact with other medicines (drug interactions)?

Always tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using.

In particular, make sure that you discuss if you are using any of the following before taking Coartem.

  • Medicines that can cause QT prolongation, which is a potentially dangerous heart rhythm problem, such as amiodarone, disopyramide, flecainide, procainamide, quinidine, or sotalol
  • Any medicine for your heart
  • Rifampin (Rifadin), which is a medicine commonly used to treat an infection called tuberculosis
  • Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek, and others), which is a medicine to control seizures
  • Carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol, and others), which is a medicine commonly used to treat seizures or nerve pain
  • St. John’s wort, which is a supplement that may be used to treat depression
  • A birth control pill, patch, vaginal ring, implant, shot, or intrauterine device (IUD) that contains hormones
  • Any other medicine for malaria, such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, mefloquine, primaquine, or quinine
  • Fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura), ketoconazole, posaconazole (Noxafil), or voriconazole (Vfend), which are medicines used for fungal infections
  • An antipsychotic, such as pimozide or ziprasidone, which is a medicine for certain mental health conditions
  • An antidepressant medicine, such as amitriptyline, clomipramine, or imipramine
  • A medicine for HIV or AIDS
  • A macrolide antibiotic, such as clarithromycin or erythromycin (Ery-Tab and others), which is a medicine used for bacterial infections
  •  A fluoroquinolone antibiotic, such as levofloxacin or moxifloxacin, which is a medicine used for bacterial infections

Many other medicines may alter the blood levels of Coartem, and vice versa. Tell your health care provider about all medicines that you take or have recently taken.

This may not be a complete list of medicines that can interact with Coartem. Always check with your health care provider.

Does interact with other drugs you are taking?

Enter your medication into the WebMD interaction checker

Overdose/Missed Dose

What should I do if I accidentally take too much Coartem?

If you or someone else has taken too much Coartem, get medical help right away, call 911, or contact a Poison Control center at 800-222-1222.

What should I do if I miss a dose of Coartem?

Missing doses of Coartem can cause it to not work as well over time. So it is important not to miss or skip doses.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and only take the next dose. Do not take double or extra doses.

If you vomit a dose of Coartem within two hours or less after taking it, take another dose. If you vomit the second dose, call your health care provider. They may want to switch you to a different medicine to treat malaria.