The drug produced by French pharmaceutical giant,
Sanofi is a combination of ACT- antimalarial drug that has in it artesunate and
amodiaquine. Artesunate Amodiaquine is marketed in Nigeria by Sanofi-Avensis
for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria caused by the Plasmodium Falciparum
parasite.
For instance, Chuka Nwakile who bought Artesunate
Amodiaquine Winthrop over the counter at a patent medicine shop in Orile-Ignamu
area of Lagos to treat malaria recalled his experience as follows:
Rather than get better, I got worse. I had sleepless nights, chest pains and internal heat. I was seeing people walking on their heads and became afraid. It gave me sore throats. It was difficult swallowing things. Nwakile revealed further that he was hospitalized thereafter and later discharged.
Another user who suffered severe adverse reaction
from Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop , David Alowonle, said that the drug made
him lose sleep for about 5 days, caused him mental problems, hallucination,
nightmares, paranoia, tongue-twisting and constant headache among other
complaints. Alowonle said:
I started the medication on Thursday June 25,
2015 to Saturday 27 June, 2015. The reaction started Sunday night. I couldn’t
sleep, from Sunday till Thursday, so I went back to the pharmacy where I bought
the drug to complain. He (the pharmacist) gave me sleeping pills for Thursday
July 2, 2015, I used it till Friday night. All through this period I could not
sleep.
I started having terrible nightmares, hallucinating. I was seeing people that I have never met, hearing voices. It got worst during midnight of Friday July 4, 2015 and by 4 am- on Saturday, I ran out of my room scared because a voice kept shouting in my head, that I should call Nerimayah!! Upside down.
I started to speak nonsense. I told my wife to
leave alone. So, I ran out of the house by 4.20 am morning to the hospital,
because I couldn’t stand the pain and severe headache. I got to the hospital by
4 :50 am and I was giving injection, admitted from that time and drips was
passed to my body.
When contacted, the owner of the pharmacy where
the drug was dispensed who gave his name as Pharmacist Peter said that
Alowonle’s reactions to the drug may be due to his physiological make-up. The
man who argued that the side effects would have subsided even if Alowonle did
not seek medical intervention said: This is the first time a customer is coming
with this kind of complaint. It may be his kind of body.
However Medical doctors and pharmacists who spoke
with Hallmark differed with his position. They compared the side effects
associated with Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop with that obtained from
Chloroquine. According to specialists, Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop is noted
for weakness, abdominal pains, hypoglycemia, insomnia, hearing issues and
restlessness.
Specifically Alowonle’s family doctor who is also
the Medical Director, OAR Medical Centre, Oke-Odo, Lagos, Dr Ojinni Abiodun,
confirmed that his patient was treated for adverse drug reactions. According to
him, the side-effects as maniedfested by Alowonle are associated with
Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop and other Amodiaquine-containing
anti-malarials. He stated:
It is a reaction to Amodiaquine. Drugs in this
group are known to cause a lot of side effects. Amodiaquine is known to cause
hypoglycemia which is depression of blood sugar. When there is low sugar in the
blood, they (patients) have hallucination, nightmares and become weak.
On whether the effects of the drug could wear of
on its own, Dr Abiodun said that the effect of the drug could last up to two
weeks before it wears off and may cause permanent damage to the patient if medical
intervention is not sought immediately.
On his part, Dr Ikechukwu Eke-Okoro said: It is
well known for making some people very weak and a little bit of confusion.
Well, Winthrop is notorious for that. Some people don’t like the Winthrop
because of that effect, while others feel that’s a sign it works well.
Another, Dr Buchi Akpeh said: Artesunate
Amodiaquine Winthrop has similar side effects with Chloroquine plus it could also
cause hearing issues. Amodiquine has been known to cause restlessness in some
patients.
Pharmacist Chukwuebuka Oforkaja who disclosed
that he suffered a similar fate as David Owowanle noted that: It knocks some
people off.
Dr. Ijeoma Agbeze identified side effects of
Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop such as dizziness, Abdominal pains, poor sleep
(insomnia), hypoglycemia are exhibited if taken without food.
Estimating the cost to them, both Alowonle and
Nwakile lamented that they pay more for treating the side effects from use of
Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop than they paid to get the drugs. Alowonle
claimed, he bought the drug for N300 but spent N7500 at the hospital to treat
the side effects . Nwakile bought the medicine for N350 and spent over N30,000
as medical bills for treatment and series of tests. He said:
I spent close to N40,000 on treatment and series
of tests. I was asked to do chest X-ray because of the chest pains but they
found nothing.
Possible side effects from use of Artesunate Amodiaquine
Winthrop as listed on the drug leaflet include acute bronchitis,
gastroenteritis, oral thrush, anaemia, hypoglycemia (low sugar blood),
hallucination, tingling and numbness of the limbs, yellowing of the eye,
dizziness, heart rhythm disorder, joint pain, swelling of the limbs, all of
which the drug makers, categorized as ‘uncommon’ side effects. Common side
effects listed are loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, sleepiness, cough,
nausea, abdominal pains, tiredness and weakness.
What is more alarming is the indication that the
drug could produce these effects in up to 10 in every 100 persons who take the
drug. Uncommon effects affect 1 to 10 users in 100, the leaflet stated. What is
translates to is that if 170 million Nigerians take Artesunate Amodiaquine
Winthrop, up to 1.7million may suffer the severe side effects, raising the
concern on why the product which could have far-reaching impact on public
health would be allowed in the system by regulatory authorities especially
NAFDAC.
Dr Abiodun wondered why Amodiaquine was
reintroduced in combination with Artesunate when most African countries have
phased out the use of Amodiaquine due to its adverse reactions. The
leaflet also contains the warning that users should take ‘special care’ with
Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop. As part of its side effects warned that the drug
may cause damage to the liver and/or blood that can sometimes be fatal.
Manufacturers of Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop advised: In
case of marked asthenia (fatigue), gastrointestinal disturbances, (nausea,
vomiting, abdominal pain), jaundice (dark urine, pale bowel motions), sore
throat or mouth ulcers, stop the treatment and consult a doctor immediately;
your doctor may need to take a blood sample. Persons who should not take
Artesunate Amodiaquine Winthrop as indicated by the manufacturers include
persons who are allergic to artesunate or amodiaquine, persons with liver
problem, eye disease.
When contacted, a Public Affairs official of the
pharmaceutical company, Dimeji Agbolade, told Hallmark that he would revert to
our enquiry before the end of the week. Agbolade through an email, said: We
would evaluate the information and revert to you before the end of the
week. He is yet to respond.
Overall, Dr Abiodun warned Nigerians to be wary
of antimalarial drugs that contain Amodiaquine. He disclosed more that it is
only in pharmacies that patients can be given Amodiaquine. A doctor would not
give it to you because 9 out of 10 will come back to you (with complaints). All
drugs, he not have side effects. You need to weigh the side effects and the
result. If the side effects are more than the result then such drugs should be
avoided.
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