It wasn't that long ago that quinine was available full strength over
the counter. On my doctors recommendation I was eating it like candy
just before bedtime. It was miraculous how it made those horrible leg
and foot cramps disappear. Then suddenly by FDA mandate there was none
OTC. The same brand I had been using tweaked their name, I can't
remember what it was, and continued selling without the quinine. It was
mostly acetaminaphin and was useless.
Evidently the evidence shown by the FDA was so strong my GP refused to
give it to me even by prescription, so did my neuro.
There are several homeopathic products with a tad of quinine, not enough
to help, in my opinion. Tonic water has much, much more quinine but
still only a hint. I've had one doctor say it might help and another
say it was so slight it would be unnoticeable. None the less, even
though it is an acquired taste I do enjoy it with a twist. And on
occasion with a shot of extra dry gin. It's very refre****ng on these
100 plus degree days. And that shot of gin may not be a bad idea for
those leg cramps either.
JMHO.
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FDA Cracks Down on Unapproved Quinine Drugs, Cites Problems Including
Deaths
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Dec. 12, 2006 -- The FDA is telling people not to use the malaria drug
quinine for leg cramps, citing potentially deadly side effects.
The FDA issued the advice today and ordered all unapproved drugs
containing quinine off the market within 60 days.
Qualaquin, the only FDA-approved quinine drug, can be used to treat
certain types of malaria; the new order doesn't change that.
But quinine is also often prescribed to treat leg cramps. That
unapproved use is too risky, says the FDA.
Quinine carries extensive warnings about possible side effects,
including:
Potentially serious interactions with other drugs
Abnormal heart rhythms
Thrombocytopenia, a blood platelet disorder that can cause hemorrhage or
clotting problems
Severe hypersensitivity reactions
Since 1969, the FDA has received 665 re****ts of serious adverse events
tied to quinine, including 93 deaths.
Quinine has a narrow margin between effective and toxic doses, notes the
FDA.
The doses for Qualaquin have the FDA's approval for treatment of certain
types of malaria. But the FDA hasn't reviewed dosing for unapproved
quinine drugs.
"We believe unapproved quinine products represent a serious health risk
because of the widespread use of this product for treating leg cramps,"
Steven Galson, MD, MPH, says in the FDA news release. Galson directs the
FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
"Quinine needs to be dosed carefully, and FDA-approved labeling reflects
the fact that the risks associated with the use of this drug for
treatment of leg cramps outweigh the benefits," Galson says.
*****Don't Cry Because It's Over...Smile Because It Happened.*****
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