Quinine is used in the treatment of malaria. It may also be used to treat and prevent nighttime leg cramps.
How Quinine Works Quinine is an antiparasitic medication that treats malaria. It functions by increasing the levels of heme in the blood, a substance toxic to the malarial parasite. This action kills the parasite and prevents the infection from spreading.
Common side effects of Quinine include nausea, abdominal pain, blurred vision, dizziness, headache, ringing in the ears, vomiting, flushing (a sense of warmth in the face, ears, neck, and trunk), diarrhea, deafness, sweating, abnormal heart rhythm, hearing loss, visual impairment, and blindness.