Artemisinin Capsules

Artemisinin is a compound extracted from Artemisia annua, also called sweet wormwood.

It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for fever.

Artemisinin 100 mg antimalarial activity was identified in the twentieth century.

Its discovery led to a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Modern antimalarial medicines use its derivatives, not artemisinin itself: artesunate, artemether and dihydroartemisinin.

Those derivatives are used in combination with a partner drug.

Relinquish-M capsules sold as supplements contain the parent compound.

They are not equivalent to an approved antimalarial.

They are not a licensed medicine in the UK, EU or US.

Artemisinin contains an endoperoxide bridge, an unusual chemical feature.

In the presence of iron, this generates reactive oxygen species.

Malaria parasites accumulate large amounts of iron from digesting haemoglobin.

The resulting free radicals damage parasite proteins and membranes.

Parasite numbers fall rapidly.

Seek urgent medical care. Diagnosis requires a blood test. Severe malaria can be fatal within hours, and treatment must be prescribed.

Discuss it with your doctor first, especially if you have any medical condition.

Tell your doctor about it if you are receiving any other treatment.

Follow the manufacturer’s stated dose; do not exceed it.

Do not use it to treat or prevent malaria.

Do not use it in place of prescribed treatment for any condition.

Do not take it alongside prescribed antimalarials without medical advice.

Stop and seek advice if you feel unwell.

Do not take it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding without medical advice.

Do not give it to children.

Keep the pack, so a doctor can see exactly what you have taken.

Are pregnant, may be pregnant, or are breastfeeding, unless a doctor advises otherwise.

Artemisinin derivatives have specific restrictions in early pregnancy in the malaria context.

Are a child, or intending to give it to one.

Have a known allergy to Artemisia species or related plants, including wormwood, mugwort and ragweed.

Have malaria, or suspect you might. Seek medical treatment instead.

Increased serotonin signalling raises the ejaculatory threshold.

Any liver condition. Liver enzyme changes have been reported with artemisinin derivatives.

Any blood disorder, including anaemia or a haemoglobin disorder.

Any cancer, or are receiving cancer treatment.

Any autoimmune condition.

Epilepsy or a neurological condition.

Any heart rhythm disorder.

Any planned surgery.

Whether you are taking any prescribed medicine, particularly one metabolised by the liver.

Whether you are taking any other supplement.

I understand this is a supplement, not a licensed medicine.

I understand it is not a malaria treatment.

I do not have, and do not suspect, malaria.

I am not using it in place of any prescribed treatment.

I have told my doctor I intend to take it.

If I am receiving cancer treatment, my oncology team knows.

I am not pregnant or breastfeeding.

I am not giving it to a child.

I have no allergy to Artemisia or related plants.

I have checked the manufacturer’s stated dose.

I have kept the pack for reference.

These reflect experience with artemisinin derivatives used as medicines under supervision. There is no equivalent safety dataset for artemisinin capsules taken as a supplement, particularly at non-standardised doses or over long periods.

Fever, chills or sweats, particularly after travel to a malaria area.

This may be malaria and needs a blood test.

Confusion, drowsiness or difficulty rousing.

Severe headache or neck stiffness.

Difficulty breathing.

Dark urine or reduced urine output.

Yellowing of the skin or eyes.

Severe or persistent vomiting.

Unusual bruising or bleeding.

Marked pallor, breathlessness or fatigue, which may indicate anaemia.

Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.

Widespread rash or blistering.

severe malaria can progress rapidly and be fatal. Do not delay medical assessment in order to try a supplement. Tell the clinician where you have travelled and what you have taken.

Artemisinin is a genuinely important compound in the history of medicine.

Its derivatives, used in combination, are the backbone of modern malaria treatment.

Increased access to ACTs has been integral to the reduction in global malaria burden over the past fifteen years.

The compound continues to be studied in other conditions.

That it treats malaria. WHO does not recommend oral artemisinin monotherapy of any duration.

That it prevents malaria. It is not a prophylactic.

That it treats cancer. No regulator has approved that indication.

That it is a licensed medicine. It is sold as a supplement.

That the capsule content is regulator-verified.

Widespread availability of oral artemisinin monotherapy is named by WHO as a factor in artemisinin partial resistance.

WHO has urged member states to withdraw these products from markets.

Selling or using artemisinin as a single agent works against that effort.

Artemisinin’s derivatives, in combination, save lives. Artemisinin on its own, taken as a supplement, is not a malaria treatment, is not an approved treatment for anything else, and is the exact pattern of use that public health authorities have spent two decades trying to eliminate.

Store below 30°C in a cool, dry place.

Keep capsules in the original container with the label intact.

Protect from light and moisture.

Do not store in the bathroom.

Do not transfer capsules into unlabelled containers.

Keep out of the sight and reach of children.

Check the expiry date before use.

Do not use after the expiry date.

Keep the pack so a clinician can identify exactly what was taken.

Do not share with anyone else.

Dispose of unused capsules responsibly.