Department of Health
The Department of Health is the Government's health adviser and agency to execute healthcare policies and statutory functions. It safeguards the health of the community through promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services.
The Department of Health today advised people not to use pharmaceutical products containing quinine sulphate for the management of leg cramps because of possible serious and sometimes fatal reactions.
The Health Sciences Authority of Singapore recently issued a warning against the use of quinine sulphate for leg cramp management because of unpredictable, serious and life-threatening blood reactions in addition to hypersensitivity, and adverse heart and kidney events which may cause hospitalisation.
Quinine sulphate is an antimalarial drug which is also used in some places for the treatment of nocturnal leg cramps. Yet, as night leg cramps do not lead to serious consequences, the benefits of using quinine to treat this condition is outweighted by the risks of potentially fatal blood reactions.
Four pharmaceutical products registered in Hong Kong contain quinine sulphate or quinine bisulphate. Nocturnal leg cramp treatment is an approved indicated use.
There has been no adverse event reported in Hong Kong so far.
