Viewer Question:

What are side effects of quinine for leg cramps?

Doctor's Answer:

Quinine side effects include ringing in the ears, decreased hearing, vertigo, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, flushing or itching of the skin, headache, and fever.

Quinine should not be used by persons with ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or nerve disease of the nerve to the eyes (optic nerve). Patients with irregular heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation, should have the consent and monitoring of their doctors to take quinine.