Mmmm... Malaria.

As part of the preparation for the trip to the Philippines I was given a prescription for Lariam (mefloquine hydrocloride), an anti-malarial drug. Eleven pills, 1 for the week before leaving, one each week while I'm there, and one for each week for four weeks afterwards.

Of course how often and when I have to take them is rather boring. The drugs come with a lovely 6 page packet of information on the them.

So...

What is the most important information I should know about Lariam?
...
2. Lariam can rarely cause serious mental problems in some patients.
The most frequently reported side effects with Lariam, such as nausea, difficulty sleeping, and bad dreams are usually mild and do not cause people to stop taking the medicine. However, people taking Lariam occasionally experience severe anxiety, feelings that people are against them, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there, for example) [sic], depression, unusual behavior, or feeling disoriented. There have been reports that in some patients these side effects continue after Lariam is stopped. Some patients taking Lariam think about killing themselves, and there have been rare reports of suicides. It is not known whether Lariam was responsible for these suicides.

When I first read through that... I was laughing to myself. I don't have much of a history with prescriptions medicines so it's rather... amusing, for me to see this kind of warning on the side with such dramatic side effects. And notice how that's actually the second thing I should know... the first is telling me to take it as prescribed.