Why do Malaria Tablets have to taste so bad?

I've just started a course of anti-malaria tablets for my holiday. Why can't they be made to taste like something pleasant, like chocolate or strawberry?

I haven't had any side effects yet despite the long list of possibles. I don't chew them but the Avloclor just leaves a nasty taste as soon as you put it in your mouth. Can't avoid it.

Don't you just swallow them and not chew?

I've heard that you don't have to take the medicines all the time.

If you take them all the time then you can still get malaria, because the amount isn't enough to properly kill it off, but it does reduce the symptoms so you won't get proper treatment.

What you are *supposed* to do is watch out for when you feel unwell, perhaps a fever or a headache etc just general bad feeling. Then you take several tablets, and more than one type of malaria medicine (since some strains are resistant to some of the medicines.)

That way you definitely kill off the infection in it's early stages, and you risk less side effects, and you can travel for longer since you're not supposed to take malaria tablets continually.

But! I'm not a doctor, so try and have a frank discussion with one instead of relying on this advice.

thats just the way it is,

That would be nice, and other medicines. Is it true people have really weird dreams & paranoia when you take them?

they taste bad because of the quinine in them. i don't think they can be made to taste nice....maybe sugar makes them ineffective or something?....

you swallow them doh!!!!!!!
dont chew

Crap if they tasted good everyone would want to eat em....Duh its medicine most of it tastes bad

Imagaine that you are drinking a gin and tonic!! It may help!

no medicine taste good, when i had to take them for my trip they were massive. be prepared to have some very strange dreams while your on them though.

i used to take one a day for two years when i was in singapore. but we always swallowed them.