Plaquenil

Plaquenil

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE

(PLAQUENIL)

Hydroxychloroquine is a one of a number of drugs which have been used for many years in the treatment of malaria. Fortuitously, it was discovered that these drugs often are helpful in the treatment of various rheumatic diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or "Lupus") and rheumatoid arthritis. Although chloroquine is sometimes used, the preferred antimalarial drug is hydroxychloroquine due to its greater safety. These drugs are not painkillers.

WHAT DOES HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE DO?

It is not possible at the present time to explain precisely why hydroxychloroquine is effective in various rheumatic diseases. When effective, it can decrease damage to the tissues of the joints, skin and other organs in the body.

HOW IS HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE GIVEN ?

Hydroxychloroquine is a tablet that is best taken with food as it has a slightly bitter taste. Generally it is taken once a day, but occasionally it will be prescribed to be taken on alternate days. Treatment generally starts with two tablets per day and subsequently may be reduced to one a day (or every other day).

WILL MY ARTHRITIS GET BETTER ?

The majority of patients will find hydroxychloroquine to be effective, but like other anti-rheumatic drugs, it may take between 8 to 12 weeks for the disease to respond. Often you will be given other medications when you start hydroxychloroquine so that you will improve more quickly.

ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS ?

Hydroxychloroquine is one of the better tolerated anti-rheumatic drugs. However, as with all medications, there is a potential for side effects to occur. Mostly, these are not serious and often we may not need to stop the treatment if side effects occur. However, if any serious problems occur, we will stop the treatment. If you develop any of the problems that I will mention, you should inform your GP and rheumatology clinic.

The most common side effects are mild nausea and occasional stomach cramps with diarrhoea of a mild degree occurring sometimes. As mentioned previously, the tablets are slightly bitter and are best taken with meals to avoid stomach upsets.

Skin rashes occasionally develop and hydroxychloroquine may make you more sensitive to the sun, so it is advisable to use the usual precautions of sunscreens and a hat if you are in the sun. Also, your hair may become a little bleached with the drug and rarely a degree of thinning of the hair can develop.

Some patients develop headache or dizziness and may become a little weak whilst on hydroxychloroquine and if this occurs, the treatment should be stopped.

Anti-malarial drugs can sometimes cause problems with the eyes. The side-effects range from temporary blurring of the vision and a slightly increased appreciation of glare (so wear sunglasses in the sun) which are not uncommon to more serious but rare changes in the back of the eye. Eye problems were much more common in the past when chloroquine was the most commonly used anti-malarial drug and dosages of these drugs were considerably higher. Because of these problems, before you start hydroxychloroquine you should schedule an appointment with an Ophthalmologist to assess the eyes and to make sure that there are no eye problems present that could make side effects more likely. Your Opthalmologist should schedule regular eye exams every 6 months to test for possible eye problems associated with hydroxychloroquine.

Finally, hydroxychloroquine should be avoided in pregnancy, so please discuss this with your rheumatologist if you wish to become pregnant.

DO ANY OTHER MEDICATIONS INTERFERE WITH HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE?

Generally there are no drugs that make a side effect more likely with hydroxychloroquine. Indigestion remedies should not be taken at the same time as hydroxychloroquine. Try to allow 4 hours to pass between taking one and the other.

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The materials and information on this server are intended for educational and informational purposes only. The materials and information are not intended to replace the services of a trained health professional or to be a substitute for medical advice of physicians and/or other health care professionals. The International Still's Disease Foundation is not engaged in rendering medical or professional medical services. You should consult your physician on specific medical questions, particularly in matters requiring diagnosis or medical attention. The International Still's Disease Foundation makes no representations or warranties with respect to any treatment, action, application medication or preparation by any person following the information offered or provided within this website. Any information used from other websites was done so with permission from each site, with an exception to those of "public domain", whereas we believe any site without a cited reference was a "public domain site" and for our use. The International Still's Disease Foundation is a non-profit organization. This page was last updated on January 17, 2001