You can often drink coffee with Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine), but it's best to limit it or avoid it if it causes stomach upset or jitters, as Plaquenil can already cause digestive issues like nausea, and caffeine can worsen these and increase heart rate, so talk to your doctor or pharmacist, especially if you have other conditions like lupus or heart issues, and always take Plaquenil with food.
This medication may irritate the stomach, and should be taken with food. It is best to avoid coffee, spicy food or alcohol.
Cautions with other medicines
If you take antacids, leave a gap of at least 4 hours between taking them and hydroxychloroquine. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including: azithromycin, erythromycin or clarithromycin, antibiotics. amiodarone or digoxin, medicines for heart problems.
Ciprofloxacin: (Major) Concomitant use of hydroxychloroquine and ciprofloxacin increases the risk of QT/QTc prolongation and torsade de pointes (TdP). Cisapride: (Contraindicated) Avoid concomitant use of hydroxychloroquine and cisapride due to an increased risk for torsade de pointes (TdP) and QT/QTc prolongation.
Combining hydroxychloroquine with these medications increases your risk of seizures. Examples include: Some antidepressants like bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XR) and amitriptyline. Antipsychotics like clozapine (Clozaril)
Interactions between your drugs
There were no interactions found between hydroxychloroquine and Vitamin D3.
Hydroxychloroquine is not considered an immunosuppressant but it may lower the number of white cells in your blood. This can make you more likely to get an infection. It's important to reduce your risk of getting an infection. When possible, avoid close contact with people who you know are unwell.
If you are also taking a certain drug for diarrhea (kaolin) or taking antacids (such as magnesium/aluminum hydroxide), take hydroxychloroquine at least 4 hours before or after these products. These products may bind with hydroxychloroquine, preventing your body from fully absorbing it.
While this may work for some, this timing isn't the best choice for everyone. If HCQ gives you an energy boost, taking it at night may interfere with sleep quality. On the other hand, if nausea or cramping is your main concern, taking HCQ at night could help.
“Today it is recommended that every single person on Plaquenil get a visual field 10-2 test, plus one of the three other highly sensitive screening tests: the FAF (fundus autofluorescence imaging), the SD-OCT (spectral domain optical coherence), or the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG),” Thomas says.
Hydroxychloroquine sulfate primarily affects vitamin B12, vitamin D, folate, calcium, and magnesium levels in the body. This medication, commonly used for autoimmune conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, can interfere with nutrient absorption and metabolism through several mechanisms.
This may depend on the medication. Anecdotally, some people recommend waiting 1 to 2 hours. However, there are no studies showing this works for all medication types, so this may not be accurate. There are also some medications people should be cautious of mixing with caffeine in general.
This medication may also interact with the following:
Most studies haven't found a significant risk between drinking coffee and developing or worsening RA. That's good news if you can't start your day without it. The anti-inflammatory compounds found in caffeine may even help with your RA symptoms. But more research needs to be done on this topic.
Plaquenil works very slowly. In 1 to 3 months you should start to feel better. You may continue to get better for up to 1 year. Most people who take Plaquenil also take other medicines for pain and stiffness.
The most common side effects are nausea and diarrhea, which often improve with time. Other side effects include rash, hair changes, and muscle weakness. Rarely, hydroxychloroquine can lead to anemia, typically in individuals with G6PD deficiency or porphyria.
Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine, HCQ): Since Sjögren's is an autoimmune disease where the immune system is overactive, medications that calm down the immune system are sometimes needed. Plaquenil is one of the safest drugs used to treat Sjögren's. It can especially be helpful for Sjögren's arthritis, fatigue, and rashes.
Interactions between your drugs
There were no interactions found between hydroxychloroquine and Vitamin B12.
Certain medications should not be taken with magnesium, including certain antibiotics, PPI drugs, diuretics, bisphosphonates, and high doses of zinc. If you take any of these medications and might need to supplement your diet with magnesium, speak to your healthcare provider.
Interactions between your drugs
There were no interactions found between hydroxychloroquine and Paracetamol.
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) is the most common antimalarial for lupus. If you can't take hydroxychloroquine, your doctor may recommend chloroquine (Aralen®). These medicines can be taken as pills or liquids.
The "worst" autoimmune diseases are subjective but often ranked by severity, impact on life expectancy, and organ damage, with top contenders including Giant Cell Myocarditis (deadly heart inflammation), Vasculitis (blood vessel inflammation like GPA), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (multi-organ attacks), Multiple Sclerosis (nervous system damage), and Type 1 Diabetes (pancreas destruction). These conditions can severely affect quality of life, cause permanent disability, and reduce lifespan if not managed effectively, though rare ones like Giant Cell Myocarditis are acutely fatal.
There is no cure, and the only way to manage it is by trying to slow the symptoms and disease. In an exciting plot twist, a cancer drug has been causing autoimmune patients to go into long-term remission, meaning no symptoms, no signs of disease.