Hydroxychloroquine is used in the treatment of arthritis to help relieve inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and joint pain and also to help control the symptoms of lupus erythematosus (lupus; SLE). A common brand name for hydroxychloroquine is Plaquenil®.
Hydroxychloroquine starts to work gradually. For inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, it can take 6 to 12 weeks before you notice any benefits. It's important to keep taking hydroxychloroquine. You may not feel any different at first, but it is likely to be working.
The mechanism of action for this medication is not well understood. It is thought that hydroxychloroquine interferes with the ability of immune system cells to communicate with each other and thereby decreasing inflammation.
Hydroxychloroquine is used to treat: rheumatoid arthritis. discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
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.
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) is a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). It can decrease the pain and swelling of arthritis which can prevent joint damage leading to long-term disability.
Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common side effects of hydroxychloroquine. And some people may also experience stomach pain.
Avoid taking an antacid or Kaopectate (kaolin-pectin) within 4 hours before or 4 hours after you take hydroxychloroquine.
Weight gain or weight loss
For some people, Plaquenil may cause weight loss. This is because the drug can decrease your appetite, which may lead to the weight loss. But it's not known how many people have had weight loss while taking Plaquenil. Weight gain, on the other hand, isn't a known side effect of Plaquenil.
Serious side effects
muscle weakness, cramps, stiffness or spasms, or changes in how your skin feels such as tingling. frequent infections with a high temperature, sore throat or mouth ulcers.
In 1956, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved HCQ for symptoms of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, particularly skin inflammation, hair loss, mouth sores, fatigue, and joint pain.
Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, dizziness, or headache may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
You might feel dizzy or faint, or you might have a fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat. Make sure your doctor knows if you had a heart rhythm problem, including QT prolongation. This medicine may cause muscle and nerve problems.
Using Plaquenil for a long period of time may harm the retina, causing serious vision loss. People with retinal damage from Plaquenil are not aware at first that they are losing vision.
Hydroxychloroquine is no more effective than placebo in reducing the symptoms of hand osteoarthritis, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found.
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) can cause hair changes, and some people have reported curling, even though it is not in the prescribing information.
However, some of the medications commonly used to treat RA – including hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), methotrexate and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen (Naprosyn) or celecoxib (Celebrex) – can cause reactions such as rashes or sunburn with ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.
No interactions were found between Plaquenil and Vitamin D3.
Plaquenil and alcohol
Plaquenil isn't known to interact with alcohol. However, certain side effects from Plaquenil could be worsened by drinking alcohol. Examples of these side effects include headache, nausea, and dizziness.
How long you take hydroxychloroquine for depends on why you're taking it. For some conditions, if hydroxychloroquine works for you then you may need to take it for several years, or even for the rest of your life, to control your symptoms.
40 % of women by age 50 will develop female pattern hair loss. This means that 40 % of female patients who use Plaquenil will develop female genetic hair loss - not from the drug itself but because that is the expected frequency in the population.
A rare side effect of Plaquenil is damage to the eye's retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Using Plaquenil for a long period of time may harm the retina, causing serious vision loss. People with retinal damage from Plaquenil are not aware at first that they are losing vision.