It's unlikely that stopping Plaquenil therapy will have any negative consequences. If you're using Plaquenil to treat lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, keep in mind that the symptoms of your disease may worsen if you discontinue treatment. This is because Plaquenil helps to control the indicators of these illnesses.
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a foundational lupus treatment. However, people with lupus, along with their physicians, may consider tapering their HCQ dose or discontinuing the therapy altogether after long-term use and lupus disease stabilization.
People may need to stop taking hydroxychloroquine because of side effects. They should not stop taking the drug on their own without the help of their medical provider. Plaquenil stays in the body for around three months and it may take a while for side effects to go away.
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.
Plaquenil and other anti-malarials are the key to controlling lupus long term, and some lupus patients may be on Plaquenil for the rest of their lives.
Fortunately, natural remedies for lupus, including supplements, exercise and a healthy diet high in anti-inflammatory foods can all help manage symptoms and improve overall immune function, without raising the risk for complications.
Today, most people diagnosed with lupus in adulthood can expect to live a normal life span. Only 10 to 15 percent of people with lupus die prematurely due to complications of the disease.
Lupus is a lifelong disease that can affect many parts of your life. But, many people with lupus live long, healthy lives.
If you forget to take it
If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it's nearly time for your next dose. In this case, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time. Never take 2 doses at the same time to make up for a missed dose.
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. bruising that happens more easily than usual.
You may want to limit your consumption of grapefruit or grapefruit juice during treatment with hydroxychloroquine. Grapefruit juice can significantly increase the blood levels and effects of hydroxychloroquine, which may result in an irregular heart rate or other conduction disturbances.
Common symptoms that indicate a flare are: Ongoing fever not due to an infection. Painful, swollen joints. An increase in fatigue.
Lupus is a chronic disease with no cure.
This means that you can manage it with treatment, but it will not go away. Treatment can help improve your symptoms, prevent flares, and prevent other health problems often caused by lupus. Your treatment will depend on your symptoms and needs.
In some people, lupus will flare, become inactive (quiescent), and go into remission—this course of the disease may or may not occur regularly throughout their life. In other people, lupus will remain in a chronic (long-lasting) state of activity. Some people will have fairly frequent flares of illness.
No form of treatment can cure lupus. However, there is some evidence that certain natural treatments may help reduce the symptoms and inflammation it causes. These include curcumin, omega-3s, vitamin D, and green tea. Natural treatments cannot replace medical treatment for lupus.
With age, symptom activity with lupus often declines, but symptoms you already have may grow more severe. The accumulation of damage over years may result in the need for joint replacements or other treatments.
Plaquenil may be used for a short time or long-term, depending on the condition it's taken for.
To lower the daily dosage, to adjust for low weight, or if there is kidney damage or kidney failure, HCQ may be taken every other day or tablets may be broken in half. To reduce stomach upset, HCQ is best taken with food or milk.
In some cases, you may take Plaquenil once or twice per day. In other cases, you may take it once per week. Your doctor or pharmacist can advise you on when you should take your doses of Plaquenil.
Your lupus symptoms should start to improve within 1 to 3 months after you start hydroxychloroquine. It takes about 6 months to feel the full benefits. After a few months on hydroxychloroquine, your doctor will examine you and see how well it's working to control symptoms like joint swelling and pain.
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. Unfortunately, once they lose a severe amount of vision loss, it is permanent.