Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine)

Description

Plaquenil is used for the main purpose of treating people who are infected with malaria caused by getting bites from mosquitos. However, it isn’t effective as far as specific forms of malaria are concerned such as those that are chloroquine resistant. There are also other uses for this medication.

Plaquenil can also be used, in many cases alongside other medications, for the purpose of treating specific auto-immune diseases (some example would include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis) when for whatever reason other drugs were not effective or just couldn’t be used. Plaquenil is a part of a class of drugs known as disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). It can decrease skin problems in lupus as well as stop swelling/pain in arthritis, even though the exac method is which this medication works isn’t known.

What are some of the minor side effects a person might have a chance of experiencing if they use this medication?

 Nausea
 Stomach cramps
 Loss of appetite
 Diarrhea
 Dizziness
 Headache may occur

Many of the minor potential side effects mentioned above are supposed to subside after a while. If for whatever reason you find that they last longer than they should or they become more problematic, then you should get in touch with a doctor. If you can’t then get in touch with a pharmacist as soon as possible to get answers.

What are some of the more serious potenial side effects a person might experience from using Plaquenil?

 Arm/leg/back pain
 Fast/irregular heartbeat
 Hair loss/color change
 Mental/mood changes (e.g., anxiety, depression, hallucinations)
 Ringing in the ears/hearing loss
 Worsening of skin conditions (e.g., psoriasis)

If you experience any of the side effects above, then you have to report these to a doctor as soon as you can. You might even have to consider urgent care treatment in order to prevent the possibility of them becoming worse.

Plaquenil is some extremely rare cases can also cause serious (long term) eye problems or serious muscle damage. The risk goes up if a person takes this drug for a long period of time. Be sure to seek out immediate medical help if you notice any of the following symptoms:

Sensitivity to light
Vision changes (e.g., blurred vision, seeing light flashes/streaks/halos, missing/blacked-out areas of vision)
Muscle weakness

Make sure to tell a doctor if you experience any of these very rare side effects:

 Stomach/abdominal pain
 Severe nausea/vomiting
 Easy bleeding/bruising
 Signs of infection (e.g., fever, persistent sore throat)
 Seizures
 Shortness of breath
 Swelling ankles/feet
 Extreme tiredness
 Dark urine
 Yellowing eyes/ski
 Serious allergic reactions

The above listed side effects isn’t a complete list of all the potential side effects a person using this treatment might face or can face. If you notice any effects that aren’t listed here, be sure to notify a medical professional as soon as possible.

Plaquenil is very effective at what it does, but some people will respond to it better than others of course.