Hydroxychloroquine (Systemic)

Brand Names : Plaquenil

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For hydroxychloroquine, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Unless you are taking it for malaria or liver disease caused by protozoa , use of this medicine is not recommended during pregnancy. In animal studies, hydroxychloroquine has been shown to cause damage to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) of the fetus, including damage to hearing and sense of balance, bleeding inside the eyes, and other eye problems. However, when given in low doses (once a week) to prevent malaria, this medicine has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in pregnant women.

Breast-feeding - A very small amount of hydroxychloroquine passes into the breast milk. It has not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies to date. However, babies and children are especially sensitive to the effects of hydroxychloroquine.

Children - Children are especially sensitive to the effects of hydroxychloroquine. This may increase the chance of side effects during treatment. Overdose is especially dangerous in children. Taking as few as 3 or 4 tablets (250-milligrams [mg] strength) of chloroquine has resulted in death in small children. Because hydroxychloroquine is so similar to chloroquine, it is probably just as toxic.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of hydroxychloroquine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases 2 different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of hydroxychloroquine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Blood disease (severe) - Hydroxychloroquine may cause blood disorders

• Eye or vision problems - Hydroxychloroquine may cause serious eye side effects, especially in high doses

• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency - Hydroxychloroquine may cause serious blood side effects in patients with this deficiency

• Kidney disease - There may be an increased chance of side effects in patients with kidney disease

• Liver disease - May decrease the removal of hydroxychloroquine from the blood, increasing the chance of side effects

• Nerve or brain disease (severe), including convulsions (seizures) - Hydroxychloroquine may cause muscle weakness and, in high doses, seizures

• Porphyria - Hydroxychloroquine may worsen the symptoms of porphyria

• Psoriasis - Hydroxychloroquine may bring on severe attacks of psoriasis

• Stomach or intestinal disease (severe) - Hydroxychloroquine may cause stomach irritation