Hydroxychloroquine (Systemic)
Brand Names : Plaquenil
Before Using This MedicineIn 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
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