Hydroxychloroquine (By mouth)
hye-drox-ee-KLOR-oh-kwin
Treats or prevents malaria. Also used to treat lupus and arthritis.
Drug classes
Antimalarial, Antirheumatic (About this – PubMed Health)
Uses
Uses of This Medicine
Hydroxychloroquine belongs to the family of medicines called antiprotozoals. Protozoa are tiny, one-celled animals. Some are parasites that can cause many different kinds of infections in the body.
This medicine is used to prevent and to treat malaria and to treat some conditions such as liver disease caused by protozoa. It is also used in the treatment of arthritis to help relieve inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and joint pain and to help control the symptoms of lupus erythematosus (lupus; SLE).
This medicine may be given alone or with one or more other medicines. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.
Hydroxychloroquine is available only with your doctor’s prescription.
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling, hydroxychloroquine is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:
Arthritis, juvenile
Hypercalcemia, sarcoid-associated
Polymorphous light eruption
Porphyria cutanea tarda
Urticaria, solar
Vasculitis, chronic cutaneous
Other uses (PubMed Health)
How To Use
Tablet
Your doctor will tell you how much to take and how often. You should not use this medicine more often or in greater amounts than your doctor ordered.
Take this medicine with food or milk.
If a dose is missed:
If you take one dose a week, take the missed dose as soon as possible. Then return to your regular dosing schedule.
If you take one or more doses daily, take the missed dose as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take your medicine and skip the missed dose.
You should not use two doses at the same time.
How to Store and Dispose of This Medicine:
Store at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light.
Keep all medicine out of the reach of children.
Drugs and Foods to Avoid
Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.
When Not To Use
You should not use this medicine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to hydroxychloroquine.
Warnings
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before taking this medicine.
Talk to your doctor if you have vision or eye problems, liver disease, skin disorder, or any other medical problems before you take this medicine.
This medicine may cause dizziness and vision changes. Be careful while driving a car or operating machinery.
Possible side effects
Summary More details
Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:
Wheezing or trouble breathing
Severe or bloody diarrhea
Blurred vision or eye problems
Unexplained fever, unusual bleeding or bruising
If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:
Diarrhea
Bleaching of hair or loss of hair
If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
More side effects of this drug
Brand names include
Plaquenil
There may be other brand names for this medicine.
