Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine)

What is Plaquenil?

Plaquenil belongs to the class of drugs called Antimalarial Agents.  It is also used, along with other medications, to treat certain auto-immune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis.  In this case, Plaquenil is classified as a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARDs).

What is Plaquenil used for?

Plaquenil is used to prevent the infection caused by certain parasites. This infection is known as malaria, and Plaquenil helps prevent various types of malaria. It also helps to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus.

How does Plaquenil work?

Parasites break down the hemoglobin present in the red blood cells of humans, and cause infection. Plaquenil does not allow these malarial parasites to perform this action.  Plaquenil's mechanism of action in treating arthritis and lupus is not well understood at this time.

How to use Plaquenil

Plaquenil should be taken exactly as prescribed by the doctor. Neither should it be taken in larger amount, nor for a longer duration than prescribed.

Usually, the drug is to be taken with a meal, or a glass of milk, if not told in any other way by the doctor. It should be taken once a week, and prefer taking it on the same day every week.

If you are in an area which is prone to malaria, you are advised to take Plaquenil twice a week.

Plaquenil warnings and precautions

Ask your doctor for any precautions to be taken on what to eat or drink, while you are on medication of Plaquenil.

Get your eye sight tested every three months while taking Plaquenil. This will help detect any side effects of the drug.

Tell the doctor before hand if you had been suffering from any eye problems earlier or were on any anti-malaria medications before. Also, inform him about all allergies that you suffer from.

What do I do if I have missed a Plaquenil dose?

If you have missed your Plaquenil dose, you should take it as soon as you remember, but if it is already time for the next dose, do not take the missed one.

What do I do if I have taken a Plaquenil overdose?

If you have taken a Plaquenil overdose, you should immediately consult your doctor to begin with the treatment of overdose of Plaquenil, as it becomes very dangerous otherwise. This treatment may include vomiting in extreme cases.

Plaquenil interactions

While taking Plaquenil, one should be careful not to take cancer and tuberculosis medications, birth control pills or arthritis medications, antibiotics or antifungal drugs, cholesterol or HIV/AIDS medications, and any seizure drugs. These medicines can interact with Plaquenil, if taken concurrently.

Also, inform your doctor if you are previously taking any other medicines like those of vitamins, minerals, herbal products, or other drugs. They might interact with Plaquenil.

Plaquenil side effects

• If the consumption of Plaquenil results in any kind of allergy, like hives, trouble in breathing, or swelling on face or lips, consult your doctor without delay.
• Also, if Plaquenil is taken in larger amounts, or for longer durations than prescribed, then it can pose serious side effects to the retina of the eye. Difficulty in focusing, light streaks and flashes in vision, and swelling or color changes of the eye are a few notable symptoms of the side effects of Plaquenil.
• Other offshoots of this medicine are weakness of muscles, twitching and unrestrained movements, less balance and coordination, and pale skin.
• Also, one may undergo headache, ringing in ears, nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain as some minor side effects of Plaquenil.
• Consult your doctor if you feel some confusion, strange thoughts in behavior, convulsions, sensitivity to light, easy bruising or bleeding.
• The patient is advised to immediately consult the doctor if any such signs are seen after taking Plaquenil.