Hydroxychloroquine

Hydroxychloroquine – Medical Facts You Should Know About This Anti Malarial Drug

What is Hydroxychloroquine used for?
Hydroxychloroquine is a prescription medicine for treating malaria. It is categorized in a group of drugs called quinolines. Malaria is a serious disease that occurs when a person gets bitten by a mosquito that is carrying germs. There are different strains of malaria and some of them cannot be controlled with Hydroxychloroquine. As it is an antirheumatic medicine, Hydroxychloroquine is also prescribed for the treatment of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It is imperative to take the whole dose even if your malaria symptoms improve before the date you are supposed to discontinue use.

Hydroxychloroquine has not been approved to treat coronavirus or COVID-19. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized emergency use of hydroxychloroquine in adults and adolescents weighing at least 110 pounds (50 kilograms) who are hospitalized with COVID-19.

Hydroxychloroquine is being used to try and stop coronavirus from spreading inside your body. It is not yet known if hydroxychloroquine is a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19, and this use is still experimental.

How is Hydroxychloroquine dosage taken?
It is imperative to take Hydroxychloroquine just as your doctor prescribes it. Hence, don’t take a smaller or a larger dose than your doctor recommends. Moreover, take this medicine for the suggested duration only. If you are asked to take once a week, then do exactly that; take Hydroxychloroquine the same day every week. It has to be taken either with a meal or a full glass of milk.

Hydroquin 200mg (Hydroxychloroquine) is taken orally with food. The dose is 400mg/day for 4-6 weeks. Maintenance dose is 200mg/day. Do not take the drug if you have a history of vision changes. The dosage preferably depends upon your weight, age, your medical history and your response to the treatment. Therefore the correct dose will be decided by your doctor.

What are the side effects of Hydroquin 200mg (Hydroxychloroquine)?

The following is a list of possible side effects that may occur;

• Nightmares
• PsychosisStomach
• CrampsDizziness
• Muscle painNerve pain
• Loss of hairDifficulty in visual space
• A headacheVomiting Constipation
• Low blood pressure

Tell the doctor if you have any liver problems, have had strokes and ever had an allergic reaction to any medicine.

Before taking this medicine
You should not use hydroxychloroquine if you are allergic to hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine.

High doses or long-term use of hydroxychloroquine may cause irreversible damage to your retina (the membrane layer inside your eye that helps produce vision). This could progress to permanent vision problems. The risk of retinal damage is higher in people with pre-existing eye problems, kidney disease, or people who also take tamoxifen.

To make sure hydroxychloroquine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• vision changes or damage to your retina caused by an anti-malaria medication;
• heart disease, heart rhythm disorder (such as long QT syndrome);diabetes;
• a stomach disorder;an allergy to quinine;
• liver or kidney disease;psoriasis;
• alcoholism;porphyria (a genetic enzyme disorder that causes symptoms affecting the skin or nervous system); or
• a genetic enzyme deficiency called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.

The information provided on the grantpharmacy.com website is intended to facilitate awareness about healthcare products and medical conditions generally but it is not a substitute for professional medical attention or advice. You should always speak with a qualified healthcare practitioner before taking any prescription or non-prescription drug.