• muscle weakness, twitching, or uncontrolled movement;

• loss of balance or coordination;

• blurred vision, light sensitivity, seeing halos around lights;

• pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding;

• confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior; or

• seizure (convulsions).

Less serious side effects may include:

• headache, ringing in your ears;

• spinning sensation;

• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain;

• loss of appetite, weight loss;

• mood changes, feeling nervous or irritable;

• skin rash or itching; or

• hair loss.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

What other drugs will affect hydroxychloroquine?

Before taking hydroxychloroquine, tell your doctor if you are also using any medications that can have side effects on the liver, such as:

• acetaminophen (Tylenol);

• cancer medications;

• tuberculosis medications;

• birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy;

• arthritis medications such as auranofin (Ridaura), aurothioglucose (Solganol), or methotrexate (Rheumatrex);

• an ACE inhibitor such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), or quinapril (Accupril);

• an antibiotic such as dapsone, erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), rifampin (Rifadin, Rifamate, Rimactane), or troleandomycin (Tao);

• cholesterol medications such as niacin (Advicor), atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Altocor, Mevacor), simvastatin (Zocor), and others;

• HIV/AIDS medications such as lamivudine (Combivir, Epivir), abacavir/lamivudine/zidovudine (Trizivir), nevirapine (Viramune), tenofovir (Viread), or zidovudine (Retrovir);

• an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), and others; or

• seizure medications such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretal), phenytoin (Dilantin), felbamate (Felbatol), valproic acid (Depakene).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with hydroxychloroquine. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about hydroxychloroquine.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.