• Basic Info
• Top Questions
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What is hydroxychloroquine?
Hydroxychloroquine is used to treat or prevent malaria, a disease caused by parasites. Parasites that cause malaria typically enter the body through the bite of a mosquito. Malaria is common in areas such as Africa, South America, and Southern Asia. Hydroxychloroquine is also used to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus. Hydroxychloroquine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of hydroxychloroquine?

Some people taking this medication over long periods of time or at high doses have developed irreversible damage to the retina of the eye. Stop taking hydroxychloroquine and call your doctor at once if you have trouble focusing, if you see light streaks or flashes in your vision, or if you notice any swelling or color changes in your eyes.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• 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.

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How should I take hydroxychloroquine?
Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Take hydroxychloroquine with a meal or a glass of milk, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Hydroxychloroquine is sometimes given only once per week. Choose the same day each week to take this medication if you are on a weekly dosing schedule. To prevent malaria: Start taking the medicine 2 weeks before entering an area where malaria is common. Continue taking the medicine regularly during your stay and for at least 8 weeks after you leave the area.

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What is the most important information I should know about hydroxychloroquine?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to hydroxychloroquine, or if you have a history of vision changes or damage to your retina caused by hydroxychloroquine or similar anti-malaria medications. Before using hydroxychloroquine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have psoriasis, porphyria, liver disease, alcoholism, or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency. Call a poison control center at once and then seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of hydroxychloroquine can be fatal, especially in children.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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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);

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Hydroxychloroquine has not been formally assigned to a pregnancy category by the FDA. Animal studies have revealed that the drug passed rapidly across the placenta, accumulated selectively in the melanin structures of the fetal eyes, and was retained in the ocular tissues for five months after the drug had been eliminated from the rest of the body. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. The only situation in which hydroxychloroquine is recommended for use during pregnancy is in the suppression or treatment of malaria, when in the judgement of the physician, the benefits outweigh the risks.

A case study of eleven pregnant women treated with hydroxychloroquine 200 mg either twice or once daily for at least 6 months reported that at delivery, the levels of hydroxychloroquine in cord blood were strongly correlated with hydroxychloroquine concentrations in maternal blood (p=0.01 by Spearman's test).

There are no data on the excretion of hydroxychloroquine into human milk.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Hypersensitivity to 4-aminoquinoline derivatives.
• Retinal or visual field changes attributable to 4-aminoquinoline derivatives or to any other etiology.
• Long-term use in children.

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What happens if I overdose?
Call a poison control center at once and then seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of hydroxychloroquine can be fatal, especially in children. Treatment of a hydroxychloroquine overdose must be started quickly. You may be told to induce vomiting right away (at home, before transport to an emergency room). Ask the poison control center how to induce vomiting in the case of a hydroxychloroquine overdose. Overdose symptoms may include headache, drowsiness, vision changes, slow heart rate, chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, seizure (convulsions), shallow breathing, or breathing that stops.

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What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking hydroxychloroquine?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to hydroxychloroquine, or if you have a history of vision changes or damage to your retina caused by hydroxychloroquine or similar anti-malaria medications. Hydroxychloroquine should not be used for long-term treatment in children. Before using hydroxychloroquine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have: psoriasis; porphyria; liver disease; alcoholism; or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
If you have been diagnosed with a disease for which an antibiotic is needed, you must complete the prescribed course of treatment. Even if you start to feel better, do not skip any doses and remember to take the medication until it is all gone.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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