PLAQUENIL Reviews (HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE SULFATE)Average Rating: 3.2 (667 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare PLAQUENIL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Gender with females listed first (reviews with no gender reported listed before females). Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 |
More on PLAQUENIL: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR PLAQUENIL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | RA | None | It took about 8 weeks for the drug to start working, but it has allowed me to resume a normal life. X-rays show that it has slowed the progression of the disease. I still have occassional flare ups, but it is so much better than before! | 53 | 4 years | 8/21/2002 | 5 | Sjrogrens | 0 days | 8/6/2017 | 3 | Sjogren's | terrilbe itching back of scalp. Recent very red patch across back of neck. Anxiety. Feeling of malaise. Forgetful, I don't know if that problem is from this medication. Can't take too much noise, feel extremely stressed, tired. | I have been having what my doctor calls episodic flare up of Sjogren's. I have had itchy scalp for the longest, Rheumo says very likely the medication. I was taking 100mg x2 daily, he told me to cut second dose in half. My itching getting worse, and my scalp itched and burns. Some itching front of scalp, stomach, but the back of scalp is terrible and really red in neck area. The medication has always helped my symptoms, it's depressing that this is happening. Going for blood work. | 51 | 1 years 100/50 2X day | 8/1/2011 | 2 | MCTD | At the end if day two, I experienced the worst diarrhea I think I've ever had. It lasted well into the next day. It was very painful and even burned. I'm taking half the prescribed dose. Also have broken out with little pimples on my face, chest and back. | 40 | 3 days 200mg/day | 5/13/2013 | 2 | For RA - pseudo gout | itching! On arms, legs, back, waist. Loss of hair, and thinning of skin, slow weight loss of 15 lbs. | I was put on Plaq. for a high RA Factor. (400) and was diagnosed as having RA because of one swollen joint. After a year of plaq. I saw another Rheumatologist at UCLA that emphatically told me I did not have RA but CPPD -- calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease -- also called pseudo gout that can make a joint flare. But I have stayed on plaq because both doctors said it might help my joints, in spite of the itching while my MD here in No Cal and my UCLA MD fight over my DX. So will this hurt me? I really don't like the side effects but don't want another flare up...My RA Factor is creeping up again...Is this working? | 72 | 2 years | 1/9/2010 | 2 | Polyarthritis | Eyes a little dimmer when reading - | I have spoken to at least 3 Dr/ Specialists and have had Ross River fever some 20years ago - I took about 18 months to recover from ROss River fever ( which according to the world "you never ever really recover" as it is an immune response problem and I was treated with Feldene etc over 2-3 years - the Drs told me that I would have recurring "bouts of hectic pain" in the future accompanied by Malarial type reaction about twice a year - tiredness , exhaustion, and stiffness followed but I rowed my machine daily , ate good healthy food , few red wines and became pretty fit & well again / My previously damaged joints like toes ( football) and hands -fingers / wrists ( boxing etc ) have now erupted into a very painful state whicb varies in intensity day to day .... The Gurus label it - Polyarthritis - and its just 'wear & tear' and have suggested Methotrexate as a final solution but introduced me to every other pain relief like Diclofenac - Ibuprofen - Celloxocib - Paracetamol - and all of these in various generic presentations ? I sleep at night after Panadol x 2 but usually wake twice or so on the night with soreness and by 6am I am feeling exhausted - I am a reasonably robust person , I walk & swim comfortably but I am generally declining in my self - The pain ha at times in my wrists agonizing and I really don't know how to control or maintain at | 76 | 4 weeks 20mg 2X day | 9/27/2020 | 1 | Connective tissue | It has given me pain in stomach,loose bowels,nausa & vomiting.Cannot eat,thirst,severe headaches, damage to my retina. Also induced cataract.Eye pain blurry vision, dizziness, photosensitivity so bad I wear sunglasses in side. It made me so weak and sweating with crying spells.This is a terrible drug my RA did not warn me permanent damage. My primary pulled me off. Ra doc should try this med him self.It may be good for some but toxic for me.It did nothing for pain.Do not use this drug and if you do be aware. How long will this stay in my system. How much damage has it caused drug induced. Thank God for my primary taking the time to figure this out. | 61 | 6 weeks 200mg | 9/10/2016 | 1 | RA | It’s one thing to be in chronic pain after being on this drug for about five or six weeks now and the only side effect I have is a bad one!!! it hasn’t helped my pain from rheumatoid oh but my hair is falling out ,isn’t that lovely! Besides being in pain I can look at how ugly I am now with all my hair falling it’s just a horrible way to feel,, specially being female to lose your hair and be in pain every day! RA sucks and so does all the medication that they come up with ,,were guinea pigs!! 😢😞 | Can someone tell me if their hair loss stops or does it continue until you’re bald??? Also, my eye doctor is aghast that I’m on this medication seeing I’ve had many issues with my eyes!! | 62 | 6 weeks 200 | 12/11/2019 | 1 | Lupus like symptoms | After taking Plaquenil for 30 days, I developed a severe rash on chest, arms, legs, back. Dr. advised to stop taking Plaquenil, and to clear up rash, take 20mg Prednisone twice daily for 4 days and to also take 4mg Cyproheptadine three times daily for five days. It worked! | 30 days | 12/8/2008 | 1 | Mixed connective tissue disease | After 2 1/2 weeks on Plaquenil I developed flu-like symptoms, fever, could'nt get out of bed for days and a rash over my entire body. | Doctor confirmed an allergy to Plaquenil and put me on a two week course of prednisone. I am so itchy I'm ready to jump out my skin. They said the rash will go away in two weeks. Don't know what I'm going to do next medication wise. | 3 weeks | 1/26/2009 | 5 | SLE | It's been too long to remember. Similar side effects to what everyone describes, hair loss etc. | Can't live without it. Felt so much better after many years and tried going down from 400 to 200mg. What a huge mistake. I though I was going to die. Had severe dizziness, numbness and tingeling, dull headache, ringing in ears, fatique,arthritus and joint pain like never before.Why did'nt my Dr. say this might happen. Was I a guenapig??? Relieved to hear this has happened to other. Also I took this through both pregnencies fine. I WILL NEVER GO OFF, unless my vision gets effected. | F | 42 | 15 years | 11/23/2008 | 5 | sjogren's syndrome | none | After just three days, my fatigue has lessened and I no longer feel mentally sad...it actually has improved my mood and I will start exercising again...beside sjogren's i have hasimoto's thyroiditis so any relief of symptoms are fantastic...so far, so good, I love this medication. | F | 56 | 3 days | 1/9/2009 | 5 | RA | F | 50 | 3 years | 1/14/2009 | 5 | RA | I haven't had any side effects at all, and I have been taking Plaquenil for 1 1/2 years. It's been very helpful with the pain, which was QUTIE severe when I started taking this, and the pain subsided within 3 weeks of taking it and I still haven't had any flare-ups except for when I occasionally have missed some doses. | F | 44 | 1.5 years | 2/17/2009 | 5 | Lupus | After one week, started having increased anxiety, racing heart, back pain and panic attacks about 2 hours after taking pill. | Doctors said Plaquenil doesn't cause those side effects so I stopped taking it and all side effects went away. (Was taking 400 mg per day) Started again a week later after all the lupus pain returned at 50mg per day. Cut the 200 mg pill into 4 pieces and take one piece in the morning with breakfast. Works great! No side effects and the arthritis pain, ulcers and rash of lupus are gone too. Maybe some people are really sensitive to it and need a very small dose. | F | 34 | 2 months | 2/20/2009 | 5 | Lupus | Minor stomach upset the first few weeks, some gas, ringing in the ears, some hair loss but have had major benefits on this med. | I've been on plaquenil for 20 years. I see an eye specialist 2x a year. Have never had a problem. I'm on 200mg once daily, taken right after breakfast. My Lupus symptoms have pretty much disappeared while on this med. I still feel some fatigue. Before plaquenil, I could barely function and could not work, had major pain and fatigue. Tried going off my med once to see how I felt. After 3 weeks, I went back on as I felt horrible. Will never try that again! | F | 52 | 20 years | 2/25/2009 | 5 | MCTD (Lupus and RA) | during the first 2-3 months, I experienced red bumps all over back (fading, but still there at 4 months), nausea, diarrhea, headaches, bruising, restlessness at night, tiredness (probably from lack of good sleep). Most symptoms subsided after first 2-3 months. | Could see the good effects from Plaquenil after about 3 months; My joints and energy-level feel better than they have in several years. For me this is definitely worth going through the 2-3 months of side effects. I still have some red bumps on back, but they have faded a great deal. | F | 23 | 4 months | 2/25/2009 | 5 | Connective Tissue Disease/Lupus | None | I had such bad pain I couldn't walk without my bones cracking. I take plaquenil everyday 200mg. It has truely improved my life. Still pain bothers me every now and then, but I wouldn't be able to go on without this medication. It has helped me ALOT. If I miss taking the pill for a few days, I notice a big difference. | F | 18 | | 3/23/2009 | 5 | UCTD with lupus like symptoms | A bit of insomnia. I counteract this side effect with amitriptyline. A little gas the first week. | The constant chronic pain has been dulled considerably and I'm only three weeks in. Morning stiffness if almost virtually gone. Hair loss was pre-plaquenil and this has not subsided (yet). Thinking seems clearer. I have to say I absolutely love this drug. If it does increase the hair loss that I had already before taking it...I'll wear a wig. It's worth it in comparison to the chronic pain without plaquenil. | F | 34 | 3 weeks | 3/10/2009 | 5 | SLE | I saw no improvement to extreme fatigue, weakness, body aches, headaches, joint pain until about 5 months after taking Plaquenil. Dose of 400mg a day. I too, tried to discontinue this drug and after 3 weeks I could not get out of bed. My original symptoms were back and felt worse because I had lived without them for several years. | Please be very careful with the eye exams. I had some brief episodes of blindness and more indepth testing was done (ERG) and this detected Plaquenil toxicity. I am told it has progressed to 'irreversible' state. If caught before any symptoms can be reversible for most patients. I was very diligent in getting eye exams every 6 months. | F | 52 | 15 years | 3/17/2009 |
PLAQUENIL (HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE SULFATE): Hydroxychloroquine is used to prevent or treat malaria infections caused by mosquito bites. It does not work against certain types of malaria (chloroquine-resistant). The United States Center for Disease Control provides updated guidelines and travel recommendations for the prevention and treatment of malaria in different parts of the world. Discuss the most recent information with your doctor before traveling to areas where malaria occurs. This medication is also used, usually with other medications, to treat certain auto-immune diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis) when other medications have not worked or cannot be used. It belongs to a class of medications known as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). It can reduce skin problems in lupus and prevent swelling/pain in arthritis, though it is not known exactly how the drug works. (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)