Adults—At first, 400 to 600 milligrams (mg) taken as a single dose or in two divided doses per day. Then, 200 mg once a day or 400 mg taken as a single dose or in two divided doses per day. Your doctor may adjust your dose if needed. Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
Dosage and strength
The usual dose for adults is 200mg to 400mg each day.
Hydroxychloroquine is in a class of drugs called antimalarials and is also an antirheumatic drug. It works by killing the organisms that cause malaria. Hydroxychloroquine may work to treat rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus by decreasing the activity of the immune system.
Hydroxychloroquine starts to work gradually. For inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, it can take 6 to 12 weeks before you notice any benefits. It's important to keep taking hydroxychloroquine. You may not feel any different at first, but it is likely to be working.
Cautions with other medicines
If you take antacids, leave a gap of at least 4 hours between taking them and hydroxychloroquine. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including: azithromycin, erythromycin or clarithromycin, antibiotics. amiodarone or digoxin, medicines for heart problems.
The usual dose is between one and two tablets per day (200 to 400 mg per day). If you are taking two tablets a day you can take them all at once or divide them up: one in the morning and one in the evening. The maximum amount of HCQ you can take is based on your body weight.
This medicine may cause muscle and nerve problems. Check with your doctor right away if you have muscle weakness, pain, or tenderness while using this medicine. Hydroxychloroquine may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors.
Hydroxychloroquine acts by suppressing Toll-like receptors to trigger important immunomodulatory effects. Hydroxychloroquine is a well-established and effective therapy for systemic and cutaneous lupus and other autoimmune diseases.
A new investigation analyzed the retinal changes over a five-year period in people with lupus and did not find clinically relevant retinal changes in the group. The study concludes that hydroxychloroquine therapy is safe for long-term use at doses <5 mg/kg/day.
Hydroxychloroquine oral tablet doesn't cause drowsiness, but it can cause other side effects.
Its main side effects are gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps), skin rash, headache, dizziness, and ocular toxicity. However, serious side effects including arrhythmia, bronchospasm, angioedema, and seizures can rarely occur.
In 1956, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved HCQ for symptoms of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, particularly skin inflammation, hair loss, mouth sores, fatigue, and joint pain.
Adults—At first, 400 to 600 milligrams (mg) taken as a single dose or in two divided doses per day. Then, 200 mg once a day or 400 mg taken as a single dose or in two divided doses per day. Your doctor may adjust your dose if needed. Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
Hydroxychloroquine doesn't work immediately. It may be 12 weeks or longer before you notice any benefit. Because it's a long-term treatment it's important to keep taking hydroxychloroquine unless you have severe side effects: even if it doesn't seem to be working at first.
People may need to stop taking hydroxychloroquine because of side effects. They should not stop taking the drug on their own without the help of their medical provider. Plaquenil stays in the body for around three months and it may take a while for side effects to go away.
How long does Plaquenil take to work? Plaquenil works very slowly. In 1 to 3 months you should start to feel better. You may continue to get better for up to 1 year.
Methotrexate is a common treatment for some types of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis, but it can have many side effects. Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) is an effective medication for autoimmune conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus) and certain types of malaria.
Hydroxychloroquine is generally safe at normal doses, but higher amounts can damage the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, and could result in partial or complete blindness.
Hydroxychloroquine is used in the treatment of arthritis to help relieve inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and joint pain and also to help control the symptoms of lupus erythematosus (lupus; SLE). A common brand name for hydroxychloroquine is Plaquenil®.
Plaquenil may also cause liver problems, such as liver failure. So drinking alcohol with Plaquenil could increase your risk of liver problems.
Hydroxychloroquine may potentially result in adverse effects on the central nervous system, mainly irritability, nervousness, emotional changes, nightmares, and even true psychoses [3, 4].
Another is hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) which can also cause sleep difficulties. Your doctor may recommend you take these medications early in the day to try and reduce the impact on your sleep. You may still experience sleep problems even if your PsA is under control.
Some medications' side effects, such as prednisone and hydroxychloroquine, may also cause sleeplessness. It is a good idea to take these drugs earlier in the day to reduce these potential effects.